MTC CONTINUES: October 21, 2016

The Cheeto aisle:  My Favorite!

October 21, 2106

Hey everyone! 

Wow. This week has been crazy, but also kinda fast. The days past slow, but the weeks are picking up. That is pretty nice right now.

Daily rundown:

Saturday-Class... for nine hours.... yeah. Long long day. But excersise time is really nice cause we play Four Square with the Malagasi Elders. They are my favorites!!!! But they leave Monday, so that is really sad for me. But we had a lot of fun!!

Sunday- Sacrament meeting was really good! Luckily I didn't have to give a talk. They randomly pick people for those... eeeee. The temple walk today was awesome. It was perfect weather, and I loved it! But also, the weather makes me kinda homesick... I love this weather so much, so when I can't take advantage of it, its hard. But oh well. At least i will get to see NY in the fall. That will be awesome. The sunday night devotional was awesome!! A man named Vai (long tongan name) talked. He is a sportcaster in Philly. True fact: the CEO of the 76ers is a mormon now. He was baptized. Vai talked about him a ton. It was awesome. Vai was also the first tongan to play for BYU. He also played pro football for the Cardinals and the Eagles. No big deal.

Monday: STRESSSSSS. In the ASL community, there are some people who don't know any language, and are also deaf. So no English, ASL, Spanish, Russian, whatever. No language. At all. So the only way to teach them? GESTURES. We are teaching "J". Thats her sign name. We don't actually know her real name. Soooo yeah. Having to teach about the restoration? NOT EASY. Its like teaching a 50 year old toddler who is deaf also. But our teachers said we would teach at least one of those lessons in the field. The lesson we taught crashed and burned. Yeah. 

Tuesday: We taught our other investigator, Manny. (he's actually brother peck, but whatever.) He is pretty cool. But we really struggled to teach him. The 3 of us are really good teachers on our own, but are too prideful to work together, so thats what we're working on. The tuesday night devotional was awesome! Elder Robbins talked about a lot of stuff. Christlike Attributes, companions, patience. He said having a companion now is preparing us to be with our Eternal Companions. So thats exciting.

Wednesday: Class all day. One thing... ASL is really hard to understand when you're tired. True fact

Thursday: 9 hours of class..... Yay... But it wasn't to bad. I was super sore after sitting that long, but I survived.

So that was my week! 

Okay, so learning a language is really hard. But I am doing a lot better than I ever did when I took ASL! The gift of tongues is so real! True fact. 

Thats all I can think of to say... well, I love you all! Keep on going! Woohoo!!

Elder Wright

PS. I'm so bummed the Malagasi Elders are leaving. And the Haitian Creole Elders. I'll send a pic of Elders watson and Salmond later. Man I'mma miss them. Today Elder Chulamony waited in Elder Alvarez's closet for like 10 minutes, just to shoot him with a dart gun. #MTCShenanigans

October 7, 2016 MTC

Hey everyone! Its been a crazy 1/2 week! As soon as I was dropped, I was whisked away, got my supplies, (Including my iPad. Yes. I get one. But I don't really use it a lot...) and then went straight to class. I walked in, and one of the teachers was there. Brother Featherstone. He didn't say a word the whole time. I was really really overwhelmed. But I made it through class. Brother Featherstone is Deaf. He's super nice and funny, and he always ends his class by telling us he loves us. He isn't my teacher though. I have the other teacher. Brother Peck. He is super nice too. I love both of the teachers. They are helping me a ton! It kinda makes me want to be a teacher at the MTC after my mission!

At class I met my companions (yes, I am in a threeo. I don't know why we say that and not trio, but oh well.) Elder Wallace and Elder Whicker. I like them both a lot. Elder Wallace is really spiritual and determined. Elder Whicker is really quiet, but he says he's doing good, and I can tell he is trying.

After class, we went to a meeting with all the new missionaries and the MTC president spoke to us. It was really good. Then we had dinner, and then we came back and did role plays with one investigator and 50 missionaries asking questions. It was crazy, but cool. Then we had a meeting with the Zone Leaders and Branch President. I really like our Branch President. He is super friendly, and knows what he's talking about. He always tells us he loves us. So thats awesome. 

Thursday started with another New Missionary class. The brother who taught us was really cool, but I don't remember his name... Oh well. He told us a lot of cool stories. Then we had lunch, and then class. It was crazy! I could feel the spirit working with me a ton! I've learned so much. And we met our first investigator! Her name is Kaylinn! She had her dad die when she was nine, and doesn't like her stepdad. But she is excited to meet with us! Its amazing. I've find myself constantly thinking of ways to help her and answer her questions. I already have this love for her, and i want her to change. Its awesome!

Later our branch had a meeting with the Branch Presidency and they're wives. The Presidency did 3 minute interview with each of us, and the wives instructed and introduced us. 

I LOVE MY BRANCH!!! Here are the places our branch is going to: Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Kiribata(I'm not sure how to spell the place but thats the language), Marshall Islands, and then? The ASL missionaries. We have a lot of Polynesians in our Branch. THey are so funny!! I love them so much!! I like elder Fifita, Elder Fifita (twins) and Elder Sagapolu. 

Today we played volleyball! I loved it! We didn't keep score at all. The only thing that mattered was who got the coolest spikes. It was soooo fun!!! And then later we're going to the temple, so I am super excited for that.

One thing I have learned since I got here is that the Gift of Tongues is soooo real. I have already learned so much, and almost have the Missionary Purpose memorized in ASL, and I can pray in ASL too! I love it!!! Also, we constantly feel the Spirit here, and even more when we are signing. I love it!

Another thing I love about the MTC? The constant feeling of the Spirit. I always thought people exaggerated the spirit. They don't. It's amazing. I love it. 

Anyways, thats about it! I love you all! The Church is true! 

Elder Wright