1 week and 5 days til St. Petersburg

I bet you were all wondering: Where was my email yesterday? So they changed all of our schedules here at the MTC, like completely changed it. We have P-days on Wednesday now, and now we have classes at different times and stuff. It's not too bad really, just gotta take some time to udjust. But yes, in one week, and in 5 days I will be on an airplane, not sure when I will be back again, as mr. John Denver sings quite perfectly. But yes. I am going to Russia very very soon. I will probably get my flight plans sometime tomorrow.... You don't understand how excited I am to go. I have been at the MTC far too long, but at the same time, not long enough.

 

Xpиcтoc Bоскрес!! So Happy Easter everyone!! I hope everyone had an amazing and beautiful easter. I found out that that is Russia's favorite holiday, even more so than Christmas, which they celebrate in January I believe. On Easter, everyone goes around and says Xpиcтoc Bоскрес, which means Christ has Risen! Everyone then responds with Воистину Bоскрес! Which means Indeed he is Risen! I think that it's kind of awesome that they love that holiday. It's seriously such a big deal there. I will get to experience one Easter in Russia and I know it will be awesome. They love to decorate their eggs quite extravagantly with Icons and stuff. It's really interesting.

So on Easter, I wrote a talk about the Resurection and went to church in my branch. We have to write talks every week and I have been writing mine in Russian for the past 5 weeks. They call you on the spot to give a talk during Sacrament Meeting, and mine wasn't terribly great, so that was good. I had to say the Sacrament Prayer though in Russian, and that was really fun. Afterwards, we had a speaker come to speak to us as they usually during on Sunday Nights. It was President Stephan B. Allen, who just got called as a Seventy I believe. He used to be a Executive Producer for commercials and he used to make a lot of commercials for the Church in the 80s and 70s about the Homefront. He showed us a few and they were seriously the funniset things ever. If you can find them on youtube, do it. They were absolutely hilarious. Cheasy Montages and such.

 

Ok so for the nitty gritty. This has been by far my best week here in the MTC. I really am not here long enough, and quite arguably just long enough. On Tuesdays we have Devotionals where speakers come and speak to us. They have always been way awesome as General Authorities come and speak to us. But last Tuesday, we had a special guest come. It was Elder Richard G. Scott who spoke to us. Completely unexpected. As soon as he walked in the to the room to speak to us, the room filled with the Spirit. You could just feel it. He was a little slow at speach, but it was by far my favorite talk by him and so far in the MTC. Towards the end of his talk, he asked who was all learning a foreign language. Over 70 percent of us in the room rose are hands. Probably close to a 1100 of us. He then blessed us with his power and authority as an Apostle with the Gift of Tongues. It was seriously the answers to my prayers with help with this language. Russian is one of the toughest things ever to get down, but that gave me hope and encouragement to continue on. He blessed us. An Apostolic Blessing. How awesome is that? That's not at all, so yesterday, we have another MTC Devotional because it was Tuesday night. No one thought we would get another Apostle anytime soon. Nope. Elder Dallin H. Oaks came yesterday and spoke to us about our purpose as missionaries more deeply. He told us that we are here to change, acheive, and to become, and that's exactly what I have been striving to do. I am trying to change myself so that I can be a better missionary, I am trying to acheive so that I can be fluent in this stupid (but beautiful and awesome) language, and I am trying to become what the Lord want's of me. Don't get me wrong, it hasn't been no easy ride. Ups and Downs just in the MTC alone, but I know that I was blessed to be here this long to hear both of those Apostles speak to us.

 

Now for the small, less important, but still important details. Well, I got meself a cold this last week and it took me all week to recover. I still went to class everyday. I forced myself... but I may have gotten a sister in my district sick too.. Whoops, my apologies. But, last week I hosted for the first time on Wednesday. It was kind of a downer, because the missionary I hosted was super down and sad about being here. I thought to myself, "What the heck!? You're going on a mission! Cheer up Charlie!" It made me remember when I got dropped off and how eager and excited I was to get going. Probably was too excited. Sorry Mom and Dad if my goodbye wasn't long enough. Don't think that I don't miss you everyday, because I do miss you, and I know I am not supposed to say that, but it 'tis true. So sorry if I just kind of ran offf....... BUT! I was still excited and I still am excited. So don't you worry, ma and pa!

 

There has been a lot of changes here at the MTC. They are getting rid of some programs, adding new ones, changing schedules, building buildings, yada yada yada. At the cafetaria, they have close down 2/3s of it and only have one line open and it's always super packed. We have to fight everyday to sit at the Iron Curtain. Like I said weeks prior, we Russian missionaries, are a unique breed. Definitely like the grandpas and grandmas of the MTC. We know it inside and out, and we don't do well with immense changes. To be honest though, I actually kind of like the new changes so far. The schedule is more structured, which I need.

After Elder Oaks blessing, I have been able to understand Russian much better I find. Listening is definitely the most difficult part for me, but I feel like I have been able to understand more, which is absolutely awesome. I just need to continue to work, and I will be fluent in no time :) Right now, though, I am not enough close. It's like digging at a mountain with a spoon, but with each spoon full, it's exponentially more. It starts slowly, and the comes super fast. That super fast part will be in St Petersburg.

 

Well, I am off to go to the Temple right now and do Laundry. Andy Mockler comes into the MTC in 4 hours. I honestly cannot awit. I am supposed to host today, but my district doesn't want to because it's P-Day, but I will wait for him outside the administration building. So far, I have Elder Rooney, Elder Kakishita, and Elder Birgham Madsen here at the MTC that I own and many more. Elder Mockler will be my closest friend here at the MTC!! OORRAAH!!

 

Love Elder Tekulve

 

ps: watch the LDS.org easter video. It's absolutely amazing and beautiful. :)

Take care!

until next time

20 more days in the MTC

Friends and Family!

 

 First I would like to preface this email by saying thank you to all of those who sent packages and letters to me. They really keep me going on some of my longer days here at the MTC. Mom, thanks for the package! That belt is way nice! I love it, and again thank you for the hair trimmers! They will be put to good use, that's for sure. Dad, those cookies look amazing. I haven't eaten them yet because I picked it up last night and I needed to get to bed, but i can assure you that they will be devored by the end of this day, so thank you for thems :). Aunt Kathy and Uncle Bill, those ties were AWESOME! I loved how you categorized them all, and especially the category of "Jewish". That tie really does look like it was passed down from father to son during his Bar Mitzvah. I am so priveledged to own it. So thank you for those. Thanks for all of the letters too! They really brighten up my day. Seriously.

 

Well this week... twas another week. Counting down the days until I get outta here, but at the same time I am nervous to be getting out of here. We got a few native Russian missionaries in the MTC for a few weeks and I tried talking to them. It is so difficult to understand what they are saying. They speak so fast! I know it will come. This time in the MTC is for me to grow spiritually and prepare the foundations for my mission language. I was talking to one of them, and he asked how old I was, and I accidentally said I am 12 in Russian. Dvenatzit (12)and dyevatnahtzit (19) are surprisingly really close sounding. Whoops. It was actually kind of funny though. Well, it's nice having them around because they really help with the language, and it's nice practice. I find speaking and hearing are the two hardest parts for me, but they will grow most definitely!

 

This week, I got ill. Yup. Illnesses exist in the MTC, and they exist in all of the varities and severities. I got a cold from one of my roommates who did a terrible job covering his coughs. Oh well. I am currently fighting off this cold as I type. I will get over it soon. I stocked up on some Dayquil, Nyquil, Cough Drops, and water, so I am pretty much set. I read that you got really ill, pops? that's twice in the past 3 months! a new record for you. well, i am glad you are better. I was a little bit worried. I also heard you gots yourself a new phone! It's gonna be weird coming back to technology and cell phones and such. Speaking of which, I am not sure if i told you, but I can't call you on Mother's Day, mom, but I can call you the day after when I am in the airport! Speaking of airports, I think I might be getting my travel plans next week! I really can't wait.

 

This week's TRC, which, again, I still don't know what it stands for, we taught the Plan of Salvation in Russian to a mock investigator. I was really worried because my vocabulary for that lesson is really terrible, but I thought we did a very awesome job. There weren't enough investigators, so my teacher, Brother Toone, played the role as the investigator and I felt that we taught phenomonally well. I know that my Russian grammar was atrocious, but I really felt the Spirit as we taught. The lesson really didn't go as we planned on it to be, but it was really guided by the Spirit. It's really interesting how the Spirit can communicate between companions. We didn't communicate with each other what we were going to say next, but we knew exactly what we needed to say. It was way awesome.

 

Nothing else going on lately. Just been learning more and more Russian, and studying more and more. It's actually really splendid. I have learned more here than I would with a semester of Russian 101. Honestly though. 100 percent Russian, is very difficult and it's more like 80 percent for me, but I am really trying to make it to 100 percent. My district was the first to do this, and it caused 3 other districts in both zones to start doing 100 percent now instead of next week. I guess we set an example, i suppose.

 

My district and I have been practicing this song to sing at our last Sunday. It's actually the EFY medley but in Russian, and let me tell you, it's so much better in Russian. Everything is better in Russian. Well.. For the most part, I suppose. we have another practice tonight, which I am actually looking forward to. It's kind of difficult to sing now that I am sick, but I can still manage. We have two elders in my district who have been cursed with tone deafness. Well.. It couldn't be a blessing as well, I suppose. One of them is actually my companion, and the funny thing is that he knows it all too well that he is, and it's hilarious. The other is the German Elder in my district. Ironically enough, they are sitting on both sides of me right now as I type this. And even more ironically enough, one of them is listening to church hymns.  By the way, remember that song What Child is This? It's a christmas song set to the tune of Greensleeves? Well, it's actually in the Russian hymnbook, and again, it's so much better in Russian. I am not joking wihen I say that, either.

 

Well, stay awesome family and friends.The church is true and there is a prophet today who has been called to guide and lead us. I love you all and you are all in my prayers

 

Love,

Elder Tekulve

The 7th week

Hello Friends and Family!!

I can't believe it's almost been 7 weeks. It's crazy. In 3 weeks and 6 days, I will be in the Motherland of Russia.

 

Well, last Wednesday we got new missionaries in both of our zones, so there are now plenty of elders struggling with the Russian language their first week just as I was. It's nice to help them out, that's for sure, and quite honestly, a nice boost of confidence for myself... (Ha). But yes, new missionaries, so now our hallways are not so empty and queit anymore, which is quite fun now. They are all such great elders too, every single one of them. I thought it would be funny to act insanely awkward and weird around them their first day and the next day be completely normal and disregard the previous night of weird and strange conversation and awkward approachings. After 30 minutes, I gave up. It was quite the comical but difficult task. Guess what? Guess who is in the MTC right now... Sean Rooney. Yup. Good ol' buddy from highschool, old ASB president, is in the neighboring zone speaking Russian along side me. He is going to Danyesk Ukraine, Russia speaking, and it's so nice to have a good friend from before the mission be in the MTC with you. I try to hang out with him every night, but his zone is a little stingent and stickler-ish in terms of the "Be-In-Your-Room" time, which is supposed to be 10:15, but they go at 10:00. Anywho, with that aside, It's awesome to see Elder Rooney everyday and helping him out with the language. He is definitely enjoying it here, which is greawt to see.

 

Yesterday, we started our "English Fast" where we speak only Russian to each other for the rest of the stay in the MTC. One of the single most difficult things ever. Surprisingly reading and writing Russian is the easiest part. Speaking and understanding others speak is so hard, but I know I can do it. In your head, you have to conjugate adjectives, pronouns, nouns, and possessive pronouns based on 6 different cases, and 4 different genders of words: Masculine, Feminine, Neuter, and Plural. With each case, within each gender, and within each grammatical unit they have their own unique ending and conjugation. The verbs alone have a variety of different ways of conjugation. Normally, depending on the ending of the verb, it will either be 1st conjugation or 2nd conjugation, which are two completely different types, and then there are verbs that are an exception to these rules, called OBAT verbs, which require another ending. Then there are reflexive verbs, mutated verbs, yada yada yada, etc... But, with all the insanity aside, I think it's really picking up. So don't worry. yeah, I am leaning the 3rd hardest language in the world for English speakers... No big.. Ha. But really though, although it may seem insane, I feel as though I couldn't be doing as well as I am outside of the MTC in any other class (well obviously in the country). The Spirit really is helping me guide my studies. During our Missionary Directed Time, my companion and I are really working our behinds off. He is the master of vocabulary words, and he has been a help to me.

 

I realized, I haven't really talked much about Elder Clark. He is a great companion. He is from St. George, Utah and he knows everything about sports teams in all variety of sports. It's crazy how much he knows. He will meet some Elder in some obscure city and he will be able to name off the team and their players. Maybe it's because I don't know anything about Sports that causes such wonder and amazement. I think he might think the same way with me and music and some films and stuff. Anywho, great little guy. He is hilarious as well. The other day, we were practicing teaching the 1st Lesson of the Restoration in Russian to anothe companionship. He was talking about Baptism and was trying to explain that it was very important and was a big step toward our salvation. The word for big and ice cream is somewhat similar, and he accidentally said, "Baptism is a lot of ice cream" in Russian. One of the funniest Freudian slip-ups. (Maybe he really wanted some ice cream when he said it? who knows). I am glad he is my companion. We really go hand in hand in our work habits, diligence, and quite honestly our humor.

 

On sunday, during our MTC Fireside, BYU Men's Choir came and performed for us. I forgot how amazing choirs are. They sang some very awesome hymns, and some other very interesting songs. They performed this one Mandarin song whose translation reads, "I like to play my gong". Don't ask me how that relates to anything we are learning here in the MTC, but it was awesome to hear. They had this Chinese flute player, and a few gong players. They also performed this Hungarian folk song with an ACCORDIAN!! I really want to learn how to play that beast of an instrument when I get home. Well obviously after I master the Beleleika, of course. After, they performed a Scottish folk song and performed with a bagpipe. Yup. They are a Men's Choir.

 

Anywho, Things are going great here at the MTC. The language is slowly but surely picking up. I know by speaking 100% Russian until the day I leave the MTC, (well obviously in Russia too), that it will greatly help me when I get there. We are starting the 100% Russian thing 2 weeks before everyone else, so let's see how I do. I teach the 2nd lesson (Plan of Salvation) tomorrow. I think I will be fine. Oh speaking of which, last week we taught the first lesson again in Russian, and it went amazingly. It wasn't the Ice Cream slip up, but with a fake investigator. I felt as though we dominated it!

 

Anywho, I love you all, and I pray about you every day. Stay awesome family, and stay awesome friends.

 

Love

 

Elder Tekulve

 

P.S.: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! I hope you got your card last week. I sent an SD card with some hilarious videos and stuff. :)

 

Week 6 more sleep walking

Hello family and friends!

Where to start for this week's update on the Elder Tekulve.. Well to start off on a humorous note, I had another sleep walking incident, but this one being more insane and hilarious, in my opinion. So there I was slumbering away and dreaming of tender dreams until I came to the delirious realization that I thought I was at my desk. So sitting there, I start noticing the walls falling in on me. I immediately clasp onto the wall to prop it up so it won't fall on me, but prevailing I realized there must have been multiple walls because I couldn't push it back. I was in pure horror of being crushed to death. So I yelled for my fellow comrades, "HELP! HELP! GUYS I NEED HELP!! THERE IS LIKE 9 OF THEM FALLING ON ME!" My roommates immediately wake up and shine their flashlight on me only to see me sitting up on the top bunk pressed up against the wall screaming for help. Elder Johnson asks, "9 what? 9 bricks!?". That's when I finally came to and I realized that I wasn't on my desk, and that the wall's were not falling on me, nor were there 9 of them. I then replied, "Am I going crazy?" It was one of the most bizarre and hilarious things that has happened to me in my sleep. I am not sure what they are feeding me so that my sleep every night is as unto the sleep of someone halfway off his rocker. My other roommate was really upset that I woke up him for the most useless thing ever. He thought I was dying, and so did I. Fortunately for me, my companion and I, Elder Clark, switched beds, so now I am on the bottom bunk. There hasn't been any incidences... so far.

Well with comedy aside, I really strengthened my testimony this week. I loved General Conference, and I hope everyone had the oppurtunity to watch all 5 sessions. I actually miss going to the conference center. It's just awesome to think, as my friend pointed out, that there are thousands of people that go and watch at the Center alone, all of whom have a testimony of some sort. To add, there are millions that are tuning in at their homes. At any rate, I loved it, and I hope you all did too. One thing that I thought was awesome was President Monson's talk about temples. Not only are they built by beautiful and precious stone, they are built by faith and testimony. Through the testimonies of others are there oppurtunities for temples to be built. I was crossing my fingers that they would announce a temple in Russia, but they would need a stake first in order to so, but I still hope and pray for the day that comes to pass. There are 22,000 members in the whole country, which really isn't much, but that is 20,000 members who do not have a temple in their own country. For southwestern Russian, the closest one is Keiv, Ukraine. For St. Petersburg area, the closest one is in Helsinki, Finland. For Novosibirsk and Ykanterinburg area, the closest temple is the Hong Kong temple, and for Vlodivistok, it's the Seoul South Korea temple. That is going to change. The hand of the Lord is in Europe, and the missionary work there is growing. Keep praying, like myself, that a temple will be erected in the beautiful country of Russia. One day, they will announce a temple there, and the Russian people will be eternally grateful.

One other talk I thought was amazing, was Walter F. Gonzalez' of the Seventy on the Saturday morning session. He said that as missionaries we are to add on to what the people already know to be true and good. I am not there to teach them something completely new, I am going to Russia to add on to their beliefs. They majority are Russian Orthodox, and their faith is absolutely beautiful and good. I am not going there to dismiss their faith as false, because it is not. It just doesn't have the full truth, the fullness of this Gospel, which is so unique and awesome for us.

On Sunday, after our sessions, we had a MTC Fireside where Vai Sakaheima spoke to us. He used to play for BYU Football and then for the Eagles in the NFL. He is now a sports announcer and commentator for NBC news in Philedelphia. That was an awesome fireside to end our night with. He shared with us a bunch of clips of how he would encorporate the Church with his news. He would do all that he could to somehow intermix them. One example in which he did, is that he organized Mormon Baseball Night at the Phillies Baseball Stadium. The Eagles head coach (also Mormon) through the first pitch, and the Missionaries of the Philedelphia Mission sang the national anthem.. I don't think that was obvious enough... He had a bunch of examples, like "Forever Families" when he tried to support this adoption program in which people would help them find their "forever families". He brought of stories from his mission in South Dakota and brought one of his best friends, a person he baptized, to bear his testimony. I got to usher this Fireside so i got to wear one of them fancy white nametags that bear the name in bold black letters, "USHER". It was most choice.

After the fireside, we watched "The Army of Faith" video they played after conference. Yup. That's the MTC for you. Couldn't have said it better, without the... myself. But really though. That is the MTC in a nutshell. I am not in it, I don't think, but a lot of the older districts were in it! I got to see a lot of my old friends who left last week to Russia. My teacher, Brother Toone, was in it too! He was teaching the older older district that left right before I came in. It was so bizarre to hear him speak in English. He never speaks in English. It's always straight Russian, and it so far has been an amazing approach for both my language learning, and my spiritual growth. I got to see a few of my St. Petersburg friends from the older districts leave at the airport on the video as well. They all left really in the morning. The hallway has been quite empty and quiet ever since. In the other hallway and zone of Russian speakers, one of their plane flights got cancelled so they had to stay an extra day, which kind of stunk for them. I think it was all the Moscow West mission, which by the way, is huge. Covers lot's of Russian and all of Kazakhstan. Anyway...

So this week, we also had a bad mice problem in our hallway. Luckily, one of the elders in my zone, Elder Smith (who ironically enough I met at the SLC temple with you guys) brought a RAT trap for an object lesson. He never thought he would use it, but he has so far killed 4. His room has it the worse because tehy have so much food accumlated and uncovered. Whoopsies for them. But  yes. Still hilarious and gross at the same time.

Last wednesday I taught my first lesson in Russian. It went quite actually. I was really surprise with myself of how much I knew. I just have to work harder, and I shall. Had 5 weeks left yesterday. Almost there!

Well, That's about it. i love you all, and I hope you all had a great week as well.

love,

Elder Tekulve