3/31/14

Hey Everyone,

So as you know I'm in Casper Wyoming but what I didn't know is how much it snows. It snows every other day here. Which is tons of fun. Elder Juarez and I try to go running every morning but if its snowing we just look at each other and just do our morning workouts inside. But Nothing much else has been going on. Last week we had ward conference which was weird cause our Spanish ward meets with the 1st ward so I didn't really get to meet anybody. But Yesterday I had the amazing opportunity to bare my testimony and give a small talk in Spanish. Very small talk. That was pretty hard. I had been practicing all week for my 2 minute little talk and I forgot everything when I got up there. But Elder Juarez said he could understand me so I guess I did okay. Yesterday was really nice because I got to see and meet everyone in our Spanish Branch/Group. We are not very big but we are growing fast. Plus we have tons of investigators so that's good. We have 3 Couples in the Spanish group that speaks Portuguese which is cool cause they are helping me speak the language better. Every once and awhile a  family from the first ward that speaks English to feed us dinner which is a nice brake from the Portuguese and Spanish. We are getting fed really well here. Anytime we go teach any of our investigators at any time of the day they feel like like need to feed us. The food is really amazing but Elder Juarez and me can barley do anything by the end of the day because we are so full from eating about 6 meals a day and we have been skipping breakfast and lunch.  My weight really shows it though. Before I left to the MTC I was 165 pounds. I stepped on the scale last Friday and it said I was 183. Must of been broken.  So I tried another scale and it said 187. I have decided that all scales are broken. Elder Juarez and I are scared so we are working out hard every morning. But everything is going really good. All of the families we are teaching are going really good. We have two baptisms in April and are hoping for a third. But we are going to have tons in may. Everyone is excited about the gospel in this area. I really want to share my love for it but my Spanish isn't that good yet. But really getting better. We don't have a lot of tracking time, mostly on Tuesday mornings because everyone is at work, but I have been taking the lead in talk which is fun because we can only teach people who speak Spanish, so someone who doesn't speak Spanish opens the door we can teach  them a little but then have to had them over to the other elders. We are constantly going from English to Spanish and I start to get head aches and speak in Spanish when I'm suppose to speak English. So that's fun. Plus I forgetting my Portuguese. Brother Macintosh came up to me on Sunday and started speaking to me in Portuguese and I responded and he said Elder Tomlinson that's in Spanish and I was like oh sorry. Its going to be a struggle once I get my visa to learn Portuguese again. No news on my visa yet. But i hope everyone is doing good. Please Email and write :) I will try my best to respond as fast as I can.

-Elder Tomlinson

Update from 3/25/14

Hey Everybody,

Just an update on everything that's going on. I am in Casper, Wyoming. In the Casper Spanish 1st Ward. Which is a Spanish only mission which is funny cause I don't know Spanish.... My companion is a really good guy. His name is Elder Juarez. The only tough thing is he doesn't know very much English. But we have been really progressing this week in our language studies. I have two hours of language studies. One hour for Spanish and One hour for Portuguese. So maybe by the end of my mission I will know three languages. 

Our Investigators are going crazy. I feel like everyone in this area wants to know about the gospel. We have around 30 investigators and right now 4 on date to be baptized next month. Which is crazy. It has been really had trying to help Elder Juarez teach them cause no one speaks English. Basically I have just been  bearing my testimony and praying in Spanish and then trying to understand at least some of what they say. They have been cooking us some really good Mexican food that really reminds me of home (TEXAS). But everything is going really good. Our Apartment is super small and falling apart. My companion is loving me because I have been fixing tons of stuff. And he is also loving me because I have been cooking some of our breakfasts and i showed him my egg sandwich and he loved it!!! This next week we are going to make some creamy jalapeno sauce. So it has been tons of fun. 

Usually my p-day is on Monday but we spent all day at Martins Cove doing service. Tat was such an amazing experience to learn about the pioneers. Plus I got to meet the main actor from Ephraim's Rescue. I haven't seen the movie but it was way cool to learn about the movie and hear his prospective about the story of the pioneers. After Martins Cove, another elder and I got to go on top of Independence Rock just outside from Martins Cove. That's such an amazing experience. I miss you all. Hope everyone is doing good. Talk to you all next Monday. Its really good to hear from yall.

Love,

Elder Tomlinson

Inside the Martins Cove Visitors Center. (Elder Juarez is beside me) 

 Martin's Cove

On top of independence rock

Who Would Have Thought Casper, Wyoming

I only get a second to tell everyone whats going on. I'm in Casper, Wyoming in a Spanish speaking ward. Which is super hard cause I don't know Spanish. My companion Elder Juarez is a really cool guy but doesn't know English very well. Every investigator we have taught and all the members don't know a word of English so I feel really bad for him but I'm trying to learn Spanish now as well as Portuguese. Whats really good is the members make us Mexican food which reminds me of home. My new address is 146 S. Washington #15 Casper, Wyoming 82601. The apartment is kinda small. We don't have a room really. everything is kinda connected. The whole apartment including our study room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen is smaller than Riley's room, so its fun. This has all been a big shock. Today we went shopping for food and my companion loves me cause I can cook? i was just telling him about simple stuff like grilled cheese sandwiches and he called me a chef. But everything is going good. Before I forget mom, I NEED A DRIVING RECORD FROM THE STATE IN ORDER TO DRIVE HERE. We drive everywhere and I feel bad cause Elder Juarez has to drive everywhere. So if you could please sent that that would be awesome. Thanks so much. Well I love all of you. I have to go now and teach in Spanish...yay :/ Love you all.

-Elder Tomlinson

Made it to South Dakota!

I just need to make sure I don't go over 50 pounds on my luggage. I pack today so I have to fit all the crap I got here at the MTC. Its so exciting to hear about jake applying to be a lifeguard. Now all of your sons will have been lifeguards. Im sorry for not sending letters. i havent had time to because of all the in-field meetings all week and i havent had any money to buy stamps. Im so scared to go to South Dakota mission. Its like the biggest mission in America. I dont know what state i will even be in. But i have been talking to alot of missionaries from there tell me how amazing it is plus more than half of the missionaries there have ipads :) And some of my best friend here got reassigned to Texas mission. Well Texas east. But they are in Ashley and Toms area so thats really cool. And one of the missionaries in my district, Elder Delap, is going to your area. so look out for him. he is a really good guy. I will try my best to call dad at the right time. he will be the first one i call. then i will call you all so be prepare to talk because i have a limited amount of time. Cant wait to talk to you all. :) love you :)

-Elder Tomlinson

A Couple of Boys from Richmond, Texas!

Devon and Parker after growing up together went into the MTC on the same day and finally got to see each other.  Thanks to Tim Milligan for sharing this great picture with me!

Hey Family, 

     Hey y'all, I love you all so much. Its crazy how long I have been at the MTC but its only been 5ish weeks. I can't believe that I only have one week left then I leave....to....um.... So my week was really good. We started to learn some really hard grammar that has blown my mind. I'm so scared for when I go to Brazil. Good thing I have more than one week now before I leave to Brazil. We had a Substitute in class yesterday that lived in Brazil before his mission and then went on his mission to Brazil. So he didn't know English very well. He told us of how amazing Brazil is. It really put our minds at ease. But the rest of the week was amazing. My memorization skills are through the roof. I can read a Scripture like a couple times and send like 15 mins memorizing and I have it memorized in Portuguese. Its so crazy. I have memorized so many things since I got here. Every Tuesday we have a speaker come and Talk to us and he is living Brazil. Its so crazy, everyone from Brazil is so happy. He was from Sao Paulo though...I forgot his name cause it was really long but it started with an "A" so Brother A. Wednesday I got to Host again for the second week in a row. Hosting is when you help all the new missionaries coming in on Wednesday and take them to get there stuff and take them to their room. It was so much fun. This next monday we get to host but its all the internationals so it might be hard to communicate with them. I'm just hoping they speak Portuguese... But this last Wednesday when we were hosting I talked in a British accent the whole time. It was so funny :) They all thought it was so funny :) But then on Thursday we got to skype to members in Brazil. We just gave a short message to a Sister in Sao Paulo. Its so amazing that we were able to understand what she was talking about even with her talking so fast. She told us that it was super hot so bring tons of sunscreen. I so ready to tan. I hate been in cold states where you are just white. Anyways Friday and Saturday  are always the best days. Yesterday we had to teach our investigator on the move. We clapped outside her door ( same as knocking in Brazil) and she came out and said that she had to run to the grocery store and that we could teach her on the way. It was so hard, me and my companion had prepared to teach this long lesson on The Commandments and now we only have 2 mins to teach. We just taught her about the word of wisdom and gave her a pamphlet and had her pray about the things she reads and we will have more time to explain everything monday. So today everyone in my district got their reassignments except Elder Apo which means he got his visa. My companion (Elder Beardall) is going to New York, New York. Which is funny cause he is from a small town in Colorado and hates big cities. I'm going to....... The South Dakota Rapid City Mission! Which is going to be so cold. Thanks mom for the winter coat. While I'm at the airport on a week from this Tuesday I'm able to call family members so everyone send me your phone numbers. It will be at like 2 in the morning and i will be on a pay card so my time will be limited but I would love to hear familiar voices. Sorry but my time is up. I love you all. I cant wait to hear from you all.

Love, 

Elder Tomlinson

Hey Everyone!

This is Elder Devon Tomlinson if you were wondering. I'm at the MTC in Provo, UT. Tomorrow marks 4 weeks out of my 6 weeks that  I will be here. If anyone wants to sent me anything by mail my address is:

Elder Devon Austin Tomlinson

MAR17 BRA-RIO

2007 N 900 Unit 46

Provo UT 84602

My time here at the MTC has been amazing. The spirit is so strong. Its amazing how the lord works with the spirit to bring to pass so many things. The language is moving at a very fast past. By the second week you are are already carrying on conversations. Last Saturday my companion and I had to to teach our investigator (our teacher acting). We had taught this investigator about 4 times now but he had no desire to carry on. My companion and I were stuck. So every Saturday we get to go to the temple and we decided to pray for our investigator will all our hearts asking the lord for guidance on what to teach him. After the temple the spirit was so strong. My companion and  I were ready to teach the lesson. We head into the room and begin with a pray and right away our investigator begins to tear up. We asked if he was okay and he replied with a short "I'm good" and we continued to teach the lesson. I began teaching about prayer and the importance that it has in our lives. The investigator, David, had told us that he didn't believe in God, so I taught him about the first vision of Joseph Smith and about how he is a great example about praying to know the true and answers to your questions. I was being guided but the spirit like crazy. The spirit was showing me what to say in Portuguese. Words were just rolling off my tongue, the gift of tongues is so true. But then I realized that I was talking the whole time and didn't let my companion speak at all so I turn to him and all he does is give me a thumbs up and end with baring my testimony. David (our investigator) ended by baring he testimony about how he knows what we are talking about are true and then prayed to know if it was true. I'm grateful for the spirit and the role that it plays in my life. 

I apologize for how short this letter is. I have tons to do on PDAY! Its crazy how much they put you to work. Please send letters. I can read and write letters any day of the week so it would be amazing to hear from anyone :) 

I love you all :) 

Sincerely, 

Elder Devon Tomlinson