July 18, 2012

Started CES training.  Wow is all I can say.  Every teacher in the church should have the opportunity to go through this training.  The whole point of gospel teaching is to get the gospel message into the hearts of the learners.  That takes the Holy Ghost and a teacher who wants to teach doctrines and principles.

Today we learned what to do as we prepare to teach.  The first step is to section each chapter of scripture into blocks. Once we did that we wrote a one sentence summary for each block.  We then wrote one principle that the block taught.  The principle was written "If I... then..."  The purpose is to get into our minds an outline of the chapter, determine what principles the chapter teaches, and then through inspiration (with a knowledge of what our students need) decide which principles to teach.  We did Luke 5.  The first block encompassed verses 1-11.  The summary could be "The Savior helps Peter, James and John catch fish, and then calls them to be fisher's of men."  The amazing part of this was the principles this short story teaches.  Here are some that were shared among the missionaries in the training.  "If I follow Jesus Christ my life will be full (like the nets)."  "If I obey Jesus Christ, he will help me with the things with which I toil/struggle."  "When the Spirit testifies of Jesus Christ, we must follow him."  By the time we had finished Luke 5 my heart was so full.  I can't wait for tomorrow.

We are continuing with Fijian lessons.  I was so proud of myself when I entered the classroom, greeted the teacher and did it correctly.  Bula vinaka.  Sa vakacava tiko?  (Hello, how are you?) I can testify from experience that pride cometh before a fall!  Our tutor followed my greeting with "Bula Bula vinaka tiko.  Ocei na yacamuni?"  Although I knew exactly what he had asked me, my poor old brain, just could not pull up the reply.  How hard is "Na yacaqu ko Sista Tennis?"  I am determined to be able to participate in the pleasantries of life in Fijian.

Just before we got to our tutoring session two young Elders were standing outside one of the classroom doors.  We stopped to watch.  They looked embarrassed and we told them that we wanted to watch how good they were in their language.  They said, "NO you don't.  We are terrible."  And then we watched them knock on the door and proceed to be wonderful at the greeting, and the door approach.  They spoke really fast for about 3 minutes before we walked on down the hall. Their accents were very good.  We hear all languages.  The elders and sisters are always practicing.  Each say thank you, how are you, and excuse me in their mission languages.  Ah to have a young brain and the gift of tongues.

We love being here.  We love the powerful spirit these young men and women carry with them.  We love the feel of this place even when we are walking from building to building.  We love what we have learned here.  It will be bitter sweet to leave the MTC.

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Here we are the Pres. and Sister Bell who did CES training with us.  What a wonderful example they are.

June 12

So many firsts today.  But let me start with a daily schedule and flesh it out as I go.

We are up at 6 a.m.  Scott goes to work out for 1/2 hour while I shower and get ready.  We have to be to breakfast by 7 or 7:15.  It warms my heart to see all the elders in their white shirts and ties.  They are so polite.  I don't think we have opened one door since we got here.  The MTC campus is in a permanent lock-down.  All doors have to be opened with a credit card like pass key.  Even our elevator needs a pass key to go up to our floor.  We are in the building with the book store and the mail room, so the main floor is always jam packed with missionaries.  Scott can choose to exercise on our floor (small workout room) or in the basement which is a huge room with stationary bikes, recumbent bikes, treadmills, and weights. Breakfast is huge, but I got smart today and ate just my normal cheerios, nuts, and cranraisins.  It was much better; no mid morning slump.  We meet for devotional at 8 just with the senior missionaries.  We have a short lesson by the director of training, a Brother Peterson, and then go to class with a young trainer, Brother Silitoe until lunch.

Today I gave my first discussion.  I was so glad to have Scott with me.  I knew if I messed up he would fix it.  His Preach My Gospel looks like it has gone through a war.  We taught the loveliest couple.  His story was really touching.  He came back to the church after most of a lifetime without it. Although they are members, they acted as if they weren't yet.  He stated that he wasn't a nice person, and wasn't sure that God could love him after all he had done.  It felt so good and right to tell him that nothing he had or would do could stop Heavenly Father from loving him.

I was so nervous I got blotches on my chest which moved up my neck to my face.  Embarrassing.  I thought I had outgrown it.  We were not allowed to take in our PMG.  I made notes so that I would not forget any of the concepts.  Whoever wrote PMG was truly inspired.  It says amazing things in so few words.  I put my notes on the table next to me and yet I never looked at them.  The lesson just flowed, the Spirit was there, and both Scott and I felt like we had been inspired more than once as we taught the Restoration.  Amazing.  Scott is an fabulous missionary.  I hope that we will have the opportunity to teach investigators while we are in Fiji.  Ok, so after we taught the discussion, our trainer critiqued our performance which he watched on close circuit cameras.  He was kind.

We eat from 12 to 1:30.  We are always so tired that we eat fast, and then head back to our room for a quick power nap.  So far it hasn't been enough.

At 1:30 we have another devotional and then head to afternoon instruction with Brother Whiting, a young father who attends BYU.  We study until 4:30.  We have from 4:30 to 6 for dinner.  Again we go home to study and then we go to eat at 5:30.  Tuesdays are devotional nights and this week we heard Elder Per Malm.  Great talk.  However the best part of the evening was before the meeting got started when the music director had us sing 3 or 4 songs.  Tears just flowed as I listened to those young adults missionaries sing with all their hearts and felt the Spirit come.

Tonight we had our first lesson is Fijian.  I am so disappointed that we did not ask for lessons as soon as we got our call.  We missed the little piece that said we could have a tutor on Skype if we wanted one.  We were also told not to worry about Fijian because everyone speaks English.  Stupid.  I know better.  All people feel valued when someone else tries to converse in their language.  Our tutor is Brother Viukadavu.  He is a Fijian who grew up in Hawaii and Fiji and served a mission in Washington state.  He is the most positive person.  Although Fijian doesn't seem to be a hard language, we are going to have to work really hard to remember it.  Old brains just don't retain like young ones.

We were so burned out after the tutoring session (6pm to 8pm), that we went to the gym and rode bikes for 30 minutes.  Tomorrow is coming early--too early.

What a wonderful experience we are having.  How inspired this whole system of training missionaries is.  Heavenly Father is really in charge of this work.

Here we are doing the traditional MTC photo pointing at where we will serve.  FIJI.  Some things you just gotta do.

June 11, 2012

It wasn't the best way to begin our mission---arriving LATE to the MTC.  No one believed our excuse that we were adapting to the culture of Fiji by ignoring time restraints.  Everyone was kind about it any way.  The day went like this.  Sit and listen.  Eat.  Sit and listen.  Eat.  Walk around the MTC campus for exercise.  Find an exercise room which means everything is right in Scott's world. Change.  Begin studying for tomorrow.  We've reading to do and preparation.  We are to give a first discussion tomorrow and then be critiqued on our presentation skills.  NO SWEAT.

We are touched by all of the young Elders and Sisters who are giving up time, education, etc. to serve the Lord.  What an amazing bunch of kids.  Met an Elder from Fiji who is going to serve in the Phillipines.  I was so excited to greet him.  "Bula, Elder."  He grinned from ear to ear and replied, "Bula, vinaka"  Score!!!!  My first successful interchange with a Fijian.  I was psyched.  The real lessons in Fijian begin tomorrow.