Sep 4 2012

So! I'm writing this in the morning on Tuesday... which means, as yesterday was a holiday, that I haven't gotten any mail since Friday. So if any of you sent any mail that should have arrived during that time, I'm sorry, I'll try and respond to it all next P-day!

The mystery meeting last Tuesday was exactly what I expected it to be, about the importance and uniqueness of missionary work among the Mandarin and Cantonese-speaking peoples right now. As my branch pres guessed, the speaker was a General Authority who just returned from Taiwan to Utah, Elder Perkins. He's one of only 3 General Authorities who speak Mandarin, even though 1 out of every 5 of God's children speaks Mandarin. He told us all of how the work is spreading among the Chinese right now; some of their best an brightest are going to places like Australia to recieve an education, and there they are taught the Gospel. When they return to China, the Church has negotiated an arrangement with the Chinese Government that they can teach their immediate families. Then, they usually go to Hong Kong or Taiwan for their families to be baptized or go to the temple. All in all, it was a really good meeting, and got all of us extra excited for our missions.

There have been a few highlights this week. On Saturday, our disctrict participated for the first time in TRC (teaching Resource Center). That's where volunteers come and talk to the missionaries as themselves. It's a lot more relaxed than the investigator lessons we practice teaching, since the volunteers are already members and it's more about uplifting and sharing than teaching doctrines. Chinese is coming along steadily, I've found, we certainly aren't good at it yet but I'm confident that in a few weeks' time we'll be able to SYL all of the time (right now we're doing 12-5 every day).

Sunday was another great day. I haven't decided if I like Tuesdays or Sundays more... Tuesdays are fun and relaxing, sure, but on Sundays there are a lot mroe opportunities to gain insights, which is something I enjoy. Since it was a fast sunday (generally on the first sunday of every month, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fast for two meals), our sacrament meeting was a fast-and-testimony meeting (where rather than having assigned speakers from the congregration, members of the congregation are free to take the stand and share their testimonies with everyone else in the time alloted). I got up to bear my testimony towards the end. Also, instead of a priesthood meeting or relief-society meeting, there was a Mission Conference where all 2750-some Elders and Sisters here at the MTC gather together in sort of a General-Conference-esque meeting. That was very good.

At the end of the day, for a complete change of pace, instead of a Fireside as usually occurs on Sunday evenings, we watched President Monson's 85th birthday celebration. It was enjoyable, but seemed completely different from the types of things we've had in the MTC so far. Broadway music! Boy Scouts! etc made for an interesting evening. I sat next to an Elder Dresden from near San Diego, who is leaving for Lima Peru this week, and we enjoyed discussing the performances.

After that we watched the film Labor of Love, it was very 70s/80s (whenever it came out) but very good nonetheless. At the end of the movie, when the missionary, back facing the camera, turns his head and gives a Mentos-worthy smile, we all burst out laughing because of how corny it was... still, it was good. That reminds me that last Sunday we watched the Legacy movie in Mandarin, I forget if I mentioned that in my last email. That was enjoyable, they hardly ever play Mandarin films (usually there are 2 or 3 foreign language Church films on Sundays after the fireside, so it's rare that a Mandarin one is shown).

  

Tell Uncle John thank you, thank you, thank you for the early Christmas present he sent! I got a pair of very, very nice Cycling gloves from them, I'm sure they will come in very handy out in the field. In the MTC though, they are excellent for making jokes about Pokemon. Since they look like the gloves the main character uses in the TV show. Anyway.

That's all I can think of for now! I'm leaving a few minutes on my timer (we get 30 minutes for email on P-days) just in case I get a letter from some of you today that I need to respond to. Until next time!