Week #2 - MTC Life

First full week in the MTC is in the books. I leave to go to Argentina in exactly one month from yesterday, on August 14th. The culture here at the MTC (missionary training center) is super fun. I really am blessed with the most amazing teachers for the Spanish language. Hermano Horsley, my former college roommate's older brother is probably one of the best teachers in the entire MTC. On top of being a really excellent teacher of the language, he is also extremely hilarious and spiritual. Your teachers have a huge impact on your learning and I am lucky to have some amazing ones.

We have taught a lot of lessons this week. Personally for me, the hardest lesson to teach is the first one. Everyone is different and has different needs. We need to teach the basics of the gospel and how God loves each and every one of his children and wants to help them with any problem they are facing. In the missionary teaching manual, "Preach my Gospel" chapter 10, there are a lot of really good things in that chapter.

Being sick was a huge struggle for me this week. I started feeling off on Wednesday, then I was barely functioning on Saturday with just about every single cold/flu symptom. The nurse told me that I probably had a virus. After some rest, some nurse advice and a Preisthood blessing, I feel significantly better. It is really hard to be sick and not be able to rest at all. but it was something that I just had to do.

One of the best parts of the week was listening to Elder Bednar's legendary talk at the MTC a few years back called "The Character of Christ." My favorite quote from it was the quote that roughly says "When the natural man turns inward, He (Christ) turns outward." Having a mind of service is the most valuable thing that we can do in this life.

It was a rough second half of the week, but it went really fast.

Here's a picture of my MTC district​​:

​

Top Row L-R:  Hermanas Edgel, Hancey, Hartle, Howe, McGill then Elders Murphy, Hobbs, Fitzgerald and Hales.  Bottom Row:  Elders Ericksen, Giforos and Sedrick

Here's a picture of those in our district going to Argentina, Mendoza:

Thanks for reading

-Elder Collin Murphy

More pictures from the first full week at the MTC.........

Apparently Collin and his friend shopped at the same type of place before entering the MTC.......same pants, belt, shirt & tie AND the Wifi Camera from Costco!!