No New Messages!

I am doing laundry with half my district. The MTC is great. I love it and I love the people I am with. The speakers are a blessing. Well I am taking mom's and sister Anderson's advice and swallowing 6000 mg of vitamin C along with the MEGA MAN pills and my desire for candy has dropped of the face of the earth. The MTC food is great but they don't have anything nutritional, tell Matt the chocolate milk is phenomenal. Classes and lessons are amazing. The doctrine is so pure and simple and I understand everything in a whole new light. My testimony and connection with the spirit is growing at a staggering pace. I never felt anything like I have at the MTC. Thought processes and ideas come into my mind and out my mouth that I never have thought would be possible. My companion is the district leader, so I get the mail first. Too bad there was nothing in there today for me! Haha, just kidding, I don't mind. The second day here I noticed how much I missed all of you (yes yes, surprise surprise) and was looking forward so much to the mail. My companion forgot the mail office closed at 8 and we missed getting it so naturally I was a upset for a while. Thank havens for the Spirit, I have realized that I am here to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. Waking up early isn't bad at all, I really love how much I am getting done each day. All the knowledge actually sticks around in my head too. Sister Green from our ward is in our district so I will have to get a picture. Our zone leader found out today one of his best friends was killed in a car wreck. So sad. Any advice? Maybe send me mom's dissertation. I hugged him and didn't say anything which Ii thought was appropriate. I have little Megan's picture in my shirt pocket everyday so she is next to my heart! Tell her to write me I WANT A FULL REPORT. I thought of her right after mom and father so maybe I won't be such a mean brother. (editors note: WHO IS THIS?!) Anyway stop crying about me, blah no biggie only 2 years. Not gonna come home so relax. Pray for me!

Love your son
Mark Metcalf

Oh ya, I am supposed to tell mom every week that I love her and the rest of the family too. Love love love.

Hello Dear Family

So far sooo good. Not a tear shed. This is exactly where I feel like I should be! We had a lesson with about 250 other missionaries where we role played with a guy name Daniel. It was really cool to see how answers could flow a lot easier now that I am actually a missionary. My companion is exactly how dad described him, an Idaho Elder who worked on a farm. I am already learning a lot about being humble since everyone in the MTC is pretty much in the same boat, I don't needed to be treated special or unique. I am feeling a lot still from President Anderson's blessing, a lot with the love and compassion from the Lord. A really simple and powerfully effective tool was that God will never take away our free agency, he will always respect it, continuing from that I need to always pray and ask for the Spirit to be the real teacher and that I am not the one talking necessarily but he is. It worked out almost immediately. I do not feel it incredibly strongly like we all hope (a huge manifestation we are all looking for!) but the important thing is that I feel it! So fun, I am laughing a lot (bye bye anger).
Anyway I need to go!

Love you all
Elder Metcalf
(pray for me!)

Finally!

Yesterday we dropped Mark off at the MTC. Pretty crazy! The new curb-side drop off is pretty quick and doesn't really give you much time to say goodbye or shed a few tears like the old system did. We pretty much parked, pulled out his luggage, gave him a hug and sent him off. He didn't even look back! Either he was really excited to finally get rid of us, or maybe (just maybe) he was a little choked up too... Anyway, he's finally on his mission and super excited. We are all very proud of him and excited for the work he's going to do in Dallas, Texas. Good luck Mark, we'll be praying for you!