Hello Family!
Well, it's my first 3 days in the MTC, and I love it! It is awesome! It is not nearly as bad as i though it was going to be. People always so how awful and boring the MTC is, and i love it! I'll just start with the first day.
When you dropped me off, i went to the bookstore and they gave me so manuals and stuff like that. Then they took me to a bus stop that is going to take me to the west campus (wyview/raintree area) so that's where i am living right now. I really wanted to stay on the main campus, but now i am grateful i am not there. We have really nice apartments. There is one other companion ship in the room next to us, and on the main campus they have 6 elders in a room our size. In our room, it's just me and my companion. Elder Grimmett. He's an awesome companion. So we have a huge apartment kitchen/bathroom/living room/ 2 bedrooms. All of that just for the 4 of us. So i am already getting blessed. heheh. We dropped my bags off at my room, and they showed me to my class room. I was one of the first to get to my room, so i had to wait for the others to show up. I ended up sitting there for 2 hours, but i had the teachers to talk with. That night we did this investigator night where 70 of us go in a room and watch elders teach and "investigator". Then for the second half we raise our hand to speak, and act like the missionaries. IT WAS AWFUL. First of all, there are a million other new missionaries who have no idea what we are doing, so it got confusing. Plus the "investigators" asked such hard questions! Let's just say i felt a little discouraged when we got home. Before we went to bed, i said a 15 minute prayer just asking for strength and that the next day would be a lot better, and that i would love my companion and my district.
God hears and answers our prayers.
Tuesday was awesome! It was so much fun! My prayers were answered, and i enjoyed every minuted of it! I woke up right at 6:30, but didn't get in the shower until 7:15 (when study time should start) two of the elders took the whole 45 minutes to get ready. But i'm fast so i was in an out really fast. Once i was ready to go we had to walk to our class room. We have to do all our studying in our classrooms. Our class room is in Raintree and our apartment is in Wyview. So it took a little time to get there. We ended up being 30 minutes late, but the sisters still hadn't come so we were good. We did our study and stuff and then went to lunch. The food actually isn't to bad here. However, we have to use metal utensils and those stupid plastic/glass cups. But the lord is blessing me so i was able to use them. I didn't need to ask for plastic and paper (not that they would have given it to me anyway). After lunch we went back to our class room and had some more study time. They gave us a lot of study time yesterday. But we finally had our 3 hour class time where we learned how to plan. We have notes from investigators on the white board, and we are supposed to prepare a lesson to teach them and receive revelation. It seems like everything we do requires revelation to go with it. They are always telling us to receive revelation for these people on what God wants us to teach them. It gets a little intimidating, but i am trying! The lesson was really good though. They just started teaching us the basics on how to be a missionary. There's a lot of teaching about how to teach, but a lot of it is also on just trying to fully convert us. We can't teach someone beyond our conversion. That night we had a zone meeting, and new zone leaders and district leaders were called. I was called to be my districts leader, but i don't know that that means or what i do. i pick up the mail and that seems about it, so not to hard.
Today has not been as awesome as yesterday. We had our first teaching experience today, and i thought we were prepared but the "investigator" never said anything! he just sat and listened and answer our questions with "i guess". But he agreed to let us come back and teach him another lesson (of course). I can say though i love my district. They're are a bunch of fun and spiritual people in it! I am going to miss being surrounded by so many people too! I love talking to all of the different missionaries, and it's going to be sad just talking to one person for 6 months. I have met so many people and they are all awesome! I love the MTC, it crazy! But it's only 3 days in... maybe I'll dislike it soon. But i don't have long to wait! We got our flight plans today and we fly out on October 21st at 6am. We have to leave for the airport at 2:30am!!!!!!!!!! I am going to die. Plus we have a layover. We arrive in Pittsburgh at 1:06pm. But i am excited i cannot wait to serve out in the field.
Well that's it so far. I love this gospel so much. I feel as though i have already grown so much in just a couple of days! I feel the spirit all of the time, and i pray harder than i ever have. It's still sinking in that i am a missionary. It feels like i am at camp, and will be going home in a week. I'm not coming home for 2 years though! I love you all so much, and I loved reading your letters. It was fun to do my first night. I know this gospel is true and i know my savior lives. I had a perfect example of what the gospel is like growing up in my family, so know i know what to teach those who are searching for that.
LOVE YOU!
Elder Birrell
ps i didn't proof read this, so if it has a lot of typo's i am sorry.
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