Wow! That is pretty exciting that everyone wrote me a letter, though it will probably take a while to read 6 billion emails. Well, I'm so excited about all that has happened this week. I feel like I've grown so much since I've gotten here and am really learning a lot. Class is good, though it is getting harder and harder to wake up in the morning. Thats alright though, because by 7:30 am I am wide wide awake. So it's fun here. I love it. Classes are good, I mean we have 2 class periods a day with a teacher. Usually for half of it we practice teaching, or work on lesson plans, or just learn a lesson from PMG. Then the other half we learn language. Both parts are fun. Every week on Thursdays we have something called Wika (language) Task. Where random people who speak Tagalog come to the MTC and we talk to them in Tagalog. The first time we had to bear our testimonies to them and just ask them basic get to know them questions. The second time we talked and asked them about their families and related that to the restoration of the gospel in Tagalog, then we asked if we could return to teach them some more. This week we will have to check up on committments they made about reading the BOM and whatnot. Then everytime we come back to them and teach them lessons in English. We've been teaching the restoration but next time we'll have to teach the Plan of Salvation. In two weeks however we'll have to teach the restoration again, but in Tagalog. I think that will be tough, but I feel I'm getting way better at teaching and speaking Tagalog. Funny story about this thing (called the TRC, teaching resource center I think) We gave a pretty good lesson of the restoration it was fun and I think the investigator was understanding and felt the spirit, because that is what its about, not our own teaching, but at the end he asked questions about prophets. We mentioned that there has been a living prophet on the earth since Joseph Smith and he asked if we could name them all. We did name them all, thanks to that song, but our teacher made fun of us a little, because she watches it on a television what we are doing so she could give us advice. Looking back at it I laugh because the names of them isn't what is really important, it's that they are there, leading and guiding the church.
Besides classes, something I really enjoy doing is going to the TE. I think I told you what they are in my last email. But you just go there and talk to teachers and work on skills you want to work on. This week my companion and I have done something there called a progressing investigator. That is where one of the teachers pretend to be a person they know or an investigator they've had and we have to teach them a gospel. Our PI is called Dan. It's really cool doing the PI thing because it really helps me focus on investigators needs and really tell them what they need personally. Dan is an average guy I guess. He doesn't smoke or drink or like break any major commandments. He's getting married in 6 weeks. He is applying to med school because I guess he just wants to leave his legacy in this life and help people. He feels his life is really good already. so something we really need to focus on is how the gospel can make his life better. I feel we are helping him understand that. The first time we taught him was kind of rough, but we made it through the restoration. The second time we taught him was cool. We didn't like focus on a lesson but were just more bold with him and told him straight out how much the gospel would bless him. He's usually a really down to earth, chill, person, and doesn't ever seem that interested. But halfway through our second discussion with him he really looked excited, because thats is what we need to focus on with him. It's exciting to see that going on. I can't wait till I can do this thing with real investigators but its so cool because I really see how this person grows and it helps me focus on investigators needs. I feel way better about my teaching now. I mean I know the doctrine of this gospel. sometimes it is hard to explain clearly everything it contains, but as I get better at that, and better at using scriptures, and just becoming better at asking effective questions, the teaching comes easy. Right before I came to write this email I practiced teaching the second lesson for the first time with a TE. Right after we read a scripture with him and asked him a question he said time out (usually just to give us advice of things we can do) and then he asked for a high five. haha. It was awesome, he said we did a great job using that scripture. I love teaching, it's so fun what I'm doing here and I know that it is definately worth it. If God can just change one persons life through me it will all be worth it. I'm so excited to leave to the Philipppines, though I know learning these things is really important.
Last cool thing real quick, Elder Oaks daughter, Jenny Baker I think, played violin for us at the devotional yesturday, it was really cool. She is like a professional graduated from Julliard, and the messages she gave us were really powerful. Her dad was there too, but just to watch. It was sweet.
Well, I love you all so much. Mahal kita! And I can't wait to see you again.
-Elder Burton
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