MTC Week 2

Mommy!! ij iakwe eok (i love you),

I am an Elder, but I am your little boy before anything else. Don't forget that. So call me Dallin as much as your heart desires :) Macey sounds like she had a rough week. I hope her ipod still works.. kinda sad I don’t remember what an ipod even is... LOLz just kidding. If it helps, she can have my laptop, playbook, and my ipod. I hope she is happy. It’s funny you bring up the scriptures and how they helped her. I know for a fact if you need help with something, turning to the scriptures in the best thing that you can do. You guys are witnesses of that. Give her a bunch of hugs and kisses for me! We  got pretty close before I left and I wish we could have been closer! I can’t wait to come home when she will be dating boiiis :) I will be able to yell at them in kajin majol... except it’s such a beautiful language that Tanner might have to yell in Czech for me... haha

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SENDING THAT HAT. I wrote you a letter today about it because Elder Lutu has always dreamed about having a hat like that, and he honestly thanks me every time he sees me... which is like every moment of the day. He loves you. He wants to give you the biggest hug in the world. I seriously wanted to cry I was just so overwhelmed and I’m not a crier either.. so thats a big deal. Every time he talks = I’m laughing... ALOT. That package was wonderful. Thank you so much for caring about me and my friend. These guys are amazing and I honestly have the best district in the world I couldn’t ask for any better people. I have got a ton of letters on dear elder. It’s amazing. I wish I could respond to them faster!! My friends are taking care of me. Geoff Francis writes me religiously and its seriously the best thing in the world! and so does Dad - those small things mean the world to me.

I have actually been eating pretty healthy here.. except for pizza days... papa johns sure knows how to make a pizza :) in 4 weeks I will be heading out to paradise!!! Our expected date to leave is the 25th. We don’t have our travel information, but that is the date that they say we are leaving so I would expect that date... and I will have a TON of layovers so we will be able to talk for quite a while!!

I’m sure you can talk to Conner about downloading and printing some pics off of fb. He knows how to do it and the more pictures the better. They want us to take them to the islands so we can show people about America and our lives as regular people! (and I would like them too!!) The pics you sent me are great I just wish I had more! I write in my journal every night and I’m really changing into the missionary schedule. Going to bed early was hard at first but every day I am exhausted.... waking up isn’t too bad either. When you have 3 other guys in your room you learn to do it pretty fast!! I woke up at 5 today to do my laundry! I wish I would have had a better knowledge of the scriptures and taken seminary more seriously and memorized scripture masteries and read and studied preach my gospel. Oh well, I will learn!!

I will be looking for David in the next few days!! Enjoy the pics! The one of me doing a backflip, have Conner post that to my Facebook!! I love you. ij iakwe eok

Until next week, Elder Ingalls (3.0)

PS I love you

Tanner picked him up form the airport and his buddies were there to see him off!

With his companion and two roommates

Writing a letter to me! MOM

Ready to get out of there and start serving!

His official name tag! So cool!

Trip to the temple on P Day

With his companion for the traditional MAP picture that all the missionaries take!

Elder Futu gets a new hat!

Defying gravity?

There are no words.....

My superhero (and his companion!)

Quite the size difference between them, huh?

"Look Mom, I've got a little Moroni in my hand!"

HHHHEEEELLLLPPPP!!!!

Of course the Minnesota boy makes a snowman in his hand!

Hawaiian leis and snow - what a combo!

Iakwe Mommy!! - MTC Week 1

Iakwe Mommy!!
ijela bwe baamle ro indeeo (i know that families are eternal)

Sorry I wasn't able to email you a ton yesterday I just wanted to get those emails so I can talk to everyone!! I'm spending basically the whole 30 minutes on your email today!! There isn't really a timer persay about email so I really have to be on my honor. It's going to be hard because I have so much to say. So for the time being, please excuse my horrible grammar and punctuation... If I dont worry about it, I can write more and you will understand just fine. But, if you could, maybe help me out a bit so everyone on my blog and facebook doesnt think I am a complete idiot.. haha

The MTC is awesome!! I love it here and I am growing so much in the gospel and Marshallese. It is a beautiful language and I love it. It is nothing like anything I have ever heard before!! The second day I was here, my companion Elder Michelson and I had to teach an investigator (Laddy Mea) in 100% Marshallese.. Wow, that was scary but we have taught him every day since and it is super fun to see what we know and what we can understand!! Let's just say I have said ALOT of prayers about it and praying to have strength and the spirit in the lessons. I have learned more in my time at the MTC about the gospel and the language than any other time in my life. It's crazy, it goes EFY - pretty good spiritual experience, BYU - even bigger spiritual experience then MTC - HUGE spiritual experience!! I love it! I forgot my camera in my room butIi might be able to come back down and email you home some pictures. They are awesome.

Answering your questions:
Who is your companion and where is he from? Do you like him? - My companion is Elder Michelson and I LOVE HIM!!! He is awesome and we really get along well! He is from Calgary Canada, eh? haha I know I am going to learn a lot from him and he is really good at picking up the language. I room with two other guys, one Elder Lutu and he is from Fiji!!! He is amazing and has such a strong testimony. I also room with Elder Seve from Samoa. He claims he is dating this 16 year old girl he met like once at the airport and that he is going to get married to her... best of luck to him!! There are two other guys in my district. Elder Mendivil, who is 20 and reminds me completely of David Lehman!! It's nuts. He played football for a year in college at U of Utah and is on his mission now. He is 20 and is JACKED. He is the David Lehman of our zone. He is fun to lift with because he knows what hes doing and he pushes me.

How many guys are there that are going to your same mission? - read above ;) but of us 6, M and D are going to Spokane Washington - marshallese speaking. The rest of us are going to the marshall islands.

Do you like your teachers? Do they speak Marshallese? How much do they speak it to you? I have 2 teachers. One served in Oklahoma - marshallese speaking and one served in the islands. I love them both and they speaking it probably about 75% of the time to me.

When is pday and how often do you get free time and time to work out? My p-day is on Tuesday and I get gym time for an hour about every day which I use to lift.

Have you been to the temple yet?  I go to the temple on p-days, so today at about 9am! I'm PUMPED

Do you have bedding? It never said to send a pillow and blankets so I wondered about that! They gave me some stuff but you know me, I like 50 blankets and 30 pillows so its not enough... speaking of that.. We planned and packed for me to go to the islands... never did we think about me living in this cold land for 6 weeks.. i need a crew neck fast!! and a hat and maybe gloves?

How is the food? Do you like it? The food is great!! I think I was inspired to not eat alot of the cannon center while I was at BYU so I would like it more here!! I like it, but I feel like it is going to get old. I am trying to eat healthy though, but lets be honest... no veggies... EVER.

Have you been writing in your journal? i write in my journal all the time. I seriously wanna write everything down!!!

Things to do/know:
1. We are the 3rd district to ever learn Marshallese in the MTC!
2. "A missionary gives up being with his family for 2 years so other families can be together forever" I seriously love that!
3. The islands have more members than we do in Minnesota... the districts are a mile long and there are about 30 missionaries on Majuro atoll. The island is about 35 miles around and 200 feet wide!! The island has HUGE spiders that you wouldnt even believe!! I'm scared.
4. Elder Seve sings 24/7..... its good most of the time..
5. The first of anything is hard.
6. The MTC has about 2000 missionaries now, but by summer they will have close to 8000..... and I already think its packed so I'm glad I will be gone!!
7. No visa information, but we're expected to leave on the 25th of February
 8. Print and send a ton of pictures off of FB!! The more the better, just go on my wall pix where I am tagged and download them, then print them off!! I want to show them to my companions!! They are so humble and come from great backgrounds.
 9. Yesterday Elder Seve said a prayer and said, "jeram" (girlfriend) instead "jerammon" (blessings) ... so he thanks Heavenly Father for his girlfriend... HAHAHAHA it was awesome!!!!! We were laughing for ever!!!!!

ijela bwe bok in mormon eo emool im ijela bwe jisos kraist eo ej nejim anij. ij iakwe koj. Well I'm over time and I love you!!

I'll be right back!!

Elder Ingalls (3.0)

Ij iakwe euk!

Dallin's first words in his new language - sent to me in an email today!
He said, "I love you!" How sweet!

Write to Dallin for free in the MTC!!

He is not at this address anymore!!! Please use the one in the top right corner. Thank you! Dallin's MOM

If you would like to write to Dallin for free while he's in the MTC, use this website:

http://www.dearelder.com/index/inc_name/home

You don't even need to register or anything! Just use the link on the side that says MTC (Free).
It will ask for your typical letter information and his address info, which is:

Elder Dallin Ingalls
MTC Box #: 149
MTC code: MRI-MAJ
Est. Departure Date: 0226

Today's the day!

Last night Dallin was set apart as a missionary! It was a really neat experience. We went to the office of the Stake President as a family and we each got to tell Dallin how we felt about this experience. I couldn't help but getting a little choked up at the thought of two long years! I will miss him, that's for sure, but how could I deny him the opportunity of a lifetime? The Lord has chosen him and he has answered the call to serve the people of the Marshall Islands. I know that he will be blessed in all his endeavors to serve - in whatever capacity that may be. I am grateful for the chance to write letters to him for the next two years and hear of his many adventures! I hope you enjoy the experience too.

 

One week to go

My son, Dallin will be leaving for the Marshall Islands Majuro Mission in exactly one week! I am so excited for him and for the adventure he is approaching. Soon he will be Elder Ingalls (3) as in the third son to serve a mission.

Technically, he's isn't the third Elder Ingalls, but the fifth!
1. Elder Richard Ingalls served a mission in Lisbon Portugal
2. Elder Parker Ingalls is serving a mission in heaven
3. Elder Tanner Ingalls served a mission in Prague Czech Republic
4. Elder Logan Ingalls is serving a mission in Stockholm Sweden
5. Elder Dallin Ingalls will serve in the Marshall Islands!

We are so happy for the blessings that we know will come from serving the Lord and sharing the gospel with the people of these countries. I know that Heavenly Father loves me and is watching over me every day. He knows me and knows my needs. I am grateful that He is there to hear and answer my prayers and I know that I can receive answers through the scriptures. I love the Book of Mormon - I testify that it is true. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I am going to try to keep up with posting Elder Ingalls letters home and keep everyone updated on life in the Marshall Islands.

See you again in a week!