I'm running out of different ways to greet you guys with each letter, so I'm just going to start this one with this sentence.
I GOT MY TRAVEL PLANS YESTERDAY! So happy. So thrilled. I'm going to send a picture of my flight times. The mission is finally becoming real. It was really starting to feel like the MTC was all I'd ever know for the next two years. My mission hasn't truly begun yet though! I'm extremely glad it's almost time to get out of here. I leave the night of the 21st. My flight leaves from Salt Lake at about 1:00 AM, so I'm sure you guys would agree that I should call you in the morning on Monday during my three-hour layover in Atlanta, which is from about 6:30 to 9:30 AM their time. Just let me know what you want me to do! I've been loving every single package and letter I received this week. Thanks so much all who sent anything! I think we can put a cap on food. I have sooo much again, and I'll be lucky to finish it in one week before I go. I doubt I'll have the room to pack much of it, so nobody worry about sending anymore food unless it's something super small haha. Muchas gracias! As for letters, if they arrive at the MTC after I leave, they'll forward it to my mission. I have no idea how long that takes though, so if you have a letter to send (including DearElders) and want to make sure I receive it before I leave here, I would send it the 18th at the latest.
Thank you all, family and friends, who sent me their reactions to conference. I loved reading those, seeing what everyone's favorite talks were, and hearing thoughts and decisions regarding the new missionary ages. It's funny that you asked if you can put "O Lord, My Redeemer" on the iPod, Mom. I was going to ask for it! Someone sang it as a musical number and I recognized it and wanted it. Also, I'd love any version of the song "Lead Kindly Light." Those are my last requests! You guys should probably go ahead and send the stuff pretty soon. Thanks so much for doing it! I didn't need a calculator at all in college, so I cannot remember where that one is... It might be in one of my closet bins? or in a backpack somewhere in my closet? or actually your best bet is a stack of old high school stuff on the floor in the corner of my room, if it's even still there. That's all I can think of, sorry!
This week has been the best one at the MTC so far. Elder Bendar came and spoke to us on Tuesday. It was super interesting, because he didn't really talk about missionary work at all. He talked about the importance of studying general conference addresses and gave an example of a way to effectively do so. He shared the way he does it: DIB. (I totally thought of Invader Zim.) He goes through each talk carefully, especially the ones given by those who hold all the priesthood keys, and first picks out all the 1.Doctrine given in the talk, then he looks for an 2.Invitation to act in some way, then for the 3.Blessings promised when we act on the invitation and make a change in our lives. It was so cool. I loved it! It was a testimony builder and humble reminder that even an Apostle starts dissecting and learning from General Conference, even right after it's over, and makes such a big effort to gain something from it. The words of the Prophet and Apostles truly are the word of God, and we need to treat it as such.
On Wednesday, our district got to host new missionaries! You take them away from their families at the curb, help them with their luggage, and get them to their residence hall, pick up their books, and then finally take them to their classroom . It went by way too fast! I only got to host two missionaries during the couple hours we did it. It was so fun though, and also emotional to stand at the curb watching so many tearful goodbyes around us. Wonderful experience, though. We get to do it again this week, and I can't wait. On your first night in the MTC, you go to a workshop in a group with 50 or so other missionaries, and learn how to get to know people and begin teaching. You meet three different "investigators," and watch a companionship demonstrate getting to know them and their needs, and transition to applying the gospel to them. That companionship this week: Me and Elder Keysor! Well, there are lots of groups, so there are like six companionships in the whole MTC that have to do it each week, but still, the odds aren't very high to get picked for it, and we did! Conner Cope did too haha. We were nervous to teach in front of all those missionaries, but it ended up being really fun, and it was easy to pretend they weren't there.
Yesterday was In-Field Orientation! That's why I'm sending this today. In-Field is an all-day workshop everyone does the Friday before they leave for the field. Normally, I'd do it this coming Friday, but two missionaries in our district are leaving on Thursday, and apparently we're supposed to do it all together as a district, so we all did it this week. We have P-day today since the orientation took up our usual P-day. It was pretty cool and interesting I guess. It was weirdly bombastic and came with so much fanfare, like balloons and iPads displaying fake fireplaces. Maybe they're just trying to get us hyped. I guess it worked, because I cannot wait for the field even more now. At the beginning of the workshop, I was just sitting amongst the hundreds of missionaries minding my own business, when the guy in charge says "Is there an Elder Hampton here?" It turned out that two Hermanas from my district were in the front row and had volunteered my piano-playing, so I had to play the opening song for that whole huge room filled with missionaries, then the guy did the same thing and asked me in front of everyone later for an intermediate hymn haha. It went fine though.
To top everything else off, I got my travel plans yesterday! I already talked about that though. I don't know if anyone understands how excited and happy and terrified I am about that though. It was a really huge deal to me. Still is. I'm gonna be in Rica so soon! I can't even believe it. It's gonna be an adventure. I can't wait to share this gospel. I know it's true, and that it brings us more happiness than anything else in this world. Prayer is so powerful and real. We just need to have faith that we'll receive help and strength and answers. Everyone have a great week! My next email will be my last MTC one! So thrilling. I love life. You all should too. The weird picture of me is just a gem from like my second week here.
--Elder Hampton
PS: I don't know if you ever answered: I'm not supposed to have my passport, right? It's with my Visa? I don't know anything about that stuff. It says I'll get my travel documents the day I leave.
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