Dear Family,
Well, today we officially hit 4 weeks in the MTC. Technically we don't hit our one month until the 9th. Went to the temple today and had breakfast, did initiatories, it was really cool to go through and hear about all the blessings again. The senior districts got their travel plans, they leave next Monday so this is their last P-day at the MTC. We have one week alone with the other district of Ukrainians and the Junior district of Russians until the new group comes in. How weird is it that when they get here, we'll be halfway through the MTC! We got really excited because Sister Winston is Russian speaking to Kyiv and she got her travel plans which means the visas have finally worked out to Ukraine and the path she takes to Kyiv is most likely how we'll be going. We also leave the same day as the Italians that got here a couple of weeks after us. Looks like we'll probably be flying with them for part of the way.
Ukrainian is coming along, I now have the First Vision memorized. The baptismal commitment is next. We're having a hard time with one of our "investigators". The problem is, Sister Moore and I can understand each other in Ukrainian, but the investigator can't understand us! So we've definitely gotten into a routine here at the MTC and nothing really new happened this week, so I thought I would take you through a typical day here for a missionary learning Ukrainian. Well, to start off I should say that Sunday through Wednesday is the fastest part of our week. Thursday through Saturday is brutal because everyday we have six hours of class and nothing to really break it up. We are eternally grateful for gym time that lets us burn off some energy. We are now at the point that we are SYLing (Speaking Your Language) every lunch period and every morning until class. It's a challenge, but it's fun. Sister Moore and I have one hour a day where I SYL and she has to translate to the people we're speaking to, it's actually really fun.
So let's go through a Thursday. We wake up bright and early at 6:30(like every morning) and are expected to start planning at 7. (If there is one thing I'll learn from the MTC, it's how to get ready in 30 minutes or less) Planning can happen in the residence hall or in the classroom. Sister Moore and I generally do it in the classroom (1. because we stay more focused, and 2. because we just found out last week that we can do it in the residence hall). Then we have study or lesson planning time until breakfast at 7:50. By 8:25 we're back in the classroom for an hour of personal study. Class starts at 9:30, usually we start with Progressing Investigator, during which we teach our "investigators" (by the way if you are a future missionary reading this and you now know that your investigators in the MTC are your teachers, pretend like you didn't know that, and I didn't tell you that, they like it to be a secret, even though everybody knows). Then for the next two hours we'll do language and read the Book of Mormon as a class. Then we have lunch. I don't really think lunch is a break because the elders won't talk to you unless you talk to them in Ukrainian. (The sisters always have a hard time saying everything they want to say in Ukrainian) Then it's back to class for another 3 hours a combination of progressing investigator, fundamentals, and coaching missionary study. Language study is always 4:30 to 5:30 and then it's dinner time! After dinner it's straight to gym at 6:20. Then TALL (computer language instruction) until 8:45. Then you hang out and study as a district until 9:15 when you head back to the residence hall. All in all a very long day.
Not every day is like this but the majority of them is 6 hours of class and very very little personal time.
Just the day in the life of a missionary.
Love,
Sister Daniel
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