Dominican Republic CCM Week 1 - August 28, 2008

I left the MTC at 4am last Thursday, driven in a minivan to the Salt Lake City airport for a flight at 8:30 -we had a flight plan change so instead of going to Chicago and Miami, we ended up flying through Dallas, Puerto Rico, and then to the Dominican Republic. I took some Dramamine on the flight to help me sleep, especially since I ended up sitting next to my companion, Elder Lopez, on all the flights anyway. In Dallas we got some food and I could have sworn the guy sitting at the table behind us in the airport was Ludacris, but I guess I'll never be sure.

We got to the DR after midnight, but even then after getting out of customs and security, we were hit by a wall of humidity - it was crazy. We didn't see anyone in white shirts and ties or anything so we walked around a bit until a chubby native ran up and started saying something about the CCM, so we followed him. As he was loading our luggage into (and onto) the van, I realized it looked like a taxi and I thought we got ourselves caught up in the middle of something,  (the worst case scenario kept running through my head and I was going back and forth between whether he was going to hold us hostage or just charge us hundreds of dollars for the ride) but like usual, it was an over-reaction. He was a member, and drove us about a half hour to the Santo Domingo Temple, where the CCM is. It was dark, and I couldn't see much, but it was hot, and everyone here likes to honk their horns a lot. We went into the building where they had some sandwiches in the fidge for us. We ate quietly in the dark cafeteria. He gave us each one water bottle and told us we would only get one a week before taking us up to the fourth floor to find our rooms. Elder Lopez and I ended up still being companions with only us two in a 4 person room, but the others got mixed up with the other missionaries. I realized we weren't in Kansas anymore when I turned on the sink and brown water came out and when I felt (and smelled) my damp, musty sheets.  The next day we found out all the missionaries in the CCM were new, and we were the last ones to get in that day (it was almost 2 a.m. before we got to bed).

This is definitely not the US. The people are really nice, but everyone talks really fast and hardly move their lips so it's kind of like listening to the humming of a car, and we're supposed to understand it. If I thought the MTC was stressful, this took it to a whole new level. Although we only have 6 elders in our district, and Elder Lopez is our district leader, no time is wasted since all the rooms and classrooms and... everything except the cafeteria, are on the same floor - my room is literally one door down from my classroom (I guess it beats running back and forth across the MTC campus). There is much more emphasis on the Spanish, and none of the teachers will really talk any English to you, so it gets frustrating a lot - the dictionary is my best friend. For the first few days I was actually pretty homesick... for the MTC actually, for my old district and stuff, but this is definitely a new experience and a lot of fun, and hard work. It rains every day, lizards are everywhere outside, and the lights go out 4 or 5 times a day, but the building itself feels like we could be in Provo, I forget sometimes that I'm in the middle of the Carribean. The Temple is really close though, and I was able to do Baptisms and Confirmations for the Dead last week, which was really cool to finally be able to do, and today I did an Endowment session. The Temple is beautiful, all Brazillian granite. Mail also takes 2 weeks to get here, so the letter you sent to be here when I arrived actually got here a week after I got here, so I'll be sending my letters through the pouch system. The food here is AMAZING, i never thought rice and beans could be so good, every day, but it gets me every time. Plus there's all I can eat of mango, papaya, and their meat is awesome - it's just good food. Be careful though, all 38 of us found out the hard way what happens when you eat too much rice every day, not a good thing. It's also pretty heavy food; I've gained a couple pounds since I've gotten here. They also cook really good hot dogs, I think they boil them with cabbage.

Tomorrow simulation where I teach the first lesson in Spanish, and Saturday we go to the the University here in Santo Domingo and talk with people, practicing Spanish and talking about the church. Because today is P-Day, we had a service project there picking up garbage, and I can honestly say I was started at for the first time because I am white - that was a bit of an awakening. The People here, however, are way nicer than Americans, and will actually talk to you... if only i could understand what they were saying. I can also say I've never sweat so much from just standing in the shade - its crazy, but it didn't bother me. The city is pretty crazy: broken telephone wires hanging in the street people and hanging out of cars and busses, but the trees and vegitation are amazing, I love the plant life here. One of these days they are taking us to the store to shop, and once I get my pesos (35 for every 1 dollar) I'll finally be able to get some cookies I've been craving.

The CCM president and his wife are great, I love Sister Perkins especially. She made us cookies, goes to the temple with us, and really cares about what we are doing. I have to say, we eat and study, and thats about it. We get about an hour some days to play basketball in the parking lot, but we try to be really focused and it's good. The work is hard, but it's also true. I know it, and that makes it all worth it.

Love you all.
- Elder Sellers

Week 3 @ MTC - August 20, 2008

Hi Mom,

Tomorrow I leave for the Dominican Republic, its pretty stinkin crazy! I'm
super excited though. I was told from now until I get to Puerto Rico, send letters
via DearElder.com and select the Pouch System, so letters should be free, but
I'm not totally sure. It has been taking 6 or 7 days from the post-marked
date on letters from home to get here, so anything sent in here in the past week
I probably won't get, but I think they will forward it to the CCM in the DR.
Anyway, life is great, and I am getting all packed and ready for the next
adventure. This week has been just as packed as before, lots of Spanish, and
classes and teaching. My companion, Elder Lopez, and I taught the first lesson
again and it was something else - teaching with the Spirit is the only way to
fly. I LOVE IT! I've memorized the 1st Vision in Spanish too, and have been
pushing forward. I live off the letters I've been getting, they are great to
read and to connect to the outside world a little bit.

 Last week, elder Slade received pizza in the mail, and it was still warm, so we had a little party in the basement that night. We have sooooooo much food, it's ridiculous.

Besides eating three times a day, we have boxes of candy and junk food in our
room, boxes. We have to throw it at people and we get more every day. I'm
not sure what people assume about missionaries, but I guess they think there is
a famine of sweets in the land :)
There is a talk by Elder Holland we watched, it was pretty crazy. It was called
"The miracle of missionary work," and ive never seen an apostle so
intense, but it put new emphasis on the need of the work (I just
hope he never comes to visit my mission, jk)

I've also been trying to work a lot on patience this week, and if any
chapter of scripture is better about patience that Alma 26, let me know, because that one is pretty amazing. The Lord tries His servants so that we can be an example and glorify His name. Through patience are we saved, we wait for things to happen in the Lord's time. Pretty Sweet.
Other than that, we've learned what seems like 10 new tenses in Spanish,
and its just crazy how much there is still to go - and its only been 3
weeks!!!!!We've also done a few workshops, like knocking doors and creating
study plans that have really helped. Sunday I was released as District Leader
since I'll be heading out tomorrow - it was sad but liberating at the same
time. I know Elder Keyes will de a great job, he's a smart guy. We also got
two new Zone Leaders, Elder Carter and Elder Watts, and you don't know them,
but if I could be like any missionary companionship, I would want to be like
theirs. They are amazing people who care about everyone and know so strongly
that this is the Word of God, and we have work to perform here. They are
inspiring men, and I hope one day I can be more like them.
Saturday was Game Day # 2, and it went really well teaching the volunteer
"investigators." I got really excited beforehand, like, really
excited, so much so that people were getting really annoyed, but I didnt care,
wanted to share this message and I wanted everyone to know i was excited about it. Our teacher told us we had improved "1000x" from the week before,
so i felt pretty good. That night I had an AppleBeer someone gave me and we
bowled in the hallway, good stuff. It was a lot of fun.

Tuesday night, however, was the night of all nights. We have General Authorites
every tuesday come and speak, almost always one of the Seventy, but I had been praying for an Apostle of the Lord, and sure enough, Elder Dallin H. Oaks came and spoke to us. It was pretty amazing, I've never seen one live like that,
and I was singing in the Mission Choir, so I got to sing for him and all the
cameras did the same thing they do like with MoTab, panning across the
singers, so if they ever show the Devotional on BYUTV, you might see my face :)
He talked about the importance of having the Spirit always. He had had this
message on his mind for over a year, he said it's been pressing on him with
more and more urgency, the need to be partaking of the sacrament every week, and preparing for it prayerfully, preceeding it with repentance, so that the Spirit
may be with us always. He also said every member of the church should have the prayers memorized. Anyway, it was a great talk and I was really excited.

So yesterday i started packing, got a haircut,and will be on my way. I met 4
elders from Tonga the other day who are learning english and will being going to
the Oakland, California mission, so if you see any tell them hi. I was also
excited to hear I have a 2nd counsin (is that right?) in my mission right now,
thats pretty crazy. too bad I've never met him. I wonder how that will be.

I've started the second lesson, and I got really cool visual aids laminated , and I can't wait to use them, thought I'd let you know.
Ok, well time is up, in two days, after flying through Chicago and Miami,
I'll be in Santo Domingo eating good food, and doing actual contacting -
its crazy! I'm nervous, but can't wait - I know the Lord is with us.
Thank you for everything, I hope all are well, and I have felt the prayers you
have been offering on my behalf. I miss and love you all, but this is a great
work that I am so glad to be a part of.
Until next week, write some letters :)
Elder Sellers

Week 2 @ MTC - August 13, 2008

Hi!

Well, two weeks down and one to go before I head down to the MTC in the Dominican Republic - it's pretty crazy. I feel like I've been here for months, yet the days all kind of mush together. I got my flight plans, and
I'll be flying to Chicago, and then to Miami. and finally to the DR - up at 4am and not there until almost midnight... im pretty excited.
Not a ton of exciting things lately, but the Spirit is as strong as ever. My
District is unified and I'm greatful I haven't had to deal with any
problems. The last two weeks we have had two General Authorities speak to us,
Elder Gary Coleman was last night, and he did a pretty good job. I think I might
sing in the MTC chior for next week's devotional. They both talked about
missionary work and our role as missionaries. The best so far, though, was a
sunday night fireside with the MTC director who related how Joseph Smith's
experience is an exact model of what every investigator goes through when
joining the church, same thing with Lehi... loads of times in scripture it's all
the same, and that was an angle I had never thought of before, and it made
sense. I guess it's something to use one day if I ever had a problem helping
someone to see the significance of the event.
Elder Carter is a great guy. He lives two doors down from me, and is
ready to talk or listen, give advice, whatever. One particular day that left us
all pretty exhausted, he related to us a scritpture in Ether 15 (i cant remember
the verse) about how they slept on their swords and shields during war, and if
you relate that to the Armor of God scritures in Ephesian, it applies to
missionary work. We are in a war, the sword is the word and the sheild is our
faith, and there is nothing Satan can do if we don't let him. Just remember,
Satan is jealous of us, he can never be like us, and although he has power to
bruise our heal, we have the power to smash his head (and then he did a cool
karate smash move thing against the wall) - so I won't get discouraged, why
should I? Sunday night we watched Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration and I thought, if only the world could see this, how could deny it? The Church is so true. It is God's organization on the earth, and we are lead by a true,
living, breathing Prophet! It''s all so amazing.
Saturday was Game Day, we taught the first lesson (in english) in the
Teaching Evaulation Center, and I feel like we did a good job. The Spirit was
there, we were able to adapt to our investigator, and i really felt like we
worked as a team to share this wonderful message. Now I just have to do it in
Spanish. (Although we prayed as a district beforehand in english, which our spanish teacher overheard - he was a bit disappointed I think).

Everything else.... pretty normal. Spanish is coming, still pretty much praying
and having conversations in the language. We finally are learning the Past
tenses which is making things easier.
Hmmmm, I had a little paper with things on it I wanted to say... and then I
left the paper in our room. So my days are pretty much class and studying
between 6:30am and 9:30pm ever day, even today is rushed. I think the best part is mail time, when get the warm fuzzys. I don't really know what's happening in the outside world, I think the Olympics are happening. Everything is great though, memorizing the First Vision in spanish.... lots of meetings. Oh, we had a district meeting on Sunday and I had to teach, but I forgot until about an
hour before. Then the Branch President showed up for the class too. I taught
about effective study, and it actually went very well, one of the few times I've
taught a class and felt comfortable. The Hermanas are also keeping us on our
toes, they always seems to do better than the Elders in everything... but they
are always late to meals... very peculiar.
Food is still not bad, we get ice cream on wednesdays and sundays, that's
something to look forward to. Oh our district has also broken most of the
unknown rules that are actually rules. Like, no taking pictures in the golf
carts, no singing happy birthday in the cafeteria, no ultimate frisbee, no
soccer with the hermanas, whistling in the stairwells among other things. They
really should tell these unsuspecting newbees every wednesday what they are
really getting into :)
No, its really great and I love it. The people care about you, and want to do
everything to help. I'm learning more and more everyday, especially about
patience with others, and myself. The work is real, and it is going forward. The
small and simple things like us missionaries WILL confound the wise of this
world because we have something no PhD could ever have - we can answer the
questions no professor of religion can answer - we know that we are children of
God, we know why we are here and this message can and will bring salvation to
all those why will ask and pray sincerely. In the scriptures it says "it is
easy to follow Chirst" and it is. I love the Gospel, it's amazing, it's simple, and it WORKS!!!
Love you all!!! Until next week.
Elder Sellers

1st week at MTC - August 5, 2008

Today is P-Day, so I only get to send you a message once a week, so don't freak out on me or anything. Things are great here, the work is hard, and the days last forever, but I'm just pushing through. It's easy to forget that I've only been here a week, we do so much, its ridiculous. Lots of good stuff have been happening too: the food is pretty good, and I've veered away from the OJ. :)

I was called as District Leader, and its been pretty crazy. The interesting part was when our branch president did the interviews, I knew I was going to be district leader, even before anything was mentioned about it. I've heard stories about people knowing they were going to receive a calling before it happened, but I was startled when the Spirit touched me so personally. Everyone in my district looks to me when we need a decision,
and there were a lot of times I just had to step it up. Like when we didn't
have a teacher for about an hour, I ended up taking over and doing a vocab game. I love it, and its a lot of responsiblity, but it is worth it.

My companion, Elder Lopez, is pretty amazing too. He's right there with me
no matter the problem, even in all the extra stuff I have to do as DL. He
respects when I have to do those things, and we work well together, I really appreciate his trust and willingness to listen. As for the rest of the district, they all rock - I know I have the best ever. There are 8 Elders and 4 Hermanas (Sisters), who really keep the Elders on their toes and being polite and all that, and it makes it easier than sitting with all guys 24/7 (the classes are already 3 a day, almost 3-4 hours each), plus we really have to keep up with them. My 3 roommates and I are going to Puerto Rico (Elder Twitchell is going to the East Mission), 4 elders and one hermana are going to San Antonio Texas, one to Paraguay, and one to.....another country.... I forget. And one elder in my hall is going to independence, MI, which i thought that was cool since dad served there. I guess there is a ton of problems with visas lately so a lot are serving in the states until visas come through - lucky for me though!

So I had one of the most spiritual experiences of my life yesterday, and it was
amazing. Let me preface by saying the day before was my worst day. I was so
discouraged with the language and lessons, and we kept watching people do
examples but they made me feel worse - plus we have to do it on Saturday. The
final straw was going to the Referral Center and making calls to REAL people who
had ordered things from the church before, and I sat there and thought I couldn't do this. I didnt want to come home or anything, I was just so overwhelmed, because there was never any time to do anything. That night I prayed hard, and in English (we have been praying and bearing testimony all week in spanish - I know it's sweet, but i just couldn't say want I wanted to in spanish) and finally I got the feeling that tomorrow would be better. Literally, I heard the words in my head: "Tomorrow will be better."

Man the Lord can answer prayers!!!!
I went to the Referal Call center again, started making calls but no one was
home, and then the phone rang randomly, and I didnt know what to do, but I
answered. It was Peery Yates from Viginia. This man saw a commercial on tv for a video and called. We got to talking, everything from the weather to his
moving violations, and then he told me he was 53, disabled, had had 31 surgeries in 6 years, and a year ago during surgery he had legally died. I was awestruck. He told me what happened, how we saw himself and watched the doctors revive him.
We had been laughing and chatting, we talked of families and I testisfied that
they could be together forever. I asked him if he wanted the missionaries to
come, his religious background, and said in a nutshell that he was here on
earth, still alive, because he wasn't going home until he recieved the truth. He
said he had never told his wife or even the doctors what had happened when he
was "dead," but he wanted to hear the message, and he said he was not
afraid to die anymore. I said that there are worse things than death, like not knowing you are a child of God, that he loves you, and wants you back, and he told me I had hit the nail on the head. I was almost in tears, everyone else in the room had noticed my time clock had his almost 20 minutes with this man, and my heart was just so full. He is going to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I may never meet him in this life, but I an determined to do so in the next. I felt the Spirit so strong, and I testified like I never had in my life, and I had the assurance that when you trust in the Lord ALL things are possible, that He does not leave us alone, and that we have a work to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay (Moroni 9:6). I cannot stop thinking about that man I have never met from Virginia, and I hope with all my heart he accepts the truth.

Well, I love you all, the church is true, and nothing but my own laziness is going to stop me from spreading the word to the people of Puerto Rico.
Pray for my district, and the people I will meet in PR. I feel so blessed. Never have I worked like this, spent all day thinking of the gospel, but it is amazing.
Everyone is great here, and friendly. We have even gotten in trouble a couple times. I guess Ultimate Frisbee is against the rules here (we won anyway), and it was my Companion's birthday and we started singing Feliz Cumpleanos and the 2nd councelor in the mission presidency had to "chastise" us. Its all good though.
Going to the Provo Temple in a couple minutes. Love you all!!!!!!!

The Final Countdown - July 24, 2008

I have just about 21 hours left until I am set apart as a missionary. These sweet last moments I spend alone, as after tomorrow I will not be alone again for more than two years. I savor quiet time to myself, however, concluding that I will spend the last night not with friends or family, but simply alone. By myself. And it is bliss.

In this last week I have continued to not pack for my mission, nor have I done more shopping or preparation of any sort. Instead, after family left Sunday night I realized that this is it, this is really it.

So monday I went rock climbing for the first time. Tuesday... I did laundry, lots of laundry. I went to the high school too and saw Ms. J and that night I went to Ashley's and watched a movie, A Goofy Movie, even. We ate a very good Pazookie.

Wednesday I was sure I would begin to get things ready, but instead merely looked around, overwhelmed. So I emailed the MTC and got my mailing address for the Provo and Santo Domingo MTCs, and made up little cards with my different addresses to give to people. My mother took it one step further and thought up making them into magnets, so i spent the whole day making and passing out to people these magnets with my address on them so maybe, someday, I would get a cool package from someone.

Thursday, as in today, I went to Breakfast with Mo, my high school chior director, and then went with Austin Brown, his brother Matthew, and Linda to what is now called Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. I faced my old fear -MEDUSA. It was a narly ride, but i did it.

Now i look to tomorrow, where i run some errands, go to lunch with some friends from Long Beach, and then, at 7pm PST, I will be set apart. And that is it. That is the end of John Sellers, and the birth of Elder Sellers. As I probably won't be writing on this blog again personally, I will tell you that we leave early Saturday morning for Utah directly to the Salt Lake Temple to do a session, then get together with family, do some shopping, do another session at the Timpanogas Temple on Tuesday, and finally Report to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, UT at 1:00pm MST on Wednesday, July 30, 2008.

From this point forward, all posts will consist of emails sent to my family from the MTC and eventually Puerto Rico for the duration of my two year mission. Now, I know there are at least two people that read this, so I will let you know that I will do my best to keep you up to date concerning the daily life of Elder Sellers.

This is all amazing, and scary, and exciting, but it makes me think of my friend Emily Bonzi, who was the one that helped me overcome my fear of roller coasters only a year or so ago (and whether it is true or not, it worked). She told me the same part of the brain that sends out the signal for fear also sends out the signal for excitment, and that since the signals are exactly the same, all I have to do is tell myself I am not afraid, but that I'm excited. And poof, its all better. So, I am scared, excited, happy, and certain. I hope you can be patient enough with me to come along for the ride :)

My Call to Serve - May 27, 2008

I feel amazing.

After a great weekend with my friends in Long Beach, I finally said goodbye and headed home this morning. I wasn't looking forward to the drive, nor was I happy about leaving the people that I care for so much to head home, but my mission call was waiting. I packed up (it all fit) and I headed off.

I love how when you get home, everyone is super excited to see you... for about 30 seconds, and then they are back to whatever they were up to like nothing happened. I guess that's how it works. I walked into my room and saw it sitting on my desk: my mission call - in a big envelope! I got a bit emotional for just a minute. I had been preparing myself all week for a small envelope so I wouldn't be disappointed if I did get one - man I was so happy! Then I got nervous again, I was nervous about where it would send me, and then i felt it and it seemed light, so again I told myself I was going domestic (I covered by bases by convincing myself that I was going to either Atlanta, Georgia, or Boise, Idaho, that way no matter what it actually was, I couldn't be disappointed).

There was nothing I could do but go unpack the car and wait. My mom had invited people from the ward and some of my friends to be there when I opened it at 8:30pm. So I took a nap. That night, there were probably close to 30 people there watching me, some with cell phones on speaker with others listening and my mom behind the video recorder taping my every move. I was glad my close friends were there too whom I hadn't seen in months.
It was time. I slowly slid my finger beneath the flap of the envelope, pulled out the contents, and set the envelope on top so I couldn't see what the letter said. Then I pulled it down slowly. The first words were:

Dear Elder Sellers:
I paused. I started to shake, I was so nervous. But I kept going, though I had a hard time reading.

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

The pressure was building. I knew what I was waiting for was on the next line. I slid it barely, then a tad bit to the side. I saw an "M" and immediately thought I was going to Michigan. However, when I removed paper that covered the words, my jaw dropped, my heart leaped for joy, and I thought of Scott Westover before finally reading to everyone else in the room:

You are assigned to labor in the Puerto Rico San Juan West Mission.




That was amazing, everyone got really excited, and I couldn't have been more shocked, and excited, and happy, and full of joy and wonder and everything else. That was the same mission Scott Westover would be coming home from in a matter of weeks, I was speechless and so happy. I am going to be speaking Spanish!

We had a big map of the world set up so people could tag the countries or states where they thought I would go, but no one thought of little Puerto Rico, and now that I think of it, I couldn't have asked for a better place to serve. It is not too far from the US, but not actually part of it (technically), good warm weathers (and humidity), tropical surroundings, wonderful people, a language that I can use and develop for the rest of my life, and something new. I mean, I could have been dropped in the middle of Africa or Asia, and I would have been on Cloud 9, but this is just as amazing. This tiny little island is where I will be serving the Lord!

The mission also includes a couple of small islands just north of Venezuela including Aruba. Thats pretty cool.

I have a lot to do to prepare, and I know it will be a lot of very hard work, but the blessings will pour upon me ten-fold if I am faithful. This I know.


:) A good day. A day to remember for the rest of my life. I can't wait.