(We
already got an email from our missionary in the Missionary Training
Center. It turns out his preparation day is on Friday. Luckily I already
wrote him an email using DearElder.com. I feel badly that he didn't
have an email in his missionary email. It happens to be: andrew.campbell@myldsmail.net.
Sounds like things started out rocky. Hopefully he'll get through the
rocky parts and things will become calmer. I remember Elder Peter
Campbell having a bit of a rocky start too. Elder Campbell sent this
email in three letters. I put the last two letters as PS's. So read
after the Love, Elder Andrew Campbell to get more of his adventures. And
what an adventure it's already been!!! I hope I survive being a
missionary mom!!!!)
Hello Family,
Hello Family,
I am writing to you from an MTC
Computer Lab. We aren't sure if we're supposed to be here. We just had a
bit of a fiasco trying to find a computer lab. Anywho, I really like it
here. I had a really hard day yesterday, but that's because I had
elevation sickness, dehydration, allergies, a really disfortunate
anxiety attack, and tiredness. (Only Andrew could experience all of those things in one day. Gotta love him!) One of the members of the stake
presidency talked to me last night, and made me feel a lot better. My
companion is Elder Asplund. He's from Aneheim, California, and is way
cool. (YEAH!! Glad he has someone cool!) He's twenty years old, and a former offensive lineman. He told me
a story about how he was scouted by USC, (Uncle David Whitehead should like that!) and had a scholarship to a
Division 2 school, but had a career ending injury. (But he doesn't divulge what the injury was!!) My district is really
great. A lot of these guys here are really wild, but we're really good
about obedience. One elder here is turning twenty two next month. He has
an Associate's degree! We also have a sister from Arkansas with the
coolest accent. She is ranked as the 95th best land tester in the USA. (I have no idea what that means. Michele Campbell, does that have anything to do with soil testing??? I am so confused!) I am teaching today. My first prepared lesson! It makes me slightly
uncomfortable because they ask us to pray for fake people, just actors
with back stories. (Andrew would have a problem with that. Andrew is
very black and white, so something "fake" would be hard for him. I hope
he overcomes that!) Oh well. I'll get over it. By the way, our P-days are on Friday. You are all the best.
Love,
Elder Andrew Campbell
PS: I also left my messenger bag at the airport. (Seriously??!! That made me have a few more gray hairs!!) Trying to make do without
it has been a fun time. At first I was really worried, but the MTC is so
accepting and loving. (They have to be...they are dealing with 18 and 19 year olds! Bless them all!) Michele should be sending it to me today! (Except
that the address I gave BJ today from work wasn't exactly right. I was
doing it from my memory. Hopefully the MTC will figure out who's
messenger bag it is. I am aging before your eyes!!!)
Another PS: Also, I love my name tag. Looking at it makes me so happy. I had a
slightly hard entry, but when I put the name tag on, all of the stress
went away! Thank you, Heavenly Father!! I sure love this boy!)
(Luckily
I have a "mole" at the MTC. She found my missionary and sent me some
pictures. Here's one with her, Sis. Clarissa Oliphant, Elder Andrew
Campbell and Elder Asplund. YEAH!!!)
(This
will be our last email from the MTC. He heads out to CO next Tuesday
and then who knows when we'll hear anything. His email is quite
short....I will have to work on getting him to write more. I have sent
him a letter every day using dearelder.com
and he responded to about 2 of my more than umpteen questions in the
letters. A bit frustrating, but par for the course. Here's his take on
the Missionary Training experience!)
Dear Family,
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Dear Family,
It has been the most intense week of
my life. The first four or so days of my MTC experience have been the
hardest of my life. One of the members of our Branch Presidency told us
that military boot camp was much easier than the MTC. The ways that this
place taxes your body and mind is ridiculous. Anywho, I came out of
those days a survivor, and now the MTC is really easy. After my first
week at the MTC, I don't think life could ever be the same. The things
you learn about people, the gospel, and how the world works has
completely changed me.'
I got your really big football. I still don't know how to eat it. (I sent him a Coco Krispie football treat. He can't watch BYU football anymore, so I figured that would be a fun treat.) Your box of candy is also quite excellent. (So, he's my baby...I sent him a pound of different kinds of candy!!)
Last night, we were teaching a woman from South Africa, and I mentioned that I like to sing. She asked me to sing, and I just stood up and started singing. It made her very happy!
You wanted to know more about my companion. He's been wanting to go on a mission for quite a while, but he never met a the weight requirements. They wanted him to lose over a hundred pounds, but that's nearly impossible because he doesn't even have a hundred pounds of fat on his body. He is almost entirely muscle, but he was rejected multiple times because of his weight. After several years, his Stake president was able to get a church doctor to come watch him work out, and see how amazingly fit he is, and he was finally approved. He can leg press 1250 pounds. That's a lot, if you were wondering!
Anywho, I'm going to be sad to leave this place. I feel at least a hundred years older after the experiences I've had in this place. I've realized why God doesn't need missionaries. People could have us come in, and we could recite doctrine after doctrine to them, but they would have absolutely no reason to believe us. It's all about the truth that they receive from the Holy Ghost. Well, the MTC computers are too strict for me to be able to access any of my pictures. I'm sorry. (So begins the NO PICTURES saga my sons seem to follow!)
Also, I got my bag, don't you worry! (Thank goodness. Thank you, Michele!!)
I got your really big football. I still don't know how to eat it. (I sent him a Coco Krispie football treat. He can't watch BYU football anymore, so I figured that would be a fun treat.) Your box of candy is also quite excellent. (So, he's my baby...I sent him a pound of different kinds of candy!!)
Last night, we were teaching a woman from South Africa, and I mentioned that I like to sing. She asked me to sing, and I just stood up and started singing. It made her very happy!
You wanted to know more about my companion. He's been wanting to go on a mission for quite a while, but he never met a the weight requirements. They wanted him to lose over a hundred pounds, but that's nearly impossible because he doesn't even have a hundred pounds of fat on his body. He is almost entirely muscle, but he was rejected multiple times because of his weight. After several years, his Stake president was able to get a church doctor to come watch him work out, and see how amazingly fit he is, and he was finally approved. He can leg press 1250 pounds. That's a lot, if you were wondering!
Anywho, I'm going to be sad to leave this place. I feel at least a hundred years older after the experiences I've had in this place. I've realized why God doesn't need missionaries. People could have us come in, and we could recite doctrine after doctrine to them, but they would have absolutely no reason to believe us. It's all about the truth that they receive from the Holy Ghost. Well, the MTC computers are too strict for me to be able to access any of my pictures. I'm sorry. (So begins the NO PICTURES saga my sons seem to follow!)
Also, I got my bag, don't you worry! (Thank goodness. Thank you, Michele!!)
Love,
Elder Andrew Campbell
PS:
Now I'll attach some pictures pre-MTC:
Also, the weight loss has begun. My pants are already
getting looser. I guess that's what I get for gaining 30-40 pounds in
Lodi. I hope my suits will still look good on me! (The people in the
Ft. Collins Mission keep saying they take good care of their
missionaries, so hopefully he'll keep his suits from falling off of
him!)
PSS: Attached is a picture of Andrew's
former roommates, Andrew and Jeff. They both work at the MTC. Actually,
it was Andrew's last day at work and he and Jeff ate dinner with Elder
Campbell. Great guys!!
Got to talk about 45 minutes with Elder Campbell this morning (Nov. 25). He was at the Salt Lake City Airport. His plane was delayed and they didn't leave for almost THREE hours! I could have talked to him forever....but we didn't know about the plane delay. A sweet lady from UT who was at the airport sent us Missionary Mommas some pictures. Here are two of them. She called them Angels at the Airport!! She said they radiated a light around them. Elder Andrew Campbell sounded good (even with a cold) and was so excited to get on with his mission. Good luck, Elder Andrew Campbell. Have a safe journey!!
