Latest from Zach...

A couple days ago we had a breakout of influenza. It's spread across the whole MTC and they've counciled anyone who has any simptoms to stay in their room. Of course, it being allergy season EVERYONE has the simptoms...

...We got a new district in our zone last wednesday. It feels good not being the noobs anymore. The senior most district leaves in a couple days, and they say we'll get a new district after that, so we'll be the second most senior district (if that makes sence).

Since our Zone leaders are leaving, they had to appoint new ones. I had my fingers crossed it'd me Elder Waite and I but it was Elder Jones and Elder Lynn. As much as I wanted to be it, I'm glad those two were chosen. They're great missionaries and they always express how greatful they are to be here and with our district. We're arguably the best district in the entire MTC.

Last Wednesday we went to the RC center (referal center). It's where we make calls to people who orderd Book of Mormons or church videos. We call to make sure if they got it and then offer missionaries to visit. It was such a weird experience. I hadn't talked to anyone out side of the MTC in so long the idea of calling was mind boggling. I eventually got over it and made me first call. After much anticipation it rang. and rang. and rang. and rang. Eventually I got an anwsering maching.
"Few" I thought. "That wasn't so bad, lets go back to class." But we still had another hour. 9 more times I got answering machines. I was going for the record, 29 answering machines in a row. Then some one picked up. I said "Hi, I'm Zach from the chur..." and they hung up.

Other than that it's been a pretty boring week. 4 members from our district were told to stay in their rooms because they had Influenza symptoms, and technically they should have stayed in today but they were so bored they sudenly felt 100% better.

Tomarrow Elder Wirnly and Elder Musick leave. They're going to Guatemala for their mission, so they stuck them in this MTC to learn a little Spanish before they sent them to the Guatemala MTC for the other 6 weeks. They're really cool and I'm sad to see them both leave.

Sometime this month all the new Mission Presidents are coming for training. That includes my mission president. I'm really, really excited to meet him and his wife. Also, for training, all of the Apostles are coming, and I might even get a chance to meet the Prophet! (or at least be in the same room/next to the room that he's in.)

The Spanish is coming really, really fast. I learned one word, ONE WORD, and a whole new area of Spanish is now avaliable. I mentioned last week I had to write a talk for sacrament every week. I guess I should clarify I have to write a new talk every week on another subject in Spanish. The senior district gave me a hint that if I quote a really long scripture and a really long section in "Preach my Gospel" I don't actually have to say much, haha.

I've also started to study spanish on my own when we're not in class. I know, I'm already supposed to do that but usually I only reviewed what I had learned. The first day I studied by my self I learned how to say "Bullet" "Knife" "Fist" and "Fork" and also how to say "Shot" "Bullet Wound" "A Slash with a knife" and "punch". So as you can see, I'm really using my time wisely here!

I'm 1/3rd of my way through the MTC, but it feels like I've been here so much longer. The weird thing to think is I'm only 3 weeks in the 2 years, but at this pace It'll feel like I'll be home next week!