So today has been my first P-day, we're only allowed to send emails on Thursdays for an hour so the computer lab I'm in is so loud with the keyboards being pounded frantically (we don't have spellcheck) with people trying to write an entire weeks worth of stories and respond to all their friends and family.
My district, who I have classes with, consists of 4 Elder companionships and 1 sister companionship. Our teacher Brother Hill is a 21 year old returned missionary from one of the areas in the Philippines. He's white but teaches in 90% Tagalog, or Taglish as it's called. The people in the Philippines will often times use English words, with Tagalog verb conjugations, resulting in Taglish. Normally we're lost when Bro. Hill talks to us until he says that 1 English word and uses hand motions, then we'll understand. We started teaching an investigator, who only speaks (to us) in Tagalog on our second day here, it was ridiculous. Now, 9 days in we can make introductions, pray, testify, count, and tell time. We've been memorizing words, phrases and vocabulary but only learned how to conjugate verbs yesterday which seems like a pretty important part of learning to speak a language...We wake up at 6:30, and have about 8 hours of class/study time a day. We're not supposed to return to our residence for the night until 9;30 pm, quiet time at 10;15, and lights out at 10;30. I've been trying to write in the journal every night and usually that keeps me up longer than we're supposed to, oops. I wish I could just send you my nightly journal entry, that would be so simple and descriptive, but that's not how it works.
My district is fun, we all are going to the Philippines either Urdaneta or Baguio missions. We go on a walk to the Provo Temple grounds every Sunday to chillax and take pictures, I'll send one of my district and descriptions of some of them. My companion is Elder Unice, together we're probably the first or second best companionship at speaking tagolog, but our lessons don't always go smoothly. He's a cool guy, but I he never wants do do the same stuff as me at gym time. I'm always trying to go play volleyball and he just runs around the track (on the third floor of the gym). I barely got him to go to the field yesterday where I told a sister missionary I'd play sand volleyball at gym time. It was fun. Most of my district went and a lot of the 3-weekers (who are learning Tagalog also). At night before bed District Leader (DL) Elder Berges and I do a pushup/pullup circuit. At least my companion and I get along mostly. Out of the two of us, I got called to be the senior companion which I wasn't surprised about, because I'm the oldest one of my district and have been out with the missionaries the most too. But Elder Unice is a machine at memorizing things: vocab, paragraphs in Tagalog, remembering scripture references. I'm good at recognizing what to teach and reading the investigator and his needs.
We're not really in the loop with MTC culture, with me being the only one of the family to serve a mission. There's some kids who receive a package of candy, little dart guns, shoes and other random stuff every 3 days. You have a pretty good idea of what I'd use/like to receive, and maybe 1 or two care packages would be nice. Maybe send me some Redvines, butterfingers, skittles, sour skittle, sour patch kids... All the 3 weekers just have drawers full from a steady stream of candy and food. but thats just because like 70% of the elder here are from Utah it seems.
There is also a website called dearelder.com or something. It allows you to send me emails that then get printed out in the main office of the MTC and I can pick them up throughout the week, so that I can hear from you more than just on P-days. There's also options to send me donuts and stuff but I'd rather you not, I'd just end up giving them away to most of my district anyways.
My district, who I have classes with, consists of 4 Elder companionships and 1 sister companionship. Our teacher Brother Hill is a 21 year old returned missionary from one of the areas in the Philippines. He's white but teaches in 90% Tagalog, or Taglish as it's called. The people in the Philippines will often times use English words, with Tagalog verb conjugations, resulting in Taglish. Normally we're lost when Bro. Hill talks to us until he says that 1 English word and uses hand motions, then we'll understand. We started teaching an investigator, who only speaks (to us) in Tagalog on our second day here, it was ridiculous. Now, 9 days in we can make introductions, pray, testify, count, and tell time. We've been memorizing words, phrases and vocabulary but only learned how to conjugate verbs yesterday which seems like a pretty important part of learning to speak a language...We wake up at 6:30, and have about 8 hours of class/study time a day. We're not supposed to return to our residence for the night until 9;30 pm, quiet time at 10;15, and lights out at 10;30. I've been trying to write in the journal every night and usually that keeps me up longer than we're supposed to, oops. I wish I could just send you my nightly journal entry, that would be so simple and descriptive, but that's not how it works.
My district is fun, we all are going to the Philippines either Urdaneta or Baguio missions. We go on a walk to the Provo Temple grounds every Sunday to chillax and take pictures, I'll send one of my district and descriptions of some of them. My companion is Elder Unice, together we're probably the first or second best companionship at speaking tagolog, but our lessons don't always go smoothly. He's a cool guy, but I he never wants do do the same stuff as me at gym time. I'm always trying to go play volleyball and he just runs around the track (on the third floor of the gym). I barely got him to go to the field yesterday where I told a sister missionary I'd play sand volleyball at gym time. It was fun. Most of my district went and a lot of the 3-weekers (who are learning Tagalog also). At night before bed District Leader (DL) Elder Berges and I do a pushup/pullup circuit. At least my companion and I get along mostly. Out of the two of us, I got called to be the senior companion which I wasn't surprised about, because I'm the oldest one of my district and have been out with the missionaries the most too. But Elder Unice is a machine at memorizing things: vocab, paragraphs in Tagalog, remembering scripture references. I'm good at recognizing what to teach and reading the investigator and his needs.
We're not really in the loop with MTC culture, with me being the only one of the family to serve a mission. There's some kids who receive a package of candy, little dart guns, shoes and other random stuff every 3 days. You have a pretty good idea of what I'd use/like to receive, and maybe 1 or two care packages would be nice. Maybe send me some Redvines, butterfingers, skittles, sour skittle, sour patch kids... All the 3 weekers just have drawers full from a steady stream of candy and food. but thats just because like 70% of the elder here are from Utah it seems.
There is also a website called dearelder.com or something. It allows you to send me emails that then get printed out in the main office of the MTC and I can pick them up throughout the week, so that I can hear from you more than just on P-days. There's also options to send me donuts and stuff but I'd rather you not, I'd just end up giving them away to most of my district anyways.
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