First Week in MTC

Well, I've been in the MTC a week now, and I already feel totally different. The atmosphere and the Spirit here is so strong. The speakers and devotionals we have are powerful and enlightening. 

When I first got here, I was taken to the classroom where I spend nearly all my time. The Korean teacher, Brother Chandler, spoke straight Korean to us for three or four hours. The next day, he did the same thing, but for two class periods. We realized with a bit of trepidation that he isn't going to speak any English to us for the whole nine weeks. He is a fantastic teacher, though, and I think he could win a world championship for charades. 

My companion is Elder Cable. He is very hard working and incredibly smart, and knows the Book of Mormon like the back of his hand. He can tell me what happens in any given chapter. Out of the eight people in our district, he is by far picking up Korean the fastest. 

Last Sunday, our branch president, President Perriton, gave a talk during Sacrament meeting. He might just be the best speaker I've ever listened to. He talked about faith, and how exercising just a mustard seed of faith allows the Lord to grow it into a redwood. He told us to pray earnestly and honestly for the Lord to increase our faith, and then to tell Him how we will use our faith that he has given us. He also told us not to think of our challenges and difficulties as, "I wish it were easier," but rather to think, "I wish I were capable of more." He spoke with such straightforwardness and conviction that our whole district was saying how that was one of the most uplifting and strengthening talks they had ever heard, and I would totally agree with that.

I love our district! We have the best Korean teacher (or we think, anyway), and we are so open with our thoughts and feelings. Everyone is hard working and committed to serving an honorable mission. There have certainly been ups and downs, and a few have broken down a bit from the stress and workload, but then some experience, lesson, or talk lifts us all back up. I'm glad I'm in this district, and all the elders are awesome!

On my third day here, we were all already asked to give a lesson to an "investigator" in Hangumar (Korean). We were all shocked, but after teaching several more lessons afterward, we've been surprised at how we are already to get a brief lesson across in a language that looked like gibberish a week before. The Lord is definitely looking out for us and helping us.

I hope you are all doing well! Here is a picture of our district (by the way Mom, you were right about the shirts with no pocket. That's why I had to wear the suit that day).

Left to right: Me, Elder Cable, Elder Sanders, Elder Gottfredson, Elder Petersen, Elder Lujan, Elder Anderson, Elder Biesinger