Hey Everyone! I am officially a missionary now, and the HMTC, or CCM, is now in full swing. So far, it has been a lot of fun and a lot of hard work. I definitely go to bed every night feeling absolutely drained. My companion, Elder Payne, is absolutely fantastic. He is so knowledgeable in the Gospel and contains a keen understanding of the practical side of speaking Spanish. It is a blessing that I have him for a companion.
But my district is awesome too! Everyone is super fun and definitely gives it their all in Spanish, but can be super spiritual as well. And now that we understand how the schedule works, we have started to make time to get to know each other more closely. Having to communicate through zoom all day really is a challenge, but I think in a way it helps us connect even more. It is interesting to see everyone’s faces all the time, and even when the teacher is sharing the screen, I try to adjust zoom and make sure I see everyone. So you could say that we are definitely making the best of a strange situation!
Honestly, the entire HMTC is really not too bad! It feels strange to be a missionary in my own home, and to be on video calls most of the day, but all of key components of a mission are still here. I feel the Spirit every single day and the Gift of Tongues has helped me learn Spanish at a rapid rate, one which I could never have believed could be possible. I am truly grateful for this experience.
My Schedule! I know a lot of people wonder what the Home MTC schedule is like so here it is!
5:30 – Wake up, exercise, get breakfast, get dressed and ready for the day
7:00 – Companion time. This is where we plan our schedule and goals for the day, as well as study the scriptures or Preach My Gospel
8:00 – Morning Classes. These could be learning Spanish grammar, speaking Spanish, going over Preach my Gospel, or learning how to be a Missionary. My morning teacher (maestra) is Hermana Hernández, and she is a very good Spanish teacher.
12:00 – Free Time. Right here, we pretty much have the time to ourselves. This is time for lunch, personal study, companion language study, or self-directed district language classes. We also have a workshop with multiple districts for about an hour during this time every day also.
3:30 – Afternoon Classes. My afternoon classes are taught by Hermana Duran. This generally has similar subjects as the morning classes, but different topics.
7:00 – Family Time. This is time to have dinner and spend with our families.
8:30 – Journal, study time. This time is for any last bits of studying we need to do and writing in our journals.
9:00 – Prepare for bed.
9:30 – Go to bed.
It is a super packed schedule! And every day is drastically different in what we learn or what we do during free time, so it really keeps up on our toes. What may seem weird is the times that everything is at. Waking up at 5:30? Going to bed a 9:30? This is because I actually have to live in Mexico City Time, or Central Standard Time. This means I pretty much live an hour ahead from the rest of Utah, but after a few days it wasn’t too hard to deal with.
Spiritual Thought.
This week has been incredible and one of the most amazing parts is learning Spanish. Tomorrow we have our first practice teaching appointment in all Spanish, which shows how far we have come in a week. I know 100% that this could not be possible without the Gift of Tongues (Don de Lenguas). It has given me and the rest of my district many blessings and shown us that there is a way to learn this language, even in this short time at the MTC we have. However, I also know that the Gift of Tongues is not just for learning another language, but also to better speak and understand our own. This week, I have understood the scriptures better than ever before, and I know that it is due to the Gift of Tongues that this was possible.
These are a few pictures of my district and one of my workstation
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.