So I'm here at the MTC! It's been a very long week but the Spirit is great here and I have so much to tell and so little time. The drop off of missionaries is very systematic and orderly. They take a picture of you and put it on an ID card that you have to carry everywhere with you and swipe at every single door of every single building to get in. The security here makes me feel like I'm in a prison. I've already run into about 20 people I know here! You meet in a small classroom every single day for classes, study time, and investigator teaching. The people in the class with you are your district. There are nine of us in my district. I have two companions, Sister Mapu and Sister Aebischer. Sister A is from Riverside in the Jurupa 2nd ward!! My companions are going to Jackson, Mississippi. Five of the six elders in my district are going to Nashville! The other elder is going to the West Indies and he leaves next week! We have two teachers, Brother Gruninger and Brother Hepworth. They are AWESOME. Brother Hepworth was in all the District Preach My Gospel Movies so he really knows his stuff.
Every single minute of our day is scheduled. We get up at 6:30, have daily planning, personal study, companionship study, and teaching, and either one or two 3-hour blocks of classes, and somewhere in there we eat. The way we learn is we teach our TEACHERS as if they are investigators. They each take on a roll of someone they know/taught, and over three weeks we teach them different lessons. We are also investigators and we teach at the TRC. That is crazy.
The funniest part to me was on the first day, people kept poking their head into our room because we were new and talking to us. They started going off and giving us advice (unsolicited), and went on and on. Then we'd ask, "So, how long have you been here?" "One week!" They reply. I'm going to be honest, it's a bit annoying. I promised myself I would not be that missionary. The hardest part is being exactly obedient, not because I don't want to, but because not everyone around me is. It's hard to be in bed by 10:30 and on time to everything when the rest of your district and your zone leaders don't take it seriously. I actually hit a wall on days 3 and 4 because I was teaching everything I knew, bearing my whole testimony, and it wasn't enough. It was difficult. But I learned that I will learn little by little and I need to be patient with myself.
Okay, everyone wants to know about the food. The main options they give you are super unhealthy, but you can ALWAYS find something good to eat. It's hard though because they offer you dessert at every meal and dinner is REALLY early. But I'm staying strong. My highlights are Gym time. We have 50 minutes to do whatever we want and we dont have to stay with our companion (the only time of day). I have been running a lot! Sundays missionaries do a temple walk and take pictures. I wish I could send some but you'll have to wait until I get to Nashville. Sundays are the best because it's a day for self nourishment spiritually, so you can focus on your own growth.
Sunday night we have movie night, and we watched the Joseph Smith movie. Imagine yourself being in a room full of hundreds of 19-year old boys who start cat-calling when Joseph kisses Emma. WOW. Haha but these elders are incredible. They have strong testimonies and will do amazing things. I love wearing a name tag every day with Jesus Christ's name on it. It's still weird and I'm getting used to it, but I LOVE being a missionary. Write me a letter!
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