Friday, December 30, 2011

December 28, 2011 letter


Hey Everyone,

It is P day once again, sadly I look forward more to P day then I did for Christmas! haha  I'm not saying Christmas was bad, but P days are the only days where we get some time to sit down and write or read or do anything for ourselves!  I think the MTC Presidency was super worried about Elders and Sisters getting homesick on Christmas so they kept us too busy to notice we were away.   Needless to say, Christmas wasn't all it was cracked up to be.  I went to bed on Christmas more tired than on normal days.  It was good though and I greatly appreciate all the gifts and the Christmas Cards and letters!

I don't have very much to report this letter.  On Friday, we did have our first TRC which is where members can come if they have questions or problems with the gospel and speak to the missionaries to get answers.  Ours went great, we spoke with a young man who just got off his mission a little while ago and felt lost.  He is going to Galladet (the deaf university in D.C.) and was very nice.  I think me and my companion were actually able to help him out a lot.  By the end he gave us each a big bear hug and it was really neat.

The signing is coming along slowly but it is coming.  I have decided that pure ASL has got to be one of the hardest languages to learn.  Maybe it is just me but it is super hard for me to understand and to learn.  I do love my teachers and I love my district so the days are going by faster.  The saying here at the MTC is true, "The days feel like weeks, the weeks feel like days." Each day is an eternity but the weeks seem to move by fast.  I can't believe that I have already been out here for three weeks! it is crazy!  The English elders that we came in with are leaving today and it is kind of depressing knowing that we are only a third of the way finished with our MTC stay.

It is really strange being away, I haven't really missed my phone or my TV. the thing that is driving me crazy is not having any music!  For some reason we can't even play hymns here, the only music is when we are in the classrooms with an opening song or from elders voices which more often than not ruin the songs.  My companion is a fan of community which is nice, my roommates are also fans of Psych so we quote it quite a bit. (appropriately of course)  The thing I do miss is not being able to have communication with most of you. It is so nice to get letters telling me about the lives you are leading.

There are so many people I know here, I just was talking to Brody Burch as he was taking off to the field.  Robbie Sweeten is here and I see him every devotional we have. Kyle Neville, Kalen Taylor and John Eriksson have the same meal schedule as me.  Mitch Clark lives in my building. and I have seen lots of other people that I recognize and know! It is great to see all of them. If any of you are going to be in here between now and Feb. 6 I would like to say hello.  Sometimes I could see you walking around campus but the best way is at the devotionals because I always have reserved seats in the front (what up!).

Well, I miss you all!  I hope you had a great Christmas and are going to have a happy new year!

-Elder Banner

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

In MTC

Hey Family!

     Thank you all so much for your letters and your packages!  They really helped!  Thanks!  I said in my last email that I am going to write a short letter in pure ASL so that you can see how weird it is and also so that I can practice. 

     (Here is the letter in English)..... 

    Hi everyone,
     I am writing this short letter to say that I think learning pure ASL is the most difficult thing I have ever done!  It is so hard to turn my brain backwards to figure it out!  I do love my teachers.  We have 5 teachers.  Three of our teachers are deaf and they are so funny!  We like the other two teachers as well and even though they are hearing, we have yet to hear one use her voice and have only heard the other one's a couple of times.
    Our class is about four hours a day of complete 100% ASL!  Well, I miss you all and I hope you are having a great Christmas Season!
     -Elder Banner
P.S.  What is new in the real world?

Now for how you would say/sign it in ASL......

Hi all,
     Now happen what I write letter (point) Why?  Because I think learn ASL improve difficult thing most up-to-this-point.  My brain turn-around-backwards hard why?  Learn ASL improve.  But I like my teachers, have five (list) point-to-3 deaf, point-to-two hearing.  Deaf teachers funny all.  Like hearing teachers, hear them speak not.  Happen once, twice, three times what, we heard one hearing teacher talk only.  Nine hours day our class 100% ASL all.  I miss all (point) I hope good Christmas you have. 
     -Elder Banner
Question real world what new question   wiggle (finger)  wiggle (finger)  wiggle (finger)