"The MTC Isn't At All What I Expected."

This week has been a blast!! Each of the first few days has seemed like a week. On day two were were referring to the past couple of days only to realize that we had only been there a day or two. Things are going great here.

The MTC isn't at all what I expected. It's a lot more laid back than I expected. Here's my schedule:

6:15-wake up, shower, get ready for the day

7:00-breakfast

7:30-class. Sometimes we have a teacher, but mostly for the first four or so days we taught ourselves.

11:30-Lunch

12:15-class

4:30-dinner

5:15-class

8:15-gym. I usually play soccer in the field near the temple.

9:30-get ready for bed

10:15-quiet time

10:30-lights out

Sometimes spending so much time in the classroom is tough, and we end up going crazy. Missionary humor kicked in probably on day two. In my district there are seven elders and three sisters. Me, E. Edmunds (my comp.), E. Roylance, E. Prete (from Canada), E. Packer (from Idaho) E. McLoughlin (from Oregon). E. Robinson (from Wisconsin), S. Banda (from California), S. Jimmy (from Vanuatu), and S. Saroni (also from Vanuatu). We're all going to Tahiti except for S. Banda who is going to Saint George. Everyone has had some french experience except E. Prete and E. Packer (who are comps).

The vanuatuan sisters are super quiet, so Elder Roylance and I have been trying to speak to them in french-they know more french than english- to get to know them better. Yesterday Elder Edmunds asked me what "that" is in french, so i went into the song "you can give me me or you can give me ca" I then translated all of the song to french, and pretty soon Edmunds, Jimmy and Saroni were all trying to sing it. By the way, it's way harder in french.

On Saturday we taught our first ami de l'eglise. It went pretty well, although because we didn't actually have a BoM to give her, she didn't take up our commitment to start it. We taught our second lesson yesterday and it went better. We got her to pray and gave her the BoM with specific parts to read. I'm learning a ton of french even though all the teachers have taught us are the sounds the letters make, the alphabet, how to say "my name is" and "I come from". I can now pray in french and bear my testimony in french, which I did this fast Sunday in sacrament meeting.

The only bad parts so far are the food, and that I got a stomach ache. I could barely eat anything, but it's gotten better now, so don't worry!

Thanks for all the letters! I've gotten about fifteen letters and a package, and most of my district hasn't gotten one. I don't have much time to read them, I'm still working on them.

I'm missing a ton of stuff, but when you've mentally been here for four weeks, it's hard to remember everything.

Spiritual experience: I was studying one morning, and I could NOT stay awake. I couldn't keep my eyes open, so I said a prayer to help me stay awake to study. Just a little prayer. As soon as I opened my eyes, I was no linger tired, and I continued to study without so much as a yawn. Prayer works! I love my comp, I love my district, I love my zone.