First emails home to dad and mom

Hey dad,

I’m so glad you sent me all the pictures. I want more real pictures real bad in my picture book. I only have Lex's pictures which are amazing, but I need more like the bro picture you sent me and some more stuff like that!! 

So as you heard my first day rocked, but then the next days were hard! All of them sorta sucked until Sunday, and then I had a really cool huge spiritual experience at the devotional. 

My companion Elder Randall. I love him lots!!

I’m glad you are not mad at my selfishness, it’s really important for me. 

So curfew is really like impossible to make, almost every night I’m at least forty minutes over curfew, it’s really hard when I’m with Elder Randall. I get along with him so well. 

Every day is the exact same thing here so it’s hard for me to email you about the day. Every day we get up and eat way too much food, and then go to class and get taught by Hermono Humbert for three and a half hours of sitting, then we sit on a computer for an hour and then we eat way too much lunch, then we have gym for a hour which is awesome, then we sit in the classroom for another three and a half hours--usually we teach a lesson at that time, which is the best part of the CCM. (Español letters for MTC) Teaching is the only time where I get to remember why I’m going on a mission, if I didn’t get to teach while in here I would already be home from the MTC, so I could keep enjoying life. Truly it’s not fun here, it’s a lot of work! After that block of time we go to dinner and eat way too much, and then we go back to the classroom and study for days and days, not really just three and a half hours, but for someone who can’t study for forty minutes without a nap it’s really hard for me! Finding everything to study is really rough, but I’m getting it down at this point, but I hate just sitting for so long doing very little stuff, its rough!! Tuesday was cool, the General Young Women’s President came and gave our devotional. She spoke well, it was fun! 

I’m feeling the spirit like a ton and I’m doing better!! I’m doing good here, I miss you guys more than I can tell you, but I know this is the Lords work, I really don’t know what else to tell you guys, but I know you really want to hear me, don’t worry I’m gonna write mom here in a second, but for once in forever I thought it would be nice for you to get one first! I love you dad! Know that I can’t wait to come home and do everything with you all over again. Hopefully Lex will be on a mission and not married, and then we can go do everything in that six months ;) I’ll send all my pictures to mom. 

Love you lots guys!

Jayson Benedict

My district. Like a mini slightly lamer bros, but I love them a lot! They are great to have around!

Mom,
I need to write you real quick! I’ll be coming back later and write you,  with all kind of pictures. Just know that I miss you so very much, I miss being loved, I have  missed you so very much the last little while, it’s so hard for me to know that you are sad and the amount of uncontrollable jealousy I feel when I see you with Lexy, it kills me so much, but I miss you like even more-- maybe ;)  I promise this is not the only thing you will get from me, call dad and listen to his letter I love you guys so very much please don’t forget it!!!!

Your little boy,

Jayson Benedict

Met up with Kyle and Mike at the devotional on Sunday!

Mom,
So you know the rundown of my normal days, but on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursdays its different. Sunday I got to see my boys hence the picture I’m sending you.  Jenny Oaks Baker played "I know that my Redeemer lives" on the violin at Sunday devotional and it hit me with more power than I ever thought songs could hit me. I had no power to stop the tears or prevent myself from saying I know that my Redeemer lives.
Later that night we watched a talk by Elder Bednar and he talked about how Christ always turned out… not about him, but everyone else and it has now become my goal in the mission, everything selfish is wrong and I have to  fight against that with all I have. Tuesday night the General Young Women’s President came and spoke and talked about better prayers  and fasting, at the end,  I was zoned out,(I need to sleep more, but don’t,) I got that part and decided I should fast.

This is my investigator Roberto . We have taught him solomentie en espanol hasta dia treic!!

The next day I fasted for our "investigator", the lesson went so good and the spirit so strong, I loved it. He committed to give up alcohol and I just felt ten miles high afterwards. I love teaching lessons; it helps me stay focused when I study to know that it could help someone. I know it will be so amplified when I’m actually teaching people who need it! Don’t worry I did my laundry and it was good! I’m all kinds of self-sufficient.

Know that I’m doing better and love you with all my heart.
Sincerely, Elder Jayson Benedict

First day in the MTC

Hey parents,
So I’m loving it here at the MTC! The whole day has been crazy though! I got to the room and got my badge, and all that worked a lot different than I thought it would be! But I loved it! So then I got dropped off at the Raintree apartments which are not even close to the real big MTC, but they are good. My new host struggled so hard! First we went to the wrong room so I had to carry my bag up some flights of stairs then we went down to my room and we couldn't even get inside, but after walking around and continuing to try with a prayer in my heart I just left the stuff in front of the door and went to class. My host later got the door open and put my stuff in my room. So I'm in class and the teacher will not speak English to me, I wasn't even sure if he knew how to speak English until two hours in, so I'm practically playing charades with this man as I wait for the rest of my district to show up. Finally they got there!

My companion is the freaking sickest! His name is Elder Randall and he is from Las Vegas, he is a 19 years old baseball player, he actually played ball since he was 8! Me and him click really well actually. He slowly gained his testimony like me not just some grand flash of spirit as some people talk about. He’s way into snowboarding and boating, and his two favorite genres of music are country and rap. He actually reminds me a little of Kyle but taller and much more shy. He is a very quiet guy around the rest of the district, but tonight we've been chatting real good. He plans to be a dentist which is just a fun fact. The coolest part is I can talk girlfriends with him! He has dated his high school sweetheart for 2-1/2 years and they plan to write every single day, so good for them, but probably way hard to focus. He actually got to baptize her in like April I believe and he said it was one of the greatest experiences of his life. I’ll get to chat with him about it tomorrow.

We did an experience thing with approximately 60 missionaries in a room and we got to sort of role play with an “investigator”. It was weird but cool. It made me realize how hugely unprepared I am to do all this work, but I know that if I am faithful and put all my heart and soul into learning and “thrust in (my) sickle with all my might”, I can do all things. Christ will not let me fall.

Mom I love you so very much…I miss you so much already. It’s crazy! I can’t wait to keep telling you events that go on knowing that you will eat it all up like candy! My P-day are on Thursday, but I won’t get one tomorrow due to it being my first day, so just be patient with me.
Dad, I agree that this mission will be the best two years, but I'm going to miss so much going out with you. I have absolutely loved getting to go mountain biking with you. I love the sport and I am glad you were willing to get me out there to do it. Thank you so much for the letter. I teared up when I read it, but I’m glad I have it. Know that when I come back we are gonna go do all those things super hard core.

I love you guys so much! Take care of Mamma please!

Sincerely yours, Elder Benedict