"The spirit of the MTC is amazing. I can’t believe anyone says they don’t love it here, it’s like nothing else in the world." (Week 2)

August 10, 2012

Letter #2 from MTC

Hi everyone! It feels like it's been forever since I've written!

So first just a little update-- we are all doing well; our district is really coming closer together. We have started sharing experiences from our personal study at the end of the night, and those insights and time with each other sharing the amazing spirit of this place I think helps put all our hearts in the right place, keeps us focused during study, and we really feel the Spirit. We are learning to better feel, know, and be missionaries and representatives of Christ in all we do.

So our district consists of eight people: Elder Clawson from Flagstaff AZ, who is my companion, Elder Walton from San Clemente CA, Elder Howe from Ephraim UT and las hermanas- Olsen, Greenwood, Butler, Minert. Elder Clawson reminds me a lot of a talk-a-lot version of Linus from Oceans 11. Elder Walton is really great, he is kind of a Cali kid. He has been sharing all of the surfer lingo with us, he is pretty funny. Pier rat. Elder Howe is like 6' 3" and totally just the nicest guy you will ever meet. He plays b-ball real well, as does Elder Walton, and we have fun doing that. We try to run a couple laps around the MTC every morning at six as well as our gym time to do b ball or soccer or run or 4-square. Elder Clawson got kicked out of 4 square. Classic. He was playing too competitively.

We have been just studying a lot of the language, which I am feeling pretty good about, I feel like I can understand most everything and share my thoughts, even if it’s still pretty slowly. We have been teaching an 'investigator' named Lesme, from Cuba, and after four lessons and a lot of prayer, inspiration, and Spirit she committed to be baptized. We know she is just a member, but it’s still a really awesome experience. We are getting two new investigators next week.

Life in here really is so different. We get up at 6:00 to run, get ready by 7:10 for breakfast, have class or study at 7:40, study until lunch at noon, then prepare and teach for three hours after, maybe more language study, maybe personal study. Dinner at 5:00 and then we have another three hours of class, then personal study, then we close off the day (at least our district does) with a little devotional, which is always a really nice way to end. By 9:30 we leave the class building and head back to our room to get ready for bed, quiet time at 10:15, sleep at 10:30. It’s already coming pretty naturally, and we really only feel very tired when we are sitting for long periods--which is almost all the time. He he.

The spirit of the MTC is amazing. I can’t believe anyone says they don’t love it here, it’s like nothing else in the world. Everyone is united in purpose and striving to come closer to Christ, and you really can feel the Spirit, like you carry it with you everywhere you go. Like Nephi and Lehi in the prison, we feel often (when we obey and focus) like we are surrounded by fire, protected from outside distractions and cares. It will be strange leaving this place after nine weeks, especially since the four of us elders have already come very close. But we are all so excited to start teaching for real already, especially after this experience with Lesme. The call is intimidating, but I have really come to understand the power of prayer here and the comfort in trusting in the Lord. Often we get in the habit of saying in the church to go by the spirit is known as winging it, but really it’s being so prepared that any change in plan is clearly the Spirit.

Love you guys!

Elder Brown