MTC week 3

Hello! kumoosa!

ok I wrote some notes over the week and I’ll start with them.

I think I got like 30 letters this week, that’s a lot I think. Also I received 5 stories; those were cool.

to John and family - That is nice that Isaac is saying rad stuff. and that zora is becoming an awesome artist. Hi ZORA!

to LarryD and family - Thanks for all the notes. Spencer... did you just say 'Dear Fishhead, From Spencer"?

And Derek I am glad there are not 6,000,000,000,000 stinks and only 6.

um, to answer a couple things. I’ll try not to die, Or turn into an elephant, when I come back, or while I am here. I even try not to turn into a giraffe.

Apparently It’s good to bring your passport to the MTC with you. Not leave it at home. I got them to call you mom, and I got a message that you sent it, but it never came to me. I hope you sent it somewhere else.

Sherry’s having a baby? I got a notice written on a box of mike n ikes. Yep.

to Lucy- no, I don’t know where you iPod is. Got to remember I haven’t been home for almost a month now. But I do remember using it with you on that run. I would have put it on the counter, or gave it to Heidi... good luck ha-ha

Grandpa D- My companion said that you traveling to Melville island were pretty cool. He didn’t know everything about it, but he was impressed.

oh, Sorry if I complain too much I get packages. Although I probably won’t eat all of that, Packages are always good.

So I have been reading in the Acts, during some of my free time, One thing that I thought was pretty cool, was acts 12:3-11. I wrote next to it, "pretty sweet escape"

um,Tagalog is wack. Um, I guess I’ll send a word or two that you guys can use. o-o means yes, Hindi means no, kumusta mean how are you, mabuiti means good. Also too-big means water. I’ll send some more later.

I guess I could tell you about my companion some more. He is 26, from Melbourne Australia. He talks a lot... well he likes to tell stories. um, he says lots of cool stuff, which I am picking up on a little.

like PowerPoint is an outlet,

and it’s not sunglasses, its sunnys.

runners - tennis shoes

and some other stuff too.

um, he is an engineer of some sort. electrical I think? he had a job as a programmer/chip builder/tester/everything else of some safety equipment for cars. I think his main thing he worked on a ton, was for a forklift. So like ... I don’t know but it was pretty cool. computer controlled the ignite, and speed, and stuff. so people don’t run into each other and die.

yah. ummm For a while I was thinking that me and my companion were really bad a teaching. I see how the companion was the hardest part, as a lot of the time, we wouldn’t mesh well at all. and other stuff like that. um, but then I realized when another group was teaching us (a practice thing), that we were actually better than they were. I feel good about that now. Maybe that’s not the best way to feel good, by thinking other people stink. oh well.

tagalog is coming along. I guess. Just got to practice more on my own. Still, I do realize when I get out there, I learn a ton, so I am not worried about it too much.

Someone was asking about what my class was like. In class we will ether work on tagalog, or preach my gospel. In preach my gospel times, we talk about different things that are in there and ways they can help, or writing lesson plans (or just ideas for them), or teaching each other.

every Thursday, I have a ... something. It’s were we get time to really use our tagalog and teaching. volunteers will come in and we do a 15 minute (or 2- 7 minute) taglog talking thing. Like this week we are to ask about their family, tell about ours, ask them to get on the bus, ask them if they rad the scriptures/or prayed. follow up on the commitments. ect. After that we will be teaching the 2nd lesson the plan of salvation. English this time. In 2 weeks, we will be doing our teaching part in tagalog... that’s going to be tough.

uh, on Mondays (today) I get to go to the temple, and write letters. that was pretty cool. another companionship, wanted us to come with them, and we got up at 5:45 to an earlier session. ouch. oh well. It’s actually not that bad getting up early now.

Um, well today 15 tagalog elders (from our zone) leave to the field, and we get 10 more this Wednesday. That might mean someone might join our bedroom, (and in which I will have to clean up all my stuff, because we are just all over the room).

um 2 minutes left.

uh I am doing good, always pretty busy. I hear that BYU school starts within a week(I think), so that will be weird, knowing that Heidi will be like 3 blocks away. I hear the bell tower from the MTC, which was right next to heritage building(my last apt).\

oh well Things are doing good, thanks for all the letters

Luke

MTC- week 2

Date: Mon, Aug 16, 2010 at 12:25 PM

I have been doing well here at the MTC, and I'll try to make this letter a little more logical.

Um, the first couple of days were like weeks, but now time has seemed to pick back up. It is exactly like sherry said, the days are like weeks and the weeks are like days.

Um, but things have going back to normal. I talk to my companion about any and every thought, mostly random stuff like why I think the ...err I don’t know right now, but I guess it’s alright, because he talks a ton. (Its actually pretty funny, if I have time ill expand on it).

Things that I have come up with, that I tell my companion/ ideas I have. I get mail every day, but I only read it at night. Some nights I get more, some I get less. I only write letters on Monday. So I take the amount of letters I have and divided it by the amount of days tell Monday, and that way I have mail every day. Yep, I think I am the only one here that does that.

Ummmm Oh! They have potato cookies here! I am fairly sure. The cookie tasted just like my potato cookie (just a little bit more editable). After I get back, I’ll have to rethink my design and try to compete with them. (They don’t have real potatoes in them, maybe none at all). Kind of like Edison, I'll probably soon say, "I have not failed, I have just made 10,000 cookies that aren't editable.

Ummmmm the dearelder.com letters have been getting here the same day if it’s the morning I know a couple people were asking. (On the other hand paper mail is cool, and I have my little mail system anyways... so it’s not much different.)

I am going to do some laundry/lunch, read over a couple letters and finish later.

----------

Mmmm cinnamon rolls and curly fries. Lunch here isn’t too bad.

Ok, well ill try to fit all I want in this time.

Apparently when I typed the first part, I found a glitch, where I can stop the clock, but I probably shouldn’t do that. I know how they can fix that... meh. I still don’t have much time in the day to write letters and stuff though.

About my MTC experience so far... it's kind of like this story I read one time (I think it was the first book I ever read)

There were 100 ants walking to a picnic in a single file line. Someone comes up with an idea, to make 2- 50 ant lines. Then again to 4-25, 10-10 ant lines. Anyways by the time they get to the picnic food, other bugs already ate the food up.

I am in that story. I am the ant that is all mad at the main ant who thinks he's all smart and keeps changing the lines so we lose all our time. Ha-ha it’s not that bad, but sometimes it is. We are all new here, and they want us to lead each other all the time.

Like for studying, they just give you a couple hours (we have class too). It’s so hard to actually figure out what you should study because I have soooo much stuff to look through. Also I have learned that I now know enough, that I actually know I know nothing about Tagalog (that’s good, that one step before knowing slightly anything).

Ok to sherry-- the blog thing sound good, you can do that if you want.

Heidi - ok, so Tagalog is wack. I know you are thinking "wiggidy wack?” (Me) Yes, wiggidy wack not regular type. I found a quote that pretty much says that Tagalog is backwards from English. Like Yoda. There is a special thing you can do, that “inverts the sentence structure, to make it like English. Like "I am strong", instead of "strong I am". ... But most people don’t use that, so we can’t... Grrrrr.

Um, also Heidi you shouldn’t be scared of your reflection... hahahah. I guess new hair might do that hahah

Um also, gym is cool. We only get about 30-45, minuets (I don’t actually know I forgot), usually I play Frisbee or sand volleyball.

Oh cool story about gym. I was playing Frisbee and one hit me in the head, and I started bleeding. It was pretty sweet. Well it hit my ear. And my glasses were on, and it cut my ear pretty good.

Um, alsoooo thanks for getting me a snow cone ... but you never sent it to me. ..Haha well we can actually get as most popsicles (or in AUS: iceypoles) during lunch in a freezer they have. But they don’t have the SpongeBob ones :/

Again Heidi’s Q, um having our own room is nice. Most don’t. One bad thing is we don’t have anyone to complain, so we don’t do well on the inspections. (Still, we aren’t in our room all that much anyways)

Andy- you had braces?

John- First, you can’t send me a Dear John letter... that doesn’t work.

About the SYL (speak your lang.) I do a little. Not a ton. But lots of people tell me stuff in French all the time. I have no idea. I should make up words; I would sound so much smarter.

I might also make up rumors... but I still not sure if that would be the best idea ever.

Um, stalkers? Occasionally.

Nerf balls? Yes. In the hall every night. But what’s really funny, is one I heard from another missionary. I guess every night, the guy above him, bounces a ball till 1 am. Hahahha.

I have been getting letters from heaps (that’s AUS) of people. Haha. Umm yah. From a lot of people I didn’t expect too, thanks. I don’t know if I’ll have to time to write back to everyone though.
Apparently lots of people talked about cookies, and how good my spelling was last time. I know it’s the best.

Uh, mom I don’t really need you to send anything, I am actually going to have to drop 10-20 pounds of stuff I think.

If you want to give me cookies, or candy or something, just tell me that you want to get it for me in a letter, and then I’ll buy it here for you, and then eat it. It’s really cheap here. 40% off everything because I am a missionary.

Um oh if any of you know Ben Snow or Elder Snow now, I saw him yesterday that was cool. He must have got here 4 days ago or so.

Life’s not too bad here, lots of work, but time is really starting to go by fast. Lots to study.

Some people like to describe the MTC as boot camp. .. It is except any sort of physical activity. And yelling. Only talking nice to each other. Hhaahahaha.

Well I have been reading in the bible lately in my free time (/study time). I just finished Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I had some scriptures I was going to share but there are in my other notebook.

Also I had some cool analogy’s having to do with jell, or ...uhhhh I can’t remember now. I’ll have to write them down if I remember.

Well, I differently know while studying the scriptures and things your testimony really grows. I want to say it in Tagalog, but I am getting low on time.

I have a testimony of the scriptures that, they have the word of God in them, and that we can grow closer to Him, with them.

I know that the sprit can testify to you, when you are reading, or bearing testimony to others. Or praying too.

Uh, (blinking red numbers distract me), um I know that Christ is our savior.

Uhhh 2g bye

Luke's first letter from the MTC

Date: Mon, Aug 9, 2010 at 11:57 AM

First Letter

Hey, I get 30 minutes of email time... so I’ll try to make it quick.

Questions

What were your thoughts as you entered the MTC?

Hurray.

When did you meet your companion?

During class on Wednesday

How was he doing when he entered?

Class.

What can you tell us about him?

He is Aus. He's from Austria. He’s 26. Got a degree in Engineering. Worked on programming and engineering really cool safety equipment for forklifts and cars.

Were the first to your room?

Yah.

Did you get your immunization?

Yah

What all did you do on that first day?

Checked in, dropped bags off, Class, class. Done at 9:30 sleep at 10:30

How is the food?

Meh, not too bad. It can’t be that good for your body thou... heh.

Have you thought of anything that you want me to do or to send to you?

Na. Oh yes actually. Heard of Dear Elder? That cools. If I have time I’ll tell you about it.

What are your classes like?

7 elders, 3 sisters. My district. Lots of Tagalog and church stuff. Lots of class, maybe 5-6 hours of teacher class and 3 hours of other studies.

What is your schedule like?

6:30 get up, breakfast 7, uhhh class, lunch, class, dinner, study time (somewhere in there), gym time (somewhere too), back to place at 9:30, sleep at 10:30

Do you feel like you brought too much compared to others?

I do. But most people brought about the same. But on the other hand... at this rate, my shampoo will last at least a year.

Did you sleep well?

Meh.

Will you be wearing your suit every day?

Hindi (no).

Is your schedule set, or there some things that you choose?

Both.

What are your roommates like?

Just the Auz. Heh. Uh, just us.

How many are in your room?

2, but fits 4.

Have you met anyone that you know?

Yah a couple from my BYU ward. Chris H (orhgsld) (no idea) (but we would lift weights at BYU, and he was on the water polo thing with me)

Have you met anyone that will be going to your exact mission?

My companion. And others.

How many missionaries entered yesterday?

Meh. But I there is 2500 here about.

Were you one of the very first?

meh.

What all are you doing today? (Thursday)

Thursday was so long ago... (Today is Monday) same as other days like Wednesday. I think we had a meeting to meet our branch.

How busy are you compared to normal? I know you studied a lot at school and we stay pretty busy at our house.

Uh... high school? Every day is like 5 weeks. BYU? I feel like I should be about to study for our first midterms or something.

So busy.. Can’t fit slacking in... But still wish there was more time... because can’t even finish what i want to do.

Do some of the meetings feel very spiritual, like in the temple?

Sure.

I think it would be incredible to sing call to serve with thousands of missionaries at one time.

Sure.

Do you ever meet in large groups?

O-o (yes).

Do your feet hurt in your new shoes?

Nah.

Well that's all of my questions for now, but I'm sure I'll think of some more.

Hey. Elder Dickinson here. Um, ok got 12 minutes left.

Learning lots of Tagalog here. Um, my companion is pretty cool. Knows lots of nerdy things, that I would plus a ton... I mean a heap more. (I am learning lots of austral-an from him too.)

Got lots of books already, so you really didn’t need to send anymore mom. oh well. ummm

Apparently a good way to mail me is to send dearelder.com messages. It’s free while I am in the MTC (maybe Philippines too). It’s nice because I get it the same day/next day.

I get my mail from my district leader at 9:30 every night. I can only write mail on P-day, which is today, Mondays. I know I got about 5... But my companion won’t give them too me (he’s the district leader) until 9:30.

Yah, so the only mail I have received so far was this email, which (I have to get during my 30 minutes, that’s another reason why dear elder is better,) and one message that said... "Hey I am going to send you another letter soon with stuff in it. Good luck (sucka)"

Thanks. I waited all day for that. Hahaha, that was actually funny. Ummmm

What to say, what to say. A lot of the words here are similar to Spanish. Like como es ta, and kumsta both mean 'how are you'.

Good and bad, I know some words... but then i get started speaking Spanish. Meh.

Um, pretty much my day is like this (Sunday/Mondays are different) (but schedule is switched around a lot)

6:20 is our alarm.

7:/7:30 breakfast

8-11 class

11-11:30lunch

11:30-12:30gym

1-4:30 class

Dinner

6-9:30 class

10:30 sleep

One of the class times is actually study time, personal, companion, and language.

Ok well got 40 seconds...

The MTC isn’t so bad. I feel like I have been here for 3 weeks, not 3 days.

Church is great.

Ummmm bye