Hola mi familia,
I am loving the MTC. The Spirit of the nearly 2500 missionaries is so incredible. My companions name is Elder Brenden Larsen. He is from Preston, Idaho and he is a great guy. We are in a room with two other Elders who are going to Veracruz, Mexico. One is named Elder Vaughan and he is from Denver, Colorado and his companion's name is Elder Knight. Elder Knight is from Provo, Utah. I am in a district of 12 elders. 10 of the elders are going to the Mexico, Veracruz mission. My companion Elder Larsen and I are the only two missionaries not going to the mission in Mexico. Elder Larsen is also going to the Lima Central mission in Peru. The rest of our district is going to be in the Provo MTC for 9 weeks even though Elder Larsen and I will be leaving in 3. Being in the MTC is incredibly hard work. We study for hours with our only breaks being meals, but the spirit has made it so studying isn't too difficult to keep doing. It helps that everything we are learning is something I want to learn. We are learning about the gospel in English right now while we learn enough Spanish to begin to learn the gospel in Spanish. Elder Vaughan had a couple years of Spanish before his mission, but even he has said we are past what he learned in two years of school. The Spanish learning is incredible. It is amazing how much the Spirit can help us comprehend the language. In the first four days we have already learned how to pray (orar), to testify (testificar) and to make a street contact. When we make street contacts to other Elders I still do a lot of reading off the page, but it is getting a little easier every day. It sounds like life has been interesting and hot at home. Im glad that my siblings are having a good time this summer and that you haven't had any problems with Adam and John being at the house. Im so happy to be here and I miss not being able to call my family, but the Spirit is so incredible, and we stay so busy that I usually don't think about much other than the mission. We have been instructed to do all our prayers in Spanish to help us learn, and unless we are in a large devotional we sing all our songs in Spanish. (I didn't actually need an English Hymnbook). I am so glad to hear from you.
It will be easier for me if you can write me letters through Dear Elder instead of e-mails. We only can be on the e-mail for 30 minutes so I don't have time to read your e-mails on the computer so I have to print them off. It costs me 7 cents a page to print them off, and Dear Elder is free for you and for me and it is same day just like e-mail. You may also be able to use Dear Elder to send me letters while I am in the Peru MTC. If there are problems and it won't work then that is okay. Just let me know in the next e-mail. My departure date is August 11. We have learned a lot over the past few days, but the things I have learned the most are that obedience is key for missionaries. Missionaries are called of God. Our Heavenly Father loves us. (Padre Celestial ama nuestro.) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true. ( La Iglesia De Jesucristo De Los Santos De Los Ultimos Dias es verdadero.) I know all the things I have just said are true, and I know that Jesus Christ is the son of God, our Savior, and our Redeemer. (Se que Jesucristo es el Hijo de Dios, el Salvador, y el Redentor.)
I love you all,

Tyler

Want to write me? Please?

Provo MTC address:

Elder Tyler Wyatt Rasmussen

MTC Mailbox #342

PER-LIMC 0922

2005 N 900 E

Provo, UT 84604-1793

I will be in the Provo MTC for 3 weeks so by mid-August I will be in Peru. When I am in Peru there will be two different ways you can mail letters to me but they both have to be done without mistakes or the letters won't get to me.

Peru letters and packages:

If you want to send me a letter or a package through regular mail you can send it to:

Tyler Wyatt Rasmussen

Av. Jorge Basadre 592 Of. 604-B

San Isidro, Lima 27 PERU

If you want to write letters this way they need to go through the US Postal Service. Packages should not be sent through UPS or other alternate methods. They may not get to me and if they do I will charged a large fee to receive them. Letters need to be addressed to exactly that address. Do not put Elder or my mission on the letter. If my name is not the same name on my passport I won't get the letter.

Peru pouch mail:

If you want to send me mail through the pouch system send it to:

Elder Tyler Wyatt Rasmussen

Peru Lima Central Mission

PO Box 30150

Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0150

To send pouch mail there can only be one sheet of paper. You tri-fold it and tape it closed and put a stamp right on the paper without an envelope.

Pouch mail is sent by the letters going to Salt Lake and then the church sends them the rest of the way. This is the way I suggest to write. It will cost less on postage and it will have a better chance of getting to me.

Blog introduction

Hey everybody, I am getting ready for my mission. I leave on Wednesday and I am so excited. :) This blog is here for all of those who have any interest in how my mission is going. My mom or my sister will be posting my letter to my family from every week on this blog. It will be consistent for at least three weeks, and then I'm not sure if i will be e-mailing my family or writing letters. So they could arrive at weird times. I will also be adding my address for writing me on my mission.