Family,
Wow! This week has been a crazy experience. I can not believe how different it is here in the MTC. So you show up and all they do is drown you in the language. They start speaking to you and you have no clue what is going on. The first few days are like this. They just talk and talk and talk in Tagalog and you feel overwhelmed and a little bit stupid. I know i am not stupid, that is just the feeling you get as it starts. As the days progressed the language has started to come a bit easier. I can almost say a full prayer in Tagalog and we are teaching lessons. Talking about teaching lessons...i'll get to that later.
So my companion and i are like two peas in a pod. Honestly, the Lord was looking out for me when they chose who my companion was going to be. His name is Elder Hansen and he is pretty much legit. We get along so well and we are always keeping the mood light. It makes it so much easier to work and learn when we are having fun...i guess that is just who i am though right? Honestly though, he has had me laughing so hard i was crying and could barely breath. We had to get up really early to do service yesterday morning. We were in charge of wiping down the walls in all of the bathrooms...talk about easy! Well, i took that opportunity to share my wonderful voice with Elder Hansen ;) now that was a ton of fun.
So, we have an investigator named Celso. He is from the philippines and hardly speaks any english...and i mean he does not know almost ANY english. So our first lesson was a disaster. We forgot our books and only had one page of notes. This was on friday...so we honestly did not know any Tagalog. I started to say a prayer and totally forgot everything halfway through. So Elder Hansen took over for me and finished off the prayer. IT was super embarrassing. Ansd then we did not know what to say so we both attempted to share our testimony with him. They were short and....not really sweet. But at least we shared something with him. We then struggled really bad but finally set up a time to meet the next day and then ran out. It was very comical and ridiculous. We spent two hours preparing our lesson for the next day and that lesson went a thousand times better. We read everything, but at least we were able to share something with him. We met with him againg yesterday, and we will meet again tomorrow. Hopefully it will continue to get better.
My other roommates are Elder Morgan and Elder Kuavaka. They are the nicest roomies in the world. I hear about some of the other issues that the other elders have with the other Elders in their room an dit just reminds me of how blessed i am. I know the Lord looks out for me and has done everything he can to help me and comfort me while i am in the MTC.
It has been a blessing to have sister scott here a few times. I love her and am so grateful to have her here. Ask her about our experience with prayer on the second day. I wish i had the time to write it. It was very spiritual and i will never forget. The Lord has blessed me with her being here.
Abby!! I am so happy for you. I actually started to cry when i heard that you are getting better and might play for the A team. You are an incredible baller and you deserve to play for the best :)
Zach, to answer your questions the only song that they change here in the MTC is we'll bring the world his truth. And the only difference is that it says "we are now the Lords missionaries" instead of "we will be the Lords missionaries."
Rachael, Drew, and Creighton!! I am so happy that you might have found a house in Hurricane. I really hope that it works out for you guys.
Clairissa, what is going on in your life? Anything change in the five days i have been gone?
Jillian, i love you and miss you. I hope you are doing well and having fun with your friends.
Mom, i am so grateful to hear that she is doing ok. I hope that you giving them the basement helps relieve some of her stress so she can heal faster. I love you and know that it is the Lord helping you feel peace and happiness.
Dad, it is bitter sweet that you do not get to go to Ghana. But i am sure mom is happy to have you home. I love you all.
Alam ko po na totoo simbihan ni jesucrist. Mahal Ko Kayo.
Don't worry about me. I am happier than i have ever been. I love the Lord, i love this gospel.
Love,
Elder Leonard
By the way, the food is mostly pretty good, but they are not kidding when they say it effects you...i have not been regular since i got here. Don't worry mom. I only had two glasses of chocolate milk and i will not make that mistake again. It's bad enough without the dairy.
