MTC Week Seven: 5 Days till the Promised Land

This week I was thinking so much of the name we bear as members of the church; so often we think we are bearers of faith, love, hope, compassion. And yes that is all true, but at the same time we bear His name as a whole. We are vessels carrying the message and evidence of the pain and suffering He went through and we so easily forget that. Almost more so, we are the bearers of a story of pain and anguish, so that we may be happy and also be pure vessels like our Savior. Just something I have been thinking about.

I leave this Monday and man am I stoked to be in Germany. The last week has gone pretttyyyy slowly, but that's okay because once we get on the mission schedule it will speed up! We fly United to Chicago, Chicago to Frankfurt, Frankurt to Dresden, then train from Dresden to Freiberg. It’s gonna be a long day, but I am excited. I CAN CALL ON MONDAY MORNING!!!! So have your phones at the ready bright and early!!!! SO EXCITED! Crazy how after the first week in Germany I will have been out 2 months and the next time I talk to you will be in fact exactly 6 months in the mission.

The language and everything is coming along, but I know once I get there I will just be like what the heck is going on. We didn’t do a lot in class since we leave to the promised land so soon. We only have one more official class this week, which is so exciting!! We practiced train contacts and it was so funny. I am already finding it hard to write in English. . . which is so fun. We filmed a commercial this week as a district back at the dorm and it was the funniest thing. I will miss everyone for sure. kinda. maybe. probably not.

The snow was absolutely insane down here — you have no idea how funny it was when we were hosting the senior missionaries that were arriving. It was when the storm was literally a blizzard and Elder Burch and I had to run to cars and it was like a war zone. We made a football out of snow and started playing catch, which of course didn't really work out at all. But nothing we didn't expect. End result.... well now I have a cold. But that was the most fun day of the MTC, so I am not complaining.

I love you and miss you and am so grateful for your packages and notes and just you in general. Hope all is well and what I could use right now is a nice big brisket. Man does that sound good. Wow okay, I will talk to you Monday. I love you so much and miss you. Hope all is well at home and I’m excited to call and get to talk to you.

Love you!

Elder Rhondeau

ps: I kinda guess Truly is still fat but I always hope to get that email that says, "Truly is no longer fat"...but that won’t come, is my guess, because she is so sad I am not home.

MTC Week Six: 12 daysss

Hallo!

This week, with the new PDAY and all, felt like an eternity. Literally like an eternity. But hey I’m alive and made it to PDAY. This past week was good though! We had A LOT of language study, and a lot a lot of Book of Mormon study. But it is always fun learning new things.

One question I get a lot is "What is German like?” Well, I am going to answer that here on this email so I answer that for everyone. German is hard to get used to, since I learned French for 9 years and have really had that accent down, my teachers make fun of me for having that lil French accent in there somewhere. The words can be long, but they are very fun to say. If you think German is like an angry, mean-sounding language, it is for sure not. The only reason people think that is because the only time they have heard it is in WWII movies when Germans are yelling. It is a very pretty language. The sentence structures and stuff kick my rear man oh man. But, the more you speak, the easier it gets. Well, easier is an overstatement but yes it does help to speak as much as you can. I leave in 12 days for the Mother Land and I could not be more scared, anxious, as well as pumped out of my mind. Looking back on the last 5 weeks, I have realized how much we have studied and dedicated time to the language, and Gospel Study -- like 8 hours a day, 7 days a week for 5 weeks! The math is easy but I'm tired so don't wanna do the numbers but wow it’s nuts. We have this joke that Elder Burch and I always talk about. We say the MTC is like the movie Holes. All the questions match up to the movie like "How long you been in here" or "Why you in here for so long" or "What’s your name what’s your story". It is so funny. Maybe I think its funny because I am slowwlyyyy going insane, but nonetheless it is funny.

Sorry this week’s email is a little short and not very interesting…I love you all and hope everyone is doing well. If anyone has the chance, read 2 Nephi chapter 4. It is the bomb. Love you!!


Elder Rhondeau

MTC Week Five: New PDay!

Hello everyone! My new PDay is Wednesday for the next 3 weeks 'til I dip outta this place!

It has only been 4 days since my last email so nothing too new. We have had seven General Authorities come this week already because the Mission Presidents are getting released. Elder Anderson of the Quorum of the Twelve was here last night along with five members of the Quorum of the Seventy. It was great! He talked about how lost the age group of 18-28 is and how we need to really keep an eye out for them. Only 55% of that age group in the US believe in a God, and that is only getting worse.

I had to go get my blood drawn for no reason this week but the doctor said I had to because I had a stomachache. IT WAS SO NICE BEING IN THE FREE WORLD. We filmed a video of me "escaping" from the MTC and trying to hop fences and hitchhike — it was so entertaining! The teachers loved it. (So we have this teacher that is legit in the CIA and he denies it but I know for a fact he is. We have a plan though to find out ... I will keep you updated.)

We get to Skype with members in Germany tomorrow and I am so nervous…It is going to be okay though; I can’t wait. I heard Clemson won in the best football game ever, so that made me sad to hear but it’s whatever — I hate Alabama so WOOT WOOT!!

Nothing too special has happened this week; being in the MTC is getting a little better everyday but still can’t wait to be in Germany. We talked to this Elder at the clinic and he said the two years feels like maybe 6 months. He said work your hardest every second because you will be on the plane home before you know it and be like “wait what? take me back I am not finished.” So I am going to focus on working hard and living every day like I go home tomorrow. I love you all and will have a better email next week, but just know I am praying for everyone every day and GOD LOVES YOU.

Elder Rhondeau

MTC Week Four: One month down

Welp. This week was the hardest by far. I was so so sick for a day, then Smartt was sick, then Elder Burch was sick and so it was just such a frustrating, unproductive 3 days. To top that, I had to take care of that Elder again and it was just a rough week. BUT WE KEEP GOIN BABY. THE WORK DON'T STOP. Elder Smartt and I grind on the language and it's so fun. German is so döp! (dats slang for dope in German). We had another TRC where you teach actual members and it's way fun because we can now understand pretty well and have fun conversations about their family and stuff. I was told this week that I may be assigned to learn Mandarin Chinese on my mission. I love it. This is awesome. Keep it coming God. Being here is preparing me slowly but surely for the trials in my mission and all you can do is go forward with faith and trust in the Lord. No. Matter. What. Do it.
Trust Him. He's awesome and wants to help.


Highlights:

1. Elder Ringheiser hitting me with a snowball and this is hilarious because he can't throw but somehow managed to nail my face 40 feet away…not even mad.
2. Getting 8 bottle flips in a row and breaking the class record
3. Sleeping
4. GETTING CHIKFILA WHAT
5. Sleeping
6. Eating Graham Canyon ice cream. That's my alone time when I have that. Don't bother me.

Not a lot happened this week because of the three of us being sick, but all in all an okay week looking back. Sister Von Allmen is from Switzerland and she plays basketball and freaking balls out. She hit 7 straight 3s and it's insane. She helps us a lot with Deutsch which is nice, and she tries to teach me the different dialects and it’s nuts! I hit 17 in a row though, so she got some catchin’ up to do:)
Elder Burch and I are literally the same person. Not even kidding. It's hard to understand or explain because it freaks me out. It's great though and he's the only one allowed around me when I eat Graham Canyon--that's saying something. I got a haircut and said "take an inch off the top and a 3 on the side please". Result? She just takes off 3 inches and shave the sides. I got over it after Elder Burch literally ended up looking like Caillou. It's the funniest.

I guess for a little spiritual thought, all I have is rely on the Lord with everything you have. Life can get hard. When you think you're alone, just pray, and listen or pay attention to how you feel. Read
1 Nephi. The whole thing. Nephi relies on the Lord even when his life is a complete mess and his brothers just will not stop persecuting him. Replace his “brothers” with your life. And when the going gets tough, get tougher and get going. Love you all!

German Word of the Week: Dazugehörigkeitsgefühl: feeling of belonging.
I used this in a lesson and it was weird.


Elder Rhondeau