#1 First Email-One week in the MTC

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Hello Everyone,

I only have limited time to email you so, I will probably make some mistakes. I have so much to say.  I know my last letter was pretty sad but I am doing 10 times better now.  I got a chance to have gym time.  Its kind of like PE but for elders and sisters.  We had about an hour on friday night so we went and played sand volleyball accross the street from the MTC.  It was way fun.  No one is very good but we love it.  Also, a couple of mornings I woke up early and worked out a bit.  This has all really helped me.  I am actually really loving the MTC. I have never felt the spirit so strongly.  I have a teacher who teaches us about six hours a day. We go over doctrine and the language.  Most of the time he only speaks cebuano.  Only when we go over dotrine or scriptures does he speak english.  Also with part of our training we are suppose to teach a progressive investigator.  These are just people that speak cebuano and volunteer to let us teach them.  They pretend to be an investigator and we have to teach them in cebuano only.  The first lesson on Friday was very bad but we are getting better.  I learned how to bear testimony and I actually got our PI progressive investigatyor to cry because the spirit was so strong.  There are a lot of rules here but they are getting alot easier to follow.  And we were taught that our blessings are dependant on our exact obedience.  A quote that is shared very often is obedience brings blessings while exact obedience brings miracles.  I joke that this is what prison feels like.. we are trapped in classrooms for most of the day, and even if we go outside we live in about one fourth of a square mile.  Whenever I get the chance I like to leave and look at the mountains.  The food here is very average but there is tons of it.  I think I have already gained about 4 pounds.  I am actually getting fitter though.  Having the chance to work out has made me happier and look better.  I'm probably feeling the best I've ever felt in my life.  I have awesome roommates and companion.  My companion is Elder B. from Logan, Utah.  He is very quiet but a very good person.  On to the district.  Right now there are four people in our room.  The other companionship is both from New Zealand.  they have awesome accents.  Every night we talk about the difference between here and there.  Their names are Elder M. and Elder G. Elder M. is our district leader right now and he is very intune with the spirit and always wants to serve us.  Our district is very diverse.  Total we have thirteen people.  4 from utah or idaho, 1 from malaysia, 1 from indonesia, 3 from new zealand, 1 from austrailia, 1 from figi, 2 from tonga or somoa.  All of them are great people and I think that we have the best district.  The best thing that i have learned so far is about charity.  This is also the pure love of christ.  I am trying to see people as Christ would see them and love them as much as he loves them.  I encourage you all to read about charity.  You will love it as much as I have loved it and you will love each other more.  Random thought our district includes people speaking hillyganan and cantenese.  We are all learing a language, the people that speak hilyganan are leaving on monday or tuesday.  The cantenese missionaries are going to sydney australia and they are here for nine weeks,  they have two weeks left.  Our tags are in english because when the church started in the Philippines it was all english text.  Elder in cebuano is elder and there isn't really a word for hello.  The language is coming just fine, but I am definitely having to work.  Technically cebuano isn't really a written language and everyone that speaks cebuano is lazy with the language.  There are shortcuts for everything and the language has just evolved that way.  I got a hair cut to day and I did my laundry. That was kind of hard, luckily one the elders has been living by himself for awhile.  Testimony in cebuano.  Nasayod ko nga gihigugma kita sa dios ug ni Jesukristo. Nasayod ko nga tinoud sa simbahan. nasayud do nga propeta si Joseph Smith.  Nasyod ko nga buhing propeta si Thomas S Monson sa ngalan ni jesukristo amen. 

Elder Roskelley

PS I'll have pictures for next week thanks