Week 1: 今日は! from the MTC

今日は! (KON-NICHI-Wa)
Hey From the MTC!! J

The first week at the mission training center (MTC) was just absolutely fantastic! 

The first day, I had some problems with my room key, so I couldn't get into my residence when I tried the first time.   So, my 5'7" host and I had to walk down and up 4 flights of stairs twice with 45 and 49 lbs bags, plus my reading stuff, satchel and tote bag.

My companion’s name is Elder Fox, and he's a boss.  My roommates are all going to Busan, Korea which is awesome, and they are basically like family. I got Lunt Elder, Mahler Elder, and Fox Elder in my room. We always try to get to sleep on time but that doesn't happen ever. But they are so cool. Lunt Elder is 6'3 with some sick looking hair, Mahler is shorter with gel-ed hair and it's brown, my companion has blonde hair and is about 5'10. I love them so much, to think that by the end of Day 1, I have already made friends to last me a lifetime. 

My district consists of Foley Elder who is with glasses, Hicken Elder who is taller, Allen Elder who is super into golf and is from Cash county, and his first name is cash. Then Trask Elder who is one of my favs along with my boys going to Busan. Trask Elder is from San Clemente, California and we mesh so well. I absolutely love him and my boys dearly. Then his companion is Esplin Elder. Then two of the sisters are from Tonga, Teekiu sister and Faanua Sister, along with Anderson sister, and Kramer sister from Portland with the Blonde hair.

The days are long but the weeks are short, it's super weird to think that the weeks are short. 8 days felt like a flash. It's been a super spiritual blast and I absolutely love it here.

I'm thankful for all the “dear elder” letters I'm getting!! Please keep it up! I feel so loved and I am so happy that I can get them! They always make my day.   All of my fellow district members are like me get so many letters! They must really love them! I love you all a bunch!!

My room is a 4 man suite, and it's like a dorm, at the end of the day ultimately I go out into the hall with the older elders and we throw a Nerf football as hard as we can basically pitching it. they all say that I have some really good heat for me being super scrawny. And I also go out and run every morning for about 15 to 20 minutes and run about 2 miles and then come back inside and play hoops. They got mad at me for going up and almost tip slamming the ball. But oh well. My shot looks good although my legs are always dead. I appreciate that all the elders respect me for my ability to play.

We got Native Koreans on Tuesday and I bond so well with them. It's probably the inner Japanese / Asian connection we have. I love them so much and we bond amazingly. They say I have super good pronunciation as well. We connect and they are hilarious. 

We had mock group lessons to teach investigators, and on Friday we taught our first lesson. 

I sang in the choir and the Sunday devotional was like “Music and The Spoken Word” with Lloyd Newell. The spirit here is so strong. It's unbelievable the amount of spirit there is and how amazing it is. I also lost my voice singing too hard in the choir but ehhh whatever :) I don't regret it for a second.

I shared a story about my brother James and about faith, and how hard it was to go through seeing James go through cancer, and how much I love him, and how much I love my family, and how immensely that strengthened my faith. I cried, but my composure is going well. Sorry family makes me tear up a bit.

Anyways, Korean... I can pray, testify, read and write pretty well. In all honesty talking to my roommates and to other elders that have been here at the MTC, I seem like I am on week 3 or 4 when it comes to Korean and the rest of them are still on week 1 or 2. They are like how do I get it so well, and I say I don’t know. I'm glad and they look up to me :) I love it and I love the gospel. 

I got to go to the temple to do endowments today. I got through like that :) It was amazing and I loved it, and it was amazing:) I love the temple; I love the Korean elders, and I also love the atonement and the gospel and I know this church is without a doubt true. I know that through faith, repentance. Baptism and the receiving of the Holy Ghost, combined with enduring to the end will give us ever lasting life. I love Korea and the Korean people. I love everything about it and am so filled with the spirit!!

Love, 

Wilson 장로 ( pronounces "janglo", and means "elder")

Korean Branch at the MTC

First photo of my Korean Branch at the Missionary Training Center in Utah. 

I am in the training center learning the Korean language until November 17th.