Two Weeks Down in the MTC!!

Hey everyone,
 

Well I have done it I have made it two weeks in the MTC!! It was nice to be on the same schedule as last week, because I knew what was happening all week and what I had going next. we had our Sunday devotional this week and the speaker was Vai Sekahima and it was super cool! He is a former punt/kick returner for BYU and a few different NFL teams.

 

Our days are super busy! There is a lot of study time and there is 6 Hours of class time. I have two different teachers throughout the day the first teacher is Hermana Vawdry she has been teaching us since day one. Then there is Hermano Byrd who started teaching us last week. When we walked into class and saw him it kind of blew our minds. He was the investigator that we were teaching last week!  When we walked in his back was turned to us and he waited until we sat down then he turned around and I think almost all of us had a heart attack! When we all saw him we were like what is going on. He has been a great teacher. Depending on their schedule whoever comes in first will teach us the language and how to teach. The night teacher teaches us gospel principals, public manners, how to be sincere with everyone. We are taught to talk to everyone thus fulfilling our purpose.
 

Between classes we have Personal study time, additional study (companion study), language study and TALL (Technology assisted Learning). They are all super useful. The area I am struggling with the most right now is the language.  The four years that I took Spanish in school Mrs. Anderson and Sr. Ayaviri talked about present tense conjugations and that is all we used. In the Spanish language there is close to 20-30 conjugations that we have to memorize. Not to mention all 150 plus verbs we need to remember. The nice thing is that our teachers have said as long as you know the verbs use the whole form so like vivir, hablar, cominar, leer, and escuhar. one of the few things that I can do really well is introduce myself: Hola! mi nombre es Elder Darcy y el es Elder Rushton y Elder Kershaw Mi compeneros. Nosotros Somos mssionarios de la iglesia de Jesus Cristo de los santos de los ultimos dias. y nosotros tenemos mesenje importante por usted.

That translates to "Hi, my name is Elder Darcy and this is Elder Rushton and Elder Kershaw my companions. we are missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and we have an important message for you.
 

 This has been a struggle but it is starting to come along. I am getting along with Elder Kershaw and Elder Rushton real well. We have been able to work out who teaches what in each lessons. Elder Kershaw is pretty good at Spanish now so it is nice to have someone there who is doing better than me right now. The goal is to be able to understand at least 50-75% of what is being said to me by September 16.
 

On Monday ,Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday we have time in the gym. This is a nice break to take some time to step back and breathe. On Monday I was playing basketball and I hit 6 2's (3's because we go by ones and twos here) and it impressed a few people. The food is all right. 

 

On Monday my district and the other district that came in with us become the oldest district in our zone. Our last zone leaders left for Mexico on this past Monday. The current zone leaders leave this Monday for Argentina. They were in the process of being  reassigned today cause their visa have not come through. Then on Monday they got travel plans and they were able to get a three month guest permit while they wait for their visas that they should be getting in two months!
 

I am loving the care packages and letters from home. We have been trading snacks with the Russia missionaries on our floor. They sing the Russia war song every night and they get LOUD!!

So that is my week, it has been a great week. Please take time to drop me a line if you have a minute I would love to hear from people from home.

 

Elder Darcy

Hola! Buenos Dias,



Well I have done it! I made it a week in the MTC without loosing any vital body parts or organs! :D its been great here just super busy. I got here last Wednesday, August 7th and it has been non-stop work since the moment that I walked in.

 When I got here my companion, Elder Parker, was a little more advanced in Spanish and got moved up to the intermediate Spanish class! Because of the change I have two companions now! I had been sharing a room with both of these Elders prior to the change. The first companion is Elder Rushton, Elder Rushton is from Orange County, California and has lived and grown up in California his whole life. He was born and raised in the church. He loves to surf and hang with friends. he is a great companion. Elder Kershaw is my second companion. Elder Kershaw just like Elder Rushton was born and raised in the church. He lives here in SLC and playes for the SLCC soccer team! He has a walk on spot to the team when he gets home in two years! I have a pretty cool district most of us are from Utah, but there is Elder Rushton and Elder Rolph (another Elder in my district) who are from California (Elder Rushton) and Mesa Arizona (Elder Rolph). Elder Rolph is such a funny guy. I think every day we have been her we have had a realy good laugh because of something he said. The best part is that he does not try he is just naturally funny! 

It was a crazy first week! We were told by other Elders and Sisters who had been here a few weeks to make it to Sunday and it would be easier. We made it to Sunday and this week has gone by a lot faster. Last week was kind of slow because Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday we were in the classroom all day doing either personal study, language study, or additional study.

This week we have been teaching our first investigator David. It was hard because I don't know a lot of Spanish yet, but when we went in to teach David I was able to bear my testimony and give some thought to the message with the little Spanish I do know and something sparked in David, and we got him to commit to baptism last night!!! So maybe I won't be too bad of a missionary!

On Tuesday we had a devotional at the Marriot Center on the BYU campus and we got to hear from Richard G Scott of the Quorm of the 12! It was so cool and the message was based on missionaries who are going to a foreign mission. 

I think that about sums up the week. One last note I would love to get hand written letters or Dear Elder. The way Dear Elder works is you can send me a letter and it can be delivered that same day as long as the letter is submitted by 12 pm that day. Otherwise I will get the letter the next day. My mailing information is below. I love you guys so much and miss you all!

Hope to hear from you soon! please feel free to write!

Much love,
Elder Brett Darcy

If you want to write my the mailing info is:
Elder Brett Jeffrey Darcy
Sep 16 MEX-MCC
2009 N 900 E Unit 125
Provo UT, 84602



                                     
                                          Elder Parker and Elder Darcy

                                         Elder Rushton, Elder Kershaw, Elder Darcy

                                          The Book of Mormon in a nutshell
                                                  
This afternoon Brett sent the following message to his Grandma:

We rode Front Runner and Trax to the Mexican Consulate. It is in the weirdest place ever.

It would have been the last place that I would have ever guessed. Its behind Spring Mobile Ball Park, the Bees Stadium.

Brett has his visa and will be going to Mexico City when he is finished in the MTC.

The Day is finally here . . .

This is Brett I just wanted to thank every one who came to the open house. I am about to head into the MTC. Thank you to all who contributed to my missionary fund in anyway you did. I will be in the Provo MTC for six weeks learning Spanish. If you want to write me my MTC address is:

Elder Brett Jeffrey Darcy
Sep 16 MEX-MCC
2009 N 900 E unit 125
Provo UT 84602

Thanks to all who came again and hope to hear from you all soon.

                                              At Breakfast with Grandma Linda at Mimi's

                                          Everyone who came to see Brett off

                                                  Getting in a final jab at his sister

                                                  Heading in to get to work!