Monday, June 4, 2012

First Letter from the MTC

Tsev Neeg,

The MTC is crazy...AWESOME!!!!! The first day, we were already teaching "investigators" (They're hired but the information they share is all real). Its crazy how good they are at getting you off your A-Game (and that was in english). I went to a computer lab to do an orientation and all the teachers directing us we're speaking the languages...so I had a hmoob guy telling me what to do. I asked questions to a thai teacher, and then I'm pretty sure there was a vietnamese teacher there as well. Of course, I didn't get anything they were trying to say. All day long, I was more or less confused but it was amazing. I actually have two companions because there is only 3 of us speaking hmoob in the MTC. I have a companion named Es Daws Doane from Draper, UT and a companion named Es Daws Lowry from Daytona Beach, FL. They are awesome companions...we have a ton of fun and are working hard. Our first few days everyone was saying "just make it to Sunday, and everything will work out." Me and my companions we're like: "whatchya'll talkin' bout?, this place is great...super hard, but still amazing." Today I had the opportunity to go to the temple and do initiatorys and that was a great experience in spite of the 1 hr wait. Everything at the MTC is work, even P-days. We are constantly working and learning more. We have classroom instruction for about 3 hours with a teacher and then almost 6 hours of studying is done without teachers around. I've never been so focused on my own learning in my life. Me and my companions use every minute we have in a day (from 6:30-10:30). We always go to bed with a ton of work to do and its crazy how much we are getting done already. We pray and bear testimony in hmoob and we have been teaching in an "investigator" in hmoob as well. We've met with him three times now and there is a double-sided mirror in the room so we're a little sketched out about someone observing us. Its quite a site to see, 3 elders who can barely say a word in hmoob try and teach a lesson to a fluent hmoob speaker. However, everyday we are progressing by leaps and bounds. For instance, we were supposed to teach Meej Lauj (investigator) about Christ and His ministry and we had researched and studied all the phrases needed, however when we went to follow up on our previous challenge for Meej to pray he told us he had not. Then, we went completely off-script and we're able to ask about why he was scared about praying and then we're able to get him to pray in front of us. Now, even though we now he is not an actual investigator, its awesome to be able to understand the needs of the people we are teaching!!! We were so pumped as we came out because it was a rather successful lesson even though we didn't cover the things we originally needed to. There is so much crammed in a day, its hard to keep track of all the awesome things. I can tell you the food is "okay" and i've been eating a lot healthier and have been doing well 'getting up.' BTW, me and my companions (tus khub) are also our own district so its really nice for planning purposes. Anywhooo...i've got a lot to tell you but its really hard especially with a timer ticking away so just a few more things and I''ll save the rest for later.  I think of you guys all the time and i'm so appreciative to have such an awesome family. There are people here that don't have the same support I do and I can see the difference. Thanks for being such an awesome tsev neeg. Kov paub hai thias vajtwvs hlub koj.

Kuv hlub koj!!!! <3

Love,

Es Daws Burdick

P.S.  Haven't had time for pictures but will be sure to send some when I finally get around to taking them and somehow?? uploading them.

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