Elder Chandler Hyer

Elder Chandler Hyer
Elder Chandler Hyer

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

MTC Week 3

Hey guys,

So not much to say honestly, the weeks are pretty repetative here although everyday is a blast.  Elder Leonardo has been "making" me do push-ups every night so I might actually be proportionate by the time I get home.

Family History has still been awesome.  I just finished Lindsay Rawlins autobiography, it was very long.  I would laugh out loud at some points which got some looks from my companion.  I especially enjoyed the stories of his wife learning how to drive, that made me laugh.  Again, it was really interesting to read the mission stories, they were pretty cool.

Mom I broke out the book you gave me because people were showing theirs off and let's just say you're pretty tough competition, ha ha.  But seriously that has been great to have already.  I still can't believe the amount of time you put into it.

So this week we got a new solo sister missionary in our district which takes us up to fourteen desks crammed into one classroom, but she's really nice.  We started TRC this week which basically means every Friday we teach members in Portuguese, and a lot of them are either natives or returned missionaries.  It's really spiritual and very fun.

Brother Henry, one of our teachers, taught us for the last time yesterday.  He's moving to Georgia.  It's a little sad because he was a great teacher.  He took the last hour of class and just showed us mission pictures and told stories.  He is an inspirational guy, I'm pretty sure we all got renewed excitement to actually get out into the field.  Our zone leaders also left yesterday, that was sad.  But Elder Bingham and Elder Young from our district are the new zone leaders, they'll do a great job.

The Gospel is amazing.  I'm so grateful that my Heavenly Father sent his son Jesus Christ, a perfect being, who was willing to die for all of our sins in order to allow God's perfect plan of happiness to come forth.  Missionary work is an amazing thing.  There is nothing else I'd rather be doing right now than this great work.  It brings hapiness to so many people's lives, not the least of which being mine.

I miss you all, keep up the emails.  It's always nice to hear about what's going on in all of your lives.

I love you so much,
Elder Hyer

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

MTC Week 2

Hey everybody!

It's not quite as busy now that conference and all the first week orientation stuff is over.  Let's see, we typically have 3 different 3-hour blocks of study per day. Two of those are with teachers (Brother Read and Brother Henry) who are both really cool returned missionaries.  Then our third block is personal, companion, and more language study (so much language study.)  But my Portuguese is improving so fast.  I'm pretty sure I've learned more Portuguese in 2 weeks here than I did Spanish in 3 years at school!

I've incorporated 20 - 30 minutes of family history study as part of my personal study which has been really really cool.  On Thursday I started Dorris Dale Hyer's history and it was so interesting!  I was reading for 45 minutes before I checked my watch and realized I only had 15 minutes to read my scriptures!  I finished that on Sunday and I really enjoyed it.  His entire life was one centered on missionary work which was really interesting and I learned so much.  I can't wait to someday have the opportunity to talk with him and hear some more of his stories.  I'm now in the middle of Lindsay M. Rawlins which is really cool and also a little more lengthy, :) but I've never been this excited about my family history before.           

I read through my Patriarchal blessing again last week carefully pondering about each phrase and paragraph.  Something I had always just read over was that I have the gift of teaching, which intrigued me because I had never really thought of myself as a teacher.  As a missionary I'm hoping and praying that I can practice and improve this gift as much as possible.  I've never felt particularly talented in my life.  I was always jealous of those who are musically and artistically talented (in fact I still am.)  But we all have different strengths and weaknesses and I'm starting to find some of mine.  I hope to improve and use these strengths as much as possible to help the people I will be teaching and those around me.

On Sunday the BYU men's choir sang for us which was nice, and the Sunday before that, Vocal Point came and sang which was actually really cool.  Normally devotionals are not concerts but recently they have been which has been fun. :)  Tuesday we did have Elder Gong of the Seventy speak to us which was really good.


Last Sunday I went to the MTC choir practice with two guys in my district because I didn't want to take a nap with everyone else, and was surprised to find that I actually really had a lot of fun.  I'm definitely going to go every week.  Maybe I'll actually really learn a few singing techniques.  A few days ago at lunch 5 of us elders were humming and whistling Pokemon and Zelda songs.  That was pretty funny.

I pretty much play volleyball every day during gym which is fun.  I wish I could have been there to hear Lauren sing, I'm sure she did amazing.  I love you all so much.  I hope you all know how blessed I feel to have all of you in my life.

Love,
Elder Hyer

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

1st week is amazing!!


Well, this week has been amazing.  I'm really busy, like really really busy.  I haven't even had time to think about home let alone miss anybody.  
Lindsay, Lauren your letters were a pleasant surprise when I opened my bag but I couldn't even find the time to read them until yesterday, but they were really fun.  I barely even have time to write in my journal or at least it doesn't seem like it because I have so much to say.  I sort of expected the MTC to be just hours of scripture study everyday, but it's not.  You have to really schedule and make the time to get personal study and journal writing in every day.
We have sooooo much Portuguese study pretty much all day everyday and
yet it still doesn't seem like enough.  Our third day in we had to teach our first lesson to an "investigator" (who turns out to be your teacher) but anyways our lesson had to be in Portuguese, on our 3rd day!!  So Elder Belcher and I probably spent a good hour and a half preparing a lesson and translating it into Portuguese.  We had our organized notes all ready when the time came.  So we walk up to the classroom, knock on the door, introduce ourselves, sit down, and we get about 2 lines into our lesson when Brother Anderson, our investigator, smiling, reaches over and shuts our books.... we were so scared and after a few broken phrases I bore a very short testimony and Elder Belcher remembered how to pray in Portuguese and we left.  That was terrifying and yet it's surprising how much you can say when you are put on the spot.  Our other teacher, Brother Read, came into class the first day speaking full on Portuguese which caught us by surprise.  It really makes you listen to what they are saying.  It's amazing how much we are all able to say after just a week of practice.  
My companion, Elder Belcher, is such a cool guy.  He is truly a peacemaker, never wanting anyone to have a hard time, always  ready to build them up.  
Overall the MTC has been a blast, gym time is especially fun.  My companion loves to lift weights which will be good for me, but most days I go play volleyball which is really fun.
My district is so much fun.  Elder Leonardo is one of the funniest guys I have ever met.  Besides him there is Elder Murdock, Elder Bishop, Elder Wilmeth, Ellsworth, Young, Bingham, Sister Nutt, Siter Calevosso, Sister Whitfield, and Sister Freshour.  There are six guys in our room which can be a little cramped but it's lots of fun.



General Conference this last weekend was amazing!!  I hope you all listened to it.  This was probably the first time I actually listened intently to what was being said while taking notes and I got so much out of it.  
After learning so much stuff about everyone in  my district, I realize now that my life has been really really easy and I'm not really sure why.  I've never lost a family member, I've never had a family member go inactive, or had to deal with my parents divorce, and my siblings never introduced me to drugs.  Hearing all of these hard stories from people and after hearing the stories in conference I realize that I've had very few trials in my life and I feel so blessed.  I love you all so much.  I can't even believe how many blessings I have.  It's hard to even fathom.  I don't know how or why but for some reason I got sent to the best family that has ever existed and I'm so lucky.
Here in the MTC I feel the spirit every day and I only feel excitement for the weeks to come.  Thanks for being so awesome, I love you all so much,
Elder Hyer

Here are the answers to some of your questions:

Q.  How many in your room/district are going to the same mission/or Brazil?
A.  We are all going to Brazil, half of us to Brasília, half to Curitiba.  Elder Bingham is going to Teresina, and sister Nutt is going to Belém.
Q.  How is the food?
A.  Decent, not as good as home.  Some days it's actually pretty good other days not so much.
Q.  What day is P-day/computer time?
A.  Tuesday is P-day, I'll probably get on the computer anytime from 9-11.
Q.  Will you be able to go to the temple?
A.  Yes, every P-day.
Q.  Do you have a better idea whether your visa will come through or not?
A.  Ha ha, nope.  Everyone in my district is waiting on their visas, for that matter everyone from our zone is.  I can pretty much say for certain that I'll get reassigned at least for a little while.

Friday, April 3, 2015

MTC is Awesome!!

Hey everyone this is going to be a quick email.  They're just letting us get on for a few minutes to let you guys know we made it and we're not dead :)  My address is:

Elder Chandler Travis Hyer
MAY11 BRA-BRS
2009 N 900 E Unit 180
Provo UT 84602

The MTC is awesome, my district in full of amazing people and my companion is Elder Belcher and he's an awesome guy.  There are six people in our room, it's a little tight but we have enough room.  Last night Elder Murdock (one of the guys in my room) ripped his entire toe-nail off while trying to get onto the top bunk!  It was a bloody affair.  Fortunately I am on the bottom bunk,  Anyway this is really short and I promise to provide more details on my P-day, which by-the-way is Tuesdays.  Lauren and Lindsay, all of your letters were a pleasant surprise and were fun to read when I got into the MTC.  Also, one of the couples in the branch presidency lives right next to uncle Joey.  I actually have to go so I'll email you Tuesday.

Love you all so much,
Elder Hyer

Arrived in Utah - (mom post)

After a bit of stress (blown tire on the way to the airport) Chandler made it to Utah.  He enjoyed an entertaining meal with some of his aunts and uncles...and a bunch of his little cousins.  He was pretty popular with all his cousins and they loved his attention.  The next day Nana and Grandpa made it back just in time, from their trip out here with us, to give Chandler one last hug.  Then Jeff took him to my parents to get in a quick lunch at Cafe Rio then off to the MTC . He checked in at 12:00 on April 1st.