mtc letter july 29, 2014

So last Tuesday I was able to give my very first priesthood blessing to a girl named Hermana Brady! She's a sweetheart and is a recent convert to the church. She's 25 right now, and hasn't been able to get married so she decided to go on a mission. But when we were playing kickball earlier that day, she had fallen and hurt her shoulder and later that day after our devotional she asked if she could receive a blessing, so elder Hixson who is our zone leader, asked who she wanted to give the blessing, and she said that she wanted me to give it to her! It was a really cool experience, and I promised her that she would feel no pain and that she would fully recover from her injury and focus on the lords work. The next two days she was completely healed and doing great! Just in the time being here, I have seen more blessings given then ever.  I've only received one and that was when i got sick, and the next day I was completely better and I know they work! There was also a teacher who was engaged, but her boyfriend broke it off, so we were able to give her a blessing of comfort! 
On the 23rd I ended up talking to President Pratt, the guy who runs the whole place and found out that apparently either his grandpa or dad or someone worked with granddad at RPC (Romney Produce Company that our granddad owned) which I thought was really cool! That night, because there are so many mosquitoes here, we built mosquito nets with our blankets so we don't wake up with so many bites all over us! Haha when Elder Gessel my companion built his, Elder Drennan hid in his net for 25 minutes just waiting, and when he jumped out and scared Elder Gessel, I'm pretty sure he almost had a heart attack! 
On the 24th we played lame ball again (which is our four square, tennis volley ball game or whatever) and we incorporated alley oops, and it is way fun and I kind of am kicking trash at it... haha. Oh and I lost a bet with Elder Evans in a game called what are the odds, and now I have to make him a nutella peanut butter sandwich twice a day for the rest of the time in the MTC! Haha its the worst! Haha and so when I make his sandwiches now I just put huge globs of peanut butter and a tiny drizzle of nutella, and he hates me for that! 
On the 25th when Elder Hixson was walking out of the house a bird pooped right on his shoulder and it was so funny! And then that day we found a moth in the bushes the size of a dinner plate, no joke, and it looks a lot like a butterfly, so we decided to catch it and put it in our room, but when we tried to catch it elder Drennan accidentally stepped on its head and almost killed it. So we took it into the classroom and put it in the cupboard but Elder Hixson didn't know, so when he opened it up he saw a giant moth and slammed its wing in the door! Somehow it survived all of this, and now its our class pet. But a couple of days ago we came in, and it was laying on its side pretty much like it was dead, so we decided to set it free. Oh and Elder Gessel and I find giant snails in bushes all the time (it's a very odd place to find a snail) and so we marked it up and decided that was one of our pets too and now we go find him every day in the bushes! 
I got my package on the 26th finally because every time I tried to go and get it, nobody was there so I had to wait a bunch of days! but it was so nice to get the package. They literally always make my day and week! On the 27th it was Sunday and there were a lot of really good videos that they showed. Nothing super eventful happened that day, but now I know what they mean by Sunday being a day to be able to revive your soul, because I love it and it helps me get through the week! And then on the 28th (yesterday) my umbrella broke even more and now if I try and put the rod in and open it, then it shoots out and almost kills people! Haha it was pretty funny! 
Oh and me and Elder Hixson are the only guys in our district that can actually sing, but the girls still want to perform a song in front of our entire branch. Haha it's going to sound the worst ever on Sunday. I literally sing all the time that I'm here! Haha the girls actually ask me to sing now and it's pretty fun! Elder Hixson told me the other day that I should try out for American Idol... haha yeah, no way. 
My Spanish is getting a whole lot better. I can pretty much give any lesson in Spanish except for the last two, and it's getting a lot better. The only problem is that I can only talk about religious stuff. Other than that I'm clueless. I can hold a pretty good conversation with my investigators now which is good! Hopefully I pick it up really fast in the field, because I don't want my trainer to think of me as a drag!  Things are going great here and I love it! This is likely the last time that I'll be able to email you for two weeks, but I guess we'll see when I get to my mission! And if so, I love you Guys!!
Elder Romney

rocking my jacket inside out this morning, and some glasses!

out playing some kickball!!

me, elder hixson is on my right, and elder fletcher is in the back!

kicking some trash at soccer!

my umbrella broke even more... hahahaha yeah. its not holding up to well.

ready for the Day!

me daniel caleb and jeff while they're at gym!

PG Missionaries

mtc letter july 22, 2014

well this week has been one of the most eventful weeks i've had here!! haha i brought my journal so ill tell you a little bit about each day! well on the 15th i had a really cool experience because we had a district meeting and towards the end the spirit prompted me to say something and it was super off topic, so i pushed it off for a little bit and didn't say anything until again i got that prompting, you need so say this, so i finally raised my hand and said something about prayer which was blatantly off topic. it was that in order for a prayer to be answered, we have to do all we can first.  we cant just pray for a book to move from one end of the room to the next when we standing next to it, because we haven't done all we can yet. we have to literally do everything we can first, and then the lord will answer or specific prayers.  everybody seemed to enjoy the comment but seemed a little confused as to why i brought that up, so i felt kind of stupid, but about 2 minutes later i see one of the sisters crying and i just figured it was from something someone else had said, so i didn't really pay attention (because girls cry a lot here... hahahaha) but at the end of the meeting the girl came up to me and she said, that prompting that you felt, it was for me. i cant thank the lord enough for giving me the opportunity to help someone out. it made me feel so good that i had listened to the spirit! i guess that's what the mission is all about, right? on the 16th i was super mad because that was the day that Daniel came and i didn't ever get to see him and i had no idea where he was so i couldn't go see him that night, but other than that it was a good day! on the 17th elder hixson kicked a ball into one of the labs and almost broke a computer, that was the day i was doing toe touches and ripped my pants and so i went home and changed my pants and went and saw Daniel that night, because i had seen him that morning! we just ran up to each other and gave the biggest hugs ever!! and while i was going  over to Daniels house, my umbrella broke... it was awful! i was so so so excited to get the package!! it made my day and i went to bed so happy! i love the tie Sara sent me and i love the mints and pictures as well! they make me so happy! and i got that pink tie signed by all the guys! on the 18th it literally rained so much that there were rivers where we would walk, our caldesac was literally filled with water, who new it rained so much in mexico? and when we got home that night, the power was out and so we ran around scaring each other all night! haha and elder gessel locked elder fletcher in a closet while he was praying in the closet... don't ask me why he was.. who knows... but that was so funny! on the 19th during our gym time we made up some crazy volleyball tennis foursquare game that was ridiculous and fun! haha i've never laughed so hard before.  On Sunday the 20th it was a super good day, because i finally really got to see Daniel for a while, because our schedules are completely different! so we got to sit next to each other and just talk about everything for forever and i loved it! and then yesterday when i was teaching one of my progressing investigators he pulled out a pamphlet and said that he wanted to read that instead of ours, bu luckily i was able to look at it and found out that it was a Jehovah witness pamphlet and told him to just read ours! and elder drennan a guy in my district spilled all over himself!!  the time is going by a lot faster and its way fun! i've made so many new friends its ridiculous, i don't know half of there names sadly... but its always nice to walk by and here them yell out my name! oh and i've been asked so so many times if i'm related to mitt romney, and everyone is fascinated when they say i am! and apparently there was a romney that dedicated this place where i am? want to find out about that? but yeah my week has been super good and things are looking up, i got into Jesus the Christ lately and that is helping pass time! i'm glad things are going well at home, i hope dad gets better and you know that i for sure will pray for him. there literally has not been one prayer since i've been out here that hasn't been answered and its crazy! this morning elder gessel couldn't find a really important paper and so i prayed for him and he immediately found it when i said amen, so elder hixson asked if id do the same, and i told him to promises he'd find his right away, but as soon as i said amen he found his! it was a crazy experience!! i miss and love you guys so much and i'm always praying for you guys and thinking about you guys!! i love you!!! 

Elder Romney

got a new haircut!! haha we have to get one before we leave, so i thought why not now?

with my really long hair, they begged me to part it so they could take a picture, and i added this awesome smile(:

ripped a giant hole in one of my suit pants. they have a warranty right?

my umbrella broke too.... hahahaha. everyone in my branch makes fun of me because of my super tiny umbrella! haha it pours here and this umbrella doesn't do too much!!

mtc letter july 15, 2014

well the time in the mtc is going by a lot faster. the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. we literally are up and working for almost 16 hours and about 13 of those hours are spent in a classroom or teaching an investigator.  to be honest all the days just seem the same and its hard to determine what happened on each day, let alone remember what happened.  We taught some other people the other day, and it was really fun, the guy was already a member and he was about to go on a mission.  he was the only active member in his family and he said that him going on a mission is helping them want to come back and go to church, so i told him in the best broken Spanish that i could that i was so proud of him.  i've learned that on your first visit with someone all you do is try to get to know them as best as you can and figure out what exactly there needs are.  sometimes that's hard, and i'm not feeling like i;m being able to receive revelation very well.  i don't know if that's just because i'm super stressed or what, but it gets super hard sometimes and i don't feel like i can feel the spirit all the time.  or maybe its just because I'm so exhausted!! holy cow its a lot of work out here. and yeah, its true that they have outlawed hand shaking here because everyone is getting so sick! its the worst! i think that's one of the reason that i'm so tired all the time because i'm trying to work hard and trying to fight of a virus.  i found out my companion has viral bronchitis and so that could be pretty bad.  i may have already had that, but i'm not sure!! the food here is now so much better than the  first day, the first day it made all of our stomachs super uneasy, but its okay, because they fired that chef and got a new one!! so i'm super happy about that.  this place is super hard, but i always find the most comfort when i am able to kneel down at night by myself and just tell the lord how i feel and what my problems are. you definitely don't feel the spirit here all the time like i thought you would have before i left, but when you do feel the spirit it is super strong.  just pray that i will have the strength to keep pushing on and moving forward and having motivation to stay out here. i always just remind my self, if shawn brian and josh and tyler and parker could do it, so can i.  they are truly a huge support to me. speaking of which, please tell parker to send his big email through dear elder, because i really want to read it, but i definitely don't have time to.  the times are hard, but the times are also great.  i like my teachers a lot.  one of the stories i shared with an investigator was about how when you (mom) had cancer and i was able to pray to the lord for strength and that he comforted me and that i know that the lord will always comfort them no matter what there trial is. haha i cried a little when i talked about that, but i'm so thankful for that blessing and that i'm able to use my experiences to tell other people that its okay.  i'm doing better with the language and i'm finally getting conjugation which has opened my vocabulary tremendously!  keep praying for me, i cant thank you enough for those prayers, and i promise that ill keep praying for  you every night. there's never a moment i'm not thinking about you and the family. i cant wait to get your stuff from Daniel, i've been looking forward to it for so long!! i love you so much mom, and everyone in the family.  
love elder romney.

The temple is super pretty!

we got to go to the temple today, but we cant actually go inside it because it is closed because it is sinking! but it was still nice to get out of the ccm for a while because i was starting to go crazy being here all the time!

me and elder gessell at the visitors center!

some of the people in my district.

taking selfies with people in my district!

the guys in our district

Elder Romney was also made an uncle again this last week! He was so so so excited and was able to get the news and a picture of him from Elder Smoot the day that he was born. Sweet baby Boston loves his uncle so much!

pictures!

All of these Elders are from Pleasant Grove!

mtc letter july 8, 2014

So, my time in the mtc is getting a lot better. As the days go on i can feel you guys' prayers and feel you guys close to me! i cant thank the Lord enough for blessing me and helping me not be homesick.  Every day I've prayed to feel the power of the atonement and it has been an amazing experience.  probably the biggest thing that I've learned out here is exactly what the atonement is.  It's way cooler than i could have ever imagined.  I've literally been studying about that almost every single day just to understand how amazing of a gift it is.  i cant thank the savior enough for doing that to me.  ( i dont know exactly why the words are like this anymore, but i dont know how to change it back to normal, so i give up...) 

 sorry the typing is really hard right now because the keyboards are a tad bit different, but its okay!  all of the days have been kind of a blur, so i dont really remember every day specifically but i will try to remember.  I've been able to pick up spanish a lot faster and been able to understand it as well.  i can definitly feel you guys' prayers.  as you already know, everyone in our district has a companion that speaks spanish except me, but in a way that is a blessing, because the rate at which I've progressed is incredible, because as you know every single day we have to teach an investigator for 30 minutes which is really hard, so it forced me to learn words, so i didnt look dumb out there.   they always told us to teach with the spirit, but honeslty the first couple times none of us did, because we were so worried about the language.  but these last two lessons we've taught have been completely different and I've felt the spirit for the first time in my lessons, so i stop and actually try to listen to their questions.  its an amazing experience. 

 it already feels like I've been here for a couple years, its crazy, and it feels like i should be coming home soon, but in reality its just started. its nuts.  i guess its a good thing because now it feels like the last time i was home was a couple years ago! 

 A little side note, Sundays are by far my favorite day, because we get to just sit back and relax, and its really the only time you just feel the spirit super strong while you're here. Oh, and I've sung in everything i can, like firesides and stuff.  one of my roommates always does that, too. his name is elder Hixson and i love the kid to death. He and I are nothing alike, but hes just a funny hard working sweet guy.   

Everyone here is getting sick, and it finally caught up to me a day or two ago. luckily its just a cough and sore throat and diarrhea, and no throwing up or I'd be dead! Haha But i got a blessing from my companion today and it was an awesome experience. My companion and I are getting closer and can laugh and enjoy our time together.   I was able to seal an annointing on a sister the other day who was sick, and that was another good experience! 

If you get the chance and Daniel has room in his bag here, will you put the Answers to my Soul book in there? I'd also like another bar of soap, and pictures of the family. send as many of those as you can, because i dont have very many, especially ones of you and dad! and everybody... I can definitley feel your prayers here and i am thinking of you guys every day, without a doubt and am praying for each of you individual till my knees feel like they are going to fall off. never once are you guys not in my head, especially you mom, i cant thank you enough for all youve done.  im always thinking and praying for you guys. i love you guys so much and cant wait to hear from you next week! love you guys!!!!  Elder Romney

Everyone in my district!

We have mosquito swatting wars... haha it's pretty funny!

All but a few in our district. This is the room we are in almost all day!!

I have no idea what this is.. haha looks like some fire hydrant.

Polishing my shoes!

In front of a big statue in the middle of the CCM!

Elder Evans and I trying to decide who the better ping pong player is!

mtc letter july 1, 2014

The first day that i got here was really hard because i missed you guys so much. It was really hard until Elder Smoot literally came to my door and told me about his experience with being homesick.  He said that he was homesick and that his sister emailed him and told him that the atonement wasn't only for helping you with your sins, its literally to make you whole, and he said to make sure that that night i prayed for the atonement to make me whole and feel better.  I did that a little bit later and instantly felt better and was able to fall asleep. As the days have gone on, the Lord has blessed me to be able to get lost in his work. I have prayed so hard for this blessing and its amazing to see the Lords hand in my life.  Each night I'm able to write in my journal, because I know you'll want to read all of it when I get home, and I can see all of my blessings each day. Its amazing. 

The language is super hard but I've been getting better.  I've gone from understanding 5 percent of what the teachers are saying to understanding about 75 percent of what my teachers are saying. ( they speak in almost only Spanish)  Everyone in my district has a companionship where at least one person can speak Spanish, but my companionship is the only one where neither of us knew any prior Spanish, so that's a struggle of its own.  Literally on our first day, we had to go and teach an investigator who knew absolutely no English and it was very very hard. We have one appointment every day except p day and Sunday. This is super hard, but I know that things are going to be getting better. 

 Its amazing to hear from you and I miss you guys a lot.  Let Emily and Sara know that I read there emails but literally have no time to respond because we only have an allotted to type.  Sundays are amazing and so are p days.  I know you guys are praying for me, but if you guys are trying to figure our what to pray for, pray that I will be able to receive the gift of tongues,and pray that I can feel the power of the atonement with me 

 I hope you never forget how much I love you and that I am praying for you every single night. Keep me updated on how Romney and Boston and Atticus and all the nieces and nephews are doing.  I cant thank you enough for all that you have done for me and for loving me so much.  I cant wait to  give you the biggest hug when I get home. I love you mom, and I love you dad.  You guys are the best.  I miss you guys.  Its tough out here, but I know this is what I´m supposed to be doing.  I love you guys and please let me know how things are going back at home. and please tell Sister Smoot that I have a huge appreciation for her son and he is a literal angel in my life.  Love you guys, love Elder Romney.