Mission Pictures

2nd Letter from Elder Elder!!! November 24th, 2009

Well the first week has been great here! I'm learning so much and my district is awesome. Like i told you my companion is Elder Tobias, and he's a way cool Elder. There was three of us but Elder Mendoza went up to the advanced class so its just us two now. The other Elders in my district are Elder Cummings who is pretty much just like me so thats very nice, he's from farmington. His companion is Elder Anaya from provo area. All four of us are roomates. Also there is Elder Price from Ogden, he's a convert to the church and has a little trouble letting his companion talk but he's cool. His companion is Elder Braithwaite from southern California. First impression of him is he's kinda a weirdo but he is actually so dang funny. Pretty much a complete nerd but what missionary isn't. So I was hoping I would have some letters by now! haha but its ok. Email me though go to dearelder.com and write an email there and then what they do is they print it off at their head quarters place and mail it to me for free. But once I'm in the field its Ithink the price of postage. I think you put my name where it asks and maybe my address I gave you last week. I'm not totally sure but just play around with it. You can hand write letters and mail them to me obviously too. Oh, and packages wouldn't hurt :) Ok so yesterday I had a way awesome experience! I was in the RC (referal center) which is like a call center where you talk to people who go to mormon.org and you can instant message each other or you call them and check if they got a dvd or not or a book of mormon or bible they asked for etc, you get the picture. anyway I was calling people in english but we ran out of numbers to call so I started doing it in spanish. I read a prompt so it wasn't too hard but it kind of is because they respond back so Ihave to figure out what they say. Well it turned out that I asked him to go to church that sunday and I didn't know that I did because I was so focused on pernouncing the words instead of worrying about what I was saying!  haha. But he said yes!! But I forgot to tell him where the church was....haha I'm an idiot. I was pretty stoked though. My spanish is coming along a lot now. I can pray and say everything is spanish, which I do during every prayer so like 500 times a day. I can recite the purpose of a missionary in spanish better than I can in English. I can say both baptismal prayers. It's really cool. I also practice reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish but it's kinda hard for me to pronounce everything. So I see Sister Amber Kempton all the time and I talk to her a lot! It was funny Isaw her right when I got here and was all excited and giddy because of the fact I was here finally that I kept calling her Sister Goodman. I was getting mad when she woulndn't turn around! So I ran up to her and touched her shoulder and said Sister Goodman how are ya?! And then I remembered its Sister Kempton. Ya I felt stupid. I only got to see Elder Tanner Goodman like three times here. I saw him the first day which was awesome, then I didn't see him till Sunday at lunch. and he left Monday! But his plane actually got cancelled so he surprised me and went to my class and was sitting in my seat when I got in there. haha it completely surprised me. but ya he is on his way to Argentina right now as of 6:45 tuesday morning! Today is my p-day for the record as well. Well I love all you guys so much. Hope to hear from you soon...haha. I love it here so much. I like it a lot:) I cant wait to see ya Jake t. and I am so stoked to hear where Josh and Brady and all you guys are going! Have a good day!

Love, Elder Elder

1st Letter from the MTC!

Querida Famalia!!!  (Dear Family)

Well, I am here!!!  Crazy Huh!!!  First day was absolutely awesome!  I actually have two companions!  Elder Tobias who is from Idaho Falls.  He plays violin and does Karate.  He is way chill.  Also Elder Menoza who is from Riverside California.  He was  lead cuitarist in a heavy metal band.  So as you see our trio has a lot diversity, but both of them are awesome missionaries and carry the spirit with them very strongly.  Already I am tired!  But I better get used to it.  I only have 728 mas dias left! Sorry, if that is depressing.  Well today I learned how to pray in Spanish.  Met my branch president.  Found out I am the senior companion for us three.  But that doesn't mean anything.  They just picked me because my name came first....but I'm still excited about it. 

Here is my address: 

Elder Austin Lee Elder

MTC Mailbox #209

Chi-Cons 0118

2005 N 900 E

Provo, UT   84604-1793

You can write me through http://www.dearelder.com/ and it will get to me faster and it will not cost you anything while I am in the MTC.  You can even send me treats!!!  Click on "Write a Letter", then Click on "Write a missionary". 

Choose the Provo MTC drop down box while I am in Provo.  Then write a letter!!!

Oh, and my scheduled departure date is January 18th!

I met Elzabeth Smart here.  She is very nice and has a strong testimony of the church.  I sat next to her the first day.  She is going to Paris which I think would be way awesome!  I admire the crap out of her for coming.  Especially since all the news about everthing she went through. 

Farewell till later!!!

Love Elder2

Last night before leaving for the mission home!

Austin and his good friends the night before he leaves on his mision.

Elder Austin Elder leaves for his mission on November 18th! Stay tune for pictures!!!

Once we get Austin's address and he starts sending letters and pictures, we will post them here for friends and family to look at!

This is a "before" picture! Soon we will post "after" pictures with his mission mug shots!