MTC Culture

Hey Family!

Trust me I am so excited for the shampoo and pillow case. You should let Ian know that I found his previous student, Elder Stratford, who is in my zone. Thanks also to Sister Soper, the little shoulder bag is absolutely perfect for the MTC. And lastly to grandpa for the awesome suit. We wear suits more than I thought--Suit Sunday, Temple Suit Monday in the morning, and Devotional Suit Tuesday in the evening. But no, I don't need another one. Thanks for the pictures of the King and I! Those are awesome! It is a bummer I don't get to come watch! I'm trying to figure out the picture situation, so hopefully by next week I will have them... hopefully. No treats please, I have gained 7ish pounds since I got here already and we don't have time in our residence hall to eat snacks so I have plenty, but thank you for the caramel popcorn!! My companions have to see my screen at all times so I can only tell you so much, but they both love to play basketball. Elder Jensen is a memorizing wizard and he memorizes so much vocabulary every day it's incredible. Honestly, we don't have much time to be homesick... But yes I'm both happy and excited as well as exhausted and discouraged. Almost every day, we get up, go to gym, eat breakfast, have personal study, companionship study, language study, lunch, additional study, three hours of classroom instruction with a teacher, dinner, another three hours of classroom where we teach an investigator, then additional study, planning, and bedtime. Yep. It gets pretty old. That is my life, day in and day out. Don't worry about getting me any clothing, I will worry about that in Taiwan. Tell Elder Bezzant I'll be excited to meet him! He might want to remember to bring a pillow case unless he doesn't mind uncomfortable hotel pillows, and to bring those little composition books I brought. They are invaluable when learning a language. I'm serious. If he doesn't bring them, he most certainly will buy one here at the bookstore. Flashcards too if he needs them. Other than that, gym clothes would be nice because we have a gym time every single day. Keep letting me know how things are going! I love you guys!!

Brothers and Sisters,

One thing I never realized about the MTC is that you never see the sky.... No really. For the majority of the day, I am sitting in the same chair in the same classroom in the same building. In between meals and lunch we go outside, but all the walkways are covered! When we first saw the moon the other night, it was pretty much the greatest thing ever. And stars? Forget about it, we can't be outside after 10. Elder Richins and Elder Vaughn head out tomorrow morning, and I am so excited to hear from them their first week out. Oh! We get ipad minis in Taiwan. They said they may even give them to us here in the MTC. It is a new pilot program they are trying out and they might have them in every mission by the end of the year. 

Cultural Experiences:

-MTC volleyball isn't actually volleyball...

-dui dui and dui, all with the same tones, have different meanings in Mandarin: right, team, and towards.

-not only the dui, the all the words in English (pinyin) for every Chinese character can fit on a single page. The rest of the variation is in tones.

-600 missionaries are coming in on Wednesday, 40 of which are going to be on the same floor as me, and the shower lines in the morning already get around 10 people long

-shower water is either scalding or freezing, they don't know what 'warm' or 'hot' means

The way I think of it, the Gospel is like a pocketwatch. Nobody knows just exactly how one works. Nobody can know the purpose of every little single piece and every single delicate cog, and nobody can know how it all fits together. We can learn much about how the pocketwatch works, but we will never know anything. As missionaries, we don't have to teach the pieces. Often times I think we try to give investigators or friends pieces of the watch, and they just blankly stare at us. They don't know what to do with them. They don't know how they work. They don't even know what they are for. When teaching the Gospel on a mission or at home, we just need to show them the time. The time is simple and understandable. It makes sense. God already made the watches, just give them one and show them the time. Simple doctrines are what will help people come closer to Christ. It is true that the more we learn about the intricacies of a watch the better we can appreciate that it tells the time, but don't teach that first! The Gospel in and of itself is beautifully basic. That is one of the best parts about it. Here at the MTC, we learn how to teach. We learn how to teach well: simple, situational-dependent, and with the Holy Ghost. With those three tools, you are unstoppable. Anyone that is heading into the MTC this Wednesday or before August, let me know what day and what time you are coming in! I would love to look for you and who knows? I might even be there to welcome you. You all have my best wishes as you come closer to Christ. I pray for you all the time. Literally. The people that are reading this are my friends and family and those are some of the few things I know how to ask to bless in Mandarin. So take advantage of that. You will have someone praying for you here in the MTC day in and day out, as well as those that love and care for you around you. And never forget that our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are also praying for you that you may return to live with them again.

-Elder Hawkes

 

My MTC district.  Second elder top row from the left is Elder Jensen, 

second elder to his right is Elder Facer.

 

1st Week: The MTC is Hard

6/15/15

Dear Family,

I love every one of you so much. I hope you all understand the enormous impact you have had in my life. The MTC is hard, one of the hardest things I've done, but I've been prepared well and I'm excited to keep going. My Chinese name is Hong Zhang Lao, zhang lao being the word for 'elder'. I would tell you the tones, but I think it's best not to. The previous zone leaders gave me a spirit animal around a 'campfire' (trashcan lit with orange Christmas lights). I am the hummingbird. Pretty sweet huh. I am pretty much dying here, but I know I'll enter zombie mode pretty soon and then hopefully the days will blur together...or so the other Elders tell me. I miss you guys! Tell me a little about your summer so far! I don't have much time on the computer, but I can print off and read emails. Happy Fathers Day Dad!! I am trying to send you a letter, but I'm still trying to figure this whole MTC thing out so we will see whether it gets to you by Sunday or not, but if it doesn't I just wanted to wish you a Happy Fathers Day and thank you for the 'hen ban' (amazing) influence you have been in my life. I was flipping through the Mandarin 'pocket' dictionary and found a gem: ni4 feng1 hang2 xing2. Sail against the wind. Officially my motto for the remainder of the mission. We do things that are hard because they help us progress the most. Again, I love you all and am excited to hear from you!

- Hong Zhang Lao

P.S. Please send the shampoo I left in the bathroom & a preferably soft pillow case.

Brothers and Sisters,

I first want to express to you just how difficult the MTC is. I could never have imagined the challenges I have faced just these last 6 days. No one is in charge of me, and my companions and I are held responsible for everything we do. Nobody told us what was going on, where to go, or what was expected. We got the basic rules, and then we were on our own. I have language class for 6 hours a day with a teacher, and around 4 more during personal and companionship study, additional study, language study, and practicing the language during meals. Quite literally, my life is Mandarin. Nevertheless, I have already begun to see the blessings in my life. My understanding of the Gospel has deepened, my capacities have increased, and my perspectives have changed. To all missionaries about to enter the field, good luck. You will need it. I'll be here to welcome you though, and you will come to know that the MTC is a very special place. No sailor eyes here though. About half the missionaries here are sisters, and we intermingle all the time. My zone went from 6 members to 40 in one Wednesday, and over 600 missionaries came in on the same day. Wow. The work really is progressing. Even more are coming over the course of the summer. My district consists of 11 missionaries who we go to class with--9 Elders and 2 Sisters. My companions are Elder Facer from Tennessee, and Elder Jensen from Lehi. Elder Jensen's companion didn't show up, so we became a threesome. We underwent a few 'initiation ceremonies' to please the zombie-missionaries that have been here for 5 weeks, and quickly started learning Mandarin. Oh my. I had no idea that learning a language could be so difficult. I am praying in Chinese now, but please don't ask me to email you in Chinese. One of the greatest paradoxes of the MTC is that you can't keep your eyes open for the whole day, but when your head hits the pillow you can't fall asleep because the Chinese words are pounding in your head... The experience for English missionaries is much better. From what I heard from Elder Vaughn, You will practice teaching investigators, learn deeply spiritual Gospel principles, and go to inspiring devotionals. Your hardships begin in the field. Either way, serving a mission is no picnic. Nor does the Lord expect it to be. It is from these extremely difficult challenges that we grow the most.

Cultural observations:

-MTC tilapia is still tilapia

-leave the Tongan Clan alone

-some missionaries still haven't graduated from high school

-first three days in the MTC are the first third of your mission

-basketball isn't any better in the MTC

-'to feel' with the wrong tones in Mandarin becomes the 'F' word

There is a park in Centerville called Island View Park. There are lighted tennis courts at this park where you can play after dark. Nearby is a panel with a green button and a black button. The green button turns on the lights, the black button turns off the lights. Unfortunately, they are those extremely annoying lights that take 15-20 minutes to warm up and reach their brightest. When the black button is pushed, the lights immediately turn off and usually take another 15-20 minutes to warm up again. Now I know you know this park and that I may not have explained it perfectly, but this is anecdotal for repentance and the presence of the Holy Ghost. I'll leave it to you to discover the rest. Every night I kneel at my bed and pray for each of you. I am so grateful for your support of me all these years, and I am excited to serve the Lord. It is my humble prayer that you will all discover for yourselves that this church is true, and that you will become converted unto it. Wo zhi dao tian fu ai ni men.

Elder Jordan Hawkes

Mission Portrait

A Bittersweet Day

1st missionary out on both sides of the family. Beyond excited and beyond ready.