MTC - Week 1

Hi Family!

 

Do you miss me? Well, the MTC isn't as bad as I expected. I am actually loving life serving the Lord and I am able to feel the spirit everywhere I go here. 

 

My companion's name is Elder Nielson and he is from California. We are always together as outlined in the missionary handbook and he will be serving in Tampa, Florida and is pretty excited. Our district has 5 companionships in it and they are all elders. 7 of us are going to Denver north while the other three are going to Tampa. Elder Nielson and I are the only companionship not going to the same mission.

 

Well, after the whole district got interviewed Thursday night, Elder Nielson was assigned to be the senior companion and I was called to be the district leader. It was funny because the branch president Newsome actually called Elder Nielson out of the room and said he could bring his companion too. I was shocked when he turned to me and said that I would be the district leader for the rest of our stay at the MTC. My duties include leading the district in prayer and song, checking the mailbox, collecting letters from the Elders for President Newsome, interviewing senior companions each week (I just finished those), attending additional church meetings and leading the group in morning devotional. It basically means a whole bunch of additional work for me and my companion but I already love serving my district and the elders in general. 

 

Another part of my duties is just being there for my district for support. Last night an elder came to me and asked me to give him a blessing of comfort. I am beginning to love the opportunity to administer blessings because I am confident that the spirit will guide my words and I will be able to say what needs to be said. Elder Nielson and I went into his room and all of his roommates joined for the blessing and I know that that elder felt the spirit.

 

Well, I have ten more minutes so I'll talk about life at the MTC. Sorry I can't send pictures. I have a few of my companion and just my name tag (the name tag is sick). I get to walk around with a black badge that reads Elder Peterson! Then again everyone is wearing the same tag. I am struggling to stop using words like "guys" and "man" when I am referring to the elders. I'll get it down eventually.

 

Well Elder Nielson and I have had a few opportunities to teach other missionaries pretending to be investigators and even some teachers. We basically murdered the first lesson last night teaching some sister missionaries in our zone. We missed most of the points in the lesson and  accidentally slipped in some false doctrine. The cool thing with our zone is seeing the zone leaders and the older districts that have only been here an extra week and how great they already are at teaching the lessons. I know that with enough studying, Elder Nielson and I will be there soon. well I have to go, my p-day is next Friday at this same time. 

cya later!    


- Elder Peterson