1 June 2025
VOLUME 13 – NUMBER 610
Monte at his Home MTC desk
¡Hola! I just finished my first week in the Home MTC, and it has been amazing. Getting up at 6:30am has been a bit difficult, but doable. I’ve met my district and my companion, Élder Lemon (we call him Élder Limón for fun). He's from Rexburg, Idaho. I can't wait to meet him in person at the México CCM.
My teacher's name is Hermano Pérez, and he's really funny. Every now and then, he'll remind us missionaries who are going to Cancún that missionaries who go out after dark to get pizza get robbed. I'm not sure if he's joking or not, but I for sure ain't gonna find out for myself.
As the days have passed, he's slowly immersing us further into the language. I learned what missionary life is going to be like, and what we are going to need to study and memorize so the Spirit can "bring to remembrance" the things we strive to become familiar with.
Monte meeting with his district
In my Spanish class, Hermana Castillo mostly teaches in Spanish. It's been amazing learning the language, but it really has stretched my brain in ways that it's never been stretched before.
Sometimes I feel like I'm not making enough progress, but as I was praying last night, a scripture came to mind:
In Alma 37:6 it says, "but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass..."
Ashton teaching MTC workshop
This gives me hope in knowing that no matter how small I feel like my progress is—in Spanish or in learning how to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ—through that small progression, great things will be brought to pass.
There is a workshop between classes—a Zoom meeting with 400 missionaries from the Provo and Mexico MTCs.
One workshop was really memorable, because Ashton was teaching it! Of course, Ashton being Ashton had me say the opening prayer, but it was all good. Ashton did a great job. My takeaway was to make sure people feel heard and that their worries are valid.
Monte in teaching activity with Caleb
Later that same day, we had our "Helping Others" activity. We were supposed to ask someone to volunteer to participate, so last minute, I sent Caleb a text and asked if he’d be willing to help. The lesson went well, and Caleb gave us some great advice when it comes to teaching people.
I'm really glad I was able to have those experiences with my broski while I'm here at the Home MTC. I've also really been enjoying my companion study with Élder Lemon.
I also set up a Facebook account, which was weird because I haven't had much experience with social media. I'm really excited to post my thoughts and impressions throughout my mission, in hopes that someone might read them and come closer to Jesus Christ.
Monte at the big map in the Provo MTC
At the end of each day, I've been able to go on a walk around the neighborhood with Mom. It helps me get some fresh air and talk about the worries and anxieties I have. By the end of each walk, I feel much lighter and more optimistic about the future of my mission.
I had the opportunity to go down to Provo with Ashton and have lunch with him at the MTC. It makes me even more excited to go down to México and be with the missionaries there. While I was there, I took a photo next to the big world map.
I was also able to go to dinner with Aiden and Riley one last time. We went to Wendy’s like old times. I talked to them about my MTC experience, and they filled me in on what’s been going on in their lives. I’m glad that I have them as my friends.
Elder Hill with Riley and Aiden
Aunt Amy asked if Keaton and I would take her Young Women rappelling for girls camp. Then they wanted to try it first as a mutual activity, so we took them this week.
We were a little nervous about how they would do, and they all did really well! Only one girl ended up crying, and they all made it safely down the mountain.
As we were up there with them, I thought about myself and how excited I would have been to have an activity like that. My younger self would be so excited to see me leading this activity.
Gloria and Veidi at FSY
FSY so far has been my favorite thing I’ve done this summer. I made a lot of new friendships and met many people who wanted to grow closer to Christ. The spirit of the days really helped promote that feeling.
We also stayed in a dorm with four other girls. Veidi and I were roommates for the week. The company was really great, and we got to know each other quickly—within just a few seconds of meeting.
In the mornings, we had about 30 minutes for personal study. We would share what we learned afterward, which I really liked. The food varied—sometimes it was good, and other times not so tasty. But overall, it was still pretty decent.
Gloria and Veidi’s company at FSY
The dances were also pretty fun. I liked doing some of the line dances, though for others, I just observed and tried to learn them.
We had four classes each day—two at breakfast and two after lunch. The classes were awesome. One of my favorite classes was on the parables that Christ gave. They are stories, but they help us learn in a creative and meaningful way.
Gloria and friends at FSY
My favorite day was when we visited the Missionary Training Center. There was a devotional given by missionaries who were about to leave, and it was really special.
Another day I really liked was the spiritual day. We stayed in our Sunday clothes all day, and at the end of the day, we had a devotional about Christ’s Atonement.
The speaker shared it in a way I had never heard before. It was super emotional, and I could really feel the Spirit.
Gloria and Veidi on Spiritual Day
This week was FSY! It was an awesome week. We went up Monday morning to check in. It was really easy to check in and get everything settled.
Monday was pretty chill and was mainly just going over rules and guidelines that we were asked to follow during the week to help us have the best week possible—and it was!
Tuesday was also a lot of fun because we got to go to the MTC for a devotional. We saw Ashton while we were getting seated, which was pretty cool. I had a ton of fun and made a lot of new friends!
Isaac and Kai’s FSY company
One really funny thing that happened this week was when someone in our company brought tortillas. We did the tortilla slap challenge, which is where you fill your mouth up to the brim with water, and play rock, paper, scissors.
Whoever loses gets slapped in the face with a tortilla, and the goal is to try not to laugh and spit the water out.It was a ton of fun, and everyone had a great time!
Isaac, Kai, and Veidi at FSY
It was time to leave for FSY. I was excited and nervous at the same time. I’m rooming with Gloria. When we got there, we got lost trying to find our room. Then I looked at the tag we were given and saw that our room number was listed on it. I told Gloria, and she was like, “Oh my goodness!” So that was a great start.
We started unpacking, and met our counselor. Then we went to meet our company. We did a lot of get-to-know-you games. I really like my company—we pretty much became friends on the first day, which was nice.
Veidi, Gloria, and friends at FSY
We also visited the MTC and saw Ashton. He came over and said hi. I liked the devotional a lot. I started memorizing my company members’ names and got them down pretty well. We also saw Endia, Caleb, and Owen on the BYU campus.
At one point, a drawer fell on my toe. It started to bleed, and Gloria was freaking out and said I needed to get a medic. I said no, I just needed some Neosporin and a Band-Aid. Then Gloria went to tell our counselor, and she called the medic.
At FSY with Owen, Endia, Caleb
I told them I didn’t need a medic because Mom always says if you can take care of it yourself, it’s fine. When the medic came, he said what I was doing is exactly what he would have done. I looked at Gloria with an “I told you so” face.
The dances were pretty fun. I also really liked the spiritual day and games night. When it was time to head home, we all said goodbye. It was sad, but I was also happy to have been there and to have made so many new friendships.
The next day, we went home. I had an amazing time at FSY. I liked our counselors, and our company is planning to stay in touch and do things together in the future.
Gloria and Veidi with Cosmo statue
Friday through Saturday was the Fathers and Sons campout. Caleb, Cougar, and Owen went with us. It was Cougar’s first time going. Dad decided we should do hot dogs and s'mores over our campfire. We got everything loaded up and headed to Eden.
When we arrived, it took us a while to find the campsite. The road to it was marked “authorized vehicles only,” so we didn’t think to go that way. Some kids eventually told us the campsite was actually through that road.
Once we got to the right place, I really needed to go to the bathroom, so Dad let me out of the car to go. But when I came back out, I couldn’t find them anywhere.
Cooking dinner at Fathers and Sons
I walked up and down the road, but still didn’t see them. Then I realized they probably went to help Cougar and Ashton find the entrance to the camp.
I went to play baseball with some other kids until they came back. When they returned, they set up camp and told me I could go back to playing. After everything was set up, Quinn and I went to our camp to eat some hot dogs and s’mores.
After eating, I told Caleb and I played with Kai’s and my gel blaster guns. It was pretty dark, so we couldn’t see where our gellets were going. Once it got too dark to keep playing, we stopped and went back to camp.
Owen on Fathers and Sons
I told Caleb I should have brought the glow-in-the-dark gellets or even a flashlight that could attach to the blaster—but I didn’t. So we went to bed.
The next morning, we got up, ate some breakfast, and did a gel war with Cougar. We took turns switching every time someone got hit three times. We kept playing until we ran out of gellets.
Then we went home. I still wish I had brought the glow-in-the-dark gellets and attachable flashlights or lasers—but it was still a lot of fun.
Lunch with friends at FSY
I got to meet up with some old friends this week a couple of times, and it was really nice. We went to a place in Orem called Holy Taco, which was a staple for us a few years ago. It was the perfect place to go back to.
It is surreal seeing everyone together after a couple of years and to see where we are each at in life. Some of them are still among my closest friends, and I am so grateful for them.
The highlight of the week was probably bringing Monte down to the MTC so he could experience the Provo MTC cafeteria and chocolate milk before he heads to Mexico. I told him he's one of the few that can say he had meals in both the Provo and Mexico MTC as a missionary.
Ashton eating out with old friends
It is so special to see him serving. Hearing his stories and attitude already makes me so excited for him and the people he will meet. Serving a mission is truly something that provides more opportunity to form us than almost anything else we can do.
People say marriage is a similar thing, but since I have no clue what that is like yet, I will forgo any comparison there—haha. But all in all, bringing people to Christ and experiencing a period of time without the distractions of day-to-day life gives people something to shoot for, for the rest of their lives.
I'm so proud of Monte and can't wait to see all the experiences he has in Mexico.
Isaac and Kai’s FSY company
What a packed week! First of all, it was so exciting to see Monte start his mission. Having another Home MTC missionary (Caleb was the first) is a unique experience to what most of us have gone through, but it was great to be able to participate a little in Monte’s first week as a missionary.
It also worked out really well to have all the FSY peeps away for the week, so that Monte could have a more peaceful experience!
I’m proud of you Monte, and I’m grateful that you have a sincere desire to be a faithful missionary! You’ve have begun an experience that has the power to change your life, and the lives of many others.
It was also a lot of fun to have Caleb, Cougar, and Owen join Troy and Quinn and I for the Fathers and Sons campout. This was Owen and Cougar’s first Fathers and Sons.
I do have to admit that I cheated a little and spent the night in the Tesla on a comfortable mattress with the car in “camp mode,” which means controlled temperature, and regular air flow.
Cooking dinner at Fathers and Sons