The Best Two Years... In California!: WEEK 1: THE MTC

Elder Pennington and his MTC companion Elder Walker

Hello Everyone! Day 7 out here in the jungle and I am still alive and breathing. The MTC is like spiritual boot camp, but in a good way. The teachers are great at teaching with the Spirit and helping you feel the Spirit as well, but still give you time to have fun. I am learning a ton and this Gospel has never meant so much to me.

Elder Pennington and his MTC companions.

So in my district it is me and my companion Elder Walker (I'm the senior companion btw) and then it's Elder Smith and Elder Hubbard, and then a tripanionship consisting of Elder Anderson, Elder Corbridge, and Elder Langly. Sadly an Elder, Elder Ashcroft had to go home because of health reasons. But he is going to try and come back out so keep him in your prayers.

It's snowing...

So we are meeting with a PI named Shantele. Our first two lessons went great and then the third we didn't even get to finish. the lesson went in the direction we were not expecting but thats alright. We ended up answering her questions and invited the Spirit. I challenged her to pray about what we were teaching her and if she thought it was true and if she did find out that it is true, if she would "BE BAPTIZED"-Nacho Libre Quote. but anyways she said she would so that's awesome, we meet up with her again tomorrow so I'm pumped. Also tomorrow we have a first appointment with Ny. She's an investigator we got assigned to that was referred to our missionaries so pray for Elder Walker and I and also for Ny so that we can be able to get her baptized. Also, for the Spirit to be recognized in our lessons, because one thing I have come to find out is you don't convert or teach the investigators, the Spirit does.

... wait! It's sunny!

The lessons are already getting easier and my studies are getting harder so I guess that's pretty good. I'm ready to get out in the field, but also I know there is a lot more things I need to learn. Food is great here, the weather is not. I thought Memphis had bipolar weather but this, this is ridiculous. It's been sunny, sunny and 75!! and then it has hailed and sleeted and snowed and rained. This is ridiculous thank goodness I brought chapstick because that is awful as well.

I can't send any pics here yet because apparently I have an $11 dollar adapter I have to buy just for the MTC and my inner Jon Pennington is telling me "no", so y'all will just have to wait until I get into the field for that.

A room with Ping Pong and Basketball - He's all set

Thank you everyone who has sent me packages!!! It makes me feel loved and for those who haven't I mean what can I say no one's perfect haha just kidding your prayers are more than enough. But if I were to send some requests out Sprite, Powerade, and candy and stuff like that would be appreciated hahaha. so our dorm room is sweet. We got a ping pong table and a basketball goal so we basically are living the fancy life out here. I don't really have much else to say and I'll try and figure out the whole camera thing so bare with me on that I know everyone misses my beautiful face! Oh and mom guess what I think I found the fountain of youth cuz I don't have a single pimple! Okay I'm sorry I forgot missionaries can't lie, but to make you feel better I'm putting my medicine on day and night to try and get these constellations off my face. Oh one more thing, I'm gonna leave a challenge with you Dad. Go watch Elder Bednar's Christmas devotional he gave at the MTC and accept his B.O.M challenge. By the time I get back you should have like 30 copies of the Book of Mormon marked up and on a shelf. Good luck bishop.

This goes to the young men in the ward. STUDY YOUR SCRIPTURES. STUDY YOUR PREACH MY GOSPEL. This will make your MTC experience so much better, don't be afraid to "LARP'' or role play because you'll be getting alot of that here. Practice talking to random strangers, doesn't even have to be about the gospel. We had a teacher Brother Farr who has taught us to where I can now teach the third lesson in 60 seconds. So if I'm ever standing in line somewhere and only have that amount of time then I am good to go. It's awesome learning with the Spirit. If I had the spirit in school I would be going to Harvard. I hope on the plane I get to sit next to someone random because they are gonna have to listen about the gospel :) Well I hope all is well and y'all are all in my prayers.

Love,

Elder Pennington