4 weeks now.  The time is all kind of starting to blur into one now, so you'll all have to excuse me if I forget a few things.  So this week has been good, we've been really busy again.  Lots of Mandarin.  We have a new teacher, Wu Lao Shi, which also means a new investigator.  Xiao Lao shi was reassigned as a language rater, so she's not with our district anymore, which is kind of sad because I thought her class was the most fun one of them all.  Oh well.  

On Tuesday for our devotional we had M. Russell Ballard come to the MTC, which was pretty awesome.  He said he just wanted to talk to us like a grandfather, which was pretty accurate...  And it was a great devotional.

The language is still hard, I feel sometimes like I'm not progressing as well as I would like because I'm able to get by with what I used to know from before, but I'm still working on it.  One issue for me is my companions.  One really doesn't like to prepare until we are about 10-15 minutes out from teaching, which just bugs me.  We were walking to TRC, Teaching Resource Center, Saturday, and that was when he wanted to decide what we were going to say.  And I just let him know that we had already had our time to prepare, that it was come and passed as he slept or did other things.  Oh well, I'm senior companion this week, and he's the district leader now, so he won't be the senior companion for three weeks.  So I guess I can exert a little control over how we prepare now.

Anyway, its great here.  I love getting mail!  Dear Elders are awesome.  Talk to you all next week.  

Elder Samuel Smith and T.J. Ethington
Buddies in China, now at the MTC together! 

So that's three weeks now I guess.  It doesn't really seem like it, time is really supposed to go fast here, and I guess it really does.  We had TRC this week, we met with a random person, just themselves, and we didn't know who it was going to be beforehand.  I met with a returned missionary who just liked to meet with the missionaries, and a couple Older Chinese ladies that were a little difficult to understand.  But it was a really cool experience.  Definitely fun, and definitely not the same as what we had been doing with our teachers role playing investigators.  Other than that, there hasn't been a lot going on.  A lot of missionaries left from our zone, which means our residence hall got A LOT quieter at night.  But now my district is starting to be a little crazy and have some fun, so I'm enjoying that.  I'm definitely still not always totally used to getting along with two other guys every minute of every day, but its getting better.  And I'm definitely feeling an increase in Spirit while I'm here.  It's pretty awesome, and I'm really understanding a lot more about the gospel and my purpose.  I didn't talk about it last time, but I was having some issues with my newest teacher, Xiao lao shi, because the first day she came in she told me I wasn't the translator for the class, which was true I guess.  But I wasn't very happy about that. But its gotten better, because she acknowledges that I know, and that at least keeps me feeling a part of the class.  We had a General Authority for our Tuesday devotional last week, Richard G Scott came and spoke.  And then this Sunday, we got to participate in the Ogden Temple Rededication, which was another great experience.  I had guessed most of my district had already been, because they're almost all from Utah, but out of the 5 elders, I was one of two to have gone to one before, which was kinda neat.  Other than that, not a whole lot to report right now.  Everything's going good, still missing everyone, and still adjusting.

So here's my second P-Day E-mail.  This week was fun, we finished our lessons with our first investigator, Apple.  We extended the invitation to be baptized, which she accepted on our final lesson.  She wouldn't commit to a date, but we were planning on setting that later.  Until she came into class as our new teacher.  In the first few minutes with her as the teacher I was told I was "no longer the translator for the class"...   So I guess that was alright.  It was just a little frustrating, but still kinda funny at the same time.  Everything is going well here, we had another temple session today, and we did sealings, which I hadn't done before, so that was neat.  Its weird to think that some of the elders who got here the same day I did are leaving today.  That, and a bunch of elders from my zone are leaving.  But we should be getting new Mandarin speaking Elders Wednesday.  Probably none going to Edmonton, but I hope so!  We're having a lot of fun at the MTC.  Class with our new teacher, Xiao Lao Shi, is a little more fun, just because she has more energy than our other teacher did.  And so that helps things go by.  I play four square during gym, and it can get a little competitive.  But its all fun at the same time.  We love P-Day Gym because so few people are at the gym when we go.  So we got to play a lot of games today, and it went really quick.  Yeah, so everything's good here.  I don't think I have many new pictures, but I'll send the ones I have.  Hope everything is alright in AZ, I heard about the record rainfalls.  Also, keep sending Dear Elders,  they're awesome to get!  Miss you all!

Mandarin class

T.J. and his companion with Lindsay Sanders and her comp

So, a first real letter from the MTC.  The first few days have been really hectic.  We got thrown into class right away.  And my companion never showed up, so that kinda stunk.  But I'm in a great tri-panionship now and I'm loving it.  The dorms here are pretty nice, I was definitely glad to have slept on the couch and be used to sleeping on something new, so ha. You told me it was stupid.  Anyway, my keyboard is messed up, the space bar is broken.  Actually, I just fixed something...  Anyway,the first days are great, we are already teaching an investigator.  Our Mandarin isn't really good enough to teach, but I can talk to her about daily Chinese stuff.  Which is fun.  We had our first temple session today,so that was also great.  I had a great experience in there and really felt the spirit, and it was great.  I am having a good time with the class and my district, they make it enjoyable here.  I am wearing my retainer, and brushing my teeth, probably better than I did when I was at home.  Thanks for the luggage tags, I got them today, and the Beef Jerky,I got that my third day here and I shared with my district.  My teacher is a Guatemalan  brother who was sent to Taiwan on his mission.  And he really only talks to us in Chinese, which is hard for a lot of people.  But we learn a lot.  And we had fast and testimony meeting this Sunday, which I was surprised to understand a lot of.  Its all off a basic formula, and then my Chinese experience had taught me the other words in between all the gospel vocab, and so I knew what most people were saying most of the time, and it was awesome.  Anyway, here's the end of my first letter. I hope everything is alright back home.  Bye!

That's my whole district.  From left to right we are: Elder Wimmer, me, Elder Clark, Elder Sabin, Elder Brown, Sister Tuitone, Sister Baird, and Sister Kitchen.