First Letter from MTC

If anyone would like to be on the email distribution list to receive Elder Carter's emails sent from his Mother please email her (Michelle) at "embeesea AT gmail.com"  of course, replace the "AT" with the @ symbol.

Here is the first letter we received from the MTC:

March 22nd 2010

Ni Hao!!

Wo ai nimen! It took forever for me to get my email set up this time. It's all good, but I lost ten minutes of typing time because of it.... The Lord's work moves forward, however.... :P

Moving on... :P

On my first day, I distinctly remember not looking back towards you guys as I officially entered the MTC. Within five minutes I ran into my buddy Elder Falkner from BYU. He is headed to New York, Mandarin speaking. He is in my district along with my two companions (yes, I have two companions) Elder Wheeler (wang zhanglao) and Elder Nelson (ning zhanglao). Elder Near, Elder Falkner, Elder Carmack (district leader), Elder Waters, Elder Rostedt (from Australia), Elder Jensen, Sister Brownell, and Sister Museus are all the missionaries in my district. My district is 11 strong (Elder Nelson's original companion was on the fast track, he's fluent, which is why I am in a threesome companionship). The other new district is 12 strong, and the entire branch is 40 strong. Yes, the new missionaries more than doubled the size of the branch. 18 of us are headed to Taizhong in June. The other district all have past experience in Chinese, and in our district? Nothing. Sister Brownell lived there for 6 months, Elder Rostedt had 2 years in high school, but that was 4 years ago for him, and I have a semester in High school. One of our teachers is a native, li laoshi, and she asked me if I had been speaking Chinese for a while. She was surprised when I told her that I only had a semester.

About my companions: Elder Wheeler is 21 and a 3 year convert to the church from Idaho. He gets to sleep in here. He's used to waking up at 4:30. He's smart, pretty discouraged about his language skills and often looks to me and Elder Nelson for help. Wang zhanglao (Elder Wheeler) has an unwavering testimony however, and we urge him to keep his faith. He finds motivation in the work, and jokes about what'll happen when they send him out and he can't speak. He's already way better than he thinks (and we're just a week in, too). Ning zhanglao (Elder Nelson) is from Nebraska, and he speaks the laziest English I have ever heard. In Ren zhanglao's (Elder Rostedt- the australian) opinion, ning zhanglao epitomizes the "American language". Bantering back and forth with ren zhanglao is absolutely fascinating. It's so much fun! He makes fun of us, and we make fun of him. It's like we're learning more than one language. Australian and Chinese. :P

Our companionship realizes that we have to work extra hard to stay close and get work done, because we have three members. But I've never felt closer to someone. I love it! Wang Zhanlao's testimony motivates me every day, and Ning Zhanglao's laid back attitude makes the day go by easier and less stressful.

About the language:

It's hard. I won't lie. But here's what we are doing already. We are speaking in Chinese everywhere we go, as much as we can, bearing testimony, saying prayers, teaching, and contacting in Chinese. In one week!!! I didn't realize I was speaking Chinese to the register lady at the bookstore, until I looked at her and she had a weird look on her face. I immediately realized that I was speaking Chinese and fixed it. The six-week missionaries congratulated me on having that happen already "hen hao!!" I can understand my teacher when she speaks normally in Chinese, and we help her with her English. It's awesome!!!

I now understand why missionaries say that there is no time to write. I have just over three minutes left. It stinks! There is so much I want to tell you!!! I love it here, and I don't miss a thing back home!! It's still weird how I'm not going to be home for two years though :D But It's all good!

Anyway....

I love you all! Wish me luck, and I will write again on my next P-day which is next Monday.