Letter #3: January 28, 2010

Deanna received a hand written letter the day after we received Cory's email.  Here is most of what he wrote:

Dear Deanna,
        Today is my prep day so I can write letters :) The MTC is good. It was very tough the first 2 or 3 days but after you get on a normal schedule it's way better :) so today is Thursday and yesterday we had new missionaries come in so I am not a newbie anymore. My room fits 4 Elders including me. Um it's kinda small but it's not that bad. There are 2 bunk beds and I am on the top of one. I love the people I room with even if they are all going to Calgary, Canada. The food here is good....like the first 2 days, then it kinda gets old because everything they make is fried. Oh tell Mom I have been sure to eat a salad every meal (except for breakfast, I have a banana) so tell her I keep her in mind to have something healthy all the time. The activities in the gym are fun. You can weight lift, run, play volleyball and basketball, and the most intense sport of all played at the MTC (also the most injuries too...I found that out from when I went to talk to a doctor after I got hurt doing something stupid)...4 Square! HaHa I am not joking, after 2 days of playing basketball I decided to try out 4 Square. It is so much fun! I have earned the respect of my ZL's (zone leaders) speaking of which, one of my ZL's, Elder Zuniga, looks like Taylor Lautner..to me anyway. Others say he looks like Aladdin but whatever.


My schedule goes something like this, for Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri, and Sat.


6:30am: Arise and prepare
7:00am: Classroom Instruction
7:30am: Breakfast
8:00am: TRC (Training Resource Center [That is where volunteers come in, so helpful!])
12:00pm: Lunch
1:10pm: Gym
2:30pm: Classroom Instruction
5:00pm: Dinner
5:45pm: Classroom Instruction
9:00pm: Daily Planning Session
9:30pm: Review Days Activities/Companionship Prayer
10:15pm: Quiet Time
10:30pm: Lights Out.  


Varies day to day. For example, Monday morning we have a service assignment, Tuesday night we have a devotional, etc.  Thursday is my Prep day so we go to the temple in the morning, have free time, do laundry and then we don't have anything until 5:45pm which is class until 9pm.  Then Sunday there is Priesthood meeting, Sacrament meeting, District meeting, Devotional, Fireside and Film.
 
Keep sending packages please, like seriously it is like a Christmas present but way better! I liked the food sent and I did share :)  
 
Please tell everyone that I can only e-mail family so they need to write me or something. Keep me updated! I love you!
                                                     Elder Barton

Letter #2: January 28, 2010

First letter we received via email:

Hello Barton Family! So today is my Prep. Day and I get to set up my e-mail today and write some e-mails. so yeah my e-mail is Cory.J.Barton.THM@myldsmail.net just for future references. So how is the family? What is everyone up to? Oh well I guess I should tell you this but um on Tuesday I made a trip to the doctor's office here at the MTC because I did something really stupid (I think I will leave out on what I did but I took a picture of the scene of the accident so I will send that to you and have y'all use your imagination) But I basically messed up my knee and foot. I wasn't going to see the doctor but while in class I had a sharp pain in my left foot so I decided to go to the health clinic just to have a nurse look at it but then she said that the doctor should look at it so I was like great..... Then he took a look at it and felt it and said that I should get x-rays of my foot but I was like it can't be that bad but when I looked at my foot it was HUGE!!!! and starting to bruise..... SO I went on splits with Elder Whiting to take a shuttle to the Student Health Clinic to go get some x-rays. While there the news was on so Elder Whiting and I were trying to soak up as much news as we could while we were there. I got the x-rays taken and then I took a shuttle back to the MTC to go talk to the doctor. He said that nothing was broken (woot!) but that I should stay off of it so I am on crutches :) I know mom that your super proud of me! So yeah WHATS NEW?!?! Oh also companion update there is a sister in my zone who had her gall bladder taken out and she was suppose to leave yesterday but know she won't leave until 2 weeks so she is now with Elder Farnsworth and I. Oh also another girl in my zone had bunion surgery yesterday and is in a wheel chair. The girls in my zone are just getting taken out! But I am doing laundry as we speak so you can know I am trying to stay on top of things :) Well I run out of things to say so write back ok :)  
                           -Elder Barton aka Elder Awesome

Letter #1: January 21, 2010

Dear Barton Family,
           Elder Barton reporting :) So I can now say I survived the first day at the MTC! WOOT! So basically the check-in process was such a hurry! Felt like the floor under my feet was moving I was just going all over this complex! I am still confused what happened, but Hey I made it :) Oh guess who I ran into while I was running all over... Elder Sandridge! It was his first day too! So we talked and caught up on things so that was cool. AH! I have so little time to write! But I promise I will do better when things start to click. Oh my district! So there are 9 elders including me. 6 of us are going to Houston and the other 3 are going to Calgary Canada. Those 3 elders happen to be my roommates! The lone Texan surrounded by these Canadians. So that means you guessed it, my companion is going to Canada. His name is Elder Farnsworth and he is from Arizona. Pretty cool eh? And the other two Elders are Elder Reese and Elder Whiting. And guess where Elder Whiting is from...TA DA! Mapleton! Turns out we know each other from high school. Cool huh, it's a small world here at the MTC, but I love it here already. Everyone here is so happy and high on the spirit! Why was I so nervous? Anyway, I should go so I can have time to write in my journal! Well I love y'all and write me back soon! I miss y'all already!
My mailing address says my estimated departure date is Feb. 10th so yeah :)
                                   Your Missionary-In-Training,
                                               Elder Barton

Day 1

So today was the official day! Last night at around 6:45 PM, Cory was set apart as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We were all so overwhelmed but very excited for the adventure ahead for Cory and us as well.

All the packing was done last night and who knows if Cory got any sleep. Today was the official day to say our goodbyes and to let Cory start his adventure on preparing to serve the Lord and his children. At around 1 PM, Cory was dropped off at the Provo,UT MTC by his family. It was so cool to see all the missionaries outside to greet everyone and all those who were entering the MTC with Cory that day. We got our last minute pictures before we left and also while we were there and then said our goodbyes. Of course it was hard and there were tears shed, but in the long run we are so excited to see what is in store for Cory. All of this we would not have any other way and we know that Cory is going to grow through the gospel he is about to teach to those in Houston,TX. We are excited for the first letter he will write to us and to hear about the experiences that are just beginning for the next 2 years!