MTC May 2018

MTC

Wed, May 16, 2018 12:58 PM

Just got to the MTC! I hope I got your emails right. I'm pretty sure I did moms and grandmas, not sure about dads. I got an iPad and a key card and stuff then I dropped all my stuff off in my room and then went straight to a class. They were only speaking Mandarin so that was interesting. Then they took me to the computer. So so far they have just been speaking Mandarin at me, which is not that helpful haha. So I'm sending this email then waiting for my companion.-Elder Farmer



MTC Week 1

Mon, May 21, 2018 12:51 PM

So as soon as I got to the MTC, we started classes. They started teaching us Mandarin right away. We have two three hour classes a day usually, which is a lot by the end of the day. I think I have only heard my teachers say like ten words in English, so that tells you how much mandarin they are speaking. They had us teach an volunteer investigator on Friday and then again on Saturday. It was more than a bit rough because we don't speak Mandarin and we were teaching her in Mandarin haha. My companion started laughing at me in the second lesson because I pronounced something so wrong. So those were interesting. But I can kind of pray in Mandarin now so that's pretty cool. 

For my district, there are 7 boys, 5 of us are going to Taichung, 1 is going to France, and 1 is going to Singapore. Then there are 4 girls, 1 going to Scotland, 1 to California, 1 to Singapore, and 1 to Taichung. Our district is super fun. My companion is Elder Pratt and he's super cool. Then we have probably 12 older elders who are in our zone. Our zone is super cool and fun. 

Yesterday we had an awesome devotional by the MTC president. It was super good. Then we watched an old devotional by Elder Bednar called character of Christ. It was amazing. Just a super cool devotional. 

It has been quite the adjustment going to the MTC. Waking up at six thirty is a little rough. Then the food is all right sometimes, but not that great. And wearing church clothes is hot. I also got lots of blisters my first day because my feet were not used to church shoes. But those are getting better. Monday's are my pday, so I should be able to email every Monday until 6. I have an iPad, so I can probably respond all day. Also if anyone wants to email or write letters, I can read those any day. So I would definitely appreciate them throughout the week haha. I just can't respond until Monday. 

Well I love you all and hope you guys have a great week!

Elder Farmer

Nimen Hao

Mon, May 28, 8:35 AM 

So this week was fun! Waking up at 6:30 is still a struggle, but I'm slowly getting used to it. The language is coming on slowly. We continued to teach our investigator, until Friday when we found out that she was actually our teacher. So that was unfortunate haha, because our lessons were just a bit rough. On Tuesday we had a devotional by Elder Rasband, it was super good! He challenged us all to reread President Nelson's talks from the last conference, so we are all supposed to do that. 

I finished reading Our search for happiness (I think that's what its called). It was super good! It just kind of explains what we believe and why. Then I was debating between reading Jesus the Christ or Our Heritage next, and my companion told me it would take me my entire mission to read Jesus the Christ. So I was like challenge accepted, and my goal is to finish it in the MTC. 

We also had "Christmas" this week. That's when the older elders get their travel plans and we sing Christmas songs with missionary words. It was pretty funny, ill send the video. Also there's a pretty good chance I will be visa waited apparently. The last elders going to Taiwan were. But we'll see if this group is visa waited. They are going to Taichung, so hopefully they aren't and it's just a Taipei curse.

Yesterday we watched an awesome devotional by Elder Holland, it was SO good. Elder Holland is such a good speaker. The devotional was just basically him talking about mission and how important they are. 

My district and zone is super fun. The other elder from Idaho is hilarious. We are having a good time and learning Chinese slowly but surely.

Saturday - Tuesday is kind of like the weekend here, while Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are the long days. On those day we have 6 hours of class and then 3 hours of study with meals in between. The other days we change it up a bit with devotionals and stuff. 

The pictures

The one at the temple is with my whole zone. My district is on the left, with the oldest district in the middle. They will be leaving this week.

The other one is just of my district

Then there is the Christmas video if that worked

Then there is another one of my district 

Then there's one with me and Elder Janish, the other elder from Idaho

Then there are two from walking back at the temple that I was not ready for haha. 

Love, Elder Farmer!