Week 2 in the MTC

January 30, 2015

Hi Pamilya!

Wow! I got way more emails from you than I expected!! Keep them coming! We can print them out during laundry, etc. and it doesn't count against our hour on the computer. I'll miss that once I get to the Philippines! But, Dear Elder is basically the same thing as an email except it gets printed for me. If you don't mind the dollar or so fee. I don't how much it is exactly.

Picture of me and Sister Lewis with President and Sister Pearce,

 

The thought occurred to me this week when I was stressed about...well, I can't really remember now. But while I was in Devotional, the thought came to me that I must not be doing too bad if I feel the spirit as often as I do. That was a happy thought. 

I told my companion (kaupod ko), Sister Lewis about how when I feel the Spirit during a meeting or when I'm reading, basically any time that I am receiving a confirmation of something that was said by someone else, I get kind of a bunch of tingles though my body. Well, that has happened SO many times this week. Probably more than I can count. 

Also, music has spoken so strongly to me since being at the MTC. In both RS and Choir, the words "He knows I will follow Him/Give all my life to Him" really spoke to me. 

Choir is great by the way! Already singing better. I can feel it. Not just from choir but from singing so often as well. That's one thing I wish I didn't stop doing: singing. I mean, I always hum at work. I never think about it until Anela asks, "What song is that?" Haha! But Yeah, in choir, Brother Egget, the director, spends most of the time sharing scriptures or stories from the lives of prophets rather than having us practice. It's great. I love how everything here is centered on the gospel. That must be how Zion will be like.

Katie wanted to hear what the dorms and schedule was like. Here's her answer.

The rooms are just drawers, closets, and three bunk beds. Pretty small. There are bathrooms with showers and toilet stalls just across the halls. We have to get up at 6:30, but if you want a shower, you have to get up at 6. Or shower in the evening. Then there is district prayer where you sing and pray without your district at 7am. Then breakfast at 7:10.  "Quiet time" starts at 10:15pm, and lights out is at 10:30. Three hours of studying (usually in the morning), about 6-7 hours of class, and meals, and...yeah that's about it!

I'm glad you're [Katie] going to that mission prep class. Missionary work is for everyone. My greatest regret for not following a prompting is when Sis. Allen's neighbor came to church, and I was prompted to invite her to mutual....and I didn't. Just like in Lehi's dream, if you realize how good the gospel is, you shouldn't be afraid to invite others to partake of it too! 

Peter wanted a sentence in Hiligaynon. So here I go, just improv-ing:

Himuon mo bala nga magemail ka sa week? Haha! Will you email me thing week? 

Paagi sa paghimo sini makaangkon ka sang sabat sang akon. By doing this, you will receive an answer from me. 

Salamat ako para sa emails mo. I thank you for your emails.

Palangga ko sang ka!! I love you!! 

I love the language! We're getting into some sentence structure now. Already, I miss the simple sentences that we started out using. Ignorance is bliss...until you get to the field!!

My teachers are so great! We have six teachers just for one Hiligaynon district right now (the other two districts are learning Cebuano), but the six includes our "investigator" who hasn't taught us yet. We've taught him four times already in Hiligaynon (aka Ilonggo). 

The gifts of tongues is real. There is no way that we could learn this fast on our own.

Our "investigator," Jerry is a Philippino BYU student. He is really tired and often nods off during our lessons...OR is pretty active and asks a lot of questions.....that we can't understand. But it's great anyway! We are learning so much!

I'll be honest though. We are struggling to SYL. Speak Your Language at all times. We sit with our zone during meals...and none of them SYL except the ones in our district, so unless we sit by them...And the girls in our residence also don't SYL since they're in the other district. But that's no excuse. The Lord expects exact obedience! 

Pray for us to be obedient in SYLing. It's hard. 

Palangga ko sang kimo!! I love you (plural you)!! 

Love,

Tessa