MTC Letters #7-11

This posting is not for the faint of heart, easily bored, or compulsive spelling checker!

This is for those family members who truly want to read all of Mark's letters. I understand that there are some friends (and maybe even some family members!) who don't want to read his "books" and that's OK. Please just understand that there are family members in different states that don't have the opportunity to come by the house and read the letters in person. So it is for them that I am posting these letters.

These are the last of the letters Mark wrote while still in the MTC. Remember that I typed them as he wrote them ... spelling mistakes and all. I think the better his spanish gets, the worse his english spelling gets.

Letter #7
3-21-06
2 days 'till Scott's Birthday
Dear Familia,
Another week gone. My time here at the MTC is getting shorter everyday and then they're taking days away too. I believe my departure date is now April 11 instead of April 12. I kind of already figured that out since the 12 is a Wednesday and normaly missionaries go out on either Monday or Tuesday. We get our flight plans a week from this Friday and it will have all the information that we will need to know on it. On the other hand our branch is getting smaller. When we first got here there was 5 districts, including us and now their's our district and 2 othes. Their's only one district newer then us, but they came in four weeks after us. We get another district tomorrow and I think we get another one after that. So, their starting to restock us back up.

The weeks go by so fast now. I'm beginning to wonder if I should start packing now because I know these next two weeks will fly by and then I'll only have a week to pack. I'm just trying to make the most out of the rest of my stay here at the MTC. Yesterday, Monday (3-20), we moved back to our old residence which has now been recarpeted and painted. Hopefully that will be the last time we have to move untill we leave to go to Argentina.

Elder Johnson and I wedged the two bunkbeds together, since w're still the only two in there, and now my bed is like the size of a king sized mattress. It's so big, I can lay down spread Eagle and still not be touching the four corners.

I had a couple of rolls of film that I wanted to send ya'll during the last week. However, I ran out of time so, I'll send them with this weeks letter and film.

I went to choir this Sunday to see if they were going to sing in the Priesthood session and I got good and bad news. Bad news is no, they are not going and good news is they sang come, come ye saints this time when I went. Back to the bad news again some how I got put with the #1 tenors. I've never sang so high in my life. I was lightheaded for the rest of the day. I should of easily of sung with either the baritones or the bass. I didn't sound to bad, but I'll never try it again.

The only other thing that happened this week that I can think of was in the TRC (Teaching Recording Center). We were suppose to teach lesson 3 in English and Elder Johnson and I had hardly even practiced it, yet. We were planning on just talking about Faith in Jesus Christ, Baptism, and enduring to the End for 20 minutes. However, when we got to the room we were assigned to, we peaked through the peak hole to see who we had, and it was this Man and Woman that we've had before except the only thing is they only know spanish. Well we said a quick prayer and in we went. We gave the whole lesson in spanish. I've never had my heart rate feel like a Metallica concert before. I had no Idea what I was saying and I hope what I was saying was spanish, but when I finished and was walking out the door I asked them if they understood everything I was saying and they said yes (Sí), so appearently the message was Received.

It kind of stinks though because when we first got here we were told by everyone that as soon as you start getting comfortable with spanish, you get sent out to the field and start right back at the bottom. Even more so for us Argentinans because they speak alot more in the Tú and vosotros form and we don't use that hardly at all in the MTC. Then on top of all that we started learning the subjunctive conjugation which basicly contradicts everything that we've been taught so far. All the conjugations are the exact opposite of what we have been taught before. So maybe it won't be as hard as what all the other districts in front of us have said it will be.

Other then that everything around here has been the same. I'll be done with reading the Book of Alma by the End of this week. We all set it as a goal to read the whole Book of Mormon in the MTC, when we first got here. I just don't know where the last month and a half have gone, so I've been using every free possible moment to read.

I hope ya'll got my last letter. In the letter from Mom she said ya'll hadn't got it yet but hopefully you have now. I received a letter from Natalie and Dean this week. Thanks for the letter. I hope Dean's doing better now. Also thank you Dean for your letter, it translated perfect but I didn't know you knew spanish too. I'll talk to you later when you stop pooing in your diapers.

The next letter I got was on Friday (3-18) from Mom. When you refer to my past letters I have no idea what you are talking because it was so long ago, so be specific. What did you about them? Too bad about the signs. Since you couldn't find the trucks you should of went to the county offices and asked where you could find the trucks so you could get your signs back.

We get snow here all the time and when it snows it pours. When I was talking to some of the natives they said all this snow is not normal for UTAH. By the End of March they said it's normally warming up by then. The snows cool and all but it's keeping us from being able to use the field, which means I can't play softball or through the football or frisby but my 4 square skills are improving.



By the way I have no idea what happens to the mail once I leave so I'll find out and tell you then, in the meantime keep writing. I have no idea about the visas, but that's a good thing, because the only way that I would know about them is if their was something wrong with them. Thanks for the pictures and keep them coming.

The next letter I got was a dearElder with three letters on it. One from Bro. Hainey, one from Vickie, and one from Mom. Thank You Bro. Hainey, it's nice to hear how the ward is going. I'm already missing the Chili Cook offs. Hopefully the new alarm system will work unlike the others. I can't wait to see how much the ward has changed when I get back, and hopefully I can go on some splits with the missionaries and mabye run into a spanish family that I could help teach.

Vickie, also much thanks for the letter. I'll try to answer your questions and send you a letter today.

Mom if you haven't got my last letter by now then give me a letter through dearElder so I can go look and see what happened with it. That stinks to hear about the church in N.C. getting burnt down. Send me more information about it when you hear mo from Vickie. It's lunch time now and I'm still waiting for the letter that you sent Monday. Hopefully it will get to me before the end of the day. My weight yesterday at the end of gym was 194.6, so I've got 3 weeks to gain 5.4 pounds. That should be no problem.

I just got back from the temple and their was no letter for me from you Mom. So in less they send it in the next couple of hours, I won't get it untill tomorrow at lunch.

Anyways Happy Birthday Scott. My present to you, is the ability to go and play baseball and disc golf all you want. Because I know I won't play for the next two years, so play as much as you want for me. I soon as someone breaks 50 at Redan, I want to know. Or if anyone gets a hole in one. As far as March Madness goes, as far as I'm concerned Duke has already one it. What happened to Georgia Tech? The newspapers I read basicly said that they stink. So, I would assume that they didn't make it into the bracket. The Baseball season is right around their corner. Has their been any last minutes trades or anything? Did Roger Clemens finally retire again with all the others or did he go back to the Yankees?

And now I bid unto all Farewell, I make an end of my writings upon these plates, hoping that many of my brethern may read my words. Elder Putnam

Letter #8
(This was the March Madness Basketball bracket that Mark filled out. Our family always fills these out each year just for fun.)

Mom, I got your express letter. I hope you get your m oney back, because I got it Wednesday at lunch. I don't know if I told you, but any letter you send here once I leave, they will send back to you. So plan them so they get to me in time. I get my flight plans next Friday, so I can be more specific on everything then. Love, Elder Putnam


Letter #9
3-28-06
Hola, Mí personas ese Yo nombre la familia. LaCosas fue va solo grande. Aqui en el CCM (MTC), never mind that's enough of that. I can speak spanish alright, but it's a whole nother thing to write it. Anyways things have been great here at the MTC. Some of the concepts and principles that I have been getting confused with, in spanish, are all starting to click in my head. My most important goals with Spanish in the MTC is to make sure that I know and understand the concepts. Then when I learn more vocabulary, it will be easier to plug it into a sentence since I know where it goes. Plus MTC spanish is so diffrent from the spanish you will be speaking in the field. Also the accents are completly diffrent. So once I get in the field I know that their will be much that I will have to learn about the language.

I can't believe I get my flight plans in two days. I hope we get to fly through Atlanta, because then I could show all the Missionaries with me, the Golf course and anything else I can spot. I don't know if I have told ya'll yet but supposively when I'm at the airports I will be able to call home and stuff. So either on the 11 or 12 expect a call from me to the house, or where ever else I feel like calling. Once again, I will know a lot more once I get my flight plans. Some missionaries that have already left had 11 hour layovers in some airports while others had direct flights down to their countries in South America. All of this I will know when I get my flight plans.

Another one of my goals that I have made for my mission that I am trying to keep up is NO REGRETS. I hear to many missionaries say that they wish they could have done something diffrent or that they wish that they would have done something that they didn't do. So, this last Sunday I got to maintain that goal. Last Sunday was Fast and Testomony meeting in our branch since next week is General Conference, and last Testomony meeting I promised myself I would bear my testomony at the next testomony meeting. I figured it was a month away and I would be perfect at spanish. Well, that month went fast and here I was with only 10 minutes left in the meeting and I still hadn't gotten up the guts to just do it. Then I told my self, what's the diffrence between sitting here and waiting or sitting up on the pulpit and waiting. So I just jumped up out of my chair and in doing so I scared the crap out of my companion sitting next to me. I went and sat up on the stand and waited for the person in front of me to finish his testomony. Normally, I wouldn't be nervous since I am so used to having to give talks in sacrament meeting back home. However, this is a completly diffrent situation. I'm doing it in a whole other language. At that oint it hit me, and I don't think my heart has ever been beating so fast before in my life. I tryed to think of the words to say but nothing came, so I was scared and thought to myself what am I doing up here. Then the Missionary in front of me ended with about 9 minutes to go. I stood up and walked to the pulpit and grabbed the wooden pulpit with two hands and then took a deep breath. Everything that was nervous and scared about me just went away. I started with saying Buenos Días, there was no reply, unlike Twin Oaks. Then for the next 9 minutes I just poured out my heart in all spanish. I felt as if I could have talked all day. It was such a great feeling and not only that, but in 2 years when I'm off my mission I can't tell myself that I'm dissapointed for not bearing my testomony in church at the MTC, because I did bear my testomony. No Regrets!

That was pretty much the highlight of my week. The rest of the week has been learning subjunctive and memorizing all the irregular verbs. The weeks have been going by so fast. I'm really just trying to make effective use out of my last 2 weeks because then their will be no fake investigators it will all be real.

I received a couple of letters this week from various people. One was from Grandmom and included was pictures from her birtday party and one from down at the lake. Thanks for the letter and thanks a bunch for the pictures it nice to see how everyone is doing. It's so nice also to see some signs of green. We are in spring up here but I haven't seen any green. Some days it's 70 degrees and then the next day we get half a foot of snow. We've got about a week now of no snow so mabye I've seen the last of it. I hope so because they won't let us play softball out on the big field untill it is completly dried up and there is no more chance of snow.

I also got your letter Mom. I hope you did get your money back, I'm glad to hear that you got all my letters. That would have made me mad if one of them had gotten lost in the mail. That stinks about your whole promotion thing. I hate when you prepare so much for one thing and then when it comes time to do it nothing works the way it is suppose to. However, the talk that you had with your co-workers about the church sounded really fun. I can't wait for the many chances that I am going to have to do the same thing.

Also, thanks for the bracket. I havn't really followed college basketball since it's impossible to do so in the MTC. So, I'm not expecting to do very good in my outcome. I didn't know they were holding one of the brackets in Atlanta. I bet trafic has been horiable. Oh yea befor I forget, Nascar said they were going to announce which city they were going to have the Hall of Fame. Have they said so or did they delay it again? Also the new missionaries that came in said there was some big news with baseball and one of the stadiums. What is this all about?

Vickie, once again thank you for all your letters. I'm so glad I told ya'll about dearelder.com. It seems like it's a lot more convient then having to write a letter. Plus it gets here same day. Now I don't know if they will still do this in the field, I would guess not, but then again by that time I will hopefully have a email account. Vickie I hope my answers were enough to answer your questions. It was definately a question that was new to me, but now I know alot more about it. I sure hope that they catch who ever set those fires around the church. The days of that kind of persecution should be over and done with in the United States, where the church is established so much. Ya'lls relief society dinner sounded like it went really well. It's always amazing how planting a small seed with someone could have such a big effect in their life later on. Hopefully through my example and message as a missionary I will be able to plant the seed of the gospel in many people's heart and then later on in life they can choose for themselfes which road they want to go down. Anyways, you own 10 diffrent houses, I bet that is really keeping you and Darrell busy, but it's better to be doing alot then to be doing nothing. Allthough, I could really go for a round of golf about right now, but the chances of that are pretty much slim to nothing so I can get that thought out of my head. I can't wait to read Grandmother Crockers life story, it sounds really interesting. I know their's alot I don't know about her so mabye this will tech me some. Also, keep working with spanish and it will finally all click. I can't wait for that moment in my life when spanish will just click. So, Thank you so much again for all your letters.

The last letter I have received is from Brittney. Brittney it's so nice to hear from you. I know it's coming up on 2 months since I've seen you and Christie last, but it sure dosen't feel like it. How is the world of Harry Potter coming? any new books or movies come out since I've been gone. I hope you can figure out your golf career if not then give me a detailed explanation of what's going on and I'll help you with it the best that I can. How's Brother Yancy's class going? Is he still calling on you to answer all the questions? It's good, though, because that's how you learn. Anyways, keep up the good work and I'll see ya in 2 years. Thanks for the letters.

I can't remember if I gained weight this week or not. I'm at 194.6, but I think I'm not going to reach 200 lbs., because it's getting harder and harder to get my pants on. I'm glad ya'll enjoyed my pictures. I might be fat now but I can still hover about 3 feet in the air. I hope they turned out alright.

I think their's pictures in their of District B & C leaving so if you want their names send me some copies.

I just got back from the temple and got a big envelop from Talia, and it had a letter from Jackson in it that he said and Talia wrote. Then paintings and pictures. Thank you so much for the pictures. It's nice to see Jackson and Logan even if Logan is sick, he's still cute. I can't believe he can climb up stairs. That's crazy. It will be no time before he is walking. Talia it's such a good idea to write down what Jackson is saying. I can just picture him saying this I'm reading the letter. You must write pretty fast to keep up with him. I actually already saw that shirt on Logan when Mom sent me pictures from Keith's birthday. I showed everyone from my district the picture of Logan wearing the "Future Headbanger" shirt and they thought it was very funny. Mom I also got your last DearElder that said your next leader is on its way. Thanks everyone!!! Love, Elder Mark Putnam

Mom, Do you have any pictures of when Grandmom Batchelor went on her mission? If so could you send me a couple of them. Thanks.

Letter #10
3-31-06
Mom,
Here are my flight plans. I have a couple of questions.
* Where was it that we are suppose to carry undeveloped fil, in our check in or carry on?
* Also, could you get on the Internet or call or whatever and find out exactly what the rules are with luggage on American Airlines with international flights?
* Also, if you're wandering why there is a $1.50 off my debt card. That is because I checked my balance to see if everything was right and I guess the ATM has charges here because it took it off when I checked my balance.
* Look on dearelder.com and see if it is only for the MTC or if those letters can travel through the 'pouch' service to Argentina, too.
Other then that, I'm super Excited to have my flight plans. But what's even wierder is I'm not going to be speaking English for the next two years. Love, Elder Putnam
PS. Write back with answers before I leave the MTC, Please.
(Copy of Travel Itinerary was included)

Letter #11
4-4-06
To: People that I know
I am not a man of big words, but I am a man of alot of words. However, right now I am neither one of those. I kind of have to be in the mood to write a letter, and right now I am just not really in the mood. I woke up this morning not feeling to good. I have been having stomach cramps and my gas has been horrible. At least it has giving me time to be alone, since nobody has wanted to be around. I have not really had bad gas since I have been here, but I have been warning my companion that when it comes he better watch out. He did not believe me then, but now he does. He has been trying to get a companion swap all day but to no prevail, he just has to deal with the smell. It is not like he has not been letting them go for the past two months. The only thing is now he knows who the King is. You see wheir my conversatios go when I don't have anything to talk about. I really have a lot to talk about, I just need to get into the mood. First, I think I don't feel good because I didn't get much sleep last night. I was in bed by 10:30 like always, but I just laid there untill about 12:30.

When ever a district leaves, they leave behind a huge consecration pile. In this last consecration pile I got so much junk food and I had it all in my room. So I got out of bed and went and astarting eating hoping mabye that would make me tired. Well, it didn't work. Because next thing I knew it was 2:30 and I had gone through 3 bags of sour patch kids, 1 box of 12 little debbies, the pack of Reese's ya'll sent (they were good but all melted), and 1 box of Ritz crackers with 2 cans of easy cheese. That's probaly why my stomach hurts and my gas stinks so much. That makes me feel better, I'm not sick, just stupied for eating all that food.

Well, now that I feel better I can write what I've been doing for the last week. I think the first cool thing that has happened since I wrote to ya'll last, was my last R.C. visit. The R.C. if you don't remember is the Referral center, where we take and make calls about stuff that people have requested. Sounds like normal stuff that we always do, but no. This time we did all the calls in spanish, which means we were taking calls from spanish people. It was definately a unique experience. When I talk in spanish I use lots of hand motions to try to portray words that I don't know. Well that dosen't work very well when you are on the phone. Even though I got a log of people hang up on me, it was still worth it because I had this one women who was very patient and tried to help me as much as possible and was very interested in what I was teaching about the church. I never thought I could of done this after only having 8 weeks of learning a language. Although I have learned a lot about the language that is going to change when we get to Argentina. From what I have heard from a couple of natives that I have talked to from Argentina is that the spanish that is spoke down there is a mix of Italian and spain spanish. They said it is nothing like Mexican spanish. This I learned myself when last Thursday we got to teach missionaries from Mexico that are here at the MTC learning English. First, Mexican spanish is way faster and they roll their "r's" alot more when it is not very necessary. However, I could still understand him enough to figure out what he is talking about. I think the biggest difference shoudl be the 'vos'. I'm not scared at all. I can't wait to get down there and start teaching. Even if it is just saying my testomony, because I don't understand anything else. I know that over time and much practice I can learn the Argentina spanish.

On to a better note, this weekend was just great. It was the first time I have ever seen all the sessions. I have relaly been missing out. I don't know if it's just because General Conference means more to me now or if iti was just because we finally got to hear from the Prophet and apostles. I learned so much. I have at least 10 pages of notes front and back. All the missionaries where in the gym/chapel to watch the conference. It was funny because some of the missionaries would fall asleep but as soon as one of the spearkers started talking about anything related to missionary work, everyone would perk up and just start writing down everything that was said.

After General Conference our Sunday Night Devotional was diffrent. Instead of having a speaker we had some BYU/LDS Choir sing to us. They came and set up their own stage and all their own lights and speakers. So when we came in I saw the lighting and audio booth and notived that all their boards were the same that we had at DSA. So we went and sat on the bleechers behind the booth so I could watch the crew at work and see if I could remember anything I learned at DSA, and mabye learn something new form the crew since they were inc ollege and learning to do this as a career. They didn't teach me squat. It took every ounce of my strenght to not go up to the booth and show them every thing that they were doing wrong. It was the worst show that I have ever seen. The singing was great, I guess. I don't really know, I couldn't hear them for all the feedback. They always turned on the wrong mikes. So, the guy that was miked backstage had to be quiet otherwise we would hear everything he said. Then whenever he did come out on the stage he would be to close to a speaker and we would just hear loud pops from feedback. However, I didn't say anything but just sat back and felt sorry for them, because if their teacher is anything like Mongo, they are going to get an earfull.

That has been my week. It like all the others has gone by way too fast. Hopefully, I will have got a response to my letters before I leave. Otherwise, I'm going to be sending alot of stuff home. As far as money for sending stuff home, I'm fine, don't worry about it. I will definatly be sending the humidifier in one box. Then in another I'm probaly going to send home my gym shoes and anything that I have picked up here extra at the MTC.


Thank You so much for that package. That was the coolest thing ever. The pictures were awsome and you know the banner went up on the wall first thing.

I am assuming Scott did the CD's if not, then thank you to whoever did. My companions CD player has been going not stop with the cd's ya'll sent. It was the last song of the last CD before I found 'the Meeting' song. It seems like it was just yesterday that we were watching the video of Scott's mission and him listening to that song. I can't believe it's my time to be a missioanry.

Oh - how fast the time flies, but I am taking advantage of every second I get. Even right now I'm in the temple waiting room, writing this. It is our last trip to the temple so I'm sure as soon as all the sisters are ready, we are going to take tons of pictures. The big field out front is so green, the weather lately been so nice. I just want to go and play on it, but it dosen't look like we are going to be here long enough to get the chance.
Plus it also dosen't look like we are going to see the renevation of the front of the Temple finished either.

Oh - well! I'm glad ya'll told me about Brett Richards getting his mission call. He will be here during the summer most likely, so he can see and do all the things that I didn't get a chance to do. He and I will hopefully be able to communicate with our spanish.
Also in the concecretion pile I got this black and orange ball and was throwing it from the back wall of my room, all the way through the hallway and into the room across while trying to get it to hit the back wasll without touching anything else. I walked it off and it's a 117 feet away. The hard part is throwing it low enough to get under the door frame but have enough juice to go another 100 feet. I did it a couple of times and everyone was like 'wo' who is this kid. It was nice to be able to throw something again. Especially once I get to go to Argentina the only ball that I will be playing with , I can't even use my hands, only my feet.

I just got back from the Temple and got your DearElder.com, Mom. I'm happy to hear from ya'll. So you say you have only got my last letter (3-29-06). Well, I also got copies of my flight plans and then sent them home, along with a letter with some questions that I need to know about quickly. Especially with my check-ins and carry-ons. Please respond to those as soon as you get it. Again, with money to send stuff home, I'm okay but it would be nice to know about luggage so I can make a decision onw hat I should bring and shouldn't bring. My companion got a newspaper talking about The Final Four. Yea, Their were some big upsets. I also heard throught he Great Vine about Barry Bonds and testing positive for steriods. I knew it! As far as the translation I have no idea. I really don't remember writing that. Maybe if you tell me what all of it said I can tell youw hat I was trying to say. However, if you are trying to translate it you can't do it word for word because it won't make sense. I'm glad you are felling better. Isn't this ya'll spring break. So at least you will get some time to relax. Everyone looked like they had fun playing baseball at Scott's party, but how can you not have fun playing baseball. Anyways, I am going to stop so I can finish reading The BOok fo Mormon. I am in the very beginning of Moroni. I would of finished yesterday but I got caught up in memorizing scriptures in spanish.
Bye Elder Putnam
Please make sure that you responded to my luggage concerns before I leave.