If
someone asked me right now how long I have been in the MTC I would
probably tell them 2 to 3 months. The funny thing about the MTC is that
it takes away your perception of time. It's crazy to think that I only
have 1 week left, at times the days seem like they are never going to
end. I am so grateful for exercise time, four square has become my
saving grace, most days I think I'm going to die, sitting in a desk and
reading and studying for hours. It seems like I literally do the same
thing everyday. I still love it here, I'm just so excited for the field.
Apparently this week the quorum of the 12 are coming and
it's messing everything up! I mean I love those guys and all but the
food has become scarce. They decided to build the biggest stage I've
ever seen in my life in the cafeteria, so slowly they have taken the
cafeteria apart each day, so one day they might take away the cream
cheese, the next the ketchup, over the past two weeks they have reduced
the food to one option, which is fine, but they use to have three. Now
all we have is salt no condiments, one food option, and the worst of
all, There is literally not enough seats for everyone, so they just cram
us in a quarter of the cafeteria and people eat on the ground or
standing up, you're lucky if you get a seat.
There is so much that has happened in the last week it's
hard to keep track of, both of the TRC's that we were assigned last week
we committed to baptism. I've been trying so hard to learn about the
spirit and the bring it in our lessons, sometimes it's impossible when
you're in a trio though. Trying to balance three people teaching is
crazy, and honestly it's super frustrating, in most of our lessons the
spirit is still very strong, and it surprises me the things that have
come to my mind when trying to explain doctrines in the gospel. Lessons
have become my favorite part of being in the MTC it seems at times that I
could talk for hours with the people that we are meeting with. Class is
exhausting, and being in there 6 hours a day is a killer, but it's so
exciting when you get to apply all that you've learned into what you
teach. During one of the lessons I was covering the restoration, I
started talking about the ministry of Jesus, and started to explain that
since Joseph Smith loved us so much that he sent his only begotten son,
not realizing what I was saying, both of my companions were giving me
the stare down. We were role playing with one of our teachers as a
Progressing Investigator, and she lost it, everyone in the room laughed
for 5 minutes straight, everybody is so tired here, if anything even
slightly funny happens people literally fall to the ground laughing,
kinda like that 3 in the morning type of delirium where everything is
funny.
This is my last week in the MTC, I will be heading to
California at 3:50 in the morning this next Tuesday. I can't believe
that things have been flying by this fast, but at the same time, I feel
like I could have very well been in here for 2 years, this might be the
fastest week yet or the slowest. Because the 12 are coming they also
moved our in field orientation to last week, so we had only been in the
MTC for a week, and they were already prepping us for the field, and
that sucked super bad, because all they do is pump you up for 8 hours
about how amazing the field is going to be and how everything in the MTC
will help you when you get out there, I was so pumped to get in the
field, and then I realized that I had two weeks left, jeeze thanks
Tommy. I'm pretty excited because I get to be a host tomorrow for all of
the new missionaries that are coming in. Honestly I have no idea how
I'm going to help them, I don't know how to get around here, all I know
is how to get from the cafeteria back to our residence hall. I'll just
tell them to for sure drink as much of the orange juice as possible (
some elders in our zone have made that mistake) and that to always put
your thumb on the back of your ID card ( I also did that for a couple
days and couldn't figure out how to open up the doors, what a chump) and
maybe say a little prayer with them if they are foreign speaking,
welcome to the longest prison sentence of your life. Sometimes I forget
that I am free to leave at anytime, I guess it's just weird doing the
same everyday, and staying in such a small area for so long, kinda like a
prison if you ask me. We have calculated the amount of steps that we
take each day up the stairs, its 936 steps a day, which equates to
roughly 20,000 thousands steps the whole time in the MTC also accounting
for other stairs that we take that we haven't counted yet. each step is
about 3/4ths a step that's like mount Everest in elevation I swear, but
honestly I'm loving it. Being a missionary is awesome, and feeling the
spirit is awesome. There isn't a place in the world I would rather be
than where the Lord needs me.
Quick story, so for the last 2 weeks we have been an all
elders district, but two days ago, 2 sisters were assigned to our
district because apparently they were attacked by bats in their
residences the night before they were supposed to leave. Bats had flew
into their room through the venting system, so about 2 in the morning 5
bats flew into their room, screaming they turned the lights on and ran
to the red phone outside of their room. They explained that they had
been attacked by bats, the residence hall president responded "Really?
again?" So long story short they had to stay 2 extra weeks in the MTC to
get rabies shots, so that sucks super bad. I don't feel so bad about
going to the in field orientation early at all now, also, I learned that
if you get attacked by bats in the middle of the night to not tell
anyone, or they will extend your time in this wonderful place known as
the MTC, I will take the chance of getting rabies. Send me lots of
emails, and packages, that would be the sweetest, Thank you everyone
that has sent me emails, and encouragement, you guys rock! I love all of
you guys, California is going to be hog wild, can't wait.
-- Elder LeBaron
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