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
