1st EMAIL!!

The MTC really is fantastic, I have been kept so so busy, I barely have time to even breathe really. I am learning a lot, enough to give an iffy prayer and my testimony basics in espanol haha. It's really exciting though, last night and today I am feeling a little more confident than I was yesterday. We got to teach our first investigator yesterday! it was a big three hour block of our district, we all taught the same investigator, so it may or may not be a teacher, he probably knows a lot or be fluent in english though because one of the other companionships was able to ask him how to say things in spanish. Oh, cool news, I got two companions! We are the only trio in our district, I get told it is kinda hard, but I'm not really seeing it yet, we get along really well and work on our stuff pretty effectively. Companions, Elder Grover and Elder Putegnat, (like Cute- Gnat) silent g. Elder Grover is pretty similar to myself, a little spanish, He's a bit taller, and we both play basketball. Elder Putegnat however, did all the cool stuff, lived in hawaii surfed, graduated early and did two years at byu, pretty awesome, plus he took five years of spanish so he isn't fluent but he follows pretty well. We rely on him a little heavily right now. other than study and eat, we don't do a whole ton. I try to sleep, having a bit of a hard time with all the things bouncing around in my head, but I think i'll get over it eventually. ignore the typos i decided not to use shift, easier that way.

I learned dear elder is pretty useful, next day letter delivery so i'll encourage you to use that, it helps to get a letter, makes me feel good inside, lol elder putegnat is the only one so far to get letters and he's gotten two, so hurry up ;) i think it's free, not positive though.

 

also, I got assigned as our senior companion, don't get all excited i think it was by alphabetical order lol not because i'm standing out in any way. 

 

 

things that are going on, mainly just getting to know everyone, studying constantly, both personally and to teach, and just to try and figure out the MTC. i hear that after sunday it will get a lot easier though, so i'm hoping that is true. well, maybe not entirely easier but we have our schedule for until we are ready to leave so our days are more consistant and no more introductions to new programs.

 

we only spend an hour or so in our room, the rest of the time is pretty much constantly in the classroom. imagine like nine hours to sleep and get ready for the day, then fifteen hours of studying and everything we have to do to learn the language. es loco! ;) see? i'm getting the important stuff lol. i have a feeling there is a reason that we are all going foreign, we all feel pretty comfortable just teaching, but, we are all learning the language pretty well. we could have easily gone domestic or just english speaking and just slipped into a comfortable pace. but we all feel really strongly that we will all get through this hard time together. We are a great district and can't wait to get out and teach.

 

I love you all and can't wait to get to talk to you again, send me letters!!!

 

FOLLOW UP EMAIL:

 

just, for everybody else, to add to what i already said, i'm doing fantastic, and i love you all. the mtc is a lot of work, and honestly, it's really hard too. so much studying and trying to learn, it's impossible to stay on top and always be focused. i find myself often praying to have help with paying attention and understanding what is going on, because complete immersion and trying to learn how a missionary teaches don't go so well in my head. the language is coming along, as well as the teaching. life is insane, but i'm looking forward to getting into a rythm and get moving consistantly. i've already noticed leaps in my level of knowledge, both with language and understanding how to teach a person and not just a lesson. again, out of time, but let me command you all to write me letters! lol they are a huge moral booster, even and especially when they just say good luck, i will appreciate them. i'm sorry i probably won't write back much, but i barely have a few more seconds to type. my mom has my address so get to it! till next week!

Andrew Austin