He's a missionary! 6-29-10

Hi family! oh my gosh this has been so crazy! I have so much to tell you and only a half hour to do it so forgive my typos and this cimputer stinks so theres always two periods when i click period and other stuff.. I have been very busy to say the least.. I have three big blocks for studying 2 of which are with teachers and the third is our own block to do whatever we want that is gospel or spanish related (no letters or things like that).. my companions are elder walker and more recently added, elder nelson.. They are both great guys and weve been getting along well.. Elder walker and i have a lot in common with music and sports and things but mostly music.. He's pretty passionate about it and it kind of broke the ice for us which was great.. We spend a lot of our days laughing and joking around but we're definitely focused so don't worry about that.. He just has a very contagious smile and laugh so it just lightens the mood when we've been studying for hours and learning spanish.. Elder Nelson is very different but fits nicely into our companionship.. He's very softspoken but has a lot of great ideas.. This past week we've been planning out lessons for the first dicussion and he throws in a lot of unique perspectives, into all the work that we do.. it's hard sometimes having three but we get along great and had our first comp inventory last night which actually went pretty well.. We're all here to work hard and so it is really helpful for me especially in the mornings (which get harder and harder to get up) because everyone wants to get work done and be obedient.. It was hard to get used to the schedule here but Im gradually getting the hang of it.. Mornings are rough and i'm exhausted at night but recently when i come home at night i just have a smile on my face and then i wanna cry cause i know i'm getting less than 8 hours of sleep for the next 2 years.. My teachers are amazing.. We have one named hermano Messer who is so awesome.. He got home from chili 7 months ago and now he is teaching.. He's so funny so the time goes quickly when we're in the classroom for long blocks but he knows how to bring the spirit into our meetings in like a second, so thats really great.. He just makes me want to learn so much and i love the way he teaches.. It's like im the investigator and hes always teaching us with testimonies and scriptures and it just all makes sense and i feel great when i'm learning from him.. My other teacher is from mexico and he is sooo hard to understand.. Sometimes i can't even tell if hes speaking english or spanish hahh! cause he speaks soo fast.. The first few days here were soo hard.. It wasn't even the schedule that was hard, it was just adjusting to a new lifestyle.. i have to think differently and act differently and it just felt so overwhelming like if i got into bed at 10:31 i would be shot by MTC firing squad or something.. It just felt like i couldn't remember everything and I don't know.. There's definitely a power here, but everyone was talking about their spiritual experiences just in the first 2 or 3 days there and it was like, uhhh yeah i feel good but it seemed like everyone had seen an angel or something.. Our zone leaders (who are awesome!) kept telling us "just make it to sunday" but still it was soo hard to think like that.. I just didn't feel ready to be here or idk like i was doing something wrong maybe? Sunday came aroudn eventually and it was a nice break from the normal schedule.. We still had to work hard and study a ton but it just didn't have such a threatening feeling to it.. I felt like it was 2 months ago that i went to sacrament meeting too so it was nice to go to that even though i totally passed out for a few minutes (i tried not too!!!).. but yeah it was great we got to walk up to the temple and take pictures and socialize.. I saw elder pulsipher (tyler) and a couple other friends from school.. I forgot too, the first day i was here, at dinner time, elder pulsipher came up behind me and gave me a huge hug ha! it was good to see familiar faces.. but anyway the day just had a better feel to it.. At nights i had just been pleading with heavenly father to let me feel the spirit so strongly and know that i'm supposed to be here now.. I was just having so many self-doubts.. Sunday night, we had a fireside.. And i didn't want to go haha i was just kind of in a bad mood and i was tired.. We sat down and the guy started speaking and then started talking about the new Mormon.org website taht was launching july 7th or something (check it out, its gonna be SWEET).. We started watching these movies about members and why they were members of the church.. It was soo powerful.. There was a lady who's son was killed in a sledding accident and it was just her testimony about how families are forever and she didn't have to worry anymore about where her son was going, or if she would see him again.. It was really powerful.. And THEN... we watched a movie abotu real missionaries in the field and how they taught. some of the things we saw were so incredible! it was real life investiagtors and real life missionaries and it was great to see their success and their failures! ahh man the spirit was so strong and it was such an answer to my prayer! I came out of it with tears rolling down my cheeks and just such a gratitude for Heavenly Father.. I know he listens to our prayers and we don't receive a witness until AFTER the trial of our faith (i can't remember the scripture).. What a great lesson for me though.. It's been great since then.. I've been doing much better with spanish and i can bear my testimony and pray in spanish.. All my prayers that i say are done now in spanish.. It feels great to be able to speak it a little more confidently.. I just have had such a better attitude since sunday night.. I just feel so much more comfortable.. A cool experience i had was at the Refereral center, where we call people about dvds and books or mormon and stuff.. I was SOOP nervous i though i was gonna throw up.. It was real people and i didn't want to mess it up! i said a little prayer and prayed for confidence and peace of mind as i spoke with people.. I finally got hold of someone named Iva miller and the second i opened my mouth i felt this peace come over me and the pounding STOPPED.. it was great to feel that peace and be able to talk with confidence.. She said she was a little busy but said i could call back on thursday to talk to her so, idk if anythings gonna happen BUT she is techinically my first "investigator", so naturally i felt like un jefe (like a boss! hahah) Our district is great we have a lot of great missionaries that get along well.. we do a lot of learning and teaching with our district even outside of the normal classes with teachers.. In our personal block we get together a lot and help each other out.. It's also nice cause its nice to mix it up just for a little with other elders and stuff.. We do have 2 hermanas in our district too who work REALLY hard and give us a little maturity :P ummmm........i met president clegg the first day i was here and he said "i have a lot to live up to" so thanks a bunch katie for that.. I miss home a ton but i promise im staying focused.. I just like to fall asleep to the thought of family and friends at night ha, sometimes it keeps me up a little late.. I love the letters i'm getting too, they are such a pump up at the end of the day.. Please use dear elder to send me letters and try and send them by sunday, that way i can read them and respond to the things you say by tuesday when i write home.. You guys did it this week but i'm just saying KEEP DOING IT! I love you guys so much and know the lord is blessing you because I'm doing this.. Keep telling me what's going on at home, i love just hearing about the festivities of the day! it makes me feel like im at home for a second reliving everything.. i'm trying to think of other stuffff....gym time is great, i played soccer all last week and got to play basketball yesterday where i cleaned up of course.. I need cory's address too cause he wrote me a really nice letter and i want to write him a short note.. Thank you so much grandma and grandpa edwards and calvert for sending me those little notes! it was so great to hear from you and i know that heavenly father is watching out for both you and I.. I can't wait to hear from everybody soon! They say the days are like weeks and the weeks are like days.. nothing has ever been more true.. I love you guys and can't wait to share more experiences with you! Keep praying for me and those who need the gospel.. It is such a blessing in our lifeelder edwards

Off to the MTC

Travis has been in the MTC for 5 days. He flew out to Utah with mom and dad and spent a few days with them before he entered the MTC. He was eager to just begin.

Some elder cookies that I'm sure my mom made for his farewell party.
Trav with mom and dad at the temple.

Travis with DAD in front of the MTC--almost has the badge on!

I love this picture because although this room looks OUT OF CONTROL because Travis is packing, this is actually what his room always looks like (minus the man in the tie and the suitcases).

There he goes--gulp. (At the MTC)

Trav and Mom making the 5 hour flight to UT.

Sniffle--even looking at this picture I get teary-eyed. See you in 2 years, bud!

Travis' Addresses

Remember being in the MTC that first day--receiving your schedule, meeting your new companion, organizing your room, sitting in the tiny 12 x 12 room for 12 hours a day...oh the MTC. Although the MTC is really a spiritual bomb that explodes and touches everyone inside--the long days can be monotonous. Luckily--there is always a MAIL-BREAK!

Nothing--I repeat NOTHING is better then going to your mailbox and seeing letters inside. Bonus letters include pictures, money, stamps or anything else you can trade other missionaries for contraband. (haha just kidding--kinda).

So--if you want to write Travis a letter and have it just WAITING there for him so he isn't lonely (he goes into the MTC June 23)--here is what to do:

Elder Travis David Edwards
Oregon Eugene Mission
Provo Missionary Training Center
2005 N. 900 E.Provo, UT 84604

His mission office address (won't be there until August):
Elder Travis David Edwards
Oregon Eugene Mission
55 W. 29th Ave. Ste A
Eugene, OR 97405

Packages:
Elder Travis David Edwards
Oregon Eugene Mission
55 W . 29th Ave. Ste A
Eugene, OR 97405

He leaves a week from Today.