I knew that flag would come in handy. When I looked at this
picture again I realized that I know some people in the background. Elder Smyre is taking the picture of the water and Elder Palmer is theone in the blue suit and glasses.

The four of us going to Fort Worth in our district.

My desk, in my classroom, iln the same building I spend the

majority of my time here.

Side view of the Provo Temple. We walk here every Sunday.

4 of us from Budge 3100.

My new (shrunken) district.

The same district above me. Steph - Elder Faught (the one in front of me) wants you to wait for him. ha ha.

Letter # 8 - Last one from the MTC

la! Me lah-mo ace Elder Roberts. (If you say that how it is spelled you will sound like a gringo)

First things first: Flight Plans!!!!!! I am officially leaving the MTC (or CCM en espanol) on Tuesday July 6th!!!

I report to the Travel office at 5:00AM then we will have to load up and head off to the Airport. I will probably be calling around 7:00AM. Where will you be? I have Grandmas Number and Jens. I still need Kristis and Dereks, and how about Stephanie's just to be safe. My plane takes of at 8:30AM. I am so excited to be in Texas. (I have a calling card already, so you don't need to send one mom:)) We were able to meet our mission president as he was here for the new mission president training. His name is President Sagers and his wifes name is Sister Sagers. (Surprised?) Anyhow, it was really awesome because it made it feel so real. Also, season 2 District was Premired here at the MTC. Most of you will probably not know what "The District" is. It is like "The Office," but with missionaries and morals. We were very excited about it. It was really awesome, really well filmed and we are all just missionary nerds because we could not get enough of it. We are excited for this sunday when they might let us finish episode 3!!!!

Okay here is how the Mission President Seminar Went: First of all my friend Elder Scott is in the MTC choir and because of this he had the opportunity to sing to all of the Presidents and the APOSTLES and GENERAL AUTHORITIES that were here almost every day. Anyhow, one day when he was singing, he had to use the Bathroom. Guess who he saw in the bathroom?!?!?! thats right! He saw Elder Uchtdorf and Elder Cook in the Bathroom and Elder Nelson outside the bathroom waiting for them!! Crazy! I myself happened to see and walk past Elder Scott (The Aposlte) on my way out of the lunch room one day. It was wierd. Its like, "Hey the Apostles are real people." And actually Elder Scott is quite short. Anyhow, on Friday night we had a special Devotional at which Elder Dallin H. Oaks spoke. It was an amazing talk about the true and living chruch of Christ. The best part though were are the Apostles on the Stand! Here are their names: Nelson, Oaks, Scott, Holland, Bednar, Cook, Chrisofferson, and Anderson. Wow! did you count? I did, thats 8!

Last night, Tuesday's devotional, we had Sister Elain S. Dalton speak to us. It was a really good talk. One thing she said was that no matter what the challenge is, "We can't turn around or quit halfway up a hill." Sister Dalton, if you didn't know is the General Young Women's President.

So we keep hear horror stories of the first day in the Field, like being dropped off in a Park and not being allowed to go home untill you and your MTC companion get rid of so many BoMs and Passalong cards. But no matter what happens, I am way excited! Even if we have to do something scary on the first day! In fact, that would be fun, but it is just scary to think about!

I don't know what else to say... Its crazy that you will all (Minus K and D) will be in Provo. I honestly don't feel like I am in Provo, I mean, I know that I am, but it is a different world in the MTC.

I love you all very much. Look for people to share the gospel with! Help the missionaries! Feed the missionaries :) !!!

Okay, well, I am going to send the letter now.

Love,

Elder Roberts

Letter #7

Well Hello!!! I don't know why the return button isn't working on this computer, but I guess I won't be pressing enter during this letter. Sorry for the inconvenience. (Also it keeps doing double periods, so....) Okay, the big news first: Today is my 7 week mark!!!! Only 2 weeks left. That means that we will be getting our travel plans this week.. That is a really big deal here.. Once you have your travel plans, then you are set to go! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SPENCER!!! I can't believe how old Spencer keeps sounding in the letters I get.. "Hey guys, I have something to tell you!" Have a happy birthday buddy.. Also, Happy Fathers day Dad! I'm glad to hear that you got my card! I'm sorry to hear that Mom being made RS president has and will affect Dad's and Stephanie's eating patterns. Okay, down to business: when I get my travel plans this week I will know exactly when I am leaving, but I still want to know where the family will be on July 6th or July 7th as I will be able to call you from the airport! I'll send more info next week, but I am just wondering.. Okay, now for my life here: I've been studying a lot from the Ensign recently.. the May 2010 issue with all the conference talks.. There are really some great talks in there.. I encourage all of you, if you haven't started rereading them, to do so.. They really are modern scripture for our day.. We have continued to sign up for TEs (teachers that act like investigators) and everything is going really well.. We do them all in Spanish now, and it isn't hard.. Its amazing how blessed I have been here.. I thought about it a lot this week.. I took Spanish for 2 years in school, but in the 7 weeks I've been here I have learned far more that i did in school, and I can actually use it.. We just learned one of the hardest subjects in the Spanish language this week, Subjunctive. It is weird because we don't have it in English. Well we do, we just don't know it. For example, if I wanted to say "Mom wants Nate to write a longer letter," Then last week I would have written Mama quiere nate excribir una carta mas largo. But now that I've learned subjunctive i know to write "Mama quiere que nate escriba una carta mas largo." It is weird, but I will learn it with time and prayer. It’s amazing how much you can learn when you really rely on the Lord. The mission president seminar begins today. That means that at some time or another during the week every apostle will be here.. In fact, we are having a special devotional on Friday with an apostle, we don't know who yet.. Last night we had the weekly devotional; it was given by Lowell M. Snow, of the quorum of the 70. It was an amazing talk about the Spirit's role in conversion and how we have to decide to let the Spirit teach us. Agency is key in all things, including being receptive to the spirit. Today we are cleaing the temple, so we have a pretty busy schedule. I don't think I will be able to write very many letters by hand today.. Sorry.. What else what else what else.......... I really don't know what more I have to say, the MTC is going well.. Jen, Nick, Spencer and Landon - Happy Birthday! It sounds like today is going to be really fun! Jen, the dinosaur theme sounds really fun.. I still remember my aladin, lion king and peter Pan? birthdays mom put on for me. Kristi and Derek, thanks for the advice on learning the language.. I really appreciate all the words of wisdom.. Yeach, I can't wait until I get my travel plans.. This week the two Sisters from the district above us that stayed an extra week to do visitor center training (DC temple) left and we helped them carry their luggage to the curb.. It was crazy to think that we would be carrying our own luggage to the curb in no time at all. Steph - Thanks for the letters.. It sounds like summer is going well.. Funny that you did the bike ride all the way to Shelly.. That’s the one Cassie, Jessica, and I did last summer.. It was fun, and funny that you wanted a ride back.. Take care! I love you! Mom and Dad, Hi, I love you, time is almost up.. I can't wait till I get to the field and my letters have something substantial to say.. Oh well.. Take care everyone! I love you! The Church is true! Love, Elder Roberts

Myself and Elder Carpenter. It's nice to see people from IF.

Me, my companion Elder Driggs, Elder To'a, and Elder Klienman. We

are all in the same district/room. We are all going to Fort Worth

Texas.

Feast upon the words of Christ?

Both of these Elder are going to Samoa. I know Elder Palmer from

college. We get to be in the same gym time, it is fun.

Myself with some buddies from college. Elder Garrett, Elder Roberts,

Elder Townsend, and Elder Palmer.

Elder Scott...What more can I say?

Me sending mail! The sun was bright that day, thus I have squinty eyes.

Me writing letters on P-day

Letter #6

Hi family!

I can't believe I have already been in the MTC for 6 weeks!!! Only 2 weeks and 6 days left until I get to go to Fort Worth! I can't wait to get to Texas! It’s weird, because today when the new English speaking missionaries come in, we will leave with them. I feel so old here. We are the "veterans" now! And at only 6 weeks in the mission! It is going to be a shock to actually get to Fort Worth and see how little I really know about being a missionary at this point, but I am excited to learn more!

Okay, so who is teaching the Family Home Evening lesson this week? Really? Mom again? Well, I'll give her a break this time. Here is what you are going to do. First, try to find the talk by Elder Bednar about "Is it just me or the Spirit?" It was a really good talk. If you can't find it, I will quickly tell you the summary of it: Don't worry about it! He said that anything that invites you to do good is the Spirit. He also promised that if we are 1) Being good people 2) Keeping our Covenants and 3) Keeping the Commandments, we will be led by the Spirit as we go forward and act in faith. He said it doesn't matter if we think it is just ourselves telling us to do something, because if we are doing these 3 things then it will be the Spirit telling us what to do. Okay, so after finding that talk (if you can, it was an MTC devotional) Read Galatians 5:22 (and the first two words of 23) and Moroni 10: 5 and 7. Then you are all going to share an experience you had where you were guided by the Spirit to do something that beforehand you didn't know was the spirit. You will then all bear testimony of why the Spirit is important in our lives (Dad will go first to se the example) and then you will all write down what you have thought, felt, and learnt about the Spirit. Then you will all write Nate a Handwritten letter and mail it about lots of things, but especially about what you learned. I love you all.

I think it sounds way fun to have that little mini fire pit. I remember in my childhood that if we wanted to roast marshmallows at home Jen or Kristi would light a candle and we would roast those little marshmallows using pretzels as our sticks. What fun.

Mom, don't think that the details ever bore me. I love hearing about what you are all doing at home. Oh, and by the way, speaking of details, when do I get a picture of Spencer with his cast on?!?!?!

Spanish is coming along really nicely. I am learning a lot. Oh, by the way, we got our new permantent teacher this past week (or the week before.) His name is Brother Hunt. He has been home from his mission for 4 months. He served in San Antonio Texas. He is a really great teacher. I am learning a lot here from him and our other Teacher brother Pace. These past 2 days we have had a substitute for Brother Pace, the subs name was Brother Gamez (Gah-mes) He was born and raised in Spain. He made me a lot less nervous about everything with the language. I mean, there is still a lot I have to learn, but he also eased a lot of my worries about learning the language. I don't know how to explain it exactly (I can't remember exactly what he said) but I feel a lot better. It is really about just trying to speak as much Spanish as I can as often as I can.

Mom, the cookies mailed really well. Thanks, I got the package on Saturday, I loved getting the shirts, cookies and candies, thanks alot.

Wow, time is really going by quickly here. I don't know if we are on the same time as the rest of the world. It is strange. It is very true that the days go by like weeks, but the weeks go by like days here in the MTC.

Exciting news: Next week our service assignment is that we get to help clean the Temple! Wow! Also, the new mission presidents seminar is starting this next week which means that at some time or another every member of the quorum of the twelve apostles and the first presidency will be here! I don't know if we will get to see very many of them, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed!

Dad - I keep thinking about your MTC experience! Did you say that you only had three days in the Mission home in Salt Lake? That is so crazy? Who were your teachers? I hear that at that time the missionaries were taught by apostles. Is that true for you too?

Mom- I've already said a few things to you in the letter, but I want you to know that I love you and love to get your letters! I can really hear your voice come through in them. Thanks.

Jen and Nick - thanks for your letters. I love you hear about your family. Nick, I'm glad you had the opportunity to be a missionary.

Derek and Kristi, thanks for being who you are. I always think about how you were both here not to long ago. I love you. Thanks for the letters.

Steph - thanks for taking over for moms letter occasionally. that is nice of you to help mom. I love you. I'm glad you are having a fun summer. Work hard! I love you!

Sorry this is shorter today! Time is almost up

I love you all. The church is true!

Love,
Elder Nate Roberts