Departure, Arrival, and first Week!!

So Wednesday is my P-day!  And I love the "dear elder" letters that I have been getting.  Don't have time to respond to them because I am typing this while I do my laundry!  I haven't been getting any emails if any one sent anything. 

This week has been crazy!  It started off by getting dropped off at the MTC

and everything was going so fast. I am now starting to settle into things.   When I first got here, I was directed into a set of rooms where I got all my books name tags, cards room key and some other stuff.   Then my host took me to my to my room to drop my things off and then took me to my class room where I met my district.  It is made up of two elders (me as one of them) and three sisters. Two of the sisters are going to Sweden, and the other is going to Norway.  I met my companion Aldste Carlson.  He's a cool dude. He's from Southern California and also swam and played water polo.  We then left class and were taken to some orientation meetings and worked with some investigators.

One of my two Swedish teachers spoke only swedish to us the first day and actually both still do.  It's just me and my companion in my room which is nice and we each have our own side of the room.  We dove right into learning swedish the first day and the first night, I was so tired.  The second day we taught our first lesson to an investigator who only spoke  swedish.  The gift of tongues is real.   We used what we knew and we could understand what he was saying for the most part.  We learned how to pray the second day and bear our testimony.  There has been so much that has gone on and I already have forgotten most of the first week, haha.

The food is really hard on my stomach... lets leave it at that. lol.  The gym is awesome!  Super big and they have an indoor track that is fun to go hard on because ten laps is a mile and its three stories up so you can look over and see everyone.  I am getting cooped up and tired of being inside and it felt really good to go out and play catch and play some sand volleyball two days ago. 

The days are pretty much the same every day. ~ Wake up, gym time, study, classroom, lunch, classroom, dinner, classroom haha.  A lot of studying!!  I was made district leader over my district on day two or three ~ can't remember, haha and I held my fist district meeting after the devotional last night with a member of the presidency of the First Quorum of the 70's  (general authority).  We were able to share our thoughts, feelings, goals and everything like that.  It was nice.  Our district is really tight and we're all good friends.  My zone is awsome.   It consists of northern/eastern europe.  The two sisters and me and my companion are the only Swedes in the whole MTC.

You'll  never guess who my Branch President is.... President Seamons!  They were in our Stake in Carmichael and were in the Fair Oaks 5fth ward I think?  Pretty cool.  I sang in the MTC choir and performed at the devotional with a simple four part song.   I have never felt the spirit so much.  I have

done two "tie drafts" and have gotten some pretty sweet ties!  First was with the Germans and we did one with our zone last night.  We're all on the same floor and in the same hallway so we all chill/study/show each other how hard the food is on our stomachs... good times! 

I feel so strong in Swedish now and I am trying my best to SYL "speak your language" as much as I can throughout the day and it helps a lot.  I have had no time to think about myself and "veg."   It is really a life of service for two years.  I am always studying trying to help my investigator.  That's why I can't wait to go to the temple today. ~ To clear my head and to get me through the week.

 Jag vet att jesus kristus ar guds son, jag vet att joseph smith var en profet av gud. jag vet att momons bok ar guds ord, och jag alskar evangeliet. 

- Aldste Blackburn