The MTC!

Hey everyone, 

This week has been awesome. Crazy, stressful, a lot of adjustments, but an all around great week. The first day, you feel like you just got hit by a ton of bricks. You are directed through about thirty different lines where you get your name tags, they clip your pockets for your name tags, and lots of other logistics. It was crazy. It was cool though to be able to have Bobby (Elder Dayley) pick me up from the car. He's heading to Korea, and he will be a great missionary.

Met my companion in our apartment, he is from Ohio, and his name is Elder Voss. He's a really great guy. He is our district leader, and it's been great.

Our district comprises of twelve missionaries, two sisters and ten elders. My companion and I are the only ones going to Spain (although different missions, he's going to Madrid, while I'm going to Malaga), and everyone else is going to Mexico. We've had some AMAZING firesides this week.  The first one was on Sunday, and we had the administrative director of the MTC speak to us. It was awesome, but I think that the best part of the night was a prerecorded talk by Elder Bednar about the Character of Christ. It was such a good way to start of the mission because he talks about when you are the least comfortable and should look inwards, you should turn outwards (what Christ's character was all about). Throughout our missions, we are going to be incredibly uncomfortable and in a lot of stress, but I am trying to do what Elder Bednar directed, look outwards instead of inwards.

Our first week has been a lot of Spanish. We taught our first investigator the third day in the MTC. It was really, really stressful, but such a great experience to teach our investigator. She's not a real investigator, but it's really awesome to see how we can actually apply the concepts that we learn in class to a real life scenario. Me and my companion love it, and we work really well together in teaching her. The Spanish is hard, mostly because there are so many words in relationship to the gospel that you don't generally use in everyday language.

The spirit in the MTC is so strong. So, so, so strong. I love it here. The first couple of days were HARD. Very, very hard. But, I am so grateful for the first few days. They helped me grow. One of the speakers at our initial address in the MTC told us "There is no growth in the comfort zone, and no comfort in the growth zone". The first few days helped me grow in ways I can't even imagine, and I know that it's only the beginning. There will be so much more growing, stretching, and difficult experiences that will only make us better people, and missionaries.

I am so excited to keep learning, and ultimately to get to Spain. A lot of missionaries that are here are waiting for visas, like me and my companion. However, we talked to some Elders going to Madrid, and they said that they got their visas yesterday, so hopefully, we will get them soon.

Also, I have the opportunity to play in sacrament meeting and priesthood. An Elder and Sister from our zone needed an accompanist for "Come Thou Font of Every Blessing" and we're practicing it sometime later today for a special musical number on Sunday. I want to make music a really big part of my mission, because I think that is one of the quickest ways to feel the Spirit.

Thanks for everything, for the letters, packages, and support you all are giving me! I love you all and can't wait to hear from you!

Love,

Elder Weenig