3.23.2013

I'm leaving on a jet plane...

Well guys, it's P-day, once again. First off - I feel a little bad for calling everyone out on no letters last week. I found out most people didn't have my address by then. But still, many of you rose to the challenge, and I appreciate it. Especially the peanut butter bars from the Milletts and the brownies from Aunt LoAndra. So good. Not to mention I got letters from Nancy and the Wagstaffs! Miracles are real!
So, I had a few people write me wanting to know more about the MTC. Here's a typical daily schedule: Wake up at 6:30, personal time from 7:00 - 8:20, breakfast, additional study time from 8:50 - 10:50, planning session from 10:50 - 11:20, gym from 11:30 - 12:20, lunch at 1, class from 1:45 - 4:45, TRC from 5 - 6, dinner, then class from 6:30 - 9:30. After that we go back to our rooms, get ready, and in bed and lights out by 10:30. It's long and never ending. TRC is a teaching experience. We teach an investigator, either the same one multiple times, or an inactive member, or a first time investigator. The lady we taught this week was acting as an inactive, and it's actually pretty funny, because she knew dad. Kind of. I guess she worked as a medical transcriber and recognized his name.
Class is long and hard. Half of the time is spent preparing for our 'progressing investigator' which is an alter ego that our teachers put on. One thing - I hate roleplaying. And thats all we do. It's not bad when we're teaching investigators - even though we know they're actors, it's really believable. But I hate roleplaying teaching things with my companion. With all of my heart and soul. And we do it ALL THE TIME. Drives me crazy.
Sister Keigley was sick all day yesterday, so I just sat in our room and studied. I actually really like personal study time. I feel like I'm so rushed all the rest of the time, it's nice to slow down and take my time with my reading.
I leave to New Hampshire on Monday morning! I'm so excited to get out there! I can't wait to see it. It's hard sitting in the MTC, because I'm so close to everything that I'm familiar with. Keep writing me letters! You can also e-mail me now - lindsey.berg@myldsmail.net - but letters are better. I only get to read e-mails once a week, but I read letters all the time.

Well, I'm running out of time. But I love you all. In the words of John Denver (loosely quoted):
"I'm leaving on a jet plane,
next August is when I'll be home again,
write me letters while I'm gone!"

Love you all!

Lindsey

3.16.2013

The Empty Sea (MTC) is actually kind of crowded...

Oh hey all. Well first, today is my P-day. And I have absolutely nothing to do. Because the only letters I've received are one from my mom and one from Kelsey. They get gold stars. Everyone else fails as friends.

Anyway, life is good. I guess. I feel like I've been here for YEARS. Everyday lasts forever. There are so many ups and downs in each day. At one point I love the people I'm around, and the next I want to strangle them. One second I'm feeling the spirit stronger than I ever have and the next I'm wondering if the church is even true. I've started to tear up more in the last 3 days than I have in the last 3 years. It's a little ridiculous.
There are 6 companionships in my district - 3 sisters and 3 elders. All six sisters are going to New Hampshire. Three of the Elders are also going to New Hampshire, the other three are going to Seattle. We have a good district, I really like everyone. Although I never really realized how ADD 18 and 19 year old boys are. It's so annoying sometimes.
My companion's name is Sister Keigley. She's from Riverton, Utah. She's really sweet, really quiet. Sometimes I feel like I have to initiate everything. But it's good that she's my companion. We taught our first lesson yesterday and I kept talking too much and over complicating things. She would ask the right questions and slow us down a little whenever I got too far ahead of myself and didn't know what I was saying. So we compliment each other.
We have two main teachers - Brother Anderson and Brother Leah. Brother Leah is British, which is kind of cool. Then we have like 4 other teachers who keep coming in and out. Apparently none of them have districts of their own at the moment, so they're just kind of floating. I haven't seen Andrew Green or Nate Hainsworth yet, although they both said they teach in my building.
Speaking of people I've seen. I did not realize I knew so many people still in the MTC. I've seen Liz Matthews, Peirce Kent, Mal Jo Luke, Haley Furnestau, Suzanne Hunsaker, and Jessica Peterson (who was on my rugby team). Jessica actually lives on my floor. Oh, and I saw Marc Wells, who teaches Russian here. I saw him the first day, although I haven't seen him since. It's super weird seeing people I know, because I have to call them Elder or Sister, and I can't hug the Elders. Weird.

Gym time is a God-send. I love it more than life. It's so nice to be able to bike out all my stress. I haven't gotten a good night's sleep since I've been here, so I keep going in and out of focus during class. But when we've got 6-8 hours of class everyday and the last period is always 6:30 to 9:30 I guess it's expected, right? It's driving me crazy though, because I know I need to be paying attention. And I keep falling asleep during personal study. Also, I suck at planning. I don't know how to plan for stuff when so much of it really depends on my investigator's knowledge and reactions. And I can't plan for that when I know nothing about my investigators. It drives me crazy, I just want to be out in the field teaching people already! I hate all this practicing. My other favorite thing? The wraps they have during lunch and dinner. Soo good. Otherwise I would be eating cold cereal every meal.
I'm not sure what else to say. Life is hard, stressful, exciting, encouraging, and overwhelming, all at the same time. But I'm kind of loving it all. Not every moment, but as a whole, it's not too bad.
That's all I can think of though. Write me letters. It's a great FHE activity, especially since if you use DearElder.com, it's free. But only until the 25th, because thats the day I fly out. So WRITE ME LETTERS.

But I love you all. Even if you don't write me. I just don't love you as much as everyone else.

Love,
Lindsey