Half way through the MTC

D
Date:
Area:  Johannesburg MTC
Companion:  Elder Benissan
Week 2

So I don't know where to begin because so much goes on.

I miss my Zaner so that's hard sometimes but I've only had one night when I got really home sick and that was because we watched meet the Mormons and the guy was from Utah and he got dropped off at the airport just like me.

Elder Doney is from Orem, Elder Thorkelson and Shweitzer are from St George. Elder Erckenbrack is from American Fork and Elder Michelson is from Calgary Canada. My companion is from here, Jo'burg. and my other roommate is Elder Ntuzela from Durban and he speaks Zulu so I've been able to learn how to greet people.

The MTC is like a prison we only got to leave to go to the temple and today while the new endowies went to the temple again we have a pday which is why I'm emailing. So we were able to walk to a convenience store but that's it. You feel like you are in a zombie Apocalypse. 

The food here is pretty normal, the taste is different and like spaghetti was sweet. so that was super odd. We don't eat much strange food here if any and the natives say don't think this is how it all taste because it isn't that good here haha.

The humor here is a little different so all the Africans will laugh at something and then the Americans just look around like what? haha. My companion is Elder Benisson and he makes me laugh a lot because he says "what the hell" a lot and at first i was like wo whats going on but here that's not swearing haha so that's weird because all the Americans you can see it in their faces when someone says that but they don't flinch. 

Oh another funny thing they say his going on mission, or when i was on mission, or when you are on mission. They dont say on a mission haha just little things like that all over the place.

Every day is packed we have like 16 hour days just jammed full of work. We wake up at 6 every morning and get ready for the day and say our own prayers and then in my room we all say a "family prayer" together. My room consists off Elder Michelson from Canada. his comp Elder Ntuzela from Durban! and he speaks Zulu so he has been giving us some help with that. and My companion Elder Benissan he is from Jo'burg and a cool guy.

Breakfast starts at 7, not 7:01 at 7. We try to start the day of with exact obedience and we get told about obedience a lot. Like you don't understand how often they tell us to be exactly obedient. There is a reason though, that's how miracles happen.

We start either class or comp study at 7:30 and we stay in class and learn and read and just constantly being trained till lunch. Most days we teach investigators sometime in there. (not real investigators, but they are dang good actors) If the lesson dosn't go well I get so frustrated so I need to work on that but when it goes well I just feel on top of the clouds. It makes me just so excited for the field I cant even wait!!!! The feeling of that and the spirit is incredible.

Then its the same thing till dinner at 5. We then have class till 9 and then we have a snack then get ready for bed. We have comp study time, journal writing, prayer with companion, with room, and personal.

I pray like 10 times a day at least and it will be more out in the field.

We do have sports time for an hour at 3 to 4 and we usually play soccer. I'm the only white guy that plays haha. Its so much fun to get out there and touch the ball and relax from the stress of the MTC for a little. There's an Elder who is just crazy good at dribbling and he only plays bare foot. His name is Elder Ndlovu, I cant even pronounce it.

Its fun being out here in this culture and listening to all their accents they sound like British people. So I hope I pick that up.

We rely on the spirit in everything here at the MTC and Its nice being able to feel it so much. Most the people here are from south Africa, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, and much more. 

I want to hear from all of you and know whats going on. I may not have time to reply with a long email but i will say i got it.

I've gotten no regular mail yet and I don't know if any will come before i leave so I don't know what happens to it if it comes after I'm gone. 

the food is eh, but its not African food its just regular crappy cafeteria food. I cant pronounce anyone's name so that's kind of weird but its cool

We went to the temple on Tuesday and that was so amazing and i got a new scripture case with real Zebra fur on it and i love it! the temple is so amazing and i just felt the spirit stronger than i have in years it was incredible. i love to see the temple!

I leave for Durban this Tuesday so I'm so excited to get out of here! :)

Love you all and want to here from you all

Love 

Elder North

This part is from Sister Collins the mission presidents wife, she sent in a separate e-mail with a picture of everyone at the temple.

Greetings from the South Africa MTC

Tuesday we went to the temple.  Temple day is my favorite day.  Before we left the MTC we had a devotional with one of our Area Seventies, Elder Mdleshe.  He taught us beautifully about the principle of obedience.  We had our lunch and then drove to the temple for our session.  We had 9 missionaries who received their own endowments.  It was a beautiful experience to be in the temple with my missionaries.  The best day.

This group is really an extraordinary group of missionaries.  They are doing great and are learning all the things that will make them the Lord's missionaries.  Oh, how I love them.

With love,
Sister Collins