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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Pictures from the MTC

We received some MTC pictures from Jeff today.



Me and my companion...I don't know


5 weeks in the MTC and the Spirit is more [very] strong...








My district in the morning. We were tired.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Only 3 More Weeks in the MTC!

The time has been going fast! Jeff has just 3 more weeks in the MTC before he leaves for North Carolina. Jeff's good friend, Dallin Jack, entered the MTC today 2/24. It will be fun for them to run into each other in the MTC. Dallin is going on a mission to Japan.
02/17/10
Last friday was the trc again, this week we had to introduce ourselves to some investigators (who had been talking w/ the missionaries but then transfers came) get to know them and find out what they've read out of the BOM (this part was in spanish). It wen't really well and we were really lucky cause at the end we were running out of things to talk to them about so we asked them if they had any questions. They then began asking about why we had to be baptized under the water by immersion. This would have been easy to answer in english but me and my comp didn't quite know the words to explain it in spanish. Fortunatly for us our teacher told us that our time was up just as they finished asking the questions and my comp and I had a look of fear on our face. Then we taught the plan of salvation for about thirty minutes. I thought it wen't pretty good, but the plan of salvation is so hard to teach to an investigator (trying to explain it in a way that they will understand).

So I got my first haircut yesterday, it makes me wish I could get a haircut from you again mom. It's not terrible but not exactly a haircut to be proud of. Also I've realized that I am getting worse and worse at spelling since I've gotten here because of the spanish...so If I spelled anything wrong in this email, or tried to spell it out in a spanish pronunciation you'll understand why. Good thing I took enlish in college before I came, cause now I won't fail it when I get back.


02/24/17
So, we found out this last sunday that me and elder taylor are going to be the next zone leaders starting this next sunday. I'm kinda excited for it, cause I think it would be a great experience. But also somewhat concerned about loosing time to study spanish. But I guess If I do what I'm called to do the lord will help me out.

Also on sunday I got called on to give a talk during sacrament meeting. Every week everyone writes a talk on a certain topic in spanish that should last for about 4 minutes, then during sacrament mtg, they call on someone to talk. I was actually glad to be able to talk, I kind of wanted to see if I could do it (since it did have to be in spanish.) It went quite well, in fact this week I had decided to just write an outline rather than writing a talk that I would just read. It turned out that I only had to refer to my outline for the scripture references and to remind myself of one word I didn't know in spanish. In fact once I got up there I talked about a couple things I hadn't necesarily planned on talking about. Last thursday we had a day where we could only speak spanish. It went a lot better then the first time we tried this and when I'm forced to talk in just spanish it seems like I learn so much more. In fact I was talking to skyler hardman who said that he had been speaking in only spanish for the three weeks he had at the mtc, so I was thinking of trying that. We'll see how it goes... I'm starting to realize that I only have three weeks left and then I'll be out in the field and I'll have to speak spanish to actual people who aren't just role playing.

One other exciting thing that happened, we got new spanish books this week to replace the old ones basically the same stuff, just expanded and a little more effecient. I know it's a nerdy thing to be excited about, but when that's all I do all day...

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Interesting Story from the TRC

My daughter just reminded me that we haven't posted anything for the past week. Time is really flying past. Jeff says that they are kind of settling into a routine at the MTC and so there hasn't been much new that has been happening. He thanked everyone for the cookies and other treats that he has been receiving. He talks a lot about the Training Resource Center or TRC and how it is kind of the thing they look forward to each week. He shared the following including kind of a funny story.

Last friday at the TRC we had to knock on the door and talk to someone for about 10 min. in spanish. We introduced ourselves, talked about their family for a little bit and then introduced her to the gospel. We made the mistake of introducing Joseph Smith at the very beginning and almost got the door closed on us (this suprised me cause it was just a role play...she was supposed to be agreable.) This person had seen a show about joseph smith and was skepticle. We quickly brought the conversation back to families and how they are important to the gospel and she then let us in and we discussed the gospel with her for a few mor minutes. After this first part which was in spanish we left and came back to teach the lesson in english, wich me and elder taylor both thought went really well. We felt like the lesson flowed well, we were able to transition between each other quite well, and most of all the spirit felt so strong as we taught the lesson.

Here's a quick funny story. Two of the elders in our zone told their investigator at the trc to read a scripture in 1 ne 3:7 but instead they read 3 ne 3:7-8. Look it up and you'll see why it's funny. (Note: You have to read it in context to understand what is really going on)

Also for dad, and anyone else of course. One thing I noticed that would be helpful for incoming missionaries is to know the purpose found in the beginning of preach my gospel. This is something that they drill us on at the MTC, both memorizing it and knowing what is meant by it.

Yesterday me and elder taylor taught the first lesson completly in spanish for about 20-25 min. This was our first time doing this and we don't even have to be able to do it for another 2 or 3 weeks but we decided to give it a try. It wen't pretty good, we didn't always know how to say exactly what we wanted, but we could usualy descibe it in a different way.

Fast and testimony meeting was really cool this sunday. Since it was all in spanish we didn't get all those really long and kinda pointless testimonies that you sometimes hear, but instead they were short and two the point. I could feel the spirit during that meeting more than any fast and testimony meeting I had ever gone to.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Update from Jeff

We received a new note from Jeff at the MTC. Sounds like he is doing really good. He even said we should slow down on the goodies a little bit. That's an unusual statement for Jeff who is usually grazing for anything he can find to eat! Following are some comments from his last letter.

The MtC has been great for me. Me and my companion have been getting along really well, and in fact we both are doing fairly well in spanish and so we can both push each other and improve each other in spanish. For the last several nights we've been talking in only spanish to each other from about 8 30 to 9 30. We've started to have "english fasts" as a district during lunch which means we can't speak english during lunch. We've only done that about twice now though.

On friday we went to the TRC (training resource center) Where we were given the scenario that we were in a park and had to talk to three people for about five minutes in spanish. We needed to introduce ourselves, get to know them, tell them our purpose, and invite them to hear more. The last person we talked to we actually got to teach a thirty minute lesson. This went quite well, and the spanish seemed to flow really well (I can deffinatly tell that heavenly father is helping me with spanish), and the lesson seemed to go real well too, I felt like we had the spirit throughout the whole lesson. Also because me and elder Taylor get a long so well we seem to be able to teach together quite well.

Sacrament meeting is going well, the opening excercises are all in spanish. But the two speakers are in english. However, we are assigned a topic each weak that we prepare a talk on in spanish and two people are called on at the meeting to give their talk for sacrament meeting for about four minutes in spanish. I havn't had to give a talk yet, bu so far I've written everything out on paper in spanish before hand and used plenty of scriptures/quotes.
Until next time.