Missionary Training Center (MTC) 7 July 2010

Mission Log

Week 1

I have successfully infiltrated what we call the MTC. I've acquired a few of their suits and name badges so that I'll blend in. I've been going by the code name Swift Choro (Elder Swift in Japanese). I'm picking up the secret code language referred to as Nihongo or Japanese surprisingly well. They've assigned someone to follow me around all the time and keep and eye on me. They say that he'll be my "companion" for the whole time I'm here in the MTC. Perhaps they're suspicious of me. He goes by Elder Horne and he's from Utah. Along with my district I've been assigned two teachers: Heaton Sensei and Andrus Sensei. They spend half of the time teaching us the secret code language and half the time teaching about the gospel. They feed us very well. Every meal is all you can eat, and I've yet to detect any poison. They require us to wake up at 6:30am every morning and naps are forbidden. I don't understand how a human being can function like that. I'll investigate further.

It's very busy here. We don't really have any free time. It's great though. They give us Papa John's pizza every Friday. We can make sundaes on Wednesdays and Sundays. We get all the root beer we want. The people here are great. I really like my teachers. I kind of want to come back and teach here after my mission gets done. Church is a lot different. We have a Priesthood meeting in the morning. Then in the afternoon we have sacrament meeting. It's all in Japanese. Also, they just call up from the pulpit whoever they want to give a talk that week. Everyone is supposed to have a talk prepared on the assigned topic each week in Japanese. Luckily, last Sunday was fast Sunday. I'm nervous about next week though. I hope I don't get called up. When I go to gym everyone playing the sports (basketball and volleyball) is really good. It's like everyone who isn't an awesome athlete runs or works out the whole time. Only the best play sports. I played a couple games of basketball and it was really hard for me. However, I'm still able to destroy some people at volleyball. We're supposed to speak in our mission language as much as we can. It helps us learn it really quickly. Missionaries from Japan do come here. Next week the missionaries from Japan that are going to Japan should be arriving. We're in class basically all day. We just learn all day. It's sounds pretty lame, but it's actually not bad. It's pretty fun here. The people make it fun.

I'm running out of time. I was only able to acquire this link to the outside world for a brief period. I need to go now before they detect me and intercept this message.

-Elder Swift