Hello all,
I would love to give you all a taste of my first week in the MTC here by typing in all Korean and not translating anything, but I can't type symbols on the computer here, so I'll just have to deal with typing in English. This week has been probably the longest week of my life, but it has been really awesome. I love the language study, it's crazy hard, but I am making progress very quickly thanks to the gift of tongues. Within the first two hours of the MTC, I was sitting in a classroom listening to Korean. Ever since, it hasn't let up. Even better though than listening to Korean for hours on end, is the time I get to study the gospel. I have grown more spiritually in the last week than in my entire life. I love the peace I feel as I am able to sit and ponder or read from the scriptures.
My normal schedule is wake up, workout, prepare for the day, eat, personal study, companion study, language study, lunch, Korean Language Classroom Instruction time, more language study, dinner, go teach a lesson to investigators, more study, then bed. It's a lot of work, but this isn't my time I'm on. This is the Lord's work and his time, and anytime I start to slack off, I remember that and continue to focus. My district is awesome, I am truly humbled by all of them, most of them pick the language up faster than I do, and they have really strong testimonies. Some of them really struggle with punctuality, and so we have a very hard time getting places on time... But they all work really hard and I love being with them.
If I were to pick highlights from this week, I would have a really long list, so I'll try and keep it short. 1st--we listened to Elder Bednars MTC Christmas devotional from a few years back. It is called "Characters of Christ" and I would recommend taking the time to watch it. It has so many important lessons in it. 2nd--Personal Study. I love the time I have to sit and be one on one with the Spirit and the Scriptures. 3rd--In the MTC Choir we are practicing a song to sing with Nashville Tribute band. I don't really know the whole thing, but it is apparently the first time the MTC has ever done something like that, so we are making history. 4th--Watching all of the new missionaries enter the MTC yesterday. I don't know what it was about it, but watching all the new missionaries come in with huge smiles on their face really made the rest of the day great. It made me remember when I entered. That seems like forever ago, but it was such an amazing day. 5th--my first lesson on Friday. Oh it went so bad. Hahahaha I literally only knew how to say God loves you and will you get baptized, so I said both of those to him. I don't even know what he said back to us in response. We are getting much better though and tonight we are going to actually give him a legitimate baptismal invitation.
I have so much going through my head right now, so I don't really know what else to say, if anyone has questions I'll do my best to answer them next week.
I love this work. I know that where I am right now, is the right place for me to be. I am excited about learning Korean and maturing in the Gospel and my personal life, but this isn't for me. This is my time to give back to Jesus Christ for everything he has done and continues to do for me each day. I can truly testify of the truth of this Gospel. I also know that Jesus Christ is not sitting cheering us on at the finish line (as Brad Wilcox said), but he is with us every step of the way. I know that Christ died for all of us and that through him we can be made whole. Through him, we can become so much more than we are. I love this church and the peace and joy it has brought me.
Elder Nickerl
The new missionaries in the Korean MTC branch (Jacob's at the back).
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