Week three (at the Missionary Training Center) -- Departure date for Albania set for September 3rd!

Thank you everyone for all the letters, dear elders, postcards, and packages. Getting the mail is easily the highlight of my day. It is the only contact with the outside world that I have. Our district often jokes that if the zombie apocalypse started or if all of America was destroyed, except for provo, we would have no idea. There is a lot of truth to that statement, though. Regarding the Dear Elders and physical mail: You can address it to either Elder Tyler Allgaier or Elder Jonathan Allgaier. It gets to me either way. And make sure (if this is even an option) to have them print

and deliver physical copies of the Dear Elders because sometimes they get jumbled up in my email.

Its so cool to hear about you guys being able to visit Palmyra and watch the pageant. I would love to do that when I get back, for sure. It also sounds like everyone is staying very busy with camps and having sleepovers (Hi Kristyn). Mom, I know you are probably having some fun too, but if not, I ask that all of my mom's friends invite her out to lunch and take care of her! My siblings cant have all the fun.  [Very sweet of Tyler to think of me, but I am doing just fine! : ) ]

Garrett! I am stoked that you are going to a leadership camp. I know that it will help you so much and that if you pay attention to things that they teach you, you will benefit from it so much. You are definitely a natural leader. Keep up the good work.

I think for the first time since Ive been at the MTC, I had a fast week. It honestly feels like I was just emailing you guys yesterday. Hopefully this fast pace stays because I am ready to leave and go to Albania. That being said, I do not have the language down. It is so tough but I can see how all of the principles and rules are all starting to fit together. Our district does a thing every now and then called SYL. It stands for Speak Your Language. Basically what you do is only speak Shqip for the allotted time and absolutely no English. I both hate it and love it. We are always taught that being on a mission will put you outside of your comfort zone, and I totally agree. In about 4 weeks we will begin Consecration Week. Consecration week is one whole week (Wednesday to Wednesday) where you only speak Shqip. That is gonna be HARD! Hopefully by then I will be able to understand a decent amount (at least enough to survive).

I was able to sing in the Tuesday night devotional choir again this week. It is so much fun and its my only outlet for music since we cant listen to music at the MTC. Luckily this week I sat by Elder Baker (he is in my district) and another guy who had decent pitch. Last week was horrible. I had to sit by an Elder  that may have never sung in his life, even though he insisted that he had been in choir all through high school. Anyway.... I digress.

I hope you are all doing well and I am praying for all of you! Stay safe and keep the letters coming!

Love,

- Elder Allgaier

Suit jackets on the fence during our Sunday walk.

Me and Vellai (Brother) McGlothin. He is my other teacher.

The closest guys in my district

We buttoned our jackets together. WE get really bored here.

Elder Rawlings and me with Hungarian sisters

Both Albanian districts getting ready for service today (7/25/13).
(Elder Allgaier is standing in the back in the red shirt.)

My bro Elder Price. He is so cool and is from Saudi Arabia.

My nametag with my SYL tag. You have to have that so people know you are speaking Shqip (the Albanian language is called Shqip -- the "q" makes a "ch" sound).

Week two (in the Provo Missionary Training Center West)

Hello family and friends!

This past week has been a lot more calming than the first. Ill try to make a chronological list of the events that happened since last thursday after i emailed you.

Thursday:

We went to a place in Brigham's Landing (yes, West Campus is allowed to go there on P-day. its awesome) and we ate at Burger Supreme. While we were there a guy came up to us a started talking with us. Towards the end of the conversation he pulls out his wallet and gives us $100 and says it is for next weeks lunch! turns out that he used to work at the MTC and taught spanish. It is so cool to meet people that love missionaries because I know it wont be like that in Albania.

I cant remember the rest of the days so ill just talk about things that happened in random order. I sang in the choir this past Tuesday for the MTC devotional that we have every week. It turns out that it was a recorded broadcast that is going to be sent to the 14 other MTC's. How cool is that?! I'll probably get music contract offers while im here, no big deal. Also, the guy that I was singing next to drove me nuts. He was bragging the entire time about how he was in choir in high school and how good he was. then we started singing..... That man could not have been more off-key. Iff it wasnt for the amazing spirit, he may have ruined it. Anyway, i digress.

After the devtotional tuesday night our mission (my district plus the other albanian district) met up for a testimony meeting. I bore my testimony on the power of music and the spirit that it brings and how singing as a district can strengthen us so much. I also bore my testimony that I know I was called to the Adriatic South mission for a reason. Not because I circled "5" on the application, but because I needed to be challenged and humbled. I promise you that I have been humbled and challenged here more than I have ever been in my life. (Read spencer's email for the full story)

Last week our district started to get really rowdy and we were joking around too much. So as district leader, this week i made it a goal to encourage everyone to try their best to be exactly obedient and to keep the Spirit with them as much as possible. I told them that if they do that, they will receive the blessings that they have been praying for and that their families will be blessed even more. Now that it is Thursday, everyone has told me that they have felt a complete change and that they are learning the language so much better. I am so happy for them and i hope that I will get the blessings that they have received as well.

I am running out of time and will wrap up.

I love you all and it makes me feel so much better knowing that you all are being blessed and watched over because of the things that I am doing. It is one of the biggest motivators that i have. Also, thank you everyone for the letters you have been sending. They make me feel so loved!

Keep up the good work and I love you!

- Elder Allgaier

Following is an email to Spencer...

Hey Spencer,

too bad about not making the callbacks. Dont worry about it too much. I hear you are going to the DC United academy tryouts, so make sure to brush up on your spanish. Coming from a seasoned veteran, there are a lot of politics in soccer and sometimes it isnt fair to those of us who truly deserve it and work for it, but that just proves that the Lord has other plans for us (listen to me, im getting all churchy). Seriously though, since ive been in the MTC ive had more times than I can count where i seriously doubt that i should go to Albania. The language is so hard and I sometimes want to ask to go to an english speaking mission. But tuesday night we had a testimony meeting and i told everyone that i know we are called to this mission for a reason and that the lord called us here knowing that we would be challenged and challenged just to the point of giving up. but if we have the strength and courage and pererverance to keep working, the Lord has promised us so many blessings; more than we can even count.

Hope that helps and don't give up!

Love,

Tyler

My Schedule

At Jamba Juice with the district

Studying

Me getting ready for the furthest throwing competition

Left-handed throw

After the weekly devotional with some district members

Me and Vellai (Brother) Vance.  He's one of my teachers.

During our 50 minutes of gym time everyday we play four square. whenever this group of guys gets together in a game we make this power stance before we play. it makes us better i swear.

Us studying during personal study

First Update from MTC

My P-Day is Thursdays here at the MTC and I only get one hour to read and respond to all my emails. I would recommend using Dear Elder because I can write hand letters back and I have more time for that. Sister Daniels is the only one that has sent me one so far. Thank you Sister Daniels! (By the way, physical letters are super awesome. I cant believe how excited I get when someone writes me.) There is an Elder in my district named Elder Clawson and he gets like 5 letters a day. He is officially "That Guy".  (FYI:  Elder Allgaier's most updated address for physical letters is: Elder Jonathan Tyler Allgaier, SEP04 ADRTCS, 2023 North 900 East Unit 815, Provo, UT  84602)

My typical day here at the MTC starts off by waking up at 6:15 AM every morning. Yes, every morning without fail. We then go to breakfast, usually as a district at 6:45. The breakfast is the exact same every morning: Bagels, milk, OJ, some donuts, and a banana. After breakfast we go to class for 3 hours learning either Shqip (Albanian) or how to teach effective lessons. Then we have some additional study time before lunch at 11:20. lunch is ALWAYS either a salad or sub-par sandwich. It's making me sick. After lunch we have more class learning language or gospel study for an additional 3 hours followed by more study. Dinner then rolls around at an unusually early hour of 4:20 (who eats dinner at 4:20?). Anyway, after dinner we will have gym time for 50 minutes and then additional study time. If you haven't noticed already, there is an exorbant amount of study and class time. Easily amounting to 15 hours a day and it fries my brain. (If you write me a Dear Elder I will remember to take a picture of my schedule and send it to you.) Finally, we get together as a district everynight and read the Albanian scriptures. It is a really awesome experience to see our district grow closer together and learn the language.

My companion for the next 8 weeks is named Elder Hald. He is originally from Denmark but has been living in Provo for the last 7 years. He is a BIG DUDE. He is 6'5". Needless to say, I feel pretty small sometimes. He goes to BYU and is majoring in Opera Performance. Sometimes we can hear him singing in the shower.

On the 4th of July the West MTC (where I live) had a devotional that night. After the devotional, we all went outside to watch the fireworks that were going off in the LeVell Edwards stadium after a Mariah Carrey (sp?) concert. It was super awesome. I hear Pioneer day is also a big deal here but I dont know what kind of special events we have planned.

I already talked about it a little bit, but the food is no bueno. You'll have to get the info from Spencer's email to hear about it, but needless to say, I can't wait to leave and eat Albanian food.

The language is definitely difficult. I knew it would be coming in here but I have to remind myself that it has only been a week and I can already pray, teach lessons, bear my testimony, and say "C'Kemi!" (Hey!). I'm waiting for the gift of tongues to kick in so I can really start being a good teacher. Speaking of teaching, The second day in the MTC they told us we had to prepare to teach a progressing investigator (He was an Albanian teacher at the MTC so it wasn't a real investigator). they also told us it had to be in Shqip! It was extremely difficult but my companion and I were able to do it. Just yesterday we finsihed our 3rd lesson with him and asked him to baptized. He said he needed more time but i think he will  be ready next time we teach him.

My apartment is old BYU student family housing and it has 6 guys in it. We areall in the same district and the other two district membersr live downstairs. by the way, I was called to be the District Leader and it is super fun! I have to make sure that all 8 of us stay on track spiritually and with our learning. It's a big task, especially since we have only been here a week, but I know I can do it.

I don't have much more time so I will have to wrap it up, but I love all of you guys and think about you everyday! Write me some letters and Dear Elder's so I can hear from you during the week! it makes it so much better. 'Till next week. Te dua!

- Elder Allgaier

My room. I'm in the back.

Name tag

Our sign hanging on our classroom door

Some of our mission (both districts)

Entering the MTC

Today was the day for which we have waited so long...the day Elder Allgaier entered the MTC (the Missionary Training Center)! It is here that he will learn about the customs and cultures of the people in the area in which he will serve.  It is also where he will learn the Albanian language.  He is expected to be in the MTC for 11 weeks. We talked with him for a few minutes before he went in and he seemed a little nervous, but happy and anxious to begin the Lord's work. Aunt Lauren said that the spirit at the MTC was "tremendous"!

  

Arriving at the Salt Lake Airport yesterday.
(Grandpa let him borrow his name tag for the flight.)

Some things have changed at the MTC since we were last there.
One thing is that the "Missionary Training Center" sign is no longer there.
So, this was as close as they could get to getting that memorable picture.  

Walking to his new home for the next 11 weeks.  He is one of the first missionaries to live in the new housing...necessary because of the great influx in the number of missionaries entering the MTC now. 

 The next post will be directly from Elder Allgaier's first letter! Thank you for everyone's support!

And he's off!

"Elder Allgaier" flew to Utah today.  There were some tears shed by everyone, but we know he is ready, he's doing what he should be and is being watched over by angels.  We miss you and love you, but know that you will be an amazing missionary!

Tonight he stays with Uncle Kevin, Aunt Lauren and family. Then it's off to the MTC tomorrow!

Officially "Elder Allgaier"

Tyler will be serving a mission for our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) in the Adriatic South mission.  This includes the countries of Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia.  He will serve for 24 months, learning the Albanian language and culture and sharing the Gospel.

This evening Tyler was set apart as "Elder Allgaier" at our stake president's home.

"Smiling" with his eyes : )

Set apart by Grandpa Allgaier and our stake president