Almost Half way done at the MTC

Yeah I will be here for six weeks. I am almost half way done! My departure date right now is April 24 but it might change when it gets closer to the time I get my travel plans.

 I have seen a TON of people I know here. Its pretty awesome. And we all talk in Spanish to each other and that is even more awesome! Seriously, learning spanish any other way would take years but I already know WAYYYY more than I ever thought I would just in two and a half weeks. We are always taught in Spanish and I usually understand aroung 80 percent of what the teachers are saying which is amazing! We also teach lessons to fake investigators in Spanish too! Like full-blown lessons. Right now, my companions and I have two investigators. One is named Paulina and the other is named Ryan. It's really scary when we have to go and teach them but we get used to it. I actually like teaching because that is when you can really practice your espanol and get to know your investigators. Sometimes it's hard to plan lessons with three companions because we all have such different ideas but our "plans" usually change completely when we are actually with the investigators. Teaching is the HARDEST thing ever! Not being able to express yourself is so hard because I don't know all the spanish I need to know yet so sometimes it get frustratintg when you are trying to teach.
 

ANYWAYS... other than the teaching... The MTC is my favorite place ever! I love always learning about the gospel and being with a ton of people that all love it as much as me. It is a LOT of hard work but it is definitely worth it after you teach a solid lesson. The food is still wonderful, I usually eat too much! Haha I love going running everyday, it keeps me sane! Also,our elders in our district are freaking hilarious! We get off topic a lot when we are trying to study because we always talk about the most random things, so we usually have to say a prayer about every 30 minutes to an hour just so we remember to stay focused! haha

Lovin' the MTC

The first few days of the MTC are rough but it has gotten so much better this week. I have made lots of new friends! 

My district is the BEST! We all get along really well. The Elders in my district are so funny. One time we were sharing our testimonies (in English for once) and one Elder  who is super awkward and shy, but really has a good heart said this, " I know that its really hard to forget the worldly things like cookies and stuff..." Ha Ha Ha He seriously said that in the middle of his testimonio y we all started laughing it was so hard to control ourselves. We call him "cookies" now. The funniest thing EVER! 

 (Brooke breaks in to Spanish quite a lot in her letters)
Anyways, the food is still muy bueno! They have like 10 options per meal! its like heaven in the cafeteria. I gave up on the "no sugar" goal on Sunday because I had to try the BYU's ice cream!

Mi companeros y yo run for 3 miles then do yoga and stretch. I LOVE IT! I love having a running buddy since we are allowed to listen to musica.

I have been teaching "investigators" in Spanish a lot! Its really hard to express yourself to an investigator in Spanish because I don't know the vocabulary or the grammar to really say much. I have learned though to rely on the Lord, the words will come at the very second you need them. Its really interesting to me that even though I barely know Spanish and the investigator can barely understand me , the Spirit is still felt, if you teach by it. I have really learned to rely on the Lord for his Spirit y his help when teaching.

Although the espanol is really hard and you have to work at it, the gift of languages is real. I would never have imagined that I would be speaking this much Spanish in such a short time. Its insane how much the Lord is with his missionaries. it's such a blessing to be this close to him all the time. I am grateful and so happy here. I no longer look at it as a sacrifice but an amazing blessing and oportunidad. Es muy bueno.:)

I feel prompted to share something that my branch president told us. He said " If we could just see the Celestial Kingdom for even just a second, we would strive our whole lives to get there. Although we could serve him all our lives, only through his grace could we ever catch up, and eventually make it there." That has helped me this week.

Me gusta compartir mi testimonio con usted. Yo se que Jesucristo es mi Salvador. Yo se que nestro padre Celestial es muy amoroso. La iglesia es verdadera.  Jose Smith y Thomas S. Monson son profetas. El libro de Mormon es verdardero. Padre Celestial ayuda nosotros por medio oracion. Este conocimento me ayuda a vivir feliz y ser una buena persona y tener esperanza. En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.

correct email

brooke.bateson@myldsmail.net

Ist letter

Brooke says..."My first day we got into the classroom and the teacher wouldn't speak any English to me- like nothing at all. Nothing and I was in class within the first 5 minutes of being there."
She says that the second day was the hardest because they sat in class almost all day learning Spanish. "I learned how to pray, how to bear my testimony and to talk generally with people. SUPER HARD SUPER TIRED"
She is in a trio for her companionship and she says they are both amazing!! She is already trying to teach an investigator in Spanish.
"I loves the MTC already. Everyone is so nice and loving. There are very long days. I can barely sleep at night because I have Spanish stuck in my head. Sometimes I think in Spanish and I definitely talk in Spanish a lot."
She says...
There are 5 hermanas (sisters) in my room and thats different.
I use a public bathroom all the time.
You have to wait in line to shower.
The food is so good! It's all you can eat all the time...so I'm probably going to get chunky while I'm here.
I go running everyday on the track with my companions.
I sit in the classroom literally 14 hours a day and that gets tiring. I start to get dilusional around 8 or 8:30.

 She sounds like she is doing great!

Brooke's email address that I got doesn't seem to work. I was referred to dearelder.com to write a  letter to her that she gets the next day. It is free. Try it.

off to the MTC

We took Brooke to the MTC today! There were tons of elders there and hardly any sister missionaries. Brooke was a little worried I think. Any one who texted Brooke after her setting apart on Tuesday night probably didn't get a response because it was against mission rules and she had stopped using her phone. (FYI)

MTC address is :
Sister Brooke Ashley Bateson
MTC Mailbox #27
TN-KNOX 0423
2005 N. 900 E.
Provo, Ut. 84604-1793
 Email: brookebateson@myldsmail.net