Week 2 in the MTC -- Getting Broken In To Missionary Life

Hi, everybody.  We're still missing Brennan pretty badly, as evidence by random tears trickling down our cheeks at any given time of the day or night.  But we're proud of him, and he's doing well.  Here's his latest letter:

I hope you got my first letter letting you know that I'm alive. I'm loving it here, it is such a great experience. I haven't ever felt the Spirit so strongly before in my life. Me and my companion--Elder Blake--have done a lot of teaching already. We have taught maybe 5-8 lessons in just a week! I'm starting to get a little more comfortable during lessons. My mouth still gets real dry and I stumble over my words, but I'm getting there. I study and work 16 hours a day here, just about every hour is scheduled for us, and then it is left up to us to plan during those times what we want to do when we don't have a teacher there. We usually have a teacher come and teach in the morning, usually about 8-11:30 and at night from about 5:30-9. Everything in between is MDT (missionary directed time). So I have been studying Preach My Gospel a TON and also the scriptures and just the gospel in general. My knowledge has grown so much, it's incredible how much I've learned in just the week that I've been here. I feel like I've been here a lot longer too.

Anyway, I get along with everyone in my district pretty well. We have a really good group. I'm pretty good friends with another companionship--Elder Halle and Elder Norwood. Elder Halle is from some small town in MO. Elder Norwood is from Salt Lake. Their both really fun, energetic, and goofy. But of course, we do have that ONE straight shooter where EVERYTHING must go by the rules... He is starting to get annoying. He thinks that every second of every day should be devoted to studying. I mean that is good for him and all, but for the rest of us, we need a break. Especially at night after we're winding down and getting ready for bed we like to just sit and talk a bit and laugh. He's not too big a fan of that. Luckily he's going to the Roseville, CA mission as well. Me and Elder Blake are the only Elders going to Santa Rosa, CA.

So I had a great experience yesterday. Me and Elder Blake went to the TRC (Teaching Resource Center) where you teach people who act like investigators. They make it seem really real. But yesterday, we were teaching another Elder who was acting the part of an investigator. I guess he wanted to mke it really hard or something because me and Elder Blake crashed and burned for the first time. This investigator had NO motivation and didn't see the need to do anything. I explained the need to pray and to serve your fellow man and also the need to come unto Christ. But he just kept saying, "that is really great that you believe that, but I just don't see the need to do any of that." So it was the first time that I realized that there will be people out there like that and I was completely unprepared for it. I did everything I knew how to do, but it wasn't enough. Same with Elder Blake. So we left that appointment VERY discouraged. I had tears in my eyes. I was thinking that I couldn't do this and that it would be too hard. That was early in the morning at 8:00. The rest of the day, the Lord looked out for me. All the lessons we had yesterday and meetings were all about not being discouraged and picking yourself up after a bad experience. This was not in the day planning either. The MTC wasn't like, "today we're going to instill discouragement in the missionaries and then build them back up to teach them a lesson." Me and Elder Blake were the ONLY ones that had that experience. The rest had great lessons. So I firmly believe that the Lord was looking out for me and just preparing me for what is surely to come. Later that night, we had a missionary devotional, which you'll be pleased to know that I sang in the choir for, and we had Elder Gong of the First Presidency of the Seventy come and speak to us. Guess what his topic was? It was "Be of Good Cheer." Incredible huh?

The Lord truly does look out for us in our times of need, and I REALLY needed Him yesterday. It was an awesome day looking back on it now because I learned a valuable lesson. I know that Dad said that I'll get discouraged and down, but to just pick myself up. But you don't really know what to expect until it actually happens. So I'm so so so grateful for the lesson I learned yesterday. I have a TON of reasons to be of good cheer--the gospel, my faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, my family, spreading the gospel, being a missionary, and even my little puppy, Max. Who I miss a TON. Don't worry I miss both of you too!

Feel free to send me any goodies too if you would like... I certainly wouldn't mind. Just to get something in the mail from anybody would be sweet. There have been people in my district that have gotten 5-8 letters already. Speaking of my district, I'm being a good district leader. I've gotten comfortable with it and I'm doing the best that I know how. It's good experience though. I also have a great Branch Presidency. Their all great and I like them a lot.

The food here is pretty tasty! It's a lot better than the Cannon Center. It can't be the same food. Impossible. We eat so early too. We have breakfast at 7, lunch at 11:30 (the only normal time we eat), and dinner at 4:30. 4:30?!?! seriously? That is a midday snack for me... But it's weird. Well I have to go now, my 30 minutes of email time is up. I'm so grateful I'm here and I'm trying my hardest to learn more about the gospel and to be an effective missionary. I love you both! Keep up on that blog and facebook, momma! And please keep me updated on what the blog says, and whats goin on in facebook, football, annnnnnd just how everyone is doing I suppose.

Love,

Elder Edwards