"The first 2 days of the MTC experience have been great!"

Hola Familia!

 

The first 2 days of the MTC experience have been great! I am starting to get used to the tight schedule that we have here. Ever since Jordy dropped me off it seems like I have been going 100 mph!

 

My district that I have been assigned to is just grand. We have 3 elders going to Colombia, 4 going to Lubbock, Texas, 2 going to Portland, Oregon, and 2 going to San Fernando, California all Spanish speaking. My companion is Elder Whitney from St. George, Utah. He and I have been getting along great and have learned a lot from studying with one another. The other elder going to Cali is Elder Curtis from Arizona, he too is awesome and our Colombian trio is really working. We all our loving it here but can't wait to get to Bogota!

 

Class the past two days has been really awesome! I am having so much fun learning Spanish! the entire lesson that Hermano McCallister teaches is in Spanish and we have to take notes and everything in Spanish. yesterday he taught us how to begin lessons with investigators and how to bear our testimonies. After the lesson we were told to go outside and find a random elder and practice bearing testimony to them. It was great because some of the Elders are still a little shy about approaching strangers and it got them to stretch and get out of their comfort zone a little. 

 

Luckily I learned from Cody that talking to EVERYONE is totally necessary to be a great missionary so I wasn't bothered too bad. I am getting pretty good at saying prayers and bearing testimony in the language although when it comes time to teach today I think I may struggle a bit. Yeah I said today! We teach our first "fake" investigator, we go into the TRC (Teaching Resource Center) and teach our investigator entirely in Spanish. I am pretty excited because even though I might be overwhelmed, I feel that Hermano McCalister has prepared us well. I had no idea that we would have to teach so soon!

 

So I am loving my time here already even though the days seem very long. Elders who have been here longer always say the first 4 days or so are very long but once you get passed them the days fly by! Also the food here is amazing, I am going to be careful not to gain weight because I heard an Elder say today that he has gained about 20 pounds since entering and he's been here for 11 weeks! Haha luckily we get gym time everyday. I have been playing basketball most of the time, we have tournaments between European and South American missionaries. We have won both times because we have a 6'8 elder who has a scholarship at Utah State. Just feed the big man.

 

My Spanish is really coming along! I'll be fluent in no time, I l know that with diligence and hardwork along with the Lord's help I WILL learn this language and be able to declare to the people of Cali the good news that this gospel brings. I am so honored and humbled to be one counted worthy to wear Jesucristo on my chest everyday and be trained in the Lord's bootcamp to be enlisted in the army of His work. I feel the spirit so strong everyday and I am getting pumped to get out there and work my heart out to extend the Kingdom of God!

 

Love, Elder Eliason

 

Ps. I am officially serving in the Cali mission, and my Pdays here in Provo will be on Fridays