Happy New Year!!! =D

Treyton:

I'm so excited for you that you get to do the Pinewood Derby next month! That should we way fun. Is your lip okay? How much skin fell off?!

You wanted to know what I'm learning, so I'll tell you - I'm learning a lot about how to teach people better, and how to have the Spirit with me when I teach. I'm also learning a LOT of Cambodian! Mom will show you the video of me speaking when the memory card arrives in the mail, okay?

I was so happy to learn about your baptism! Congratulations! I can't wait. I'm sorry I can't be there, but I love you and support you all the way!

 

Colton:

That's cool that you got Harry Potter legos! Which sets did you get? Have you built them yet? I bet you have!

I'm glad Mom is reading the Eragon books, and I'm REALLY glad you like the Hunger Games books! They're pretty sweet, huh? =]

 

I miss both of you boys, and I really miss Keira too. Send her my love, okay?

 

 

Elder McHardy:

I busted out laughing at that story you sent about the greenie and the prank you played on him with that member. So funny! If I had been the greenie, I probably would've FLIPPED out, but still, that's pretty dang hilarious!!!!! xD

 

Dad:

Thank you so much for the get well package. I felt better before it got here, but I very much so appreciate it. Thank you also for those 9 points of advice - I liked those a lot. I tacked that letter to my bulletin board, actually! So thank you.

 

 

Mom (and everyone else):

Comreapsua!!! Happy New Year's!!! Let me address a whole bunch of things in response to your letter(s) and what's been happening here.

 

I am SO sorry, but I was not able to get a picture with Elder Vogan. x[

Before last week, I would see him every couple of days, but immediately after I got your first request for a picture with him, I haven't seen him at all. I'm really really sorry, I tried. =/

I got the picture of the "Elder DeLong cookie" - I loved it! It's hanging up on my bulletin board here. I'd love to see those Christmas pictures you mentioned, and Dad's awesome picture of the temple! I found out that you CAN send me pictures through this email, I just can't send any to you.

I'm very sad to hear about Sis. Miller, I hope that she at least can spend the last few days of her life in peace with her family, and that she won't have much pain. Tyler is in my prayers as well, I hope that he can return to the MTC and still serve his mission.

I saw Miss Larsen/Sis. Larsen!!! She was supposed to go to the Brazil MTC, but her visa didn't come in time, so she's here! Her classroom is on the floor above my classroom, so I see her occasionally, which is really cool!

Ok, I got the Christmas package on the 27th, but no, I didn't see Tyson. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PACKAGE!!!! =D

I'm currently wearing the tie you got for me. =]

But yeah, I got called up to Pres. McIff's office and I was SUPER nervous, but when I got there he was all smiles and was happy to see me. He said that he understood that our family knows his daughter and her family, and he asked me about my mission and such. He then said that he pulled some strings and was able to get my package into the MTC without having to use the postal service. It was a couple days late, but that's alright. =]

I also got a package from Jan Bueler, which was super nice. I was so surprised! It had all sorts of goodies inside - I sent her a thank-you letter. That was so kind and generous of her!

No, there are no other Cambodian districts here, it's just us! The district who was here before us finished a couple weeks before we started, and no other districts have come, and I'm not sure there will be any. There's only one Cambodian classroom, from what I can tell. But yes, that means I'm the ONLY missionary in the MTC that's going to the Massachusetts Boston mission speaking Cambodian. No pressure.

I'm sending you a small package today with a couple letters and memory card! There's also a letter for Elder Maddux in there, I'd really appreciate it if you could give that to him when you see him next. Thank you! Enjoy the pictures and videos! =D

I got a haircut this last Saturday! It feels so great to have short hair again! Not that my hair was long, but it was getting long for missionary standards.

We're speaking more and more Khmae, it's so awesome! We're trying to speak it as much as we can - our teacher challenged us to speak it 100% of the time, and if we don't know how to say something, we have to ask for permission to speak in English first. A lot of the time we talk in English, but we say as much of it as possible in Khmae. Like "Spanglish", but "Khmae-nglish"...? Haha.

Every now and then elders here will trade ties, and this last week I participated! I got a couple really cool ones! It's really fun, and ties are much harder to part with than you'd think they'd be, but it's ok. It's all part of the MTC experience.

I've come to realize that so many people are raised differently - I just want to thank you, Mom, for raising me with manners and common courtesy. One of my roommates passed gas the other day rather loudly and didn't say anything. After a few seconds I said "excuse you..." and he was like "what?" and my companion was like "yeah, what?" I was like "uhm...you passed gas. When you pass gas or burp, you say 'excuse me'". (I didn't say it in a condescending sort of way.) And my companion said "no...if someone farts and doesn't look up or acknowledge it, it doesn't matter. You just don't say anything, nobody cares." And the one who passed gas agreed. I was confused and a little disgusted, but whatever. That's just one example, but anyways, thank you for raising me with manners.

The Church released a new For the Strength of Youth pamphlet a week or two ago! Have you heard anything about it? If you get a chance to get your hands on one, would you send it to me? I'd love to have one!

One of my teachers, Bro. Godfrey, has a CTR ring in Khmae, with the characters on it. It's really cool! I asked him where he got it, and he said it was a special order from Deseret Book. Mom, if you're trying to come up with ideas for a birthday present for me...that would be really awesome. Just saying. =]

Anything else I should mention? OH WAIT. I performed on Sunday night as the special musical number for the MTC fireside. No big. Haha! I didn't get the chance to tell you about it, since I found out I'd be performing on Friday night. It went really well and I've been getting tons of compliments. I played the piano solo of "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go" that I got directly from the arranger, the one who has her CD out but doesn't have the sheet music yet! So that was really cool. It was awesome to perform there!!!

I also wanted to mention another talk I heard - remember how Elder Maddux was talking to me about the "Good Boy/Good Girl" talk by Elder Bednar? I got a chance to watch it a couple days ago, it was absolutely fantastic!!! Elder Bednar is one of my very favorites. I asked about getting a text copy of it and was told that the General Authorities don't release their talks, and that the MTC is extremely strict on recordings of them. So, I wasn't able to get a copy for Elder Maddux (or for myself, that talk was AWESOME), but that's alright. I have 3 pages of notes on it!

My time is past up! Oops. Hopefully I don't get in trouble. 30 minutes isn't long enough!

I love you so much! Hope to hear from you soon.

Love,

Elder DeLong