Picture and notes from the mother

It is a very small world out there in Provo.

Katie's roommate works at the MTC and so does the roommate's boyfriend.

In fact, the roommate's boyfriend, who is named Israel, taught EJ this past Saturday. Israel knew EJ and Katie are siblings and so he had this picture taken:

and he sent it to Katie, who sent it to me.

In other news, EJ is at the doctor right now. We hope it's nothing, but keep EJ in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks.

March 19 2012

Family,
At the beginning of this week it was really nice out. During personal study I got to go outside to read my scriptures. That may not seem super exciting but after spending all my time in the class room, getting to study outside was nice. We also rearranged our desks and I don't get to sit right next to the window anymore which kind of stinks but oh well.

At the end of the days alot of us elders played some stick pull. I'm sure Paul knows the game. Two people are sitting down facing each other, feet up against the other person's feet and they are both holding on to a stick/poll/for us it's a metal bar and see who can either pull the stick away from the other or have the other person fall forward. I did very well. I beat everyone except for Peterson, I tied him.

This week I also worked on memorizing the First Vision. "Vi una columna de luz, más brilliant que el sol, directamente arribe de mi cabeza; y esta luz graduamente decsendio hasta descansar sobre mí Al reposar sobre mí la luz. Vi en el aire arriba de mí a dos personajes, cuyo fulgor y gloria no aditen discrípcion. Uno de ellos me habló, llamándome por mi nombre, y dijo, señalado al otro: Este es me hijo amado. Escúchalo.

It took me about a day to get down. I can also translate what all the words mean.

A few days ago on Thursday the 14th my district got talked to by BYU security because apparently some of us were talking a lot during devotional and 2 of them left early. We found out they left cause 1 of them really had to go to the bathroom. We didn't get in trouble, just talked to.

And on Sunday I didn't have to give a talk which is nice. If I get my visa on time then I will only have to prepare for 1 more talk because after next week its just General Conference and then Fast Sunday. Although next Sunday I am doing the sacrament blessing and that is in Spanish.

It also snowed this Sunday. It was cool because it wasn't that cold and there was a tiny layer of snow on all the bushes and plant. Now just about all the snow is gone though. Sunday night we also get to watch a movie which was nice. We watche The Testaments.

Oh and sense I have gotten here I have gotten way better at reading scriptures and applying what I read to my life. I am almost done too, 25 more pages to go.

Oh and the little Book of Mormons are for Dad and Hayley [Mother's note: he sent two tiny BofMs for Jim's and Hayley's birthday presents]. I have one of my own and I think they are awesome because it fits perfectly in the inside pocked of my suit jacket and so I am always carrying BoM around with me.

Love Jimmy

Bits and pieces from several letters

The following is a conglomeration of paragraphs from various letters sent to various Evanses living here in Savage.

Dear Dad,
Things here are going pretty good. The weeks are going by fast. and im glad because I can't wait to leave to Mexico. Its also getting really nice outside. It felt like 70s a few days ago. Spanish is also coming along alright. I can sorta teach a lesson solomente in español. I can't always say what I want but I can do my best to find my way around saying it by saying something similar. That's really cool you got to direct sacrament meeting and fast sunday. So when do you have to assign talks how do you pick who to give a talk?

You mentioned David Archuleta coming to the MTC. That would be pretty [cool]* to meet him and find out where hes going. I might actually be hosting by 3/28 because by then I will only have like 2 weeks left. P day goes so fast I feel I never have enough time to write to everyone.

Dear Matt, Haha Spanish was never fun in school but I really wish I had paid more attention in the class. When do you start Spanish? So here at the MTC I am speaking as much as I can. My goal is to be able to go a whole day without speaking English. That will probably only happen when I am in Mexico where no one knows how to speak English. At gym I play 4 square. The missionaries here love that game.

Dear Mom, I do see quite a bit of people here with yo-yos and sure I think a yo-yo would be nice. Other people in my District and Zone play with bouncy balls. I don't though**.

I got to go to the temple a little while ago. I have done ceilings [Mother's note: I assume he means "sealings] and an endowment session at the Provo Temple. It's difficult to think of things to write to write about cause every week is the same. When I am in Mexico, I will send more interesting letters.

Estoy aprendiende español y mas sobre el Evangelic de Jesucristo. Yo sé como enseñar la primero trece leccións in español. Pero, el otro leccións está mas dificial. Pues como estan? Voy escribir sus cartas ahora.

Excerpt from email from last Tues in which he answered some questions I posed to him:

hey mom!

my favorite activity during gym time is 4 square.

i do get the use the computer labs with headsets like every day

my gym class is at different times every day. i go off a schedule thats the same from week 2 through week 8.

I will write in spanish in one of my letters. i dont wanna spend too much time on email thinking of what to write.

I usually write letters on tuesday but sometimes i dont finish everything on tuesday so when i have spare time i may try and continue writing any unfinished letters. Spare time doesnt come around very often though. And even though tuesdays are PDays we still have things going on during the day.

Yeah i do get mail farely often, and so do my roommates. My companion is practically engaged and he gets a package like every day from his girlfriend.

My other two roommates leave the mtc anytime now, they were supposed to leave a few days ago but are having visa problems. theyre going to argentina.

i did get those cookies katie sent me and they were really good.

Well my 30 mins is about up. so got to go.

Love you all

Jimmy
*He left out a word here and I assume he meant to write "cool."
**I wonder what he has against bouncy balls?

March 8 2012

Dear familia,
Estoy a la hospital ahora. Mi compañero está enfermo. Los piensan que él tiene un kidney stone. Él está aqui para tener un CT scan. Está extraño para estar outside del CCM (MTC). Estoy viendo tv en el cuerto de waiting.

Utah news is very boring. So I was just talking to another missionary who was here for his companion too. He is going to Oaxaca (where Riley is) and he is leaving in about a week and a half. It makes me super eager to leave to Mexico, but I still got a month. So earlier I was in the waiting room at the health center in the MTC and they had this "puzzle" think that I could do to kill the time. I'm going to see if I can describe to you all the puzzle. There was a bottle, wooden stick, 2 screws, 2 washers, 2 nuts. The stick had 2 holes in it. The goal was to put the screws through the stick and then put both washers and nuts on the screw while in the bottle. I then got to sign my name in a record book for those who were able to do it, because after a long while I finally was able to do it. The signatures date back to 2000 and now my name is the last one on there. [Mother's note: Jimmy included a really good drawing of the puzzle, but of course, he didn't draw exactly HOW he got the stick out of the bottle with the screws, nuts, and washers on it.]

So enough about that. This week has been pretty great. On Sunday for the fireside we got to listen to Alex Boyé. He was born in England and he sings in the Mormon Tab Choir. He was really funny. He told us of his time in England and then lead into his conversion story. Though he was very comical while speaking he would also bear his testimony. After he had told us of how he was converted he started to talk about what the church meant to him and the way he had gained a testimony about the truth about the Book of Mormon and how his mission changed his life. He finished with telling us that as missionaries we have the help and power of God with us, and we can expect miricals (sp?). It was a good fireside.

The devotional from Elder Holland was also very good and I think I mentioned it in my last letter but if I didn't or if I didn't say much about it then I will just send my notes that I took because it's a lot. Just send it back after you get it. [Mother's note: He included 3 pages of notes and the last page was scarred with deep pen scratches because his pen was running out]

So the whole week feels like a day or so. Its hard to distinguish (sp?) between each day's events because for the most part every day feels the same. Sleep, eat, class, study. It's great stuff and I really like it here but for the most part it is hard to think of things to write about and I don't have your guys letters with my so I don't have anything to reply to so I will continue this when I am back at the MTC with those letters from home.

I know I wasn't able to answer everything by this point and wasn't able to write everyone separatly but trust me I will. I just wanna send this this [Mother's note: Yes, he wrote "this this". I have copied all his spellings and punctuation just as he wrote them, also the (sp?)s are his too] out now.

Love
Elder [unintelligible scribble]

March 1 2012

Happy Birthday Dad!
Hola Familia
So I got your letter and the memory card! Thank you! So I'm still having a great time here. I forgot to mention that a few weeks ago someone tried to spread a rumer that Lady Gaga died and a few people believed it [mother's note: what he forgot is that yes, he had told us already. But that's ok].  I didn't but that brings up the idea that everyone here is so isolated from the outside world, we can't just take out our phone to see if it is true or not. So to answer a few of your questions:
I am definitely settled into the MTC now.
Not had to speak in Sacrament meeting yet.
My MTC ward/branch is about 30 people
Those snacks in the picture are not mine.
MTC store sell a lot but no veriaty at all
My favorite MTC food is the Mexican stuff they serve
I have been to the temple
My instructers are very cool. Harmano Mead and Harmano Taylor. They are very energetic, funny and love telling stories from their missions. Taylor went to Argentina and Mead went to Chile. Taylor didn't serve in where Dad served. Both teachers are very good at getting us all pumped.

I heard Mom got to feed Lemmy, sounds fun! [Mother's note: Hey! I like to feed Lemmy. The only issue I have with feeding the lizard is trying to get the crickets from the cricket box into the breading bag. I don't want to be jumped on or touched in any way by crickets]  I love feeding Lemmy.

Tomorrow morning I have to get up at like 5:45 because my district is doing service. Every Friday morning we have to clean the Gym building.  I really can't wait tell I am out in the feild. The MTC is fun, but not much happens out of the normal. Every week is similer to the one before. Although there is one thing that happened, on Tuesday in the devotional we all got to hear from Elder Holland! He spoke of what is expected of us as missionaries. He talked a lot about how we are representatives of the church. I took a lot of notes and then my pen died right at the end. Well, I got to go.

Love, Elder Jimmy Evans