Week 2 in the MTC

Wow! Week 2 was already 504920940X better than the first one. Everyone says it gets better after the first sunday and they were not kidding. This week was awesome! It started off with a devotional by Elder Christofferson of the 12! It was the coolest thing. I don't know if any of you heard of the new announcement by President Nelson, but we're supposed to try to stop using terms like Mormon and LDS. It's because this is Christ's church not Mormon's church. It was a really good talk and he said that we as missionaries can do our best to share that message. I truly think that the adversary is doing everything he can to erase the name Jesus Christ off the earth, so this message was really powerful about the importance of that name and the name of our church.

After the devotional my companion and I went straight to the residence hall and changed our clothes and were talking about how awesome it was and there was one other companionship there. We were there for about a half hour just writing in our journals, talking, relaxing (which you don't get to do often at the MTC). For us Pday was still going! Then one of the other elders was like "shouldn't people be back by now?" We checked the schedule and sure enough it said "devotional review" right after the devotional. Then I looked in the duties of district leader "lead devotional review" I have never been more paranoid in my life. A young missionary just trying to be obedient and we already messing up big time. The other elders came back like 15 minutes later and they will never let me hear the end of missing that. I guess Pday ends at 6:00 too so no more relaxing in the MTC, more working hard :)

Other than that we've had a lot of classes going on like usual, a lot of studying going on. One lesson in particular I really enjoyed was the plan of salvation. Our teacher, Brother Hampshire, is legendary (you would love him dad). He is trying to become a New Testament Professor I think. Every time he teaches he just shows how connected the gospel is to history, science, everything. It gets crazy deep and really lets you know the gospel is true. His lesson on the plan of salvation was awesome. He told us that the diagram is the worst and it is part of Utah culture that primary teachers use. The most important part of the plan of salvation is that it all works through Jesus Christ and that's a part that the diagram doesn't even show. so that was really interesting. 

On Wednesday the new missionaries came! (including elder Brevin Kunde) Oh how nice it was to not be the ones wearing the orange stickers that everyone said "Welcome to the MTC!" I thought all day of how Brevin was probably wanting to destroy the older missionaries and their horrible ways, but then I saw him and he has a great companion and looks super good. 

After hours in the MTC when we are in the residence (right before bed) we get involved in a little thing called the tie trading business. I think the title makes it a little self explanatory. It's super fun. Elder Bell and I really get into it. We've already traded a bunch of ties. We have even made up a sort of currency system for it so that's pretty funny. All the new elders added to our zone are already getting involved in the tie trading business so I'm thinking it's a trend that will continue after we leave. 

This last sunday they had a devotional by the MTC president and his wife. If it was good I couldn't tell you. I do my best to be an example as a district leader and stuff but my exhaustion got the better of me. I passed out at the beginning and woke up at the end and of course my companion Elder Moosman got a super funny picture where I'm even drooling a little bit and now even if I become the most amazing missionary of all time this story and picture will never leave me. My district will never let me hear the end of that one either :) 

My companion Elder Moosman has finally proved his buffness to all of us. That dairy farmer is a very strong boy. He got in some arm wrestles and has even beat some big dudes. It's super impressive. So sometimes during exercise time I just go running and he lifts and then he looks at his own muscles and smirks and it makes me laugh so hard. It kind of reminds me of me in freshman year. Except he actually is big, but still. Sometimes I wonder why HE isn't going to Chicago. He's the short ripped Asian dude that would be unstoppable, but I guess the Lord wants him in Texas. 

Half of my district is going to Texas, and that's sad cause I have really grown to love them all. We are leaving this upcoming Monday to the field, and it seems like our time here went by so fast! But also so slow too. So this is my last Pday in the MTC, the last letter you'll get from Elder Jensen in official training. After this it'll be Elder Jensen for reals who is still technically training though because there is like billions to learn. I'm excited to leave though. the food here is starting to be the worst haha. 

I think that's about it! have a good week everyone! I'll write on whatever my next Pday is in the field! 

Elder Jensen (one out of the 15 who are at the MTC) 

Pictures!!!!! 

1: drooly devotional

2. last lesson with Brother Parker

3. Church sleep is the best sleep

4. no unclean thing can enter the kingdom of heaven

5. Elder Kunde

6. Like a million guys from my highschool that I wanted to avoid at first because highschool people are the worst but I like them now because they are pretty neat missionaries.