Elder Smith's 1st Email 7/30/14

Hej!

The first week at the MTC has felt like a month, haha. The first day I walked in, went through a couple lines to get my nametags and books, dropped off my luggage at my room, and went to class. In one of the lines I ran into Grant's wife. He's the guy who's a professor at BYU and is related to Dad. So that was cool. She recognized me because of Grandpa's name being my middle name. My friend from BYU, Aldste Van Alfen, is in my room, and is my second companion some of the time. There is only one Norwegian missionary here, so he is rooming with us and is Aldste Van Alfen's companion any time we are not in class. My companion's name is Aldste Heiner. He is from Eugene Oregon, which is cool. Aldste Bradley, our district leader, is from Banks and is the one I ran into at the temple when I went to help in the kitchen. 

     The first few days here were pretty crazy, with all the stuff we had to learn to do and just getting used to the full schedule. We are doing things almost every minute of the day. I am doing pretty well at getting right up at 6:30, but I am having a hard time getting to sleep at 10:30, so I am tired a lot. But it's okay. I have only fallen asleep a couple times. After only three days here we taught a mock investigator in Swedish. It was pretty intimidating to try to explain things with our very limited vocabulary. Aldste Van Alfen and Aldste Heiner think I am better at Swedish because of the little bit of studying it that I did before the mission, so whenever the investigator, Lennart, asked a question and we had to try and answer, I felt like they looked at me. I kept trying to say things, then halfway through the sentence I realized I didn't know the vocab to finish it, so that is something I have to work on, haha. But the investigator is nice and doesn't show how bad our Swedish probably is. 

     The first two lessons we kind of scripted the whole thing into Swedish, but we felt like that distanced us from him, so for our third lesson, with help from Brother Bush, one of our teachers, we just had a goal to help him feel the spirit by talking about prayer and the Holy Ghost. So we just wrote that, and two scripture references in English, then just talked to him during the lesson. We were able to communicate a lot better, and we actually asked Lennart questions so it was more personalized to him. It was really cool. 

     There are nine of us in the Swedish class, and ten in the district (we have Eldste Jacobs who is going to Norway). We have one sister who is a solo companion, but she has a companion outside of class who is speaking Dutch, and I think going to the West Indies. Sometimes I feel kind of bad for her, haha. But she handles it well. 

    Over half of the missionaries here are 18 and right out of high school. It is pretty crazy. They are all good. It's kind of funny how the elders and sisters who have been here longer seem super old and mature, and then you ask how old they are and they're like "Oh I'm 18". It's really weird. Our other teacher is Brother Marchant, and apparently his wife saw a picture of Brad and me in front of the temple on instagram, haha. It is already so weird to think of cell phones and the internet. Sometimes our teachers will leave their phones sitting on a table, and we'll all stare at it like it's such a weird thing. Haha. 

     The MTC is definitely a bubble. We're inside most of the time, and the windows aren't very big, and even when we're walking between buildings most of the walkways have roofs over them, so it's like weather doesn't exist here. And sometimes it will feel like it's super late, then we'll look outside at the blue sky and it is kinda crazy. My perception of time is also all messed up now, haha. The days are all very long, so it feels like I've been here for months and have known everyone in my district for a long time, but it's just barely been a week now. Our district is great. Everyone gets along and we are able to have great talks about the gospel and stuff. Sometimes we talk too much though. We need to work on focusing better during study time. 

     We have early gym every day, which is nice because the temperature is perfect. It doesn't get too hot until noonish I think. I'm not very sure actually, because I'm in the classroom like nine hours a day, haha. We now have a sign drawn on our white board for meals gone by without having to use tide-to-go, haha. Aldste Hemmingsen has spilled on himself three or four times already, haha. So far the tally hasn't gone above two since we made it, haha.

     Last night we had a devotional from John H. Groberg, the guy who is the missionary in the Other Side of Heaven. It was probably the best devotional I have ever been to. The spirit was super strong the whole time. He talked about how as a missionary one of the most important things we can do is share our testimony, and he gave six or seven ways to do it: by what we say, do, pray, sing, are, act, and write. He showed a couple clips from the movie, and it was so cool to think that that was what he experienced. At the end we sang I Believe In Christ, and it was awesome. Afterwards we had a devotional discussion with our district. 

     On Monday both Aldste Van Alfen and I got letters from Holly, so everyone got excited about that, haha. Especially because nobody's gotten many letters yet. So as a kind of joke we had everyone in the district write a letter for her advocating me or Aldste Van Alfen. There were some very funny letters, haha. 

     I love it here. I have only been here a little while, but it already kind of feels like a home. Everyone is so nice and have such strong testimonies. I have felt the spirit so much every day here. The MTC is on its own plane of existence, as we like to joke. But it is kind of true. There are very, very few places in the world that do what the MTC does. This is consecrated ground, just a step below temple grounds. And you can feel it. 

     I am so excited to learn Swedish! I wish I could just learn it all right now. Teaching in English seems so much easier now, haha. I know what I want to say, but I have no idea how sometimes. But some of the missionaries who have been here five weeks are basically fluent, at least in gospel and lesson language and vocab. So I am excited for that. 

     I love you all and hope you have a great week! I will try to send pictures, we are all having a hard time trying to figure it out, haha.

Hej då!!!

     --Äldste Smith