Jared Howell Mission

This last week here at the MTC has been a really eventful one. The biggest event has been our district. We all have really grown close, so much so that we act like we've never been strangers. we just act like a big group of siblings. We do everything together, whether it's eating breakfast, in classes, playing sand volleyball, or just being around each other, studying and just talking. I love them so much and I know that it's going to be really hard when we all say goodnight  tonight  and go off to our three different missions. But it's also comforting knowing that those missions are receiving such amazing and strong missionaries.  I don't know if I've mentioned this before but even though they're still finishing up the new buildings I've been working in them the whole time that I've been at the MTC. I've switched to three different classrooms on three different floors though which has been loads of fun. They've also started the open hou...

I woke up this morning singing The Olive Tree. And that pretty well sums up the past week. I've probably spent about as much time singing, whether in class or just randomly, as I have studying. Elder Moffett and I have been made the Zone Leaders until we leave next week. I had no idea Zone Leaders did so much. We had to wake up early to go to a 6:30am  branch council meeting and we have to conduct Zone prayer every night. Also, we have had to organize all four of the elders quorum meetings for Sunday , and it's only  Tuesday.   But it's been an amazing experience. Our Zone is so amazing and receptive to the Spirit. Last Tuesday we had a Devotional by Elder Koelliker and his wife. They both had such amazing insights that I was glad I took my iPad instead of my notebook, I couldn't have written fast enough. Also, I took all my notes on Gospel Library so I'll have them forever now. They talked about so many things from how music can touch people in a wa...

From the back left: Elder Taylor, Elder Green, Me. Middle row: Elder Andreasen, Elder Moffett, Elder Graff, Elder Call, Elder Clark, Elder Morris, Elder Nelson(Our District Leader), Elder Jex. Front row from the left: Sister Ray, Sister Gubler, Sister Crow, Sister Wolfe.

Dear everyone, Today is my first P-day in the MTC and closing the end of my first week here. This experience has changed who I am so much already. I am continually amazed at how much I know and how much I still have to learn. They really believe in a baptism by fire concept here. When I first arrived we took my luggage to my residence. The first trial of that was that my key card didn't work. So my escort and I spent about a half hour running around campus, trying to get my card to work. When we finally figured that out, he took me to class. My classroom is actually in one of the new buildings, they're super nice, big rooms and lots of windows. There I met my companion, Elder Moffett. He's this little 5 foot 5 elder from Nampa, Idaho. He's so cool, he has such a strong testimony and he really knows the doctrine. And to top it off, it seems like we think on the same wavelength. Every time we have a discussion in class we always say the same thing. And when we're teac...

We dropped Jared off at the MTC on Wednesday. He was met by a Host Elder who would show him the ropes. We received an email later that day telling us that his p-day will be on Tuesday while he is at the MTC. If you would like to write him use the DearElder site. Letters are free to send and he will receive them the same day. Comment if you need his unit number. He'll be at the MTC until August 1st.

Hello, everybody! Jared's sister Becky here. We decided to create a blog for Jared's mission, rather than having a long e-mail list to send to every week. So here is where you will come in order to be able to see what's up in Baltimore! Just a disclaimer, this blog is being managed by the family, not by Jared, so he will not be able to see any comments left here. If you want to send him a letter, feel free! We will post his addresses as we see fit. Jared is so excited to be going! Stay tuned for his first letter sometime next week.