January 10, 2014 - First Week at Missionary Training Center

Hi!

I am currently in the laundry room, waiting for clothes to finish, because it is finally P-Day! Our schedule changed after 3 days here, but we've now almost had a full week on the regular schedule, but it was a week and a half before we got any kind of break, but now we have, and so Friday is writing day. So hi.

So yes. I am at the MTC. I have two companions, Elders Crandall and Christensen. Elder Crandall is from Plano, TX and Elder Christensen is from Portland. 

Elder Dunford and companions at Provo Temple

Basically all we've done so far for class is Language study. We've just barely in the last day or so started some actual learning how to teach and stuff, but even still, it is mainly just 6 hours of language study a day. It is fun. For the first few days I kept having the German word for whatever I was saying pop into my head, which was a bit of a problem, but I've broken myself of that habit. Cebuano is really a kind of interesting language. It's literally like no one ever bothered to write it down, so there's no "correct" spelling for any words, and they make shortcuts for everything! And there is a ton of Spanish words just thrown into everything, like if you really just want to, you could just start breaking out into Spanish, especially for numbers. So it's kind of handy having the broken understanding of Spanish that I have. But the language is otherwise really informal, they're always mixing with english and tagalog and stuff, so I very well may learn tagalog while I'm out there, too, and maybe even a bit of Iliocan on Negros.

 I went to the Provo temple this morning. While we were waiting to start, I read the last few chapters of John, I'm not sure why. But the very last verse in John, the last verse of the gospels, really hit me. I don't have the verse here, but it said something to the effect of "These writings are not all that He did, the works of Jesus were so great, that I do not think all the world could hold them if they were written." I also started reading Jesus the Christ, and the intro tells that no matter what you believe of him, that he was truly an exemplary man. This just made me reflect on all he did to the uplifting of his fellow man, how much he humbled himself, as the King of kings, the Prince of Peace, and as the Son of God. It is a truly wonderful thing, to in every way, strive to become like Jesus.

I'm doing great here! I can't wait to get out there and begin serving the people of Cebu, but I'm so excited to be here amongst such a great spirit. 

Elder Dunford