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).