Email 3 {Gregory} - 1st Week in Santa Barbara

Okay so... 

Monday August 24-  Today was the day I entered into the field!! Me and Elder Crook woke up at 4:45 am and got ready to go! We got to the airport and flew to Arizona! From there we flew along the coast all the way to Santa Barbara! At the airport I loved talking to everybody on the phone especially you and Sabrina! Once we landed we got off and President and Sister Felix were there to greet us! They are so awesome, like seriously great people, love them to death! They drove us to the beach and we had a snack (Couldn't go on the beach though... lame) then they drove us to a place called "The Cross" which is on a mountain overlooking all of Ventura! Seriously so beautiful haha, then we went to the mission home and had dinner and then they paired me up with Elder Landt (Who was in Elder Bakker's zone in the MTC) who is a visa waiter, he is supposed to go to Argentina!, and sent us to a member's home for the night! Best night's sleep I've had in forever hahaha.

Tuesday August 25- So we woke up and went to the mission home and had breakfast and then we drove to the church for some orientation stuff  and then we had our first transfer meeting! We met everyone and introduced ourselves and then found out who our companions and areas were gonna be! So my companion is Elder Willis he is from Chester, Virginia and has been out for seven months! We are assigned to serve in the Santa Barbara Area!!! it's a huge area and they whitewashed us so my trainer companion, Elder Willis didn't even know what to do once we got there hahaha... my area is beautiful, though, and like super expensive too haha... like Oprah Whimpfrey and that Ellen Digentauris chick live in my area! {I had to leave the spelling because it was too funny! - a}  Brother Nolan is the ward mission leader and he served in Vietnam and was injured three times and has cancer from the chemical warfare so he is pretty intense, haha but super awesome guy! He converted to the church when he was 28! 

I got your greenies package haha thanks so much :) My apartment is kinda a dump so i don't know how I feel about you sending mail straight to it... but I don't know how else I can get mail? sooooo yeah I don't know! We then went and read the Book of Mormon with a less active and went to an Elders Quorum activity so that was all good!

Wednesday August 26- So it was a tough day, I was really not having any fun and I still am kinda not having fun haha, but oh well, fake it till I make it! So we met a potential named R.... who says yes to everything but being baptized haha.... then we went and read the Book of Mormon with a less active who had brain surgery so is a little off... kinda sad... then I accidentally called an 801 number hahaha oops because its 805 for Santa Barbara hahaha and then we had dinner at the Day's house and they are awesome and he's in the bishopric - great family!!

Thursday August 27- HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! Anyways so today we met with a lady named L.... and we invited her to be baptized and she said yes!!! So awesome! How was your birthday??? I don't think I'm getting an ipad any time soon... lame

Friday August 28-  So there's two Elder Gregorys and they're both Zone Leaders, hahaha funny, and we had District Meeting today so that was cool! President and Sister Felix paid a surprise visit  and my District is super cool!

Saturday August 29-  met tons of crazy people.... I have no time to tell, I'm depressed now...

Sunday August 30- good Sunday and I invited a guy named J.... to be baptized and he said yes! I'm so cool I know haha, so now we have two people getting baptized already!!!

I'll send pics next week when I can or something...!
Tell Nick I love him and tell the rest of the family I love them, hope all is going good!

Photos = Proof of Arrival :)

New Missionaries at the Spokane Airport

New Missionaries at the Spokane Temple (ps - mommy's work built this temple!!)

New Missionaries at the Spokane Temple (Garrett is half hidden behind the Sister missionary, sigh...)

Elder Lamb with Elder Christenson (his trainer)

Elder Lamb & Elder Willis (his trainer)

Elder Lamb with President Dymock & Sister Dymock

Elder Garrett Lamb (cutest missionary in WA!)

3rd Letter {Gregory} - Arrival note (some repetitive stuff from email, but some not!)

Hey Mom and Dad!

So after we talked on the phone and I said bye we flew along the coast to Santa Barbara and it was awesome! The Santa Barbara airport is super cool! We then got off and met President and Sister Felix and their assistants! They are awesome, super nice and loving. We then drove to the beach and just kinda hung out and had some snacks then from there we went up this mountain in Ventura to a monument called "The Cross" and it overlooked all of Ventura! Super beautiful sight with ocean on one side and farming land on the other! Then we went to the mission home and had dinner and just hung out and talked over some stuff then me and Elder Landt (who was in Grant Bakker's zone at the MTC) were paired up to go and sleep at Brother and Sister Overton's house and it was the best night's sleep I have had in awhile! They also served in the same mission as Quinn I think! Anyways, we woke up today, had breakfast and now some meetings. So all is well and I already like this more than the MTC! haha.. The President is awesome and I find out who my companion and are is later today! My PDay is on Monday. Anyways, I love you guys so much, thank you so much for everything!!! Talk to you as soon as I can! Tell the rest of the family and Sabrina that I love them too!

Love,
Elder Greggy Lamb

Elder Lamb with President & Sister Felix

MIsc MTC Photos

So fun to have Inna as their "fake investigator"!

LOVE that they were able to be in the MTC with so many of their boys :)

A nice lady on the FrontRunner train took this pic & emailed it to all the moms - yay for nice people!

2nd Letter {Gregory} - wrapping up the MTC

Hi Mommy!

Happy Happy Birthday on the 27th!! I love you so much! You are seriously one of my best friends and I am so grateful I got to grow up in our family with a mom as cool as you :) Seriously, thank you so much for everything you do for me and are still doing. You and Dad are my heroes and I don't know where I would be without you in my life! I hope you have the most amazing birthday ever! I'm sad I can't be home to celebrate and go see a movie or something so just do something with Sabrina to make up for it :)  So I guess I should tell you about my week!!

Wednesday August 19 - My first and only Pday here in the MTC haha - best day ever! I loved being able to "talk" to you and just yeah :) Did you get my pictures? So, in the morning we went to the Provo Temple which was nice and all but the coolest part was I met this old lady with alzheimers and the only thing she could remember was how proud of her family she was, it was so sweet. But yeah, other than that not much happened that day :) Oh, and Brother Eddington served in Garrett's mission1 Cool, huh?

Thursday August 20 - All we did today was in-field orientation haha it was terrible and a total waste of time like honestly so lame. But I got to see all the new missionaries and I saw a kid who wrestled at Weber High School and a kid who wrestled at Bingham!

Friday August 21 - We woke up and had service and gym time which is always awesome and I weighed myself and am losing weight (140 lbs)!! Anyways, then I had lunch with Garrett & Grant! I see my friends tons haha, it's awesome and especially Zane! It's so awesome, and Garrett of course :) Then we taught Carlos then we taught Inna which is always good seeing her :)

Saturday August 22 - We had a TRC member lesson which went really good, at least that's what me and Elder Crook thought. But the guy in charge didn't think so because it was supposed to be 30 minutes and we only did it for 15 minutes, hehe, so whatever :) Then we had the last classroom instructions with Brother Lim and Brother Holmquist which is awesome :) and pretty much last everything...

Sunday August 23 - So I leave tomorrow and I seriously can't believe how fast time has flown by!!! We went to sacrament today and then me and Elder Crook had to teach priesthood on repentance and it actually went really good. We then had the departure devotional and then we had the Sunday devotional and this Brother Allen guy is like manager of the missionary program, which was cool. But then we came back and got packed and ready to go at 5:30am tomorrow!!!! I had to say bye to Garrett, though, which totally sucked. But we talked for awhile and then we had "twin companionship prayer" which was totally awesome and said our goodbyes, haha. It sucked and I totally cried but he is going to do so many amazing things :)

Anyways! Thank you so much for the package, I can't wait to call you tomorrow :) Thank you for everything. Thank you for always being there for me. Thank you for not only being my mom but also being my best friend, I love you!

I feel like I'm forgetting so much but just know I love you and miss you and am so grateful for all you have done for me :) Happy Birthday!

Tell the fam bam Hi!! How is everyone doing? How is Isaac liking high school??? Tell everyone I love and miss them!

Love
Elder Greggy Lamb

Email 2 {Garrett} - MTC

So, thank you for all of the letters and packages - they make the day better, but yesterday they came in 15 different ones so I can't figure out how to put them together hahaha {I may or may not have used dear elder.com to cut/paste a bunch of conference talks that their good buddy Zane had asked his family to send him...so I figured my boys might like them, too!  lol....hey - cut/paste/click and they print/deliver to him?  heck yeah I'm gonna do that! - a)  But I'm glad to see pictures! I'll start sending them when I'm out in the field! promise!!! 

My flight leaves at 8:30 {Monday}  so I'll be calling before that so be up a couple hours earlier!!!  This week went by so fast I can't believe it is over!!! Hopefully you figure out that shot thing - sorry dad for calling hahaha probably scared you hahhaha! We got one of our investigators to commit to being baptized!! So that was really cool!!! My district is the best, we joke around and laugh a lot so it makes the days go faster but we still get our work and studies done so no worries!!! I'm so excited to get out in the field!!! MTC is prison... but it really is the best prison! Me and Zane sat next to each other during pretty much the entire field orientation so it was way nice to see him! I always see Greg every night and Grant everyday! So it is way nice! I'm super jealous of Mitch and how he's already out!! I'll be sending you some letters that are for other people so just pass them out and no worries, I'll send you stuff when I'm out in the field, these are mostly thanks you letters but I hate not having a ton of time so I've got to go maybe I'll get on later! 

Love you tons! Can't wait to hear more about life back at home when you guys stop being sad hahaha...

Love you, Elder Garrett Lamb 

{then I responded with a few comments/questions and got a bit more.. - a}

Yeah I'll try better I promise, my comp is just annoying he doesn't have anyone to email so I have to be fast..... but personal letter are better than talks ps hahaha and if you do send talks put down a way I can piece them together!!! {I had no idea they wouldn't get to him as separate letters...I sent them as separate emails!  oops! - a}

I promise I'll be better! love you tons!!

Oh, I finished the first talk it was really really good!!!! thanks you and it is funny because letters and packages make you rich in the MTC hahaha 

Oh and also we did a tie draft and they were really ugly so the entire day I wore the ugliest tie hahaha so that was really fun! (Tie draw is when you put your name tags in a bag and they randomly pull out an ugly tie and a name) Elders here get really bored after a week hahaha some Elders did the sprite and banana challenge, it was way fun but gross!! (you have to eat bananas and sprite it makes you throw up no matter what! hahaha look it up on youtube it's way funny those elder went crazy) We play volleyball during gym time! I wreck everyone, wish I had my boys to play some games with!​ But I do gotta go, promise I'll do better! Love you tons! Tell me more about what's going on at home and send pics! Love you!!

{sigh....here's hoping that he gets a companion in the field who actually wants to use his email time!! - a}

First Picture {Garrett} - thanks to Elder Thompson's parents!! - MTC

We haven't received ANY pictures from Garrett yet...he hadn't quite yet figured out how to hook everything up when he had 10 seconds to email.  Sigh.  BUT.  Today on FB he was tagged by Elder Parker Thompson's parents - YAY for getting to see that beautiful bright shining smiley face!  Totally made my day - so I thought I'd share with the rest of ya :)

MTC Photos {Gregory} - Week 1 - MTC

Yay for pictures!  Elder Greg managed to have a "real session" in the computer room, which resulted in not only a nice informative email (yay!) but also pictures - lovelovelove seeing his happy smiling face! 

(most of the pictures I don't have descriptions for - if I do I will add them, otherwise, you know, just enjoy :) )

This is Elder Crook - Greg's companion - he is from Lyman Wyoming and Greg LOVES him!  Says they have the same sense of humor and get along great!  (yay!)

Elder Rodriguez

Elder Hoernberger (sleeping, lol) - Elder Rodriguez

Elder Hoernberger & Elder Call

Elder McGary & Elder Rodriguez

Branch

roomies :)

District

roomies :)

Zone

But seriously - how cute - and clever!! - are these boys?!?  Love to see that behind those white shirts & ties he is still my Greggy :)  Lynn sent the boys both a box on the way home from dropping them off at the MTC...he wanted them to have something in the "mail" right away so they wouldn't be too sad & homesick (when Nick was in the MTC Lynn worked at BYU - let's just say that he got a LOT of packages, lol, and in the process Dad really learned all the ins & outs of sending packages!) - we stopped at the Mexican grocery store and got chips & salsa & some soda thing....Greg said they needed to find a way to keep the salsa cold, and since his companion had duct tape this seemed like a good solution!  He said it worked really well, lol....seems to me that duct tape is something that should totally be added to the packing list!

and one more of that bright smiling face, for all of us to enjoy!

Email 1 {Gregory} - MTC

Okay soooo here I go.

Wednesday- Went to class and met my district (Classroom) who are:

Elder Call- From Colorado springs serving in San Fernando California. Went to BYU for a couple years, super cool kid.

Elder Hornberger- From some small town in Utah and wrestled at Bear River High. He was suppose to go to New Zealand but his visa didn't go through so now he is going to Tempe Arizona.

Elder Rodriguez- From some town in Illinois close to Chicago. Serving in San Fernando California He is pretty cool and is our district leader.

Elder McGary- From South Jordan Utah and went to Bingham High School.

Elder Crook- He is my companion and is from Lyman Wyoming haha super small town I guess. He is going to Ventura as well! We get along super great, he is way funny which has helped so much being in the MTC.  Love him to death!

Then there are three sister missionaries in my classroom in a trio companionship:

Sister Smith -From Ogden Utah and is going to San Fernando California.

Sister Groberg -From Spanish Fork Utah and is going to San Fernando California.

Sister Capener- From Pleasant View Utah and is going to Ventura California as well! She went to Weber High School so she knew Coach Eure haha.

All of us Elders are in the same room and all the sisters are super cool so that's Good! And in the other District there are five more Elders and Sisters going to Ventura so 8 total in my Branch and 16 going on the plane to Ventura!

Thursday- Sucked soooo bad haha. All I wanted all day was a hug from mommy and I couldn't so since me and Garrett are in the same residence building (but he's on the first floor and I'm on the third floor) anyways I went and just like got a hug from him because otherwise I would've been screwed haha so yeah I go talk to him every night, thank goodness he is here! We met our Branch Presidency who are:

President Callister- Served in London England! He is awesome.

Brother Hobson - He is a convert to the church! He also taught at West Point academy and I told him about how I got a letter from them to wrestle and he said he could hook me up. He is Awesome.

Brother Eddington- Served in the Pacific Northwest Mission. He is Awesome and he was a wrestler!

I also got collar rash and it was terrible but I'm good now haha oh, and Elder Austin Carroll (from high school) was in my zone! He left to Washington D.C yesterday though.

Friday- So my classroom teachers are 

Brother Lim- He is always happy like always even when he is mad hahaha...  he teaches some good stuff!

Brother Holmquist- He is super funny haha and a really good teacher! and me and Elder Crook teach him as a "Fake Investigator"

So, yeah, we taught our first investigator (Bro Holmquist) playing as Carlos and we actually didn't do terrible haha but we still sucked. And we found out who our TRC fake investigators would be and you'll never guess who me and Elder Crook got assigned... Inna Findlay!! I couldn't help but laugh hahaha.

Saturday-  Me and Elder Crook studied outside and ate chips and salsa it was seriously so awesome haha but then we had to keep the salsa cold so to my surprise Elder Crook had duct tape so we duct taped the salsa to the air vent on the ceiling and it totally worked hahaha so awesome. Elder Crook and I have the same sense of humor so we play off each others jokes and stuff and just yeah we get along great. We taught Carlos again and we did so much better than the first time so that's good.  I got doughnuts from Sabrina but we were fasting for Sister Maguire (a girl in my branch) because her mom passed away on Friday and she is staying out which I could neverrrrr do so nobody die unless you want me to come home. But yeah everyone keep her in your prayers! Saturdays are cool since we have so much study time.

Oh and we received our departure dates! Me and Elder Crook and all the others going to Ventura leave on Monday the 24th!! Our flight is at 10:55 at SLC airport and we fly to Phoenix and have a layover till 1:50 then we get to Santa Barbara at 3:27pm!!

Sunday- was super awesome. We had sacrament and priesthood meetings with our branch and then that night we had a devotional where the "Nashville Tribute" band came and played and it was totally awesome. Then we watched a video about Characters of Christ and it was amazing, haha made me want to become a totally better person. Then me and all the people I knew talked all night since a bunch of them were leaving the next day!

Monday- So we taught Inna on Monday and she destroyed me and Elder Crook with questions hahaha so embarrassing.... but it was good for us haha. In the classroom we had a sub teacher because Brother Holmquist went out of town and the teacher was Sister Hafen she is usually a French teacher and served a mission in Paris France... So.... Cool..... she is by far the best teacher I have ever had in my life in any subject haha. She is going to BYU right now and isn't married or anything sooooo tell Nick or Nate or something;) jk haha cause I'm pretty sure if you did Elder Call who is basically in love with her would kill him hahaha and also because Nick and Nate are already gonna get married while I'm gone... Lame. Anyways she was super cool. Me and Elder Crook taught Sister Hafen as fake investigator Joanna and it was by far our best lessons, the spirit was so strong and just went totally great.

Tuesday- Was awesome but I totally was dying for a P-Day so yeah a little long haha anyways not much happened other then we taught Sister Hafen again and it went really good and me and the other Elders in my class had like arm wrestling contests and I totally beat everybody even though I'm the smallest one haha so basically I'm jacked;) jk... but also I did the most pull ups so maybe I'm not kidding... but then we did stuff with our legs and I got wrecked hahaha so yeah oh well. Oh and my brand new suit pants ripped........................ so I took them to the seamstress and got them fixed. :) Anyways now today is Wednesday my P-day!! It's been so crazy to see how every trial I have God gives me a tool I can choose to use to help me through it. Super cool.

I have gotten more letters and packages than anybody else in my branch haha so they all hate me besides my companion until I share with them hahaha but yeah maybe hold off on the packages until I'm in Ventura because I leave Monday morning!!! So if you do send any make sure I get them before then!! Thank you so much for all the ones I have gotten so far hahaha it is totally awesome. And tell Grandma thanks for the candy and notes and tell Mallory thanks for the note she left me haha sooo cute. Tell everybody in the family I love and miss them! Especially you and dad!!

Such a Small World!! - MTC

Got this cute picture in a text today from the one & only Inna Findlay! (sister to our best bud and wrestling SuperStar Matt Findlay, good friend & fellow Draper-ite, and also the outstanding Charger Wrestling Club Manager for the past 2 years!)  She works at the MTC as a "fake investigator" and guess who is teaching her this week?!?  That's right - our very own Elder Greggy :)  Love all the connections that happen down south...!

First Letter {Gregory} - MTC

Hi Mom and Family!

So seriously so much has happened and I have no time to write at all and yeah, I have tons to tell and no time to tell it!  Wednesday is my P-day and I got my flight plans! I leave August 24 on Monday at 10:55 am and get to Santa Barbara at 3:7 pm. Anyways, I will totally email you all about my days so far but my companion is Totally Awesome!! He is Elder Austin Crook and he is from Lyman Wyoming! We get along great. Thank you so much for the package and your letters mom, they bring me seriously so much comfort - I love them! I seriously have so much to tell it's awesome! I go and see Garrett in his room every night. It's awesome having him here especially in the first couple days. Anyways so let's begin.....

Wednesday - sucked so bad - so much info it's crazy - met my companion Elder Crook and we get along great. Met my district (classroom) and teachers.

Thursday - sucked so bad - tons more info and I wanted to come home sooo bad. Met Branch Presidency and whole Branch.

Friday - a little better but still sucked - had service and gym which was super relaxing then tons of class time.

Saturday - awesome...sucked...awesome - I was doing awesome then had a problem then it was awesome again, so that's good!

Sunday (today) - has been so much better! Been great so far!!

I will go into more detail in my email on Wednesday!!

Thanks so much for the candy and notes, tell Grandma thanks for me!!  (ps - those were from MOMMY - Grandma & Mally helped do the notes, oh well, I guess credit isn't needed, lol - a)

Mallory left the cutest note ever.

I see tons of familiar faces here! I've seen all my friends and everyone I know from school! Elder Austin Carroll from high school is in my zone and he is awesome!

I got the worst collar rash but I'm good now.

I'm teaching INNA FINDLAY as a fake investigator!!  Haha - so funny.

I will go into major detail in my email this Wednesday. Sorry this letter sucks compared to yours. But I love you and miss you and the rest of the family!!

Love, Elder Greggy

Email 1 {Garrett} - MTC

Hey!!! MTC is really great, it's hard to find spare time to do anything though... always study or working or class of somesort. Mom those ideas are great, I just hope I have the time to do them, maybe after I get out of the MTC it will be a little more flexible! um I'm going to send a hand written letter home today so I don't wanna repeat myself and plus an Elder doesn't have a computer so I feel bad, so everything is good here! I love it here way more than Seminary. I'm learning a ton but I still feel like I'm behind hahaha but my Companion is Elder Kammerman. He is a cool guy. I love and miss you guys a ton but it's even hard to find time to think about home during study. The only time I have is during food and I skipped breakfast to come email you, so be grateful I'm doing it this time!! hahaha I just woke up with a really bad sore throat and I broke my flashlight last night.... so if you could send me those things and some socks and underwear to work out in (I forgot to bring them) and some shades would be nice! (: hahaha I think everyone got jealous from all of the packages and letters I got from you so I feel really loved hahaha... but other than that it's pretty much the same thing over and over here -  you study and study more then study more then learn and teach. I feel like I kind of have the hang of it but only the two things they have taught me in the classroom! hahaha my teachers are great and I love connecting with everyone and everything using experiences I have had, a lot of them were from times we have had as a family! Bear with me for while I'm in the MTC!!! I won't really have the time to do extras the only time you have to email is during laundry and then writing in a journal and notes is after bedtime... I don't think I've gone to bed once on time.... but let everyone know I love them! Oh and Elder Spragg looks a ton like Isaac! It is weird haha... I'm still trying to figure out how to use my camera and recording thing so you might not get pictures this week... sorry but love you all! Thanks for the letters over "dear elder" - it makes it easy to write you guys so I don't have to read them during the emailing time!

Elder Lamb

First Letter {Garrett} - MTC

Dear Momma and Papa and the rest of the family!

MTC is great! Long days, long classes, long studies, everything is long! But getting outside makes it a ton better, I'm the person that needs the outdoors so being inside is hard, but it is different at the MTC! Seminary sucks compared to this, the teachers actually try! The hymns are the best part. I can relate to them very easily. I wish I could just read and teach from the hymns like I did in the farewell talk! :) My companion is Elder Kammerman. He served in the military then broke his ankle/foot and decided to serve a mission, which is cool! He wrestled at Maple Mountain and he's an artist just like a ton of other missionaries in our zone! (mostly ceramics and painting/drawing). I've seen all my friends in the MTC! Friendly faces are amazing, it re-starts your mood (same with songs). The classroom is easy to learn in because it reminds me of SBO - how it is small groups and the teacher really cares about you. It felt very good teaching the first investigator...

Elder Sprags and Elder Levitt are really funny and Spragg reminds me a lot of Isaac hahaha. Having Greg here is way nice!  ...finding time to laugh is important to staying sane here... My companion is the District Leader (military experience). I wish Greg was my companion! The food here isn't as bad as people say, but I'm still not risking the orange juice!  I'm always up past 10:30 (lights out) because I feel like I'm always behind, I'm past it right now writing you, that's how much I love you guys! But don't worry about me! I can feel the love of Heaenly Father always! and I've taken all the advice given to me and used it! It's hard with study because I feel everyone knows more than me so I'm more of the person to relate and learn. Prayer is real here! So many prayers are answered!!  I've been gifted with a better knowledge and skill with the grammar and reading so I don't think I'll have a problem with it all. I love you guys so much, think about you all the time and tell stories! Love and pray for you!

Love, Elder Lamb <3

ps - thanks for the package, Dad, the roommates love the chips & salsa!
ps - my P-day is Saturday and Greg's is Wednesday!