Week 1 - I made it to the Guatemala Mission Training Center (MTC)

(This is a "family" letter shared by Marc's Mom!  Thank you Trisha!)

YO YO YO!!!! MY MOM!!!! Gosh! I miss you so very much!!!! I know it's only been a week but I already feel more appreciative of my family and especially my mom!  But, I pulled strength from prayer and actually now is pretty cool.  Besides diarrhea like crazy the MTC is great.  I can't wait to leave and start serving, but still I try to take advantage of this time too.

All they speak is Espanol here!!!!  I'm seriously like the only dude who doesn't speak Spanish.  Seriously, I should have learned some Spanish by now.  

All the Latinos here call me "Elder Hulk" and talk about my brasos aka arms so that's funny.  I always flex my biceps and they go wild!!!!  Plus I'm like the tallest guy in this whole country so I stick out like a sore thumb.

I was talking to my teacher Hermano Abadillo about how when I go back to the states and speak fluent Spanish, it's not gonna be as cool cause I already look like a Latino.  I have to admit though I'm the biggest Gringo here.  Even the kid from Utah teases me.  

I miss you so much though mom.  I have dreams about the states and when I wake up I ask myself where am I.  Or why am I doing this.  But immediately, I ask Heavenly Father for strength.  I miss those babies too!  I pulled out a picture of them to show my companion Elder Johnson and started crying those man tears.  I love those guys so much it's unbelievable. 

Anyways out of Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, anywhere else people are going... everyone says Honduras is CRAZY!!!! But don't freak out hahaha.

Okay so back to the MTC haha, I've been working out in there little facility they got here, which sucks btw.  Like the weights only go up to 35 pounds, but anyways, I'm getting really creative but all the Latinos follow me around trying to do the same workouts so I've been doing a lot of personal training here as well. 

The food here is no bueno though haha.  I look at most of the food and say I shouldn't eat this... but end up doing it cause I'm hungry as heck.  The Latinos always give me their food too so I end up having like 3 meals.  I've stopped putting hot sauce on my food too because.... well it's not as nice leaving hahaha.  

The plane ride stunk though.  I tried to sleep but I'm too large and could never get comfortable.  Oh and my bed here is like a Hannah Montana small.  My feet hit the ground.  

We haven't been out that much which kind of sucks cause sometimes I get like cabin fever in here.  It's really Americanized in here though so I like it but I do want to get down and dirty.  We went to the temple like 2 hours ago which really calmed my heart and really just got to pray deeply.  I needed that. 

The weather here is weird like it's really hot with dark CLOUDS then it POURS like no other!!!!!! But I just stay in the weight room. 

I gotta go but I love you all and keep writing and praying.  I love it!   

Elder Marc Latham

Elder Marc Latham's address:
Elder Marc Latham
Guatemala MTC
P.O. Box 30150
Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0150

or email is:
marc.latham@myldsmail.net