Thanksgiving Day 2009

Date: Nov 26, 2009 12:05 PM
Dear Family,
To answer some of the questions of my mother:
Yes, I do have gym time every day. The weight lifting machines a very humble but slightly effective if used right. Mostly I just run and do pullups. Some people have accused me of being a ninja, gymnast, cage fighter, soccer player, and cross-country runner. But no one thinks I might be a swimmer! I mean really, the soccer one is especially getting old.

Yes I indeed got all my shots so that was fun. One of the nurses asked if I happened to be from Texas. Wondering if maybe the Spirit had spoken to her, I said yes. She then pulled out a foot long, massive, delicious looking, candy sucker in the shape of Texas. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

My room is almost the exact same as my dorm room at BYU was, with bunk beds. It’s ok. Not especially awesome but not horrible. The beds are quite uncomfortable though. We think it’s to prevent us from sleeping in.

Yes, I received all of the packages and letters that my family has sent me. I appreciate them so much it is slightly ridiculous. It feels like Christmas every time we go to the mail box to see if we got anything. Emails are cool, but I can only check them once a week. Letters can be read every day.

I would like to thank Aunt Susan for the wrap up of the AMA’s. It seems like people are a little crazy with Michael Jackson fever. Taylor Swift was obviously getting consolation prizes for the massacre with Kanye.

When I said in my last email that Elder Holland was coming to speak, I was wrong. It was actually Elder Oaks which is pretty much still super awesome. Today though, we had Elder Holland for our Thanksgiving Devotional. It was possibly the most powerful sermon I have ever heard in my life. The things he said spoke to me so personally it was other-worldly. I won’t go into details because there is faaaaar to much to put down.

Again, I’m having an amazing time at the MTC. I miss you all very much and happy Thanksgiving!!!!
Love,
Elder Cryer
PS: I can’t write/email people if I don’t have their addresses.

MTC address

Matthew Tyler Cryer
MTC Mailbox # 113
MAD-ANT 0120
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

If you type a letter (and they deliver it for free) on dearelder.com, you have to include some of this information:

The mailbox number - 113
Mission code - MAD ANT
Estimated MTC departure date - 0120

dearelder.com will deliver letters for free for Matt's entire mission - either to the MTC in Provo, Utah or to Madagascar (they send it by pouch mail for free)

One More Thing

Nov 24, 2009 6:25 PM
I hope that I wrote your address correctly on the last email. If not....I'll find out next Thursday! lol.

This is about DearElder.com. It is free and comes to me the day you send it. I thought it was lame but I know realize that is soooooo much easier. Tell everyone that. Please.

Also tell the family that I miss them so much. Not so much though that I'm homesick, I mean, I was chosen to go to Mad Ant ;D. We don't get homesick easy.

I can't think of anything else to say right now. I'm sure that in 10 minutes I'll want to add something but, ow well, it can't be helped
And yes, this is Elder Cryer's email lol

mcryer27@myldsmail.net

HEY IT'S ELDER CRYER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nov 24, 2009 4:12 PM
So I haven't had a P-Day and won't have one for another week. Thanksgiving and other stuff has conspired against us. I would have written home but only Brady is there so I wasn't sure what to do.

Anyways I'm having an awesome time in the MTC! I've learned tons of the language and am maybe a week a way from being able to have a simple Malagasy conversation. Isn't that cool?! Anyone who says that Malagasy is hard was lying (or didn't have the gift of tounges lol). It is really easy because the grammar is so simple. Yes, one word is extremely long and it takes forever to say anything, but once you memorize it is easy to speak.

I love my District. My companion is named Elder Simon Evans and he is from Bristol, England. Pretty cool huh? Then there is Elder Sender (my friend from BYU) and Elder Goff. Our District only has four people in it, which makes us the smallest District in the MTC with more than one person. We are in the hard and random tribal/island language zone. We've become really good friends with the Mongolians, the Indonesians, a girl who is going to Malaysia, and some people who are learning Fijian. People from all walks of life, but a suprising amount of Hawaiians.

I've learned a ridiculously large amount about the gospel already. What fun! Anyways I love you guys, and the food is pretty good!
Veloma with much love,
Elder Cryer

A very good place to start

It's back to Provo for our boy for a different type of education. Here's the address of the Missionary Training Center where Matthew will be for the next few months. Go ahead, write him a letter.... you know you want to.

Elder Matt Cryer
Madagascar Antananarivo Mission
Provo MTC
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604

His flight for Utah leaves in just a few hours. Hopefully he'll start packing soon :)