I Miss Spongebob

Another week, another nickel. Today marks 10 days in the MTC. Thai is still hard and Utah is still cold. I meet new people every day since there are about 2,000 people here and I love it. I am tired every day and almost fall asleep in every class. Here is my daily schedule for the next 9 weeks.

Wake up at 6:30

Shower

Exercise Time

Breakfast

Personal Study

Companionship Study

Lunch

Language Study

Class for 3 Hours

Dinner

Book of Mormon Study

More class for another 3 hours

Mega journaling

Bed by 10:30

The schedule is very packed and very busy. I never have free time and am always moving. That is pretty much the only way I stay awake. If you haven't realized, I like sleeping. It's non-stop and I actually love it. I am learning so much and am getting so much work done every day. I am learning a new language and am learning more about myself. AWWWW CUTE. 

Back to Thai. This language is hard. Let me tell you a little about it. There are 44 consonants that are all scribbles, there are 55 vowels and vowel clusters. Those can be basically anywhere around the consonants. You read words by the syllables so there are many syllables in one word you have to understand. With that you have tone. Tones are the absolute worst. Every consonant has a class and when the consonant is at the beginning of a sentence it changes the tone. THEN there are rules. If there are certain letters and scribbles at the end of the word it again changes the tone. Sorry if you are confused, but so am I. It's tough. We had 4 elders trying to read 1 Nephi 1:1 and it took us an hour and it was most likely all wrong. I guess we will get it one day. That's what everyone says. 

Back to English. We were able to teach an investigator about the plan of salvation and it was amazing. We had 3 lessons with her and on our second lesson she was so confused and it was awful. We then figured it out and taught such an amazing lesson. SHE PRAYED I MEAN C'MON SHE PRAYED AT THE END.

I love it here at the MTC so much. Anyone getting ready to come and serve, you are going to LOVE it. It is hard but it is also so worth it. I love every second and am so happy to be here. 

Ok bye everyone. I love you all and if you have any good Spongebob quotes feel free to email them to me. Thank you. BYE BYE. 

ผ่านการชดใช้ของพระผู้ช่วยให้รอด เราสามารถมีชีวิตนิลัน 

Through the Savior's Atonement, we can receive eternal life. 

Moroni 7:48 Read and enjoy

-Elder Slavens

Elder Slay

Elder Silawen

Learning Thai looking oh so mighty fine

We all know Thai so well. I promise

Me praying to actually start learning

The district I live in. I love them that's for sure. 

Sleeping with 2 sheets. That's the MTC alright

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Elder Slavens here. I am happy to say I am alive. I've been alive this whole week and am feeling great. I don't think I have ever been this tired before but that's ok I'm enjoying my time in the MTC. This whole experience being here is not what I expected. I don't know what I expected but it wasn't this. We have been working non stop and it's tiring. I suggest to never wake up at 6:30. It just isn't the best idea. When you wake up that early and you live here, days feel like weeks. I've been in the Provo MTC for 3 days now but oh boy it does not feel that way. Being here is truly amazing and I've grown so much already.

My week went something like this.

Wednesday- Land in Utah at 8 AM, spend my last moments as a free man with my siblings then I entered the MTC at 1. My fall roommate Elder Salem Davis showed me around campus which was very cute of him then I met my companion Elder Wright. He went to BYU summer and fall with me but we didn't talk much but we sure do now. We can't really leave each others side so we are forced to talk but really I love him and we are such good friends. We then went to class and began to learn Thai. This language is just a little hard. I'll figure it out hopefully. That night we slept with 2 sheets and woke up many times and we thought that's how it was gonna be every night but turns out they do have blankets you just had to find them.

Then basically every other day after that consisted of waking up too early to function, had some breakfast then we played Walliban (Volleyball in Thai) and some nice 4 square; great game. After that we would usually have lots of study time for language, Book of Mormon, and companionship study. Later in the day we have class for 3 hours then dinner then 3 more hours of sweet old Thai. I've been learning a lot but it is quite difficult to understand a language you don't know. I'm getting there slowly. The days feel long but are really amazing and I already love it here. I have felt the spirit so strong every day and know what I am doing is the right thing. I love this opportunity I have to learn Thai and to serve a mission for our Lord and Savior. Love you and miss you all. You'll be hearing from me next week. Bye bye.

Moroni 10:5 

And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

และโดยอำนาจของพระวิญญาณบริสุทธิ์ท่านจะรู้ความจริงของทุกเรื่อง.

Enjoy the blurry Samsung images.

My enjoying my snack I took for later because they like to starve you here. 

Double whammy companionship study. Thai is fun and all but blurry pictures are the funnest.

Seeing double? I do think so. Who am I you may ask. Just a boy with a picture of himself in his wallet at all times.

Me and my bud Elder Greene. We love to gossip and enjoy the times when we see each other during lunch.