Email 25 August 2010

¡Familia y amigos! How is everything back in the Zona? I have yet to get a letter or anything here in Guatemala. It sucks... One thing I miss about Provo is getting mail everyday. It's all good I guess. Guatemala is pretty legit. I love it here. I miss American, but Guatemala is good too... The food they serve us is actually quite decent. They have like a different fruit drink at every meal so that is really cool. They have had a pineapple one (my favorite so far) and they also had one that tasted exactly like a Jamba Juice. Amazing. Haha. But yeah, back to mail... Send me letters! I don´t care who you are. Just send them. Do it through the pouch. Not really sure how that works, but figure it out. It is a really quick way to do it. Also, if you dearElder me, make sure you changed the address!!! It rains everyday here. Sometimes extremely hard......... Other times it is just a nice mist. It is so lovely. There has been one hot day, but even that didn´t come close to Arizona weather, so it is all good! My room overlooks a ginormous mountain that is covered in Mansions and huge green trees, and you can see the temple. I can see it as I fall asleep because I´m on the top bunk. It is so nice.... Everyone here is obsessed with my ties. I have one kid that is trying to get the pink tie that Waddie gave me off of me. I repeatedly say no.. I let him wear it one day, but that was it. My class each day is at the chapel here. It's on temple grounds, so I get to walk past the temple every day. LEGIT. There is a kid in my Zone, he is actually my Zone Leader now that came up to me and asked if I was related to Breneman Barr Bitner. Guess what, I have a relative here somewhat. His name is Elder Nelson. My teachers are awesome. They are both Natives from Guatemala. I feel like I have learned so much more Spanish in the past week than the entire time in Provo. It is hard to communicate with our teachers sometimes though because they aren´t the best English speakers (obviously). One of them is Hermano Cuque (pronounced Cookay). He is by far my favorite. Every time I see him I ask him this, "¿Le gusta mi cuerpo? ¡Es muy atractivo!" He just laughs haha. I try to speak in Spanish as much as possible... Just not with Ryan. We have a lot of important things to talk about all the time... Haha. I think that is why I like it so much here. Just because I have such a good friend here. Sooo suuhhhhweeeett. The people in his district are hilarious. They make me feel like I'm back home. There is a kid just like Krieger.. It is creeppy. Ryan has been trying to talk me into going to BYU-I with him, so that is a possibility still I guess. We shall see. I have yet to be sick! Hallujah or however you spell it. Don´t really care right now. There is quite a good chance I will be giving a talk and a lesson at some point in church here. Gay, but whatever. I´ll get over it. The pens you sent me basically suck, no offense. The ones you bought last time with light blue on the outside, but wrote black. I think they are called like energel or something similar to that... I'll make do with what I have for now I guess. I bought some latino made scripture cases this morning. They are suhweet! Speaking of Latinos, they are very good at soccer. They just like to screw around with us when we play. I miss you all so much! I hope Rachel and the baby are okay. That is one thing I am extremely sad to be missing. I think about it a lot.... I want to hear and get pictures asap after it happens. Speaking of pictures, thank you for send me the Phoenix Temple info. It looks like it is going to quite beautiful. I´m excited for it. Well hope all is well! Remember, MAIL MAIL MAIL MAIL. Don´t even care about packages. Letters are just as good! I love you guys so much! I couldn´t ask for a better, more supportive family, or such great friends and examples. You guys are the best!!! Love you sooo much!
Love always, Elder Bitner (Now known as the Nazi in Guatemala....)

Pictures from Provo MTC

Guatemala MTC - August 18, 2010

¡Hola mi familia y amigos! So these keyboards are very different... Don´t expect this to be perfect. I only have twenty minutes today so it will be fast. So I´m definitely not in Provo anymore. It is very very very different here. On the flight to Guatemala, we flew through a lot of lightning and a lot of rain. It was pretty scary, but very very cool at the same time. They played the Office on the flight. That drove me crazy because I couldn´t watch it. I gained the courage to ask for a Dr. Pepper on the flight. It was diet but it worked. So once we landed the rain stopped. We went through customs and immigration very quickly. They let anyone in this country it seems. We went outside; I was the first one out there. I saw a guy with a sign saying MTC so I approached him. I got to him and he was like, ¿Habla español? I was like you got to be kidding me... Haha. He then called his buddy and he showed up in a School bus, really ghetto I might add. We had to wait forever just on a street by the airport for another flight from Miami to come in. There ended up being 51 of us total that flew in. As we were waiting, we decided to check out this little makeshift vendor that was right by us. We bought drinks from them (didn´t get sick from them thank goodness). I got a Spanish Sprite :) The guys that were in charge of taking us decided to take our bus full to the MTC while the others waited. I was on the first bus. As soon as we started driving, it started to pour. Like legitimate pour. Streets were semi flooded within minutes. It was soooo sweeet. After the scariest school bus ride of my life, we arrived to the MTC. It was like 10 something pm when we got there. We were welcomed by the few missionaries that weren´t shipped out. Ryan being one of them! It was so cool to see him. He has already bought 6 soccer jerseys for like 35 American dollars. Way legit. Ryan is in my zone, which means he is on my floor and I have sports/gym time with him. My new companion is Elder Bishop. He is from Orem, Utah. I always get the Utah kids. My districts name is Abinadi (say that Mexican/Guatemalan like). I’m rooming with one of the kids I talked to on Facebook before, so that is pretty legit. His name is Elder Shaw. We ended up getting to bed at like 1. It was pretty ridiculous. This morning it has just been getting to know the MTC. We walked out to see the gym... Super ghetto. It is two concrete basketball courts. The hoop is also a goal. It is strange... As mail goes. Another Elder told me that if you send a DearElder before Midnight on Sunday, I´ll get it Wed. or Thurs. Try that. The pouch is a one to two week process sadly. I can still email 30 minutes every week, maybe longer. I still don´t know what day that will be, so you´ll just have to wait I guess. I’m definitely being submersed in Spanish.... There are 70 something whites and 30 Latinos I guess. One of the instructors said to me is your name Bitner or biner. He is like wait I´m beaner not you he made me laugh. Well they are kicking me off..... All is well. I love you all. It was nice talking to you for a bit yesterday. Love yoU!!!

Email 11 August 2010

Hola familia (and anyone else lucky enough to read this wonderful letter)! :) Things have gotten so much better. Time is really starting to fly.
So the main thing you have been waiting for. The Travel Plans! Sorry it has taken so long. I got them last Friday so I haven't had the opportunity to tell you till now. I wrote a letter about them Monday, but you won't get that till today or tomorrow anyways. So, I leave August 17th. I have to report to the Travel Offices by 5:00 a.m. Wow... My flight leaves for Dallas at 8:20 if I remember correctly. I arrive there around 12:20 p.m. and then my next flight takes off at 5:50 p.m. and I land in Guatemala at 8:15 p.m. I'm not sure how the time differs in these plans so figure it out. I'll be two hours ahead when I call. I'm so excited to go though. My companion and I are on different first flights (one of the other guys for the other companionship in my district, Elder Holst, is on my flight though, and we have gotten pretty close over the last couple weeks). Also, I found out that Elder Sakevich is on my flight. Way excited about that. Even more excited to see Elder Johnson, aka Ryan. Over the last week, nothing too exciting has happened. I had a TE. The guy that helped us, just explained to focus on the person and not the lesson. "We are teaching people, not lessons." I also had TRC. That went really well. My companion and I are really starting to click when it comes to teaching, so it is cool. Oh, tell Billy when you see him that I have a friend of his in my District. His name is Elder Bishop, and I guess they had Seminary together or something. haha. Oh also, devotional last night was good. We had elder David F Evans of the Seventy speak to us it was cool! 20 seconds!!!! Expect a package sometime next week!!!!!!!!!!
I love you all! Thanks for everything that you have done for me:
Love always and forever,
Elder David Bitner

Letter Written 2 August 2010

Mi madre y mi padre (and everyone else that reads it)

The MTC is pretty good. I've been homesick a lot. All I want is to see my family, or even talk to you guys every day. That would make it so much more bearable. Oh well, I 'm here for the right reasons. I feel like once I get out in the field, time will start to fly by.

As for your questions: me and my companion got top bunks. We are rooming with two others in the smallest room in the building. I get out of bed easy, one of my roommates has offered to shake me every morning. As for my companion his name is Elder Thomas Sicotte. He is from Draper, Utah. Yes, I did get the cookies – tell Cole he need not worry. I have seen Elder Wood a few times at meals because we have the same meal time.
The days went by really slow at first. They are starting to pick up pace though supposedly it will fly by now that I’m past Sunday. I just study, go to meetings, play soccer, eat and partake in the spirit every day. My district and zone are really cool. Everyone gets along great. My other roommates are Elder Hatch and Elder McFarland. Four from our district are going to my mission and the other eight are going to Chile.

FYI Dear Elder is amazing, the letters are free and I get them everyday. The food is good and the milk is muy bueno.

Love, Elder David Rowe Bitner

First email: 4 August 2010

Hola mi familia!
The MTC is pretty good. The first few days were absolute torture. I felt so discouraged and homesick, but that is going away.
First off, I only have half an hour to do this, so it is going to be short. I sent a letter Monday so that should get there today hopefully.
Overall it has been a very humbling experience. I just got back from the Temple in fact.  Also, last night we had a Devotional. Elder L. Lionel Kendricks of the Emeritus Quorum of the Seventy spoke to us. It was incredible. My companion and I were sitting back row. One of the leaders came and got us and let us sit front row! It was really cool! He talked about how we should always have the motto, "I can do something hard." A mission is the hardest thing ever, and it has only been 1 weeks (103 more to go haha). That quote spoke to me so much. It was incredible to be so reassured.
Anyways, my letter should say most of what has happened. I sent some pages of my journal in it as well so you could see what it has been like for me day in and day out
The language is coming slowly, quite complicated, and the testimony is building stronger everyday.

Love,
Elder David Rowe Bitner