First week in the MTC

On Mon, Jun 28, 2010 at 8:51 AM, Joshua Burton wrote:

Pamilya Ko!
Things have been going great at the MTC so far. So mondays are my p-days where I can get a chance to email everyone! But I only get a half hour to do so so it probably better if all of you in immediate family write from Mom's email address.. I'll probably also just try to write to everyone and have my mom or dad forward it out. I love the MTC so far. It is so crazy how fast you learn new things and how quickly you go through things. I'm not that used to doing this much in one day but I love it. We have already learned how to bear our testimony and say prayers in Tagalog. You have to learn so fast and it is hard, but I love it. Our district has made a goal that we will make 15 contacts a day, which means we approach missionary companionships and try to tell them our names, ask them some basic questions and introduce ourselves, and then bear our testimony to them. I'll tell you some of the words I have to learn - pinakamakapangyarihan is one word. It means powerful. Crazy eh? I love learning all this information and I have fun doing it. My district members are all so funny. I laugh a lot here and have fun. If the MTC really is the most boring part of your mission I know I'll really love being out there.
So my companions name is Elder Pettit, he is a real funny elder and talks in weird voices a lot. I love him as a companion and I get along with him real well. Everyone in my district is real good about teasing eachother and just having fun, but we also know how to be serious.. Probably my favorite time is when we have class discussions over scriptures.. It's not like regular sunday school.. Everyone is participating and as we talk and study what we try to keep in mind is the investigators we will have; their needs and what the need to hear. Because a mission isn't about me, it's about God's children. I'm excited to be able to share that with those people in the Philippines in a couple months. This week has been a crazy week for the MTC period. This week a lot of new mission presidents have been ordained, including my own, so there have been a lot of General authorities here, including President Monson and the First Presidency.. The only person I saw personally was Elder Oaks though. Just saw, didn't talk to. It was still a cool experience.. One night we got to meet our mission president.. He is a really nice man.. He is from the Philippines and he told us that when we got to Iloilo we wouldn't be speaking Tagalog, but Ilongo po. That was a little discouraging but I am going to keep studying hard because I'm sure it will help me later. He also told us that he had to learn that language to. On our first day here someone told us that he knows we can learn another language because we have already learned one: English. It was funny when he said it but it was also true.. There are only 4 people from my district going to Iloilo and 23 total going to the Philippines in our 2 districts.. Our district is a little luckier because we have 8 elders and 3 sisters, who bring a sweet spirit and great insight to our lessons. Since they are like 21 they are a little more mature than us but they still like having fun while they learn. Anyway Iloilo missionaries are myself, Elder Pettit: kasama ko, Elder Andrews, and Sister Purser. I love them all they are so great. I love the rest of my district and I am having so much fun here.. My time is almost up for typing but that is exciting about Ben. I hope he does well there, he report 2 days after I leave the MTC so I probably won't see him. I have been seeing a lot of people around that I know, like Elder Troxler, Woodward, Shipley, Brown, etc.. A lot of people from my student ward too and just from school.. It's so crazy that I see all these people.. anyway, I love you.. Elder Burton P.S.. some stuff I might need, maybe some food, our dinner is at 4:30 so food is good.. You know candy, popcorn, etc.. Maybe some of those water flavors too, i kind of miss those.. I could also use some fabreeze or something, because wearing sunday shoes all day then keeping them in a closed closet all night isn't nice smelling for them.. Don't worry, I'm eating healthy, I have 2 glasses of Chocolate milk with every meal. I love you all family, thanks for your concern, help, and prayers. If you want to try writing handwritten letters for longer ones do that because I don't have much email time to read and to write. But I want you to know I love learning how to teach the gospel and praying and its awesome here. I don't understand with the spirit I feel how I cannot go and teach what I know. I love you.. Ingat!
Also have fun in AZ.. Tell carter I love him!