First real letter

Hello Everyone!!! May i just say that it has been a tiring, amazing, exciting, fun, and spiritual couple of days! The MTC is so intense but so fun! Dad you were right that the first night feels like you've been here for 5 days. Now i'm on my third day and it seems like I've been here for weeks! But it is such a blessing. I can't describe the feeling i get when i look down and see my badge that has "Elder Ballard" on it! I think of Dad, Austin, and Redge who have already served and am so grateful that i get to continue our missionary legacy! Once i got in the MTC everything felt fine, i just knew that this is where i'm meant to be! every time elders saw that we were new they would yell "Welcome to the MTC!". This is such a cool place and i can feel the sweet spirit here. It's just amazing that there are so many missionaries going all the time here! Let alone in 14 other MTC's around the world! I am so grateful that i was blessed to start out with a great companion! His name is Elder Leon and he's a super faithful guy! He's the first one in his family to go a mission even though he has three older brothers, which is such an expression of faith! He's 6' 3", has red hair, loves singing and being in drama. He has a really cool missionary story too! He was trying to prove the scriptures wrong because he was just sick of being on the edge and wanted to know that truth. So he got down on his knees and he prayed, and he said that every person in the world deserves to feel how he felt, which was the pure love of Christ. I can't wait to experience spiritual things everyday for the next two years! A mission is such a gift! I can already tell even though I've only been out for 2 and half days! My room mates are really cool. We have a really spiritual district, no trunkies or anything! :D So there are four of us who are going to the Ghana Accra Mission and the others are going to Arizona. The Names of the other 2 elders who are going to Ghana are Elder Whiting (yes mom that's sister Romney's nephew) and Elder Smith. Elder Whiting is super energetic and always happy. He has the exact same personality as Jared Barney which is kinda funny. Elder Smith was super intimidating the first day, because he is really stocky and has a tired face but turned out to be really spiritual and hilarious, (so the lesson there, is to not judge people!) he is also our district leader. The other Arizona elders are Elder Patteson, and Elder Ames. Elder Patteson is from Pocatello which was fun cause we got to talk about how good potatoes are and what not. Elder Ames is from Utah somewhere (just like Elder Whiting and Smith) but the first thing i thought when i first saw him is that he look exactly like Jason Gray on Studio C with glasses! He looks just like Jason does on the Dungeons and Dragons sketch because he has glasses and longish hair. Hopefully i can get a picture of my District back to you next week, the computer i am on cannot send pictures, so sorry about that. Oh also me and Elder Leon were appointed Zone Leaders which is really crazy but it will be good! It has been super fun seeing other elders who i know! I have seen 8 elders who i have gone to school with! It turns out that Elder Kauer's dutch class is literally right across from my classroom! There is a special feeling you get when you get to see your best friend while he has his missionary badge on the same time you do! When i said hi to him he couldn't stop smiling! So grateful we got to come here the same day! The other elders i have seen are Elders: Chandler Johnson, Mubarek Haws, Coulter Miller, Riley Olsen, Hayden Valora, Justin Ball, and Jacelyn Dorman! probably the best thing i felt so far is when the MTC presidency welcomed us and we sang "We'll Bring the World His Truth." Except this time when we sang it, instead of it saying "We will be the lords missionaries." we sang " We are now, the lord's missionaries." That hit me so hard that i am set apart as a servant of the lord and that i really am a missionary! Well, there's so many things that happened i just can't remember everything! Thanks for everyone else's pictures and for emailing me! Everyone's support means so much to me! I am so glad that i have the opportunity to be a missionary! There is no where else i would rather be! I know this church is true! It has felt as though my testimony has doubled in strength throughout these past few days! I love you all so much and i'm so grateful that i'm here! I know the church is true! I cannot deny it! Love, Elder Ballard