Week 5...

This week has been crazy busy. We've been cramming in class since we only have like 5 days left here in the MTC, we got to host the new missionaries on wednesday, and it was valentines day. Also this week my district got special permission to go to the spanish endowment session at the provo temple when it wasn't our Pday. it was awesome, I don't know if its because we already knew what was going to be said but all of us were able to understand it completely! ok to be honest it probably was because we all knew exactly what they were going to say but i was super cool. Its been such a crazy expirience so far and I'm really excited and also nervous to get to Argentina but Im really grateful for all of the help you guys have given me and all the prayers on my behalf! They really help and Im going to need it. 

Con Amor, Elder Starkey

 We got our travel plans on Saturday!

Me and my itinerary...

I ended up setting up my hammock and sleeping in it last night.  Everyone was way jealous, but it felt like home to me hahaha!!

Me and Elder Llewelyn, everybody loved my hammock...

Everyone loved their cookies they were way excited!
My mom made my district cookies for valentines.

 We got to host the new missionaries this Wednesday!

 Yesterday...

 Elder Shimata always sneaks pictures of me.

 Elder Shimata, Me, My friend Aubrey that is at the mtc the same time as me, and her companion.

When we were at the hospital a few weeks ago when Elder Shimata was sick.

Week 4: Hacky Sacks...

After four spiritual but monotonous weeks here at the MTC we finally got something my districts been waiting for... hacky sacks. Hahaha your probably wondering why thats the title of week fours blog but we really were so excited to get them.

So every week here we have a topic and everyone writes a five minute talk, in Spanish, on that topic and then in sacrament meeting on Sunday the branch president stands up and announces which two missionaries are going to be speaking, and this week it was my turn. It was a good thing i actually got to writing my talk this week, lol. Haha it was cool to be able to give a talk in Spanish and not as hard as I thought though I know I had some help from heavenly father. Also I got to bless the sacrament in Spanish this week so that was one of the coolest experiences I've had here at the MTC.

The MTC really is difficult but its so rewarding, it breaks you down and pushes you to your limits but it also pushes you closer to heavenly father. I've never needed him so much in my life this far but he has been helping me every step of the way in here and I've never felt closer to him.

This week I've been really focusing on Joseph Smith for some reason whether it be teaching lessons on the restoration, reading in Doctrine and Covenants or even on Sunday movie night watching the Joseph Smith movie but my testimony of him and the restoration has really grown over the last week. He is such a great example to all of us in so many ways. I'm not sure if he really ever said this but in the movie he was talking to Emma and she said do you ever think that god asks to much of you? to which he responded, " No, I don't let myself" That was so cool to me, what an example he was to me of faith because like Nephi said god doesn't give us any trials that he knows we can't overcome. I know that if any of you are going through trials right now that god knows you can overcome them and Jesus Christ, our brother, knows exactly how we feel and can comfort us and by coming unto him we can all be made clean.

Love Elder Starkey

Hacky sacking...

Everyone loved their hacky sacks. Life is good at the MTC!

Me and Elder Llewelyn and his portable ping pong!

Week 3: ER, Blessings, and Stuff

This week has been nuts where do I start. 

I am growing to love the MTC more and more every day its becomming less like a prison and more like a home. The spanish is hard but its slowly coming along and all my teachers are awesome! Alright heres the crazy story from this week:

On saturday night we were sitting in class after dinner when all of a sudden my companion jumps up and runs to the bathroom and pukes. Since there was no doctor there anymore we went to the front desk where we called the on call MTC doctor who told my companion to go lay down for a couple hours and then to come back and call him again. So we went back to our room were my companion told me he might want a blessing if hes not feeling better when he wakes up. So I let him sleep for a couple hours and sat out in the hallway next to our door trying to figure out how to give a blessing in my missionary handbook. At 9:30 we went back and called the doctor who proceeded to tell my companion he needed to go to the ER! For a stomach ache! 

Before we left we asked one of the guys at the front desk to help us and we went into a little room close by and I was able to give my first blessing. It was such an awesome experience and it was like nothing I've ever done before but it was so cool and I'm so grateful for the opportunity I had to give that to my companion.

After that we headed out the door to a van which dropped us off at the ER. They took some blood and then we sat in the waiting room for an hour. Then as they finally called us back we were walking to our room and we hear Elder Starkey! Elder Shimata! And we turned around and see the two sisters from our district were in the room across the hall from us. It turns out one of them had left sick just a half an hour after elder shimata had! 

Long story short after sitting in the hospital another 2 and a half hours they told us that they had no clue what was wrong and that they were going to call the van for us and if it got worse to come back. So the van came to get us at 1 in the morning, took us to walgreens to pick up his perscription and finally we were back in our room in bed by 2. 

The next day he still was not feeling good so we ended staying in our room most of the day trying to catch up on some rest. Finally he decided that he was feeling good enough to try and eat some dinner. We went to dinner and right in the middle of dinner he ran out and threw up again in the bathroom. So a kid from my district who was done eating said he'd take him back to the room while I ate. But after they left they decided to go call the doctor again and for some reason he said that he wanted him back at the ER! We were both like WHAT THE HECK!!

Again long story short after another hour long waiting room wait and another 2 and a half hours back in the room they still had no idea what was wrong with him but miraculously Elder shimata started feeling better! we got back to our room by 10 that night and by the morning elder shimata was like new again! 

Sorry that was a long pointless story but I'd just like to say something quick about Temples. I'm so grateful for the opportunity i have to go to the temple every p-day here. I always without a doubt feel the spirit there and recieve answsers to questions i have and I know the same will be for all of you as you strive to make it part of week or month or however often you can get there.

I am so grateful for the comfort heavenly father has been blessing me with and i am so grateful for all of your letters and prayers on my behalf. They help more than you can understand. I love you all tons!

Hasta luego,

Elder Starkey

My spanish BOM and Himnos and a bunch of other crap...

No wonder my districts jealous.

​Look familiar?

​Where I wish I was right now going to din with you, hahahaah...