Aug 19, 2013 West Campus

Hola Familia y Amigos!

Elder Turek, again!

How are things? Thanks for the letters and emails! I got Mom's, Dad's, a email from Dad's address, but which seemed to have a certain Kyla-like tone to it ;), and an email from the Stake Presidency. Thanks all! I also got a dear-elder from Tyler earlier in the week, but he wrote in Spanish with accenting and all and so the printer driver at dear elder was like "I ain't havin' none'that" and turned all the accented ones into question marks which made it difficult to read and to decide if you were asking or telling me things. Next time, email it, or just put apostrophes next to the letters that are in need and I will understand. 

Okay! So I made it to the West Campus safe and sound! It's good here! Different, but good! The West Campus consists of two former BYU apartment complexes: Wyview, and Raintree. We live in Wyview. We have one apartment for 6 of us with a bedroom for each companionship--as opposed to one room with 3 bunkbeds--but the downside is there only one shower and we have a Gym period every day. It's been interesting. One or two sink showers may or may not have taken place. Haha, I think they will have more showers in the new gym facilities under construction, done in October.

At the main MTC we have shaded walkways, and everything is much closer. Here we have to cross a street to get to the other half of the MTC and there is much less of that shade business. Está bien, it's good practice for the mission. The food is basically the same for the main courses, and the plentiful amounts of cereal, but there are less choices, a lack of wrap bar, and less people. It's okay, most of the MTC-necessary buildings here are either recycled apartments or large portables. There's lots of construction and growth going on around here. It'll be cool to see all of this when it gets done.

Every Tuesday we have a devotional. This Tuesday, we had none other than Richard G. Scott come and speak to us! Also, I was in the choir, happening to sit right in front of the camera, AND the devotional was broadcast, live and recorded, to something like 15 other MTCs. Woof. It was cool. Elder Scott was an excellent speaker.

I have yet to get my Visa. I'm going to know where I'll be reassigned probably this Thursday.

I saw the picture of Kyla's room! Que Chevre! How cool! That will be awesome. Code, I hope your face swelleth less, but keep hangin' in there. That's really cool that Tyler got a new job! I hope you like it T'.

Mom: I got the earplugs!! Thanks so much! They have been very helpful in helping me focus!

You Henderson People: Do you know the Laymons? There's a Elder Laymon in my Zone and he said he lives in Henderson, so just curious...

Turek Peeps: Today while on the bus from the Temple to the MTC, I met a sister Randquist. She mentioned my last name and said that her Stepdad had the same last name and that she'd never met anyone with the same. I came to find out that her stepdad's name is Bill Turek and that she even lives in Layton! How I've never known this, beats me. Do we know a Bill? How am I related to this Sister? It was pretty bizarre, but cool.

Also some other elder asked me if I knew a Sharra Turek... anyone know a Sharra (spelling guessed/misremembered). Double also, a few weeks ago I met a Elder Turk. He said that his last name used to be spelled like ours--not sure how long ago you'd have to go back to find the relation, but still cool anyway; it's a small world.

Thanks again, all; I love you! But I must go!

If you would like to email me write me here at bradley.turek@myldsmail.net.

If you want to receive these emails consistently, say so! And I'll make sure you're added to the list. Also, they should be posted to my blog at elderturekinargentina.blogspot.com

I got a haircut today. Also I do laundry occasionally. Hence the picture.

Aug. 12, 2013

Hola, familia y amigos!

Thanks to all of those who sent me emails or letters! You're awesome. En verdad ("Really"). Namely, Misti (AKA The (self-named) Favorite Aunt), Skylar and Lynette and Hannah. Thanks. Alot. Those help me more than you think.

Anyways! Things that have gone on this week!

First and foremost, my entire district got some exciting news this week! We're being moved to the West MTC Campus. There's been mixed feelings among our district--you know how rumors and "change" go--but I'm hopeful. The west campus has been in development for a while; it used to be the "Raintree" apartment buildings and Wyview Building for BYU but the MTC bought it and their slowly but surely, I've heard, turning it into a second campus. We hear lots of things about the West Campus. Some good, some bad. I choose to only believe the good and have a good attitude about the bad, if by rare chance they're true.

I've been here at the Main MTC Campus for almost a month! So in that way it's going to be... less than what we anticipated, because this 4th week was the week where we would finally get to Host--help lead new missionaries around and pry them off their crying mothers--and feel like we know something about something, but...alas, we will survive without it. We'll be off to the West Campus on Tuesday and so we're back to the newbie/novato status. And you know what, I'm excited! 

 

My companion and I are still teaching and trying to make headway on our investigators! It's still hard, but I like what Elder Holland said (paraphrase) "Why is not the only problem of missionary work, Pneumonia from being wet all day and all night in the baptismal font?.... I believe missionary work is not easy... because salvation is not a cheap experience." I will keep trying and rely on the Lord.

 

My mailing address will change to:

Elder Bradley Christopher Turek

AUG 27 ARG-NEU

2023 N 900 E Unit 898

Mom! Thanks for getting me earplugs! They're not here yet, but I'm excited for them! Also, thanks again for the last package, but for the future--if you really wanted to tickle my tastebuds--foods with more substance like wheat-thins and nature-valley bars would be SO appreciated. Thanks. :)

 

 

Dad, thanks for uploading those contacts. I know you're super busy with work and callings and such. If you could actually upload my contacts from my previous email address, TurekBoy@gmail.com, that would be great. And if you could send, in a email or letter, the whole list of mailing addresses of my camp friends, that would be ever-so helpful. Thanks for updating my blog! You rock. If you could update my MTC address found on the sidebar (I think) that would be grand. Also! I was looking at the past MTC presidents and I think I found your MTC Presidents--not sure, my math could be wrong--was it Joseph and Carolyn Bishop? Maybe you don't remember, but I just thought it might be cool if it was.

Tyler! I saw Elder Hopper here at the MTC; he's a teacher. He said that he went to the Mexico City North Mission and I came to figure out from him that you were companions and good friends! How cool! Que chevre, I mean. I know this may be a far-out suggestion for Tyler, but he could look into teaching here at the MTC. It seems like a lot of returned missionaries do it. There's clearly some complications to be had in doing so, but, you know, just a suggestion.

 

I hope Cody gets feeling better from his surgery soon, I didn't even know he was going to have a surgery. Did Cody get my letter? 

 

Things:

My missionary plaque. How did I leave without you guys getting a plaque scripture from me? I should've know you all would plan against me like that, but... I will survive. ;) Seriously, though, do I have a plaque? What scripture did you put on it?

A picture for my Mormon.org account. If you could get some good pictures of me and send them that would be great; pick a few from my senior photos, and other facebook portraits of me. 

 

Thanks, I love you all!

 

Elder Turek

.

 

The attached picture is a picture of some of my district while we're on our Temple Walk.

Aug 5, 2013

Hola familia!

Como estan ustedes! How are you guys!

It's cool to hear about Brett and Cody going on Trek. I can't believe that it's been 4 years since I've been on Trek! I remember the Hodown! It was fun, but  I remember watching the video of me ho-down-ing and not liking how my pants made me look... Anyways, yeah Trek was awesome for me, I hope it was awesome for you two, Cody and Brett! I hope you never forget what and how you felt! Every last feeling down to your sore toes!

I'm so excited for Kyla to get a cool room! Those colors seem awesome! I want to see pictures of it eventually! Maybe Dad and Mom will actually get seperate, clean offices! [Or at least one of you will ;) ]

What good news for Tyler and Brett! Finally, jobs! Skylar emailed me that Brett and her were going to job hunting the other day, were you fruitful? And how cool for Tyler, that will be a great job. Tell T that he can tell them that his little brother got 4th place in Help Desk Skills at the State Level at the FBLA state competition, I'm sure that will get him a job ;)

Things that happened this week:

Wow I can hardly remember! I should write more down in my Journal. Oh, I know! Today, my district got invited to clean the Provo Temple! It's exciting because that's not something that everyone gets to do. So we went today and walked over to the fantastic, fragrant, flowering temple grounds, like we get to do almost every week on our Sunday temple walk--except this morning there were two different things than on our temple walks, being:
1)There weren't a thousand missionaries also enjoying their walk
2)and there weren't any protesting cross-holding ministers trying to preach to us about Jesus and such (because we don't know anything about him--I mean it's not even on each of our name tags).

--anyways we went up to the Temple and went into the side dock doors where we were met by security. He asked for two missionaries to be the security and so my companion and I volunteered were clearly the most qualified... okay my companion was clearly the most qualified; seriously he could bounce anybody that decided they wanted to lay unhallowed foot in the temple.

So we got these really cool LDS Security badges (like, I'm talking legitimate metal badge-plaque-necklace thing) that said Provo Temple Security (man, I wish I had a picture!) and they had us take people's recommends and check them in. It was good, we would check in the contractors who were wearing all white, even white overalls, and give them a little contractor badge. I even signed for two (count 'em: 2) packages. Okay, maybe the badge was the coolest part, but it was still fun; I was so ready to cast out any unwelcomed persons that came my way.

After we were done security-izing, they gave us a short tour. They took us into the Bride's room! One-time-opportunity. Wow. It was really cool. Mirrors and gold everywhere! The lady touring us, pointed out the gold accenting along most of the walls and mirrors. She said that it was the real stuff, aka verdadero oro (real gold!) She emphasized how much God loves his daughters, and how much we should appreciate them, too. It was very cool.

My companion and I are doing well! For a while we were kind of in a funk. We both were following the rules, but we just weren't working together. A teacher that was going around and helping (as the spare teachers often do here) picked us out of our district and took is in the other room to help us work on whatever we needed to work on. We told him that we had just got some feedback from someone who observed one of our appointments with an investigator and he, the feedback giver, said in the 12 minutes that he was there behind the 2-way mirror, the investigator spoke for 33 seconds; he timed it. So because of that we were trying to work on (and had worked on) getting to know our investigators better and asking them more questions. So he, the helping-teacher, had us practice with him. After we came in and (in Spanish, mind you) got to know him for 10 minutes or so, he stopped, broke character back to himself and asked us what we knew about him (his character). We knew all the normal things: he lived alone, he worked in landscaping, he had a few brothers and sisters, he liked to work on his house in his spare time, he liked his family. But then he asked what we really knew about him. The answer was really nothing.

So he then explained to us that in order to know someone you need to know what their goals are, their desires are, their fears are. He asked Elder Latu if he knew what my biggest fear was, asked me if I knew what Elder Latu's goals were. He told us that it seemed that we had some work to do and that before we can get to know and love our investigators, we needed to really get to know and love each other. So we did. I really got to know Elder Latu, more, and he got to know me. Now we're on the same page and we love each other and we're working together much better. It's been good. Life's much easier when you're working together, especially when your connected at the hip.

Below (actually in another email) I've attached some pictures. There's a picture of Elder Latu, a picture of Elder Latu and I and a picture of our Zone.

Mom, did you send that package I left with you off to camp Loll? I got your package! Finally! I was waiting for it with baited breath every day since I heard it was coming. It was really good to get because one of the Elders in my district gets a package like every/every other day. Thank you for the innumerable treats! Thank you for the multivitamins! Thank you for the other pair of shorts! Thank you for the pajama pants and Mickey Mouse shirt! Thank you for the letter from Kyla! Thanks for the Nalgene! Thank you for the addresses (how sure are you about Lynette's? I thought it was Riversands Dr. not Riverside, so double check on that, if you're right I need to send a letter to whoever lives at 625 Riverside Drive and get my letter to the right house)! Thanks for the vitamins for immune system health; how did you know I was getting sick! Thank you for loving me!

I love you all,

Elder Turek

P.S. If you ever get a hold of some ear plugs, those would be handy to have; sometimes, I can't help but listen to other people's conversations.

P.P.S Thanks to Skylar, Ashley, Patsy, and Trudi for sending me emails/letters.

P.P.P.S. Dad, did you ever get that camp directory off my google drive (refer to my last email)? I know you're busy, but that would be nice so I can send letters to my camp friends.

July 29, 2013

Hola! Que tal! 

Thanks so much for those of you who emailed me! I can't believe It's already my second week! Holy Cow! Things are good here at the MTC. The food is still good, although many assure me by the time I leave it will cease to be, my district is still pretty good, I'm learning spanish really well so far, things are good.

We taught our investigator, Mohammed, 3 more times this last week. At first we were really nervous and kinda choppy and not conjugating our words right, but we got less nervous and better at spanish as we met with him more. It was good; it helps me to know that I will be able to do it in Argentina, eventually. I can understand almost everything my investigator says now. I might need them to repeat, but normally on the second time I get it down; and if they say a word that I don't know I try and ask what it is and how to spell it (for some reason knowing how to spell the word helps me remember and pronounce it alot better.) This next week we'll have two investigators to teach in spanish! Man, I was thinking that was alot, but then I realized that we're going to have a lot more than that in the Mission Field, so esta bien.

My companion and I are doing well. We've had some ups and downs, but thanks to a few companion inventories, (you know, just talking it through, "what's our strengths, what do we need to work on") we're getting on the same page. It's hard to always be with someone else and always choose something that both of us like. Compenstating and patience: that's been working so far.

I finally found my cousin, Brennan (Elder Dean)! I was holding a door open for a group of missionaries on Sunday on my way to Sacrament and all of sudden, I got forcefully hugged! I found him! I was looking for him for days! I also found a few of my other friends and it was really exciting. I love seeing my friends here.

Did you send that package off to camp?

I'm excited for them to go on Trek and for all of the cool things you are doing! Keep being excellent!

My student directory is a white spiral bound book with the other books/binders that I left by the hockey table.

Thanks so much for your love(liness) and support! I love you all!

Elder Turek

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I (please) need:

1. a ward directory, so I can send mail to people in our ward.
2. Dad to get on my TurekBoy@gmail.com account and download my contacts. Then please get on my bradley.turek@myldsmail.netaccount (same username and password) and uplaod those contacts. That would help me immensely.
3. Also, Dad, if you could get on my Google Drive and find the Camp Friends Directory (look for the word "camp" and if not search Hancey, or Lippert) and send that to me.
4. Earplugs. That would be a good thing, please.

July 22, 2013

Mom!

Thank you so much for the email! I was hoping that I would get an email from you! Thanks for doing those things for me. I'll include more things I want you to send later in this email.

Things have been good here in the MTC. It's kind of overwhelming, but it's good. They kind of throw you right into the deep end (for our benefit, of course), but I taught my first investigator (en español!) on Friday! Holy mackerel, was I nervous, but after my entire district had freaked out for a day about how nervous they were about teaching, we all did pretty well. They had like 10-15 minute lessons, but my companion and I had more like a 35 minute lesson.... I guess I talk a lot.

I'm learning Spanish really well. My district thinks I'm the best in the district and they keep asking me questions. I guess practicing with T paid off, and I'm definitely getting help from the Lord. Puedo hablar español un poco, pero neccesito practica. (I can speak Spanish a little, but I need practice.)

My companion is Elder Latu. He´s originally from Tonga, but has been living in San Fran for the last two years. So he has two years of English practice, and now he´s learning Spanish. He´ll be trilingual when he gets off his mission! He´s a good guy, and we´re getting along just fine.

There are 3 compañerismos (companionships) in my room, and 2 in another. So there are 3 bunkbeds in this room. I think it was designed for two companionships per room, but it's fine.

Hmm... What to say. The elders in my district (there are no sisters, sadly) comprise of:

Elder Andersen (Alpine, UT) & Elder Merrell (Snowflake, AZ)

Elder Fisher (Sandy, UT) & Elder Welch (Amarillo, TX)

Elder Bowles (South Jordan, UT) & Elder Bylund (Logan, UT)

Elder Child (Logan, UT) & Elder Curtis (Salem, UT)

They are all mostly good kids, but one or two of them (I wont say who) can be lazy somtimes.

We have a teacher and her name is Hermana Larsen. She is most excellent. She's always happy and is a good teacher. The first day, we all were brought to this small classroom and put in these desk-chairs (whose desks seemed to be tilted back at the exact angle in order to let your infinite amounts of books fall off with the slightest touch) and our teacher spoke almost exclusive spanish to us for like two hours. Haha, it was so funny to see some of the other Elder's faces as they just stared at her. They had no idea what she was saying. I caught some of it; enough to get along. She would translate of the of the words she said in spanish to english every once in a while to ensure nosotros entendemos (we understand), and would use hand actions to try and help us along, too. Like I said, I'm doing just fine in Spanish, but some of the other Elders are not doing so great...

Another thing about our first day was how often people said "Hi," to us! And somehow they knew we were new! Everywhere we walked it was"Bienvendio, Elderes!", "Welcome to the MTC, Elders!". I quickly figured out that the little orange sticker on our name tags was the perpetrator. After the first day we were allowed to take them off and then no one said "Hi," to us anymore... maybe I'll put mine back on, on Wednesday, just for fun...

The food! The food is good. It's pretty awesome. There are a lot of choices, too. There's a main line, and then two other main lines; there is a make-your-own-wrap glass alcove/bar thing (more like have-someone-else-make-you-a-delicious-wrap-with-anything-you-want-in-it alcove/bar--like subway); there are fruit and vegetables at almost every line; there is all kinds of fruit juice (from concentrate, but I can't expect them to have freshly squeezed juiced prepared for ~3,000 missionaries), milk, chocolate milk, sodas, powerade, you all the good stuff. There is salads, and parfaits, there is cereal towers out at every meal in the back if you feel like eating cereal for the rest of your days (I'm not one of those--actually, I haven't even had any cereal yet), there is bread and sandwich stuff: basically everything and anything you can think of. I've been doing pretty good (better than the rest of my district, for sure) in eating healthily because boy is there opportunity to not do so!

On Friday, my companion, Elder Latu, was acting funny during classroom time. He just wasn't paying attention, and looked... not good. Afterwards he asked if we could go to the Missionary Health Clinic, (it's kind of different here: they encourage you to use all the facilities here. "If you are feeling sick, please come to the Clinic, we want to help you." "Please let us know if you are feeling stressed out or just need to talk. WE WANT TO HELP YOU." Also, I'm sure they'd rather not have an infectious plague go ripping through the MTC, as we are all in close quarters.) and so we did. He said his gums behind his teeth hurt (bad; later he told me the worst pain he had felt in a long time--normally he if he's hurting he just lets it go, but apparently this was so bad that he asked for help). So they gave us a pink shuttle pass, made a dentist appt, and sent us off to the dentist. Turns out, he had a wisdom tooth that the last dentist didn't pull that was coming in. Surprisingly, they pulled it right there and then. It had absecced a little bit, I learned from the dentist, but they just numbed him up and yanked it out. I just sat in the waiting room, which had an unusually squeaky floor, and read my missionary handbook. I've read the whole thing now.

Things I need:

• SSN card. I don't think carrying my card around in my wallet is a good idea, but I'll keep it in a safe place and write it down somewhere, disguised as a contact, so no oone can steal it.
• Dental Insurance Card. I don't have an insurance card, and Missionary Medical doesn't cover dental, as I found out with Elder Latu, so I need that.
• My patriarchal blessing. I'm pretty sure I left it right in the back-of-the-seat pocket where I was sitting.
• Another pair of long shorts. I have one, and I used to exercise and now it stinks! Another pair for pajamas would be great.
• Addresses/my student directory! I can't write anyone because I don't know who to send it to!

Thanks for everything! You can post this to my FB if you want and my blog and email to others. The passwords are in the safe. I love you! The Church is true! The book is blue!