MTC at Last!

Dear Family,
     The MTC is so wonderful!! Everyone I talked to kept telling me to
just get through the first few days and then it will get better, but I
don't know what they were talking about because i already love it
here. I have already seen so many other elders that i knew from home
or from college.  They are everywhere. My good friend Elder Sam Ross
actually lives on my floor, so i get to see him a lot. Austin and I
went to his farewell in Reno, remember. Love that kid. Oh, and you
make friends like crazy here. Those mormons are so nice. And thank you
so much for the package!! Ah, it made my heart smile. I love you all
so much. And thanks for the cookies. :) They made my companion happy
too.
     So my P-day is on Friday. But we didn't get to have one our first
week. So I only have 30 minutes while I do my laundry to write you.
Then i go back to class. I have gym first thing in the morning, which
is nice cause i don't have to get dressed until after breakfast and
gym. Then i only have to shower once as well. We play soccer at gym
because you run a lot in soccer, and we are hoping that that keeps us
from getting fat. Which is totally possible. Cause I am sitting in
class all day, and then i eat as much food as i did in the Cannon
Center. I like the food. Other people get sick of it, but i never even
got sick of the Cannon center, so i'm pretty content.
     I miss you all. Make sure you keep me updated with what is
happening at home and how everyone is doing. Hopefully not much has
changed since I last saw you. Haven't planned to move to the beach
yet?
      My companion is named Elder Ellis. He is from SLC and is FRESH
out of high school. But he is seriously so great. He is the most
social person I have ever met. We have a hard time getting anywhere
because he is always stopping to meet other elders and talk to them.
But i am so grateful to have him as a companion.  He is helping me to
become more friendly, open, and willing to volunteer and answer
questions. He is a blessing to me. And then I am the one that makes
sure that we are where we need to be for classes etc.  And my district
is so awesome! I love all of the elders there. There are ten of us.
One elder is from Burley. Never met him before, but I recognize him.
And one elder is cousins with Elder Rockford Lines, who lived on my
floor at BYU and was my Elder's Quorum pres.
     My teacher, Brother Russell was here for the first class, but
then he had to leave for the weekend to go to his little brother's
homecoming talk. So we have had a substitute, Brother Taylor. And he
is so great. He is helping my spanish improve so quickly! I can't
believe how fast i am progressing. I already pray, and bear my
testimony in spanish, and last night we gave our first lesson to our
first "investigator", in spanish. It was supposed to be a thirty
minute lesson but we went overtime. Our investigators name is Brother
Hilario Mendoza. He is 21 years old and from Nicaragua.  He wouldn't
pray for us because he has never prayed in front of people and he
wanted to practice. But we have another appointment with him tonight
and he said he would practice and prepare to pray today.  Tonight we
are going to try to get him to commit to read the Book of Mormon and
pray about it. :) This gospel is so amazing.  And i am so grateful
that i was able to understand EVERYTHING that was said during our
entire discussion, and i was able to bear my testimony to him about
God's love for all of us, and the blessing that we, and our families,
can receive through obedience to the gospel.  We also taught him about
the restoration. Which was amazing.
     I know I left my scripture bag. I would appreciate having that so
i don't have to carry this bag around all day. It would just be
easier.  Thank you so much for all of the letters you guys wrote me.
And Micalena and Maegan, thank you for the DearElders. :) haha, the
district president gets to pick those up and hand them out so we all
know when other elders get mail, and i was the first one to get a
letter (thanks maeg) so that made some elders jealous. Ah, but the
gospel is so wonderful and i am so grateful to be here. I love and
miss you all. Thank you all for the examples you have been to me, and
for all of the love I receive from you.
     Love,
     Elder Hansen