District 13C
“Days felt like weeks, weeks felt like days.” I forget if anyone important said that, but that is what the last few weeks of Home MTC felt like. Not really a set of time but more like a blob with things morphing together. I think this is the first time in my life where my schedule has been this strict. I feel like every hour has been accounted for and every hour has been used. After all, I am on the Lord's time.
Our district, 13C, was really close. I cannot imagine my experience being the same if we even replaced one person. We were a pretty good bunch. I feel the best way to tell you about them is to break each one of them down, Hermana by Hermana, Elder by Elder.
Hermana Martines
It was very rare to ever see Hermana Martines not smiling. She literally radiated happiness and was such a spiritual leader in our group. As of right now she has actually been released from her calling as a missionary as she is waiting until her departure date so I guess I can call her by her actual name: Ellie. She's a twin, so that's sick and her brother Eric I once mistook for her boyfriend so that was a little embarrassing. On the last day, I had to assign the devotionals before class and before I could even ask, Hermana Marines volunteered for the spiritual thought and the hymn. What a baller. Fun fact, she is the only one in our district to have never worn a tie during class.
Hermana Sherman
Hermana Sherman could be one of the raddest Hermanas I know. On the first day she told us her favorite things to do are Rock Climbing and Mountain Biking so it's pretty safe to say that she lives on the edge. She and Hermana Martines were definitely the best companionship as far as teaching ability goes and even went as far as teaching an actual investigator in spanish. Hermana Sherman's favorite phrase was probably epic followed by a sunglasses emoji and a shaka emoji. One time she was wearing a white shirt with a collar and the whole class convinced her to put on a tie, which she did. This just proves that although her name is Hermana Sherman, she's just one of the lads.
Elder Hancock
The first thing I learned about Elder Hancock was that he was in a show choir. It's hard to judge somebody when the only thing you know about them is that they were in a show choir. Elder Hancock was one of the few Elders who had a year of college under his belt before going on the mission and it showed. One time I was co host and changed his name to Elder Hammock. It was a dub. He was definitely one of the more mature and hardworking guys in the group. He never complained about anything and was never late or missed a class. And he can sing. This man is going places.
Elder Smith
Elder Smith was very honest about his first opinions of everyone in the district as he literally sent them via email. He was not the most talkative or loud person but this guy brought a lot to the table. For one, if there was any sort of info you needed or a screenshot of some notes or a picture of someone in the district, he had it. He was always on top of things and I heard he could ball too. He introduced us to his family last night and they were all so proud of him. They should be.
Elder Frederick
When he wasn't fighting alligators, slaying riffs on the guitar, or going out with the missionaries, he would sometimes come to online class. The joke here is that Elder Frederick missed a few classes but he always had a “valid” excuse. We always blamed it on the alligators eating his power lines. If you haven't guessed by now, he lives in Florida. A fellow east coaster, and one of the great musicians in our district. His prayers and testimonies always came from the heart and he is definitely one of the nicest guys in the district.
Elder Peterson
Simply put, Elder Peterson was a track star. I could end it right there but I won’t. One thing that always stood out to me from Elder Peterson was that he was a good teacher. He and Frederick were in charge of the Book of Mormon Share one day and they absolutely killed it. He was one of the many elders going to the DR and I know they are gonna be glad they have them when he finally gets there. In the meantime, I’ll be training to beat Peterson in the 400. Also our teacher Harmonica Cabrera said he was cute, maybe not as cute as Hermano Mun though (Long Story).
Elder Mendenhall
You can think of some legendary skaters: Nyja Huston, Tony Hawk, Chris Cole, but they all pale in comparison to the Great Elder Mendenhall. Legend has it, he can shred on a board. Before the mission, Mendenhall had a beautiful mane of hair and I have heard rumors that he is jacked too. Maybe not Elder Arsenault jacked (I'll get to that later) but jacked. His desk was located in a library/office so that made him seem really smart and sophisticated but in reality he was indeed really smart and sophisticated. Great guy, greater spirit. Legend.
Elder Metge
Elder Metge was one of the big three in the group when it came to Spanish experience. This guy was really good at it. He also didn't get his books and stuff until like a week into the MTC which just shows his dedication to the work. He also drove all the way to Mendenhall's house so they could get that real companionship experience we all wanted. Metge was the guy that typed most of the witty comments in the Zoom chat some of them were just too good to share. Fun Fact: Elder Metge had the best microphone in the class.
Elder Buck
Elder Buck had a lighting problem at his desk where in the morning beams of light looked like they shot into his room filling up his shot. It looked like angels were descending from heaven and landing in his backyard. Buck was hilarious. During the great Utah winds trees in his neighborhood literally blew themselves out of the ground and he went and posted up on a lot of them. He and Elder Aresenault made a power companionship and Buck can secretly ball according to Elder Mcdougal.
Elder Arsenault
This guy does crossfit. You can tell by the way he won't stop talking about it. For real though this guy earned the nickname Swartzenager because he was the district stud. Also as of today he is tri-lingual because growing up in Canada, he learned French too. All in all though, he was a great influence on our district and was a very active member in the district. He represents our Canadian Brethren to the North of us as well.
Elder Monday
The amount of world history and gospel doctrine this guy knows is amazing and a little scary. I would honestly pay him to be my seminary teacher. His spanish was way beyond most of our abilities in the district and he was honestly one of the most solid guys I have ever had the privilege of knowing. He had a killer beard in high school too. But seriously, me and McDougal would have questions about doctrine sometimes and our first instinct was to ask Elder Monday.
Elder Taylor
Elder Taylor was a little quiet at first but believe me, everyone got to know elder Taylor very well. He was the only one in our district to celebrate his birthday while at the MTC and he turned 19. He was a baller, inside and out, and when he spoke, he said things that mattered. He has a powerful testimony and a good attitude towards everything, even though sometimes he looks like he is about to beat you up.
Elder Anderson
Elder Anderson was the district's hype man. You would often see him playing with his light up fidget spinner during class which was both distracting and amusing. He has one of the wettest shots in the game of basketball and is always repping the Jordan brand. He also has a rare lonzo ball basketball card in his possession that he claims will be worth millions one day. His signature line was yelling “LETS GOOOOO” into his distorted mic whenever he got an answer right. A true legend.
Elder Millett
Elder Millett I believe is the oldest one in the group but I could be wrong. Either way he went to the Naval Academy in Maryland and raced bikes for a living. I am confident that Elder Millet was the best spanish speaker in the group and he and Elder Monday almost left us for a Spanish District but decided to stay because they are legends. Elder Millett and Anderson were complete opposites which is why they worked so well together. I hope I can have a companion like Elder Millett one day.
Elder(Hermana) McDougal
I saved the best for last. Elder McDougal was my companion, sidekick, partner in crime, and noble steed. The first time we ever talked we knew we were gonna be bros. First thing you need to know about Elder McDougal is that he is an absolute monster on the football field. As my friend Eric Levin used to say, he's just a “dog”. I don’t mean to Brag but Harmonica Cabrera said that we were second in the class in teaching behind the Hermanas. She said that she loved the way we finish each other's thoughts and tag teamed the lessons. She asked how much preparation we put into our lessons because she must have thought we were on it. I simply said it had nothing to do with our preparation, we just had such a strong bond. Also this kid is a lead singer and a Harmonica legend. He can play a mean guitar too. Crazy talented with an even stronger testimony. I was so jealous of all the other people in the district that lived closer to him that got to play basketball together. McDougal and I are friends for life though. Also we sometimes called him Hermana McDougal and I am not really sure why but the teacher hated it. He said it himself when he said that you can make best friends of people you have never met in person. One more thing is he was the master at changing the Zoom Background and whenever he was Co-host, you better believe he was changing your name and stopping your video every 10 seconds. All in all, I could have never asked for a better Companion and I am sad to give him up but like I said, Bros for Life.
I would be surprised if you read all of that. It's more for the District than it is for my family and friends but the truth is I consider my district my family and friends now. We are all parting ways. About half of the district will end up in the DR together. McDougal and Martines are headed to Uruguay. One important thing to note is that I have yet to meet a person going to Paraguay or Reno so I will have a clean slate. I am sad to see them go. Triste even. It would have been so cool to have met them in the Mexico City MTC but you sometimes have to work with what you got and district 13C definitely did.
This last week my parents went to Lake Powell with a bunch of their Utah Friends and I got to stay with my best friend's family for about a week. My parents take this trip every year and every year I stay with them. Tate has been my best friend for as long as I can remember and his brother Abe is someone I always looked up to. It was a good change of scenery and I think it was exactly what I needed for my last week in Hickory.
Today was my last full day before I leave for Reno tomorrow. My grandma (Mamo) emailed me last week thinking I left then but then emailed me and said she accidentally got the date wrong. It was a really good reminder of why I am going in the first place. I often get caught up in my own stuff and forget why. But that email, as early as it was, was exactly what I needed. Today had felt so far away for so long. It is so surreal to think that I am actually leaving. Finally, I am going on my mission. It's not goodbye, it's 'so long' for now. My mom said it best when she said “change is good but it's never easy, you do not want to stay in highschool forever do you?” Nope. The next blog I write, ladies and gentlemen, I will be writing in Reno.
So long Hickory!
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