Pre Thanksgiving snail mail

11/24/09
Blake's snail mail home....

Dear family,

I'm just going to write to you all. If you want a letter just to you, you're going to have to put in some overtime and not write when mom makes you ;)

Uh...No card? I hope I just forgot it. I'll look. Bummer. Just know they were good. (In his last letter he sent his memory card and I didn't get it. I've look everywhere. UGHHHH)

I don't think the gingerbread house is going to work out, its tooo messy. I appreciate it though. I'll just keep the candy.

Casey, sorry to ruin your parade, but my mission boundaries no longer include Kazakhstan anymore. I hope that's not why you chose it. (It was, but oh well. If any of you are interested in visiting Kazakhstan Casey has made a cool travel brochure you can take a look at.)

Samantha, MTC is good, except the food. Campanion is good. And I have learned SO much Russian, but only enough to teach discussions.

Carissa, I'm glad your teeth are doing well, hahahah:) (She has been loosing some teeth, like 4).

I don't think the room is mine, I don't even remember taking that picture.

Dad, I loved the e-mial/Dear Elder, hopefully I'll have replied via e-mail by the time you get this.

I hear Elder Holland is coming on Thanksgiving with probably some other apostle!

Russian fun fact:
Every verb has perfective/imperfective form. So for every verb I have to learn 2 words, and there are 6 verbs for "to go"!

Anyways, love you all

я люблю вас!
Blake Wight

P.S. Dallin H Oaks spoke tonight, it was amazing!

P.P.S. I didn't end my e-mail because I looked and I had 12 seconds left. My bad.

Thanksgiving in the MTC

12-01-09

hahaha. Sounds like you had a Thanksgiving. I had a pretty good one myself, there was a morningside with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland! It was super good. That makes three apostles so far here at the MTC. I have found though, that just because they are apostles doesn't mean they will answer all the questions I have in mind. I have found that some of the best personal things for me, are not always from apostles, I do learn a lot, but sometimes more from others. I have learned that it doesn't really matter who it is, as long as you are listening to them, and the spirit, you have the opportunity to learn. I love receiving whisperings of the spirit. It is a huge testament to me of the power of the Holy Ghost. I might suggest the first general conference talk in the ensign, I am almost done reading the whole thing, and that has been so far, my favorite.

Its a bummer that Casey doesn't have eagle eye vision like myself (hahaha) but he is the one that has shot a deer... I might suggest to Casey that in addition to wrestling practice, he should run and do workouts like pull ups, push-ups, and workouts without weights. Some really good wrestlers here no of good wrestlers that weren't strong enough to finish moves, greater strength will really help his game i believe.

I don't know anything about my visa. I had it already before I came here. I don't know if it is good or not.

Exciting news! I got my Russian name tags yesterday! It is spelled (OO-AI-T) they don't have a W. so it was either a V sound, or an OO sound. It kinda of tricks them into saying the w sound, and it sounds pretty nifty. So I chose it that way.

I'm at 21 days. I leave the 22nd. Its pretty nuts, I have already started Spreak Your Language 100 % of the time. It is difficult. My roommate elder Waite is fine now, quarantine he said was not that bad. I am getting a cough but it is not that bad I don't think, I can't imagine it evolving into anything nasty.

I have looked high and low for the card. No bueno. I am almost positive I sent it.

I love you!

Blake Wight

p.s. please don't send anymore m&ms I have only eaten five pieces of the two bags you sent at Halloween. Pretty much anything else would be nice though.

p.p.s. I was gonna ask for you to send something but I forgot. It'll probably be in the snail mail I send.

Testimony

11-24-09

I don't feel ready to leave in some ways, but in others i definitely do. Russian i don't know any conversation phrases besides a few that will get me so i can teach lessons. that is pretty much what my vocabulary consists of, is gospel words and phrases. I am so ready to move on and go to Russia, I love being here, but I also just really want to get out there and do the real thing.

I also hope that my mission flies by, kind of. I know that my time in the field will be amazing, but I also can't wait to get home and move on with school and such. I have mixed emotions and i know i shouldn't be thinking about anything other than my mission right now. so I won't:)

As for the Natives, we haven't had that many oppurtunities to really talk with them because they are sisters, and also it was their first week, and they don't go to a lot of the same activities as we do. But we did go through an endowment session with them today, which is always cool. the other natives, we went up to their room and talked a lot, which is why we knew them better than we will probably know these sisters.

It's great you were in the temple so much this week. I love having the oppurtunity to go to the temple every tuesday, its really a good experience and break from the MTC.

Which of M.'s friends saw me? I didn't see anybody i recognized.

I miss Chukar hunting, and thunder. I hope that puppy figures out the whole hunting deal, because i'm sure that when she does she will be amazing. I remember thunder shelling pistachios, Mom also said that she found a stash of candy and brought it to her. I love that Dog. Could you send a Picture of her? maybe a few?

About the memory card, I have no idea where the card is, i'm almost positive i sent it in the mail... bummer. you'll have to send a new one. I didn't back up the pictures because we don't have any way to here. There were some classics.

I'd just like to share my testimony real quick, but before I do, i'd like to say that I've learned so much here, more probably about the gospel and about missionary work than Russian, and I thought I knew A lot before i came out here. I can't wait to see the person I will be after my mission.

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior, I know that he atoned so that we may return to our Father in Heaven. I know that God loves us, more than it is possible for us to imagine. I know that Holy Ghost is key towards conversion, and that through the Holy Ghost we can know all things. I have a personal testimony of personal revelation. I know that I can recieve personal revelation and priesthood power by being obedient, faithful, and listening to the spirit. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet. i know that we have all the keys, and authority of the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. I know that the Book Of Mormon is the true word of God, and that a man can grow closer to God by studying it, and applying its teachings. I know that I am called of God to serve his people in Russia. I know that key to my success as a missionary is patience, diligence, knowledge, charity, love, faithfulness, obedience, and work.

Russian Lessons

Dear Family,
E-mail wigged out, so it didn't send, AND I ran out of time. SO it's just the letter this week. For my schedule on an average day, I wake up, get breakfast, sower, and head to class, with wither Brother Burgess or Sister Jenson, it's always the same classroom. Then lunch, and back to class for either more class or MDT (I'm not sure what that is, maybe exercise?) Then dinner, then either class or MDT, but we only have MDT once a day. I'll see if I can copy my schedule to send you. (I requested this info, because I have no ideas what he does in the MTC)

This week is kind of crazy, almost all of the older elders in our branch have left, which make us the older group. Also, next Wednesday we get about a dozen new elders plus 2 native sisters. It is going to be pretty fun.

This week is going to be my first time teaching a lesson in Russian. Can you believe that? It's pretty crazy. The socks and garments are MUCH appreciated. For future refernce, I like socks higher that the ankle for athletic socks and whose two kinds are very nice. The thick wool socks are a little too big. I'm a size 10. (He goes on to give his garment sizes and preferences, but I won't bore you with that.)

If you could , would you please send a FEW international stamps so I can send some letters to Mitch?

Dad, watch the talk "Forever a Missionary" by Elder Ballard. It might be hard to find because it is a MTC talk. It's really goo though.

Love you all!

Blake Wight

Getting "older"

11-07-09
Dear Family,
This last week has been pretty normal until Sunday. Because the older group shipping off this next week, we nneeded new Zone Leaders. Our District Leader's and companion became the new Zone Leaders and my companion is our new Disrict leader. (One of the old Zone Leader's was I think that state champ wrestler from Georgia, he is a pretty cool guy). So now I get to follow around my compaion, while he does... whatever he does.

Today I have less P-day than usual, due to the fact that we went to a sealing session with the natives and the older group. Me and my companion were the wintesses for a while. It was very interesting.

Well the older group leaves in a week! I can't believe that in a few short weeks I will be one of the older Elders that will be giving talks in 100% Russian! Also blessing the sacrament in Russian and teaching lessons! Next Wendesday we will be teaching the first lesson in Russian which is just nuts!

I decided to include a Russian tid-bit this week, here goes.

ALPHABET
Then he goes on to write the alphabet in Russian and then a word that has the correct sound in it. It is with a bunch of Russian letter or I would type it all out for you to have your first Russian lesson. I still haven't gotten the alphbet thing figured out. I guess, I need to do that.)

Anyways, I love you all! (Pronounced in Russian Ya Lyoublyou vas)

Blake Wight

Candy Galore

Dear mother,
Because I have already written you a real, letter, I won't repeat myself.

I have not yet received socks or underwear yet, (I told him I sent it, but I haven't yet. ooops) I think the MTC post room is a little slow, because I got grandma Carter's Halloween package late, by a few days, and she sent it from the BYU bookstore.

I found out some things about customs this last week you might want to know about. Don't send expensive things, customs people steal. if you really want to try though, put stickers of Jesus and the sort on the box, if they are superstitious they won't want to mess with it. Or send in smaller packages, its more expensive, but then they probably won't steal small packages.

OK, I'll repeat myself this once, my companion is the new District Leader, our DL became the Zone Leader because the older group is leaving soon. exciting huh?

I know you might have to type up some of the things that I put in my real letter, but please do it, I'd like everybody to know whats going on over here at the MTC.

One of the Elders in my room had a cousin that just left to the field, and he donated all of his candy, we are packed with candy. We have decided to start hiding it in all the wall sockets and in creative places for the new missionaries to find. But keep sending! =)

I have been writing in my journal every other day, and the days I miss, I make up for. My entries are getting smaller and smaller though because it is the same thing every day.

I love you!
-Blake Wight.

Wanted

10-29-09
Dear Mother,
Like I had said before, not a lot to say about this week. I forgot to ask for a couple pairs of socks 2 reg/2 insulated and for a couple more sets of garments. I have been wearing my socks twice and am down to 0 garments come P-day. I am sending a check from some friends. If you could deposit it that would be delightful. AND Pictures please! I have no family/ any pictures, make sure to send my pic of me jumping over the creek and also Mitchell's afro one. The Elder who was sick didn't have swine flu, he was just sick. Oh it snowed a little today, but I already mentioned that...I hope this week is more eventful for ya, love you.

Blake Wight

P.S. L Tom Perry spoke at our Devotional today!!!