Second week in the MTC

Second week at the MTC. It feels like I've been here for at least a month. It's not that I'm bored it's just that time seems to flow more slowly here. How could I be bored when I'm always busy. We have six hours of time with a teacher and most of the rest of the time is for studying. We also have our progressing investigators. The progressing investigator or ku do ja is a teacher who pretends they are an actual person in Korea. We knock on their door and give them the lessons (all in Korean of course). Me and my Dong ban ja (companion) had our first three days after we got to the MTC. The lesson was really just a script.

God is our Heavenly Father.
We are his spirit children.
He loves us and we can return to him.

Since then Elder Tuinei and I have progressed to where we are actually teaching. Now we don't use a script, we just use an English PMG and scriptures in English and Korean. It's good, but it's so hard. One time I was telling Sister Kim (Our first ku do ja). That Jesus atoned for us. I hadn't gotten through the third word and she was busting up laughing. The verb atone is soak jwuaa. To have a hang over is soak ja. Anyways, in another lesson we were talking about the first vision. I found the scripture in English. I looked for it in my Korean scriptures. Joseph Smith History 16-17. Reading the Korean characters I saw Josep Sumitsu at the header and found verses 16 and 17. What I didn't know was that it was Joseph Smith Matthew. Go read it and laugh. My whole district did. Mistakes like that you just have to laugh at.

My biggest struggle at the MTC has been the language. I came to the MTC knowing my scriptures and having a testimony. A lot of missionaries struggle with those things. God gave me different struggles. My theme for the MTC has been Ether 12:27. If men come unto me I will show them their weakness, or something like that. All I know is that I have to put my faith in Him or I wont be able to learn this language. The verse goes on to say that God will make weak things strong. I haven't gotten to that part yet.The important thing is that I have faith that I will. That is what I'm banking on right now, faith.

I'm the district leader. What that means is that I'm over three companionships (we have a small district) and that I have a lot of meetings every Sunday. Since we arrived at the MTC one companionship has been having a hard time getting along. It's actually a threesome but the conflict is between two elders. They unintentionally pushed each others buttons all the time. As district leader I needed to help them work this out. Through prayer, inspiration on how to council them and their willingness to work with me and each other, the problem is almost solved. The moral of the story is that two people, with the spirit, can sort anything out.

My companion and I are as different as they come, but we get along great. I took some great advice and told my companion why I was on a mission and had him do the same. Now we understand each other and have common goals. We actually have a really fun time together. We work well together and can openly share spiritual experiences. We laugh at each other. He spends half the morning combing, lathering and spraying his hair. I get up, run a comb through it if the world is lucky and go on my way. I'm always eating and always hungry. My companion is NEVER hungry. I have no idea what's wrong with him! Most importantly we really help each other out. He is so good at Korean. We will go through a pack of flash cards together and he'll have them all down after the third time. I struggle and struggle and beat my head against the wall and still cant seem to get them. It's fine though. We have a bit of a Moses Aaron relationship. I help him find scriptures and he helps me speak.


The MTC is great. It is by far the HARDEST thing I have ever done. I have learned so much about myself and my Heavenly Father.
I love you all,
Harkness Chang no niem
(Elder Harkness)

P.S. the computers are still being dumb but here are some photos