A Day in the MTC

We asked Cole what a typical day at the MTC was like for him.  This was the schedule that he sent:

6:30 a.m.      Wake up/Prepare
7:00 a.m.      Planning with Elder Doane
8:00 a.m.      Breakfast
8:30 a.m.      Gym (His favorite time--no surprise there!)
9:30 a.m.      Personal Study
10:30 a.m.    Additional study
11:00 a.m.    Language study
12:20 p.m.    Lunch
1:00 p.m.      Companion study/Additional study
2:00 p.m.      Classroom instruction
5:00 p.m.      Dinner
5:30 p.m.      Classroom instruction
8:30 p.m.      Meetings
9:30 p.m.      Back to the room
10:30 p.m.    Check our zone's rooms
11:00 p.m.    Go to bed

He said that all of the classroom instruction was spoken completely in Hiligaynon, which makes for some really long days when you don't understand much of what is being said.

One Week and Counting

Cole has been in the MTC for one week now.  When he arrived, he was told that instead of learning Tagalog, he would be one of the first missionaries to learn Hiligaynon.

His companion is Elder Doane from Mesa, Arizona.  He threw the shot put for BYU Track & Field this past year.  Cole said he is a big teddy bear.  Elder Doane and he were called to be Zone Leaders yesterday, which puts them in charge of about 48 missionaries.

He has been feeling homesick, but Sunday they had a fireside that really helped.  Here is part of an email that he sent.

"Last night we had a fireside about the life of Joseph Smith and all the things he went through to bring forth this gospel.  Then the spirit hit me as strong as it ever has before and it was kinda like, 'how dare you pity yourself when Joseph went through the things he went through.  This is your time to do your part in this work and you can leave those things for two years.'  Needless to say, I was very humbled and apologetic in my prayers.  It was an experience that in about a year from now I will look back and say, wow, that changed everything!"