Here is an excerpt from her first email to her family. Looks like her schedule is packed! One thing is definitely different--they get a lot more exercise than we did when I was in the MTC! We only got gym on two nights of the week. No wonder my clothes got tight!
Hi Everyone,
How to sum up an entire week of amazing new experiences and changes in my remaining 25 minutes of email time...
First day was a whirl. I have a great companion, Sister Grant, and two other amazing roommates: Sister O'Neil and Sister Greenwell. I love the Elders in my district as well--they really are a great bunch of Elders (we're not supposed to say "guys" or "girls", etc while at the MTC). I don't have a cord to connect my camera to the computer but I'll be printing some pictures out and sending them.
Anyway, I love it here at the MTC. It's a lot of studying, but I am used to studying and I definitely feel that my Spiritual Capacity and endurance is much higher than it used to be. I am growing so much and learning so much. I know that's general but it's true.
So a typical day:
5:50 Wake up, get dressed for exercise
6:00 Sisters Only exercise class (each day is something different, like Pilates, yoga, kickboxing, etc)
6:30 Shower and get ready
7:00 Personal Study
7:30 Breakfast
8:00 - 12:00 MDT (Missionary Directed Time) or Class
12-12:45 Lunch
12:45 Prepare for Gym
1:00 Gym (either outside on the field next to the temple or on an elliptical/bike indoors)
1:50 Shower, get ready
2:30-5:00 MDT or Class
5:00 Dinner
5:45- 9pm MDT or Class
9-9:30 Planning for the next day
9:30 - 10:30 Go back to the residence, change, pick up room, iron clothes, write in journal, talk to companion and roommates, go to bed
On Tuesday we had a devotional in the evening, and on Tuesday and Friday we teach an "investigator" at the TRC (Teaching Resource Center). Thursday is P-day, so this morning we got to go up to the Temple and do an Endowment session. We also have Large Group Meetings where they discuss gospel topics. Generally we have two class periods a day, and one block of MDT. So, during MDT we have 1 hour of personal study and 1 hour of companionship study, and whatever else we can plan. I have two wonderful teachers: Brother Peterson, who is my age, lol, and Sister Ward. All the teachers here have served missions and Sister Ward served in the ghettos of Chicago and Brother Peterson served in Independence Missouri. Brother Peterson always stresses teaching by the scriptures and whenever we aks him a quiestion, his response is "Well, if you'll open your scriptures to..." Sister Ward has some amazing experiences that she shares about the people she met and helps us understand how to relate to people.
Here at the MTC it's really cool to study outside because missionaries learning all different languages come up and bear their testimonies or practice contacting people. Sister Grant and I have also made a goal to go up to several companionships a day and either bear our testimony or share a scripture.
I'm going to share an excerpt from my journal for August 16:
"We had a wonderful group meeting about challenging people to baptism the first time, or soon after we meet them. We talked about how the first doctrine Christ taught to the Nephites was about Baptism. i could really actually see myself doing that sometime. I always thought that inviting people to baptism the first time you meet them was ridiculous but now I can really see the merit. And if they say no, you are able to learn right away what their concerns are...This evening we did a lot of singing as a district and it is just so amazing to hear the Elders sing. There really is a special spirit to music and the hymns."
Love,
Sister Lila Jenson
Hi Everyone,
How to sum up an entire week of amazing new experiences and changes in my remaining 25 minutes of email time...
First day was a whirl. I have a great companion, Sister Grant, and two other amazing roommates: Sister O'Neil and Sister Greenwell. I love the Elders in my district as well--they really are a great bunch of Elders (we're not supposed to say "guys" or "girls", etc while at the MTC). I don't have a cord to connect my camera to the computer but I'll be printing some pictures out and sending them.
Anyway, I love it here at the MTC. It's a lot of studying, but I am used to studying and I definitely feel that my Spiritual Capacity and endurance is much higher than it used to be. I am growing so much and learning so much. I know that's general but it's true.
So a typical day:
5:50 Wake up, get dressed for exercise
6:00 Sisters Only exercise class (each day is something different, like Pilates, yoga, kickboxing, etc)
6:30 Shower and get ready
7:00 Personal Study
7:30 Breakfast
8:00 - 12:00 MDT (Missionary Directed Time) or Class
12-12:45 Lunch
12:45 Prepare for Gym
1:00 Gym (either outside on the field next to the temple or on an elliptical/bike indoors)
1:50 Shower, get ready
2:30-5:00 MDT or Class
5:00 Dinner
5:45- 9pm MDT or Class
9-9:30 Planning for the next day
9:30 - 10:30 Go back to the residence, change, pick up room, iron clothes, write in journal, talk to companion and roommates, go to bed
On Tuesday we had a devotional in the evening, and on Tuesday and Friday we teach an "investigator" at the TRC (Teaching Resource Center). Thursday is P-day, so this morning we got to go up to the Temple and do an Endowment session. We also have Large Group Meetings where they discuss gospel topics. Generally we have two class periods a day, and one block of MDT. So, during MDT we have 1 hour of personal study and 1 hour of companionship study, and whatever else we can plan. I have two wonderful teachers: Brother Peterson, who is my age, lol, and Sister Ward. All the teachers here have served missions and Sister Ward served in the ghettos of Chicago and Brother Peterson served in Independence Missouri. Brother Peterson always stresses teaching by the scriptures and whenever we aks him a quiestion, his response is "Well, if you'll open your scriptures to..." Sister Ward has some amazing experiences that she shares about the people she met and helps us understand how to relate to people.
Here at the MTC it's really cool to study outside because missionaries learning all different languages come up and bear their testimonies or practice contacting people. Sister Grant and I have also made a goal to go up to several companionships a day and either bear our testimony or share a scripture.
I'm going to share an excerpt from my journal for August 16:
"We had a wonderful group meeting about challenging people to baptism the first time, or soon after we meet them. We talked about how the first doctrine Christ taught to the Nephites was about Baptism. i could really actually see myself doing that sometime. I always thought that inviting people to baptism the first time you meet them was ridiculous but now I can really see the merit. And if they say no, you are able to learn right away what their concerns are...This evening we did a lot of singing as a district and it is just so amazing to hear the Elders sing. There really is a special spirit to music and the hymns."
Love,
Sister Lila Jenson
