The First Week

We got our first email from Elder Berg in the MTC.  Here's his report:

Well, first day. We got our name tags, and it was pretty awesome. We then e-mailed home and then went off to find our houses, and I found my district and I like my roommates. My companion did not show up until 9:30 at night, so for about 3 hours I was companion-less. The first day was pretty awesome. 

The second day was hectic. Wake up at 6:30, study, eat breakfast, study. It is very, very difficult. However, they then gave us lunch, and meals are really our only respite besides gym time everyday. I love playing soccer here, the people are pretty good and it is a lot of fun. Our district basically studied the entire day, and it was a lot of work, but I felt good. We got a tour of the MTC, and it is basically a huge compound in the middle of Mexico City, surrounded by tall walls and barbed wire. To keep us in, or to keep others out, we don't know. We met with our Stake President today, and it was pretty awesome. 

Friday, we prepared to teach our first "investigator", which was really scary. We taught Esdras about the Book of Mormon, and challenged him to read it. We had a good lesson, and then we studied Spanish the rest of the day. 

For a quick outlook on how everyday goes, its this: wake up at 6:30, then study for a while, then breakfast. Then more study, and then a teacher comes and teaches our district about how to teach lessons and he also teaches us Spanish. Then, we have lunch, we teach our investigator, Esdras. Then it is about an hour of study and planning, then dinner, then language study, and then more language study, then planning, then sleep. The only rest we get is during meals, which is awesome. The food here is pretty good, kind of Americanized, but not too much. 

Saturday, it was a lot of the same, and we were taught about the Book of Mormon and how to teach about it. We had a lot of study time, but it was all leading up to teaching Esdras. Our lesson went a little better, but he asked some hard questions. He asked us why the Spirit would tell Nephi to kill Laban, when God only does good in the world, and when Nephi is talking about John, why he says that he is not worthy to buckle his shoe, when they didn't have shoes back then, only sandals. we did our best to explain, but it was pretty difficult, and we told him to pray. 

Sunday, it was a lot of personal study time and reading the scriptures. we had a great priesthood and sacrament, and we all need to write a five minute talk every week, because they choose speakers at random and call on six every week, and they only tell you in sacrament meeting. We had a great devotional, it was a talk by Elder Bednard, and I loved it. We had about an hour of study time between activities, which added up. I am now almost done with Alma. We then watched a movie about Wilford Woodruff and went to study and went to sleep. 

Yesterday, we taught our investigator again, and studied the Preach my Gospel, and studied some fundamentals of teaching, and how to invite them to do certain things, such as read the book of Mormon and praying. We did a lot of studying how to teach and be a missionary, not as much scripture study. 

Today, we all played kickball and we did laundry, and basically chilled. we have a devotional today, and I know it will be awesome. My Spanish is improving, I am trying to learn about 20 words a day, which is very difficult. 

Here in the MTC, I have come to rely on the Lord so much more than Ii thought I would ever need to. I have prayed so much for help and guidance, and have tried to humble myself (its hard, I am pretty awesome). However, I know that the Lord is helping me and wants me to succeed. I am trying to serve well, and be the best companion I can be. My companion is great, he is from Seattle. He does not really know a lot of Spanish, which makes teaching hard, because it takes him a long time to think of an idea and how to say it, which leaves a lot of empty air, which I don't like. So, i will try to talk for most of the lesson, and I will ramble, and I am trying to work on it. Its hard. I love you all, and I hope that you are all doing awesome. May the Lord watch over you.