MTC 2 Weeks down!

Well Hello!

This has been a trying week.  I forget I'm on the on the 3rd week.  This week has been kind of crazy. My one sister companion left her mission because of health problems.  I had to miss a bunch of class because I had to be with her for her appointments.  Hopefully she is able to go back on her mission.  Because I missed class though I was feeling really overwhelmed. I would say I am not learning Mongolian quickly. The language is so different from English and Spanish.  They have a completely different alphabet.  The language is similar to Turkish and something else I don't remember.  Not only are the letter totally different the sounds and muscles you use are totally different.  In my class there are a couple Elders that can have short conversations. Which I shouldn't be comparing myself to them, but I feel like I should be further along then I am.  Also because I get to be a sister trainer I have to miss out on study hours 2 days a week.  I am diligently studying but nothing seems to really stick. It's very frustrating.  Also my sister companions speak English as the 2nd language so I have to speak English when I go back to my room. I miss out on some practice.  But then I talked to my Branch President about it and he told me that Elder Holland said the most important things to learn in the MTC are (1) being converted to Christ and (2) loving those around me.  He said it was important to be diligent about studying but to stress out about the language so much.  Apparently when I get to Mongolia (around November 11), hearing the language will be completely different than here in the MTC anyway.  But I can say a simple prayer and testimony in Mongolian. We are working on memorizing the 1st vision in Mongolian.  We have to try and teach Mongolian. I teach with a set of Elders and I really don't understand the details of the conversation.  But I will get there.  Every night we do a companionship devotional thing with the Elders. We usually pick and topic and study about it during the day then share what we've learned at night.  So the topic we picked was patience.  And that was one of those days I was really thinking about just coming home.  But magically my scriptures opened up to Alma 26 and verse 27 was marked. And it was very comforting. On a side note I don't think it was magical my teacher stayed late and there were 2 ribbons that marked the page and the verse was highlighted and they are bens scriptures and his verses are just marked with pen and not colored pencil. Anyway it was a scripture that I really needed and I appreciate if it was diving page turning or a person.  

But one thing I really love to be at the MTC is a  Sister Training Leader.  We get to help the new sisters in my zone right when they arrive.  Plus we have an AWESOME zone.  There are so many countries represented.  Everyone but the Mongolian District is ESL or something like that.  I really enjoy learning about everyone's cultures.  Right now my sister companions are both international.  One is from Portugal and the other is from the Philippines.  They are so awesome.  

Well I love you all!

LOVE,

Sister Sara Eskelsen