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 :)
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