From the MTC

Sept. 28, 2016

Hi Mom! How are you, I'm just writing to tell you that i got in fine, everything is great here. I have loved my first day so much, it is seriously the best. Don't worry at all about me, Love you so much,.

Elder Rosenbalm

Oct. 6, 2016

Hey mom, hows it going? things are going gret here, just loving it all. I started writing a letter to you, and then realized I would have to write the whole thing over agian in my group email, so I'll kind of do a mix, with the group starting here, and we'll pick up with ours up after:

       So hi everybody! How's life? The MTC is just so great, I am having the best time here, and loving it all. The classes are super good and intersting, and we're actually teaching nonmenbers which is way cool, our investiagor this week is a guy named Kai, he is seriously so cool, he's this polonesian guy, and is just awesome. It's been so cool actually practicing what we've learned, and the Spirit is just so strong when you're a missionary, I've definitally felt it guideing and helping me. Being a missionary is an amazing experience, I'm so glad that I have this opportunity. It was pretty nerve wracking our first couple visits with him, but the Spirit really just helps us allong, as the Lord says, "I am able to so mine own work" - somewhere in the D&C, not really sure where though, lol, I really want an Ipad, it's been super hard not being able to run a quick keyword search, I was kind of relying on that all throughout seminary and stuff, "oh I'll have an iPad when I go on my mission, all the missions will have them by then". Little did I suspect that the day would actually come, and I don't know if we get iPads, I don't think so because those missions that did were told to bring money to pay for it, I wasn't so... ya. But we can always hold out hope.

       I'm part of a trio, and both of my companions are awesome, Elder Crone is from virginia which is cool, near DC, and he's, as stated before awesome, my other comp is named Elder Blackham and he's from near ogden I think, somewhere up north there, he's also way cool, we're all super tight it's great. The rooms are made for six people, but because of the way things turned out, with an Elder not showing up and stuff, us three have an entire room to ourselves, and the're both pretty neat like me, so our room is immaculate. Like, other Elders in our district will literally come into our room to write letters and stuff because theirs is messy because they have twice the people, and some of them statistically are bound to be messy. It's awesome though because we all get like two beds, double the closet space and things like that. My district is also awesome, they'res eleven of us, and we've really just grown really close, and they're all way cool. I feel a recurring theme going on, "everying thing is just awesome, it's so cool" but really I'm just loving it here, though really the MTC was probably not going to be the hard part of my mission experience, because I love learning, and growing, and that's all you do here! I enjoy school when I like the subject, and what better subject than the gospel (spoken like a true missionary I know). 

       So conference was amazing! Like it's a unique experience watching conference in the MTC, for starters, you're all hyped up on the Spiritual juices, and that's exciting, but you're not really expecting too much, because we've all watched conference before, but then saturday morning rolls along and you all gather in this huge room with multiple giant projectors and other methods of watching. It starts to fill up early, and by the time everyone gets in, there are about 2100 missionary's packed into this room, all talking, laughing being 20 ish ear olds. Then, suddenly, it grows quite, and everyone stands up. The room full of missionary's goes dead quite and everyones standing for the prophet, then the chills start to hit, and you know it's gonna be a good one. It was so spiritual, especially that first session, I was just floored, the spirit was so strong throughout the whole thing, and you could feel the Spirit in there, as over two thousand of the Lords missionary's listened intently the the words of our prophets. It was one of the most spiritual experiences I have ever had in my life. When we all got up to sing, all of us raising our voices with the choir, all preparing to serve, it was amazing. 

       Umm, what else, I don't really know, the week has flown by, there's been a ton of studying, learning, and growing. Seriously, me and my district were talking, and it's just crazy how much we've changed in just a week. Like it seems like longer, and yet shorter. Time is weird, don't try to comprehend it, just accept it. Anyway, ya, just how much we've changed, and grown is crazy, it's just weird to think about. Hard to describe, I don't think I can very well, but it's a good different, and I'm excited to keep learning and growing. So until we write again, 

       Elder Rosenbalm

     So hi mom, we're back, so funny thing, I literaly just wrote Jon instead of Elder Rosenbalm at the end of that letter lol. I've pretty much gotten over that, but my musscle memeory still just goes instictivly to Jon. I almost emailed my branch president like that the other day, but caught it just in time. It was a close one. So how are you doing? Hope you're holding up, like I said, I'm doing great here, like, I wasn't exagerating at all in my letter, oh and by the way, I really don't understand why, but this program doesn't have spell check, which is basically the dumbest thing ever, it makes 0 sense. But there were plenty of words I totally messed up and had no idea how to fix, so if you wouldn't mind doing that that'd be great. So ya, lifes great here, it was really funny, like the first few days everyone would be saying "Hand in there Elder", "Just make it untill Sunday", or  "It only gets better from here!" and I'm just like, it's not hard, I'm loving it. Most people have hard times, but because of probably a mixture of blessings from the Lord, and my own just my own personality, I'm really not having a hard time at all. Like I've seen my comps have it, but I'm really just loving it. It's all so great, I can't really explain it, the Spirit just makes everything good. I've gotten a lot better at understanding the Spirit, and being guided by it, I've defenitally seen that througout my lessons, and stuff, but ya, I'm having a great time. Dax got in yesterday, I saw him a couple times, and he's in my same building so I'm probably gonna go talk to him at nights for a bit, so if you see his mom, tell him that I'm taking care of him, if he needs anytihg, I got his back, though from our short talks yesterday he seems to be doing great, a bit tired maybe, but everyone is. He's handling it like a champ, it was also really cool to see him, and hang out with him and stuff. My health is doing great, all is well, I have more energy than I know what to do with, I'm like constantlly bobing a foot, or wanting to go run somewhere. I discovered a hidden tallent for four square, a game that I haven't played since Rennesaunce, but that is actually pretty fun when a bunch of 20 year old guys all get going. I've been running a bit, I'm still not very fast, but I try to run about a mile a day, which keeps me in shape. The foods good, I'm enjoying it, and eating a ton, though I doubt it's possible for me to gain weight (lets hope atleast with my pants). I'm glad that your teaching certificate is coming along, and I'm super excited to see you next week, do you know if one or both of my companions will be coming or no? Oh and sorrry but, ya, not needing the rice milk. I'm fine. You don't need to do stuff like that, serously, I've gotten healthier since being here, it's probably God saying good job, so ya, thanks for trying but next time, I'm good. There will be pictures coming, I didn't take any, but an Elder in my District, Elder Van Dyke did, so he'll email them to me, and I'll forward them to you. So ya, thats about it, if you have any questions, let me know, I'll try to reply by the end of the day. Love you a ton! 

Elder Rosenbalm

Oct. 6, 2016

• Hey dad, hows it going in Kuwait? The drama over there with your work seems hard, sorry, but alteast the weather seems to be getting better. It's freezing here, it hit a cold spell or something, but I need a coat to go outside, because it's cold. You probably got my email to mom, I'll send it to both of you from now on, but in case you didn't I'll forward it to you in a sec, and I'll also send a copy to mom of this one, because there was something I forgot to tell her. Anyway, ya, hows church and your calling over there? Do you have more time to work on your calling or is work still super crazy? The food and stuff are all good here, I leave for San Diego on the Eighteenth, I should get the details about a week before, so in my next email, I'll let you know more. I like my teachers, they are both pretty cool, and good at teaching, I've learned a ton here already, and grown a ton too. I have two companions, they're both cool, Elder Crone and Elder Blackham, mom's will be able to tell you more, but it's really hard to describe people without you actually knowing them. Umm, ya I read the letter I'll send to mom, it has most the other things. But one thing i did neglect to mention was a really cool experience that we had Saturday night. So it was after conference, and we were all talking about it, and about how we were feeling etc. It got pretty serious, and then a sister asked for a blessing of comfort just to help, then another, and it ended up being almost everyone in the district wanted one, so we Elders all gave blessings. It was a really cool experience, I didn't get one, because I've been feeling great, and I know I could have gotten one, but I was fine. Anyway, I did give one though, and it was a cool experience. The one I gave to you was a bit rough, I don't know, it was my first one and stuff, but the one I gave on Saturday seemed to flow better, like, it seemed easier, and I think as I continue to do more, it will continue to get easier. But it kind of helped me not to be nervous when giving them, I really just felt how the Lord takes over, and it's His blessing. Anyway, it was super spiritual, and we all I think got a lot closer because of it. Oh ya, and I totally forgot another thing, and mom will love this one, so I'm just role playing a scenario (I don't remember what it was about) with a sister, and after she noted something that I really thought was interesting. She noticed that I talk fast (which is totally usual), but that whenever I begin to teach, or to testify of Christ, my speech slows down, and I talk slow, and clearly. I hadn't even noticed I was doing it. I can remember doing it now that I'm thinking back to it, ever since I got here, I can remember slowing down, not consciously. but slowing down whenever I would do that. It is a cool gift from God, and am super glad that He has given it to me. Of course I'll try to talk slow, but it is really cool that He would do that for me. Anyway, that's about all that has happened, so, I'll write you again next week, Bye
  

  
  

  Elder Rosenbalm

16

Oct. 13, 2016

So here's my group email, love you!

       Well Hello everybody, how comes your respective lives. It's week two, and that is just so weird. It seems like way longer than simply two weeks, and yet shorter. Time is so relative, a week ago seems like yesterday, but two weeks ago feels like a year. Time is weird. Anyway, I'm still loving it here, I leave on Tuesday at like 3 AM so that's fun, and the next email will be in the field, which is so weird. I wouldn't feel ready, but by this time I've realized our total dependence on the Lord, and how prepared we think we are makes zero difference, because He is in charge of it all. Still a bit nerve wracking, but I'm super excited. I'm enjoying it so much here, and I've said that before but it's just so true, it's because I get to do two of my favorite things in the world, learn about the Gospel, and teach others. Which is what I do everyday, all day, oh ya, and I get the extra bonus of being a missionary, surrounded by missionary's, in a dedicated place and having the Spirit with me super strong like all the time. It's the greatest. So loads happened last week, but honestly, a lot of it was a blur, but here are some highlights. We continued to teach an investigator named Kai, he was a stud, and his progression by the last day was amazing, we could totally see his faith in Jesus Christ increasing so much. Sadly though, we only teach investigators for a week, so we had to stop teaching him. We got a couple new ones which are both pretty cool, a girl named Brooke, and a guy named Guilhrme, they're both really cool, and for Gui's, we have 45 minutes to teach him, instead of the 25 for the rest of our investigators, and it is so nice. Me and Elder Crone and Blackham (my companions) were just having the best time ever teaching him, we didn't have to rush, or skip, we were able to answer all of his questions, and really teach. It was great. We had some struggles, teaching with a trio the first week, but we've gotten loads better, we're so much better at teaching as a companionship of three now. They're both super cool though, as well as my district. We're all so tight, we're all going to go play vollyball against the other districts of our zone today, we're gonna wreck them. lol. 

       So there was something really cool the Spirit taught me while at fast and testimony meeting this Sunday, I was thinking about growth. It's interesting because when we first got in to the MTC, that night, other elders from our zone came and talked to us in our dorms (our rooms are right next to each other), and they just seemed so much older, self assured, confident, like they had been here for a while, and knew exactly what they were talking about. Giving us advice, words of encouragement. They had only been there a week. The week after we had done the same thing to the new kids, and I was thinking on that during the meeting. Then I thought on how we were now the old ones, the people who had introduced us were leaving the next day, and we were those seasoned vets. And probably the weirdest part was, I felt it. We had been here a week and a half, and the growth is incredible. Like, I can't describe how much I personally have grown, and how much the people I know have too, and it's barely been over two weeks. I was thinking about that, and I was kind of thinking how wow, the MTC really helps people to grow and as I was kind of thinking that, the Spirit kind of said, No. The MTC is a great place, and helps people grow, but there is now way that anyplace could take two thousand  20 ish year old kids, and change them the way this place changes us. He told me that it was our call. Our ordination. The fact that we have been blessed, and set apart as missionary's for Christ. That is why we experience so much growth. That is how we are able to do His work. Because He has given us the power to do it. Being a missionary is an amazing feeling. It is unique in this life, being set apart from the world as a full time missionary is the greatest experience I have ever had the opportunity to be a part of, and it's just getting started. I'm so excited for the next two years. 

       So ya, that's about all that happened, ooh, we had Elder Bednar come and talk to us which was super cool, I got great seats, and was sitting like 20 feet away from an apostle, then when he walked away he walked right by us, it was great. I really wanted to sneeze, and have him say bless you so that I could say I was personally blessed by an Apostle, (one of my favorites too, I love how aciedemic, and yet sprititual he is, it's a great example) lol. It was a great talk, and it helped me a ton. So that's basically it, just the same things. Learning and growing, it's great. Anyway, until next week, 

Elder Rosenbalm

Hey guys, so I basically said it all in my other letter, everything is really going great here. I've been hanging out with dax a bit, were in the same building so we just go talk with each other and stuff. I'm still loving it here, it's just so great. Mom, I'm excited to see you on Saturday, it'll be fun, and it's timpanogas as well, so food! I eat great here, it's a bit proccessed, so it sometimes hurts my stomach a bit, but enzymes are great , and I'm actually doing better here than I was before I got here. I'm the healthiest I've been in years. I have so much energy, it's ridiculous, the Lord is just pouring out blessings upon me, I don't know exactly why I'm being so blessed why others are having a hard time, but I just thank Him for it. But literally, I'm going from the time I get up, to when I go to bed at 100% energy, always moving or shaking a leg. The gospel just excites, and envigorates me, infuses me with so much energy and just makes me so happy. I love it. Dad I'm sorry about your work and the stresses and calling and stuff, here's a scripture that I love Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose." Now I feel like asking "So what do you think that passage means" or "what do you think Paul is trying to tell us", lol, I've been turned already. So that's basically it, anything else you guys want to know? If you email back in the next few hours I'll probably be able to reply. Anyway, I'll send pics in a sec. Love you

Elder Rosenbalm