Tyler entered the Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, April 11th. We got a snail-mail letter on Saturday (which was WAY cool and unexpected) and today we got our first email from him. If any of you want to write to him, you can send him mail at the the address listed below for the next 2 weeks.
Here is what he sent us (with edited names):
I love you guys so much! It feels like I've been here forever. The days are so long. I'm finally starting to grow into my calling, though, and I feel like the black nametag finally fits. It's been a very long five days. But Sundays and Mondays are so much fun! My first P-day has been pretty fun. I slept like a rock after the temple session. Oh, and the inside of the Provo temple is way better than the outside. The outside wasn't too bad, though, with a few sister missionaries to talk to and tons of silly pictures with my district. We have started a tradition of all wearing the same color tie as a district. Today is green. I hope I can develop some pictures from our temple walk on Sunday.
Oh man, the fireside on Sunday was so excellent! Elder Ballard spoke, and right before he got up to the pulpit, we had a special solo by Elder Archuleta. It was pretty powerful! I am not a David Archuleta fan by any stretch of the imagination, but when he sang The Spirit of God, with one of the verses in Spanish, it was pretty amazing. I'm excited to hear from some other general authorities, too! I saw Elder Archuleta a couple times in the hallway and the cafeteria, but he left today for Chile. I'm sure that'll be a fun story to tell someday.
My companion is a 19-year-old Elder P from Houston Texas. He's a bit of a whiner but he served a mini-mission, and he's excited about the work, much more so than some of the kids in my district. I also share a room with Elder S, from Cayesville UT, and Elder L, a 24-year-old from Idaho Falls. Elder L is our district leader, and a very fine missionary in training. He converted to the church a couple years ago, and the insights he shares are pretty amazing. He's asked me to help him set an example and keep the 19-year-olds focused and uplifted. We have two elders in particular, Elder Q and Elder D, that are very homesick and not very motivated. When the first three days passed without Elder Q getting any mail, and he seemed devastated every time we opened the mailbox and his parents hadn't written him, Elder L and I wrote him and Elder D an inspirational letter and had the rest of the district sign it. I even added a scripture, D&C 84:88, with my signature. They seemed pretty happy with it. Elder Q got two letters and a package that very same day. Prayer works!
My branch president looks almost exactly like the actor from The Fugitive and Men In Black, I think his name is Tommy Lee Jones? But after listening to President Palmer speak, I think he's more like an oracle. He has tons of scriptural insights for our branch as a group and as individuals. His counselor, Brother Merrill, is a professor of ancient scripture at BYU and is very knowledgable as well. I love them so much! My teachers, Brother S, Brother Y, Sister M, and Sister T, are all good teachers, especially Sister M. She seems very similar to me in the way she approaches things. The classroom and study time are neverending, it seems, but when I pray for focus and the ability to learn, my mind and heart are opened and the spiritual insights I get are phenomenal.
I almost cried when David Archuleta sang. I almost cried when Mom said goodbye to me. But I definitely cried in one of my workshops. If you can, please look up the video Lifting Burdens. I hope it's a mormon message or on youtube somewhere. It touched me like nothing else so far has. And I've had some pretty touching experiences, between being taught, and teaching my first lesson that didn't suck, and going on splits with some amazing elders, and going through the temple with my district, and seeing my district grow in their testimonies and their confidence.
There are a few downsides though. The days seem so long. The cafeteria food takes a little getting used to. It's still not gourmet, but at least I can stomach it now. The first day, it ran right through me, and it seems me and most of my district still get pretty gassy. I'm a big fan of the bookstore and the mailroom, though. Getting mail is so fun, and I love writing letters! Maybe my handwriting will be better by the end of two years.
I'm a big believer in dearelder.com because it gets here basically the same day and it's free. But for packages and handwritten notes, here's my complete MTC address:
Elder Tyler T Hansen
MTC Mailbox # 238
CA-RIV 0501
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793That just lets them know which box to put it in, and where to send my mail if it gets to the MTC after May 1 when I go to Riverside. I love you guys, and thanks so much for all the support!
