Empty Seas: Week Two

Second P-day! Time is finally starting to pick up, although it still feels so strange that an outside world exists. Whenever I see our teachers get out their cell phones I think "what madness is this? Technology? Is that from the future?" And the same with cars. It's really bizarre. And whenever we walk to the temple and see couples it's like "get your hands off of her! That's not allowed" I guess that's what immersion into the MTC does to you. Ha. Speaking of which, yesterday our DL Elder Johnson kind of tripped over me and he felt bad and instinctively gave me a hug, and then it was all awkward because that's definitely not allowed and it was in front of the whole district and our teacher so he felt even worse. Poor kid, but I thought it was hilarious.

Jessica Christensen from Logan came into the MTC this week and it was wonderful seeing her. I feel a little prideful because seeing all the new missionaries has made me feel all special for NOT being the new missionaries. There's something horribly wonderful about seeing all the new missionaries and giving them directions and feeling so cool for knowing all the tips and tricks about the MTC. Oh, I also saw (Elder) David Croney this week! I've been on a lookout for him since I knew he was here, but I also barely know what he looks like and I wasn't even sure if he'd know who I was. But the other day we were putting our stuff in the cubbies in the caf for dinner, and I turned around and saw a name tag that said "Elder Croney" and so we talked and stuff and I think he knew who I was. Either that or he was just really nice about it. 

To answer a couple of questions I've gotten.. We have a zone (that's basically our ward) and in our zone we have the capacity for 3 Branches (which is a class that all comes in and leaves on the same date). So we're district 35A, and then there's 35C which is about to leave next week and 35B just came in this last Wednesday. Each district has between 6-10 people in it.. In ours there are 5 elders and 4 hermanas, in the district that's leaving there are 10 or 11 elders, and then the new district has 2 sisters and 4 elders. We all have the same schedule and all are Spanish-speaking missionaries, and all have church/temple/everything else together. We're all sad about the district that's leaving, they've become really great friends it's going to be really quiet without them (they're all rather rambunctious..) Yesterday was the 23rd and my departure date is the 23rd of February. Wow! It's coming so fast!

We had an "investigator" that we taught four or five times, and then he became another one of our teachers. It was supposed to be a surprise, but everyone found out about it. He's AMAZING! both our teachers are great, but he's my favorite. So now we get two times a day with teachers, which is great because our district struggles with being productive without a teacher... So now Hmna White teaches us every afternoon (she didn't speak any Spanish before her mission and now she speaks like a native.. I have hope!) and then Hermano Norton teaches us either in the morning or night. We also have "TRC" (Teaching Resource Center) where we teach an investigator 2-3 times a week. Sometimes they have legitimate investigators or less actives, or sometimes they're converts, but you never know what yours is. It's HARD. Ours is named Rosi, and she's really quiet and hard to reach and every time I teach her I leave remembering that I actually DON'T know as much spanish as I sometimes think I do. There are more opportunities for being humbled here than anywhere else. It's incredible and painful. 

The first lesson that Hermano Norton taught us, he explained to us that the purpose of learning a language in the MTC isn't for us to leave being experts in the language, but for us to have a scaffolding and foundation that we can fill in once we are in the mission. That's a little scary, but also relieving. After what was said in my setting-apart blessing about learning the language, I almost expected it to be super easy and to leave knowing everything. That was a funny thought. Ha, that was funny. I know I'll get there, but it's definitely work and more work, and the progress is slow. But I am so thankful for my foundation in Spanish, and I really do feel like my comprehension has been expanded, at least when we're in the classroom. 

Here are some of the things I can do in Spanish so you all can be really impressed: I can introduce us/myself, I can conjugate just so well, (okay both of those things don't count.. I knew how to do them before I came). I can remember and pronounce the name of the Church without tripping all over myself (La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias), and I can correctly use Ser and Estar (the two forms of "to be") There are lots of other random things we've learned, like gerunds, and I can see progress. Yay! Maybe there's hope for me yet. I'm also memorizing lots of things, like the first vision and some scriptures, etc. 

M Russell Ballard spoke to the MTC on Tuesday and we got to sing in the Choir. The director of the choir is incredible - he always has funny and spiritual stories, and I love having a couple hours a week that I can do something other than classes and eating or showering. 'Cause that's pretty much all that we do. Anyway, Elder Ballard spoke about the apostasy and the reformers and about the restoration and about Joseph Smith. One of my favorite things he said was that we can't ever relate to the atonement because it's so far out of our comprehension, but we can imagine and try to relate to Joseph Smith, and in particular, think about his trials in Liberty Jail when we're feeling discouraged. This first week has definitely had discouraging moments, and a lot of pressure, so that was helpful to hear and think about. I will say that it's getting easier. Everyone says that if you can make it past the first week that you'll be fine, and I think there's definitely truth in that. 

I have no idea if this is available to the outside world, but if you can track down "the character of Christ" by Elder Bednar, watch it now! We all watched it last Sunday (Sunnday nights we get to watch talks or church videos), and it has changed my outlook on so many things. If it's NOT available, the premise is that the character of Christ is to turn outward when the natural man would turn inwardly. He also talked about if you want to really learn something in the gospel, you should get a copy of  the book of Mormon and read the whole thing marking things relating to that topic, and then write a summary of what you've learned at the end. 

All of the elders in our zone play 4-square during gym time, and we usually go to the weights gym. They finally talked is into going on Thursday since they're all leaving to Argentina on  Monday, and it was actually pretty fun. I also taught all my district about body language stuff and they ate it up. Oh, the entire MTC is going to Argentina I'm pretty sure. Okay, maybe not, but  90% of the Spanish-speaking missionaries I've met are going to Argentina, and that's not an exaggeration. I don't know if they're opening up new missions there or what, but it's crazy. I thought that would make Lucas happy though :)

We get service days twice a week, and this week I got to do "Ghost Busting," which is vacuuming the tile while wearing the vacuum on your back. Grant should be jealous. Also, Hermana Fowers cut a deal where I'll give her neck rubs when she gets headaches and she'll play with my hair and massage my hair (she's done hair school) and it's the best deal I've ever made. 

We get to do temple walks on Sunday afternoon, and we get to go to the temple on Saturdayafternoons, so if anyone wants to see me or drop me cookies... Jk. But it's fun to have the temple so close. Okay, I think that's all. I love and miss you all!

OH! One more story. I said in my last email how much I love Dear Elder and kind of selfishly thought I'd get lots. Well, I didn't get a single thing on Saturday or Sunday or Monday or Tuesday, and I was having a pity party with myself, and then Wednesday came and I had SO MANY LETTERS! I was so happy! I guess they don't print them on Sundays and Monday was a holiday (which we didn't figure out until the bookstore was closed) and they were probably back-logged so didn't print mine until Wednesday. So thanks for not forgetting me :)

Empty Seas: Week One

Hello!

I made it! I'm here, and it's wonderful. I was expecting the worst since I've heard horror stories about everything from angsty companions to gross food. I probably shouldn't advocate having low expectations, but in this case I have been happily surprised since I did. The first day here was incredible in a lot of ways. After being led around and collecting things until I thought I couldn't possible carry anything else, I was taken to my room and dropped it all off and then went to the classroom to meet our district and teacher. I didn't get one of the colored dots to tell people you're new. Everyone else had them, but for some reason I was left out of that tradition. :( although since I was surrounded by people wearing them I still got told "welcome to the MTC" many times. 

We met our teacher, Hermana White, and she only speaks to us in Spanish. THANK YOU, madre, for speaking to us in Spanish so often! One other elder and I have enough comprehension that we can understand what's going on most of the time, but the others are often clueless. Most have taken little or no Spanish, and I can't imagine how hard that would be! Hermana White will talk to us and then be like "si?" and the other missionaries just smile and nod, and then one of us who understands will translate and then they'll go "OH! okay." She's great and repeating and helping us learn, it just takes time to get used to it. 

We have four sisters and five elders in our district and it rocks socks. We all get along really well and we made district goals (of our own accord) and, when we're not crazy drained and exhausted, everything works well with the dynamics between us. We didn't get a district leader until Thursday night (he's the one who gets the mail), and so we didn't get mail until last night and it was SO great to have letters to read. I always heard missionaries say that letters were there salvation, but I didn't understand until now, and I'm sure I'll appreciate them even more when I've been in longer than four days. Ha. So Dear Elder away! Yesterday was our first day of the full 9 hours of study, and we were so drained and overwhelmed and exhausted by the end, and when we finally got our mail at 9:30 it was the best feeling to have letters to read. It was almost better than Christmas. Jk, not even close. But it was needed. Thank you to all who sent something. Those of you who didn't, "repent, therefore, of this thy wickedness." 

The first night here had a big group teaching experience, and I was about ready to strangle something. All of the new missionaries split into a few groups, and then in a group of 50 brand spanking new missionaries sat down and taught "investigators." They would have to experienced missionaries start the discussion, and then turn the time over to the rest of us to ask and answer questions. It was more than frustrating. 50 18/19 year olds who are so excited to teach the gospel trying to explain gospel principles was hilariously pathetic. They tried to cover every topic from the plan of salvation to the book of mormon to resurrection, and everything in between . Topics kept switching and left unfinished, and I'm sure if it had been a real investigator they would have thought we were idiotic. They probably did anyway, but were more understanding about it ;) It's hard because it's like simultaneously learning two languages; Spanish and the mission language. I didn't realize how difficult it is to actually teach the gospel; I have so much knowledge, but translating that simply for people unfamiliar with the church AND into Spanish is a joke. 

We have one other district in our Branch right now and it's all Elders, so there are like 15 elders and 4 sisters. I got asked to be STL and then the call was extended to my companion as well. :) Anyway, the other district is great - they teach us all the ropes, like coming to the laundry room early and eating and emailing there, and we all sit together at meals. I think they're all a little hermana-deprived, a couple in particular. They're great, though, and will always save seats for us by them at meals and they'll come in during their breaks and then the district leader will have to tell them to get out. It's funny. But they're super nice and chill and I love them all. 

We taught our first lesson to an investigator on Friday. In Spanish. Ha. If you'd like to know what it was like, imagine two gorillas trying to teach a giraffe how to climb a tree. Except Hermana Taukafa and I are probably less agile than gorillas, so it would be more like teaching a giraffe to struggle to climb a tree and still end up on the ground. Okay, it probably wasn't that bad, but it was pretty pathetic. We teach him again today, so we'll see how that goes! We also finally got gym time yesterday and it's so great! We went to the weight room, and nobody else was there, so I finally got to rejuvenate kind of. It was the closest to being alone that I've been since Tuesday. ;)

The food here is actually good, there are gross things every once in a while, but they have lots of options and lots of fruit, so I always and happy. No complaints :)

Our schedule is pretty simple. Wake up early, get ready, Breakfast, and then class time from 8:00-12 ish. Then we eat lunch, and then have instruction with our teacher from 2 ish to 5:30, and then dinner, and then class time from 6-9:30. We're supposed to follow the general schedule of an hour of personal study, and hour of companionship study, and then an hour of language study, with little breaks in between. We also will have regular gym time, but haven't so far since it's been the first week. Tow of the things that have been the most surprising is that we don't have as much personal study time as I expected. In the classroom we are pretty much studying things to teach our investigator and language, etc, and mornings/ evenings are pretty full with just getting ready for the day, etc. Oh speaking of which, these girls STRUGGLE! I love them so much, but they can not get up nor go to bed on time to save their lives. I'm sure it will get better, but that's been rough. I like to be punctual about those things, so I'm learning patience, while also trying to encourage obedience. We've started to have group prayer every night, prefaced by talking about what we've been grateful for that day and that's really built unity. We all get along really well and it's been cool to see those relationships develop.

My favorite part of the day is probably gym time, as it's the one time that we get a real mental break. It's getting to the point where I'm thinking about Spanish all the time. Last night I was struggling to sleep, and the whole time I just had Spanish words running through my head while I tried to remember what they meant and how to conjugate them, while being half asleep. Yikes. SO anyway, exercising is really great and gets my attention elsewhere. I also love our instruction time, because our teacher is great and we're learning a lot. 

My companion is hilarious. She says things like "do you reckon" and swears every once in a while (since certain swear words aren't swear words in Australia). Like, we'll be in the bookstore and realize we don't have our wallets and she'll swear and not realize it. Maybe I shouldn't think that's funny, but it makes me laugh since of all the places to swear, the MTC is probably the last place to do so. 

Wow, this has turned into a novel! We learned how to work the system to get the most of our email time, and our Branch President doesn't really care how much time we spend on email as long as it doesn't cut into our day (hence the waking up early for laundry). I'm sure there's lots more I could tell you, but you probably are overwhelmed by this already so I'll wrap up.

I'm so happy here! It's really hard, but I've always liked a good challenge. It's like being in college, but better in a lot of ways. There aren't any RA"s in the dorms, so the girls just all have to behave and monitor themselves - and they do! It's weird because we're so completely responsible for ourselves, and we're just expected and trusted to make good use of our time. And we get to learn and study all the time, and we work hard, and that's when I'm happiest so it's just perfect. 

I love you all!

Love,

Hermana Reynolds