3rd WEEKLY MTC POST

So, it's insanely cool that Rachel's going to Russia :) I've been telling people all about it. That kinda thing is exciting here lol....

They said that the average amount of mission aplications since conference has been around 3,400 each week. They said that's about 471% increase from the weekly average before 8D....awesome stuff.

Our sacrament meetings aren't in Dutch cause we have a mixed zone. A lot of our old zone left this Monday though. Actually, most of em. The only ones we have now is our Dutch group, a few of the old Dutch group who have to wait for their visas cause they're going to Suriname, and a group of English Elders who are going to Denver North.

But just this week we got one Danish Elder (he's all by himself. He got assigned to our districts and Staley and Liang bring him from place to place) and 8 more English elders.

And I have to tell you all something, this last week, me and Elder King (that's right, weep over my grammar;) got called to be the Zone leaders. So now we're in charge of making assignments for sacrament and also doing orientations on Wed and Thursday for the new Elders. We're doing a meeting and a tour tonight. Heh, good thing I know where I'm going most the time now lol.

So that's new. We're able to go to the temple each week too, and that's nice. Yesterday, we had a role-play where our teacher (Brother Norton) taught me as the investigator with Elder Muse, and he taught about the plan of salvation. It was an amazing experience. It was a full role-play, about thirty minutes, and I could feel that spirit of the message as he taught.

I was able to catch a glimpse of what it was like to be taught the gospel, and be told about the hope that it brings. I was reminded too of my testimony of this church. The Gospel's true. I know it, and that's why I'm here, cause I want others to know it. And that's what God wants too :) Ik hou van jullie and wish you the best.

From the MTC, (where time really doesn't exist) (and it snowed today:) (and the cafeteria is determined to double your size),

Elder Chantry :)

SECOND MTC P-DAY

I'm getting the hang of things here. I don't get lost any more. And I've started to understand  Nederlands now (which is heel goed:). My speach is neandrathal still (however you spell that) but I'm working on it. Ik weet dat over tijd de nederlands van mij wil (be) mooi! (that was terrible sentence structure by the way. I just wanted to use some dutch words, don't repeat it though lol)

The best thing at the Mtc are the teachers. they're smart, and spiritual, infinitely patient and they'll always help you out. We have 3 of em and I couldn't ask for better :)

I'm gonna try to send some pictures this week. Last week I had problems but I think I can do it this time...

First picture is my District. The second one is the Elders in my District. The next one is me with the Netherlands flag :).

(and if you care, the names of the people in the pics are, E. Muse and E. Jex. the four sisters, Juchau, Israelson, Raun and Nogeruira. then it's E. Staley, district leader, and elder Liang. E. King my companion is in the front with lovable old me:)

I'll talk to you all again soon. I love you and wish you the best,

Elder Chantry

First P-Day Blog

So here's some stuff that happened:

I was in class first after I checked in. The teacher started to talk to me and I was like: ..................0.0................... it was hilarious if you were watching I"m sure. lol and he was saying the simple nederalnds phrases too hehheh.....

There's a group that's been in here for weeks and they're learning dutch too. One of 'em preteneded like he was from the Netherlands and we all totally believed it. We were all scared to talk to him and everything lol. E. Eastmond, and he's a great guy :)

What's cool is like half the people learning dutch are going to Suriname in the West Indies. South America. You can look it up :) they get to run from anacondas and head hunters hehheh.............

Boy, it's insane here. but cool too. Elder Bednar spoke to us this Tuesday and he outlined his study plan when he studies the teachings of general conference. I don't have time for the whole thing but mainly it was too look for:

• doctrines
• invitations
• promised blessings

Cool stuff :) he quoted a scripture in regards to the age change in missionary work. He said that "the Lord is in charge of His work and He can hasten it in His own time" or something to that effect. Awesome huh? You know the stay time at the mtc is being shortened too? it's from 9 weeks to like 6 for foreign missionaries. Not for us though :) we get the extra time. Our estimated leave time is December 3rd. There's soo much more I wish I could say! Like how awesome and terrible the investigator lessons are. And how I always turn the wrong direction and Elder King (my companion) has to drag me back the right way lol. Or how, well, there's tons of things.

BUt I miss you all and wish I could write each of you! I will whenever I get a chance. I'm still pretty slow at stuff so I'll get better soon (hopefully).

I'll send some pics as soon as I can make it work. It's kind of a pain....

I love and miss jullie! (thats dutch, not a person).... take care, continue to be awesome and I'll write more when I can...

Elder Chantry!!

(P.S. This is Carsten's mom...I looked it up "jullie" means you in Nederlands "Dutch")

Welcome to Elder Chantry's Mission Blog!

Hello all!

Well, Elder Chantry is off to the Mission Training Center in Provo to train for his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Belgium and the Netherlands.  We will post here any new updates, pictures, and letters/emails he shares with us.

Elder Chantry would certainly love to hear from you, too. His address can be found in the side bar, you can write him anytime. If you'd rather, you can send him a letter, free, to www.dearelder.com. Just choose (for now) the Provo MTC, then fill in yours and his address information (also can be found on the side). Write your letter in the box provided and click send. For the MTC, they print and deliver the mail daily. While on his mission, they print and deliver weekly. 

The church has sent some instructions for contacting missionaries.

1. Complete separation from loved ones is part of the sacrifice that families and missionaries contribute to the work.  For this reason, family and friends should not attempt to see or visit with missionaries while they are at the MTC, not even during temple walks or at other places near the MTC.
2. All missionary mail must come through the US Mail or commercial delivery services. These services should not be used to send any items that will spoil if they are not refrigerated within 24 hours. For security reasons, we cannot accept any items delivered by hand.
3. Communication from friends should be through letters mailed to his address. We cannot accept telephone calls for missionaries.
4. Families and friends should not visit missionaries as they depart to their field of labor, whether at the MTC or at the airport.

Thank you for supporting our missionary!