From: Braydon Carter <braydon.carter@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Aug 13, 2018 at 2:51 PM
Subject: Big week! Big man! 8/13/2018
你们好！ 这个星期有很多的事情！有耐心！
Hello everyone! This week has had so many things! So be patient! :)
I knew from the second I sent last week's email that this week was going to be a journey. In the last 3 weeks they really start to kick in all the fun. They make it very busy, but very exciting at the same time. Let me explain:
The second I got off of my email last Monday, everything started going into high gear. We were able to start our Skype TRCs on Monday WHICH WAS SO COOL! Let me explain. A TRC is when they pull in volunteers or employees that speak the language so that you can get used to teaching to natives as well as just teaching a legit person instead of a teacher with a bio. So before last Monday, every Saturday we had members just come in from the Provo area that spoke Chinese. I thought just being able to teach them was seriously the coolest thing at the MTC, but it just gets better! But those ended on August 4th. Then we were moving onto Skype TRC's which is when they have members from Taiwan Skype in and talk to you. The member we taught was from TaiZhong, the same mission my companion is going to, and WE TALKED FOR 35 minutes. It was seriously the best thing ever. We just opened up the scriptures, started sharing experiences about our lives, and really just had a really awesome spiritual conversation. One of my favorite parts of these moments was that it was really just us talking back and fourth strengthening each other. There was one point during our Skype call that she just started laughing, then she continued to tell us she was shocked by our Chinese, that it was super good, and she was impressed. That made me really happy! It was really cool being able to see how our Chinese compared to those in the country. It made me feel super confident as well as want to push super hard to do my absolute best for the people.
Then Tuesday wasn't super duper special. Although we did have a meeting with the Tour Guide here at the MTC. Our district was chosen to be the class that the VIP guest would come visit and get a feel of how we do things at the MTC. I will talk more about my experience later on. I wrote a whole page about it, I was seriously shook by the experience. Anyways so on Tuesday they just told us about how we needed to act and what might happen as he was here. Later on Tuesday we had the cool opportunity to hear Sister Bingham ( The General Relief Society President ) come and give a devotional. She talked all about how we can see patterns in our lives, as well as the scriptures. Like search, ponder, and pray, and as we apply those patterns in our life, our life will grow so much. I can for sure testify to that. As I have noticed patterns about myself at the MTC, I have been able to sky rocket and do things I never thought possible.
On Wednesday, we started our "real TRC's". The way that these are set up, is just like how it would be in the field. We are given a really story about an employee here at the MTC. Then we go to their " house" ( which is like a cubical ) every night and teach that person. These are really cool too, because it's a mystery. Some of them are members at BYU but some of them are just people who work here, and aren't members. So you just go in giving it your all and just love the person. This happens every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I have a really spiritual experience about this experience too that I will share later on.
NOW WE ARE TO THURSDAY. Seriously after the events that happened in this day I just needed to sit down, ponder, and see all the growth, and opportunity I will have over the next two years. I was so shook by one of the events that happened on this day that I spent an hour just pondering and then writing it all out. Here is my writings:
"Today was really strange. I can’t seem to focus on much because of what has happened in the last hour. I was frankly surprised and not really sure how to react.
Today we had a Navy Captain Chaplain come to our class room. Captain Lea. He came to the MTC on a VIP tour, and our class was chosen as an example class that he could come visit, see what were all about, and what we do here at the MTC. We had been asked to be in class at 9 to be settled in and ready for his arrival. This included the boss of the Chinese department to be in our room and instruct us, so that he may be able to have a good example of how we do things here. We were patiently waiting, expecting him to come in at any moment, and that any moment turned into 45 minutes later. I’m not sure why, but as the time went on, I became more and more nervous. Just as we were sitting and waiting we had this really big guy came in, ( obviously a security guard,) and said they are almost here and then closed the door. That’s when I was like “Woah! This is real!” Then he entered. It was super intimidating in a way. It was this really large, obviously very fit from his many years in the Navy. He just looked official, he was in a super nice suit, and just looked like he could take anyone. Then when he was talking, the things he said were so understanding and intelligent. He appeared to be a very wise man who has experienced a lot of different things. It was almost like you could feel his power which was super strange. Then our class started to show him and his family how we study and started to explain how much we study, and everything that is included. From teacher, to our purpose, to how we study, and how we learn. Then they allowed him and his family to start asking questions, ask us about ourselves, why we are here, what we like, how we study, what’s hard, blah blah blah. Then Captain Lea asked, now that your here, how do you think you were prepared before? How has your life before prepared you to do this now? I automatically knew my answer. So I raised my hand. I told him that I thought it was interesting that he asked that question. I told him that when I was in the 8th grade I was working construction, he then stopped me and said, "Woah. In the 8th grade?" I got nervous because I thought he was asking due to child labor laws. When really, he was really just shook that I started to do that kind of work at that young of an age. I then continued to tell him that here in Utah we can start to learn languages in 8th grade. So I thought well if I’m around Latinos I should take Spanish. I then asked my mom. She told me that I should ask God in prayer and find out. As I did, I had the unusual impression to start taking Chinese. I then shortly explained how that began to open up so many doors, which lead me to do student government, and got me really interested in business. I then explained because of just one prayer, for the rest of the time I was prepared to go to Singapore. A place of much business and a Chinese culture. He from there, in a way started to praise me. He had asked me when I was planning on going public because he wants a piece of my action. I was super flattered and just assumed he was giving me a nice compliment. Then for the rest of the time he was there, he would frequently refer back to me, and how impressive I was. At one point all of the Filipinos were talking about their degrees, and he then made a comment how they could all work for me. I was shook. I had felt bad, I didn’t mean to boast. Then we finished up the questions and they allowed us to go take a picture with him out by the mural of the brother of Jared. We then took a picture with his family, and then the MTC president (President Martino) explained why we have murals and the story of the one we were in front of. As all this was happening someone pointed out to me his body guard had a one shot glock in his sleeve. That was exciting. To go on, we finished by singing called to serve to them and then were asked to go back to the class room. He then said, "Carter, I was only half joking, you’re on your way." WOAH. I was shook, I was instantly brought back to when I read how you can tell someone will be successful when other successful people point you out. It then made me think back to my self and ask, am I that impressive? Am I that different? As I was thinking to my self I thought: maybe I am pretty far ahead, and I will most likely find quite a bit of success, but that does not mean I stop. I politely take the complement and push forward. I feel like we hear all the time how life will bring us down, and as we keep pushing we’ll be ok. In my opinion life is pushing us up, and it’s not all about stopping at one spot and enjoying the view for eternity. But continuing to let life push us up, using it to our advantage, and going to heights no one has gone before."
Here's a picture of all of us:
Then after that experience, I finally got out of what ever funk I was in and we carried on through the day. That night we had another live TRC. So we went to the person's house that we teach, and had an awesome lesson. We were teaching all about the Holy Ghost, prayer, and how the scriptures can bless and help your life. In the lesson as we were teaching she had asked, "Well, what is the Holy Ghost, and what is it like?" We opened up some scriptures and showed her how it was explained in the scriptures. We told her it was a peaceful and happy feeling. Then I felt very prompted to ask her if she has ever felt it in her life. She paused for a minute, and then she said, "Well, I've been happy, and I have felt peace. But I don't really know what the Holy Ghost is so I'm not sure if I've ever had it, or if I've recognized it." I then felt prompted to shift gears a little bit, and asked her how she felt as we came over. She sat and paused, and then she said, "I feel really happy when you come over." I then proceeded to ask her why she thought that was. She followed up by saying that she wasn't sure but she really liked having us over, and the feeling that she receives as she does. I then helped her recognized that feeling was the Holy Ghost letting her know the things we were saying are true and could help her in her life. The look on her face and the Spirit in the room was absolutely beautiful. It felt so strong. As I type this now, if you feel some kind of joy or peace, recognize it's the Holy Ghost, and as you continue to have that feeling in your life, and follow it's guidance you will be happier that you ever thought.
Then onto Friday, I had an unusual 10 minutes on Friday, but besides that, we just had class, and then our live TRC.
Let me tell you about the weird 10 minutes. So my Dad and I have been emailing back and forth because he has wanted to get some Singapore shirts for the family. He had told me he called the company, got them ordered, and that I didn't need to worry. Well through out the whole week I was kind of expecting some email from my Dad for 2 reasons. One because of all the shirts, and 2 because my Dad had ordered me a specially made Book of Mormon with the characters, pinyin, and English. I was super anxious about getting it, and knowing my Dad is the communicative person he is, I knew he would keep me updated on the process of the order. As I was frantically checking my emails for the day, I got an email with the subject saying "Wave" and then a picture of the MTC:
IT WAS MY DAD. HE WAS LITERALLY OUT SIDE OF THE MTC! I looked out the window and what did I see? My dad and my sister staring at me! My whole class began to bang on the windows trying to get the attention of my Dad. My sister and my dad waved, and then they were on there way. He wasn't sure if I was in the group that was waving to him, but I assured him this morning that it was. Here are the Photos from both of our views, the funny thing is he was taking a picture of my sister modeling the shirt, I was peaking my head the window looking and he didn't even notice:
Also if any of you are offended or sad that I am not sending out personal emails, please don't be. I want to email all of you! It has just been really busy. I often respond to everyone that sends me emails through out the week. So if you want to talk send me an email I will do my best to respond! Seriously I love talking to all of you! Thank you all for your support, your love, and your prayers! They are very much felt. I am thinking about all of you and praying for everyone at home!
我知道这教会是真是的。我非常喜欢坐船教师的工作。我知道我们的天父爱我们。奉耶稣基督的名阿门。
我爱你们。
I love you all!!!
Love Elder Carter
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