September 23, 2011 MTC

I have several silver linings! First, for our Tuesday devotional, Elder Nelson came and talked to us! His message was all about ang aklat ni Mormon. He gave all the missionaries at the MTC a copy of the special edition ensign a week in advance so we could study it before the devotional. It was so cool. He had us searching through the scriptures and studying them with him in devotional. At the beginning he asked 4 missionaries, 2 elders, 2 sisters, to come sit on the stand with him. (They didn't know that they were going to be called) he asked them to tell him something they knew about the book of Mormon. He asked them all several times. He had a special purpose for asking one of the sisters to come up though. It turns out that she was his granddaughter (or great grand daughter, I’m not sure which) and he just wanted to give her a hug. :) It made me smile. That night, Pres. Stott (my Branch Pres. at the MTC) asked us all during devotional review how our testimony of the book of Mormon was strengthened from the devotional. Mine was strengthened many ways, but here is what I shared. My faith was strengthened in the book of Mormon by Elder Nelson. We all look up to and revere the apostles and prophet. Normally during devotionals, to save time and noise, the speaker usually just displays the scripture on the screen like in General Conference or reads it to us. Elder Nelson did neither. He had us get out our scripture markers and scriptures and we read from, discussed, and studied the book of Mormon using our own books. The fact that he wouldn't settle for anything less than us actively participating, using our scriptures, strengthened my testimony. He knows how important it is for us to learn from the scriptures and he did all he could to help us realize that. That’s a very poor recitation of what I said at devotional, but I hope you guys are able to feel some of what I felt. In person, I got to study the scriptures with one of the 12 apostles. That was a remarkable feeling.

Another exciting thing this week is that I have 2/3 of the first vision, in tagolog, committed to memory! It’s intense. Much harder than our purpose.

Next week, I’ll be part of the oldest Tagalog speaking group here at the MTC. We get newby's on Wednesday. I should get to host missionaries (pick them up at the curb when they arrive) after that. So like my last 2 weeks or so. Everybody, I want you to know that I love you. I appreciate all the letters and packages that you send me. They help so much just to strengthen and reassure me in what I am doing.

I love you guys! I hope you have a good week! ingat!

Love,

Elder Lundy (the Filipinos pronounce it Loondy, :) hehe)

September 16, 2011 Half done at the MTC

It’s crazy to think my time here is half done tomorrow. Only one month left till I go to the Philippines! The oldest Tagalog district here just got their flight plans yesterday and are all super excited. They leave a week from Tuesday, then I’ll be the oldest group here.

I’ve made some breakthroughs in the language yesterday. I’m able to simplify and say most anything now as long as I know the vocab to say it. There’s lots of weird things in the language though. Like the word "better" is actually "more good". (mabuti = good, better = mas mabuti) using taglish is very common in a lot of the Philippines as I am learning. Well, I’m off to go get stuff done. mahal kita! (I Love You)

September 9, 20011 at the MTC

Hi Everyone,

Thought for the day, (Koponan - Sama-sama bawat tao'y Achieves Karagdagang./
                                       TEAM - Together Everyone Achieves More.)

I agree completely. Especially when that team is accompanied by prayer. alam ko po na makapagyarihan po ang panalangin. (I know that prayer is powerful.) So is fasting. We held a zone fast this week for one of our sisters who got very sick and ended up in the hospital. By the end of our fast that day, she was back at the MTC and feeling great. 

                                                                    Something I have been forgetting to tell you about for 
                                                                    the past couple weeks is that

Elder Holland

Elder Holland came and talked at our devotional 2? weeks ago! It was so cool! It just so happened that that Sunday I was singing in the MTC Choir! We sung "faith of our fathers, living still" and he complimented us saying it was the best rendition of the song he had ever heard! :) You feel the spirit of the music so much more when you sing in the choir. The best way I can describe him is as a spiritual giant that is severely pointed and direct in his messages to missionaries, as well as very blunt. You could feel the spirit the moment he walked into the room. I’m going to keep singing in the choir in hopes that I get to sing in general conference since I’ll still be here then. :)

I love you all and thank you so much for your packages, letters, prayers, thoughts and love. I have a couple minutes left, so I’m going to go and take a look at all the letters and try to reply to them a little later today. I love you all!

                                                                                                              -Elder Lundy

Pictures from the MTC

Elder Jason Harless and Me

Elder Machen (my first Companion) and Me

Elder Machen and Me!

Left to right Elders Dalton, Tapusoa, and Me (My 2 other roommates)

From left to right Elders Cloward, Calinog, and Powell

Left to right Elders Machen, Me, Cloward, and Moore

This is My District: left to right

Dalton, Staples, Moore, Tapusoa, Machen, Me, Day, Taulelei, Calinog, Cloward, and Powell

August 29, 2011

The food at the MTC tastes good, but is absolutely terrible. They feed you 3 large meals a day, and you are never given enough time to work it off. Before I figured out how to eat here, I gained 5-6 pounds. Yesterday I lost 2 pounds during my time playing b-ball and weightlifting and jogging on the track. The food varies a lot in ethnicity, but it’s a set variety. It all tastes the same after a while.

I got sick early this week and was put on bed rest…I was lucky, 3 of my district got strep throat, I didn’t.

My Companion is Elder Machen, he is from Idaho Falls, Idaho, he should be my comp. until I go to the Philippines. He seems rather young (just turned 19 only weeks ago). I’ll send a picture when I can. The picture ordering machine broke down today right before it was my turn to use them. I’ve seen a few friends here. I saw Jason Harless and Spencer Thompson from the Waukesha ward on my first day here. Since then, I have also seen Aaron Ping from the Monroe ward. He’s going to Taiwan. We have had only one Devotional speaker so far, It was Elder Claudio D. Zivic of the 70’s. Devotionals happen on Tuesday nights. Love to everyone. Elder Christopher Lundy

August 26, 2011

My district is pretty tight. Our branch president said we're one of the closest knit groups he's ever led. The language is increasingly difficult as time goes by, but we are learning head and shoulders faster then our teachers did while they were here. They didn't start teaching till their fourth week. We started on our second full day, and it turns out that the practice investigator we were teaching is now one of our 2 permanent teachers. Her name is Sister Dayley and she is really awesome. Hearing her speak in English in the classroom for the first time was a huge shock. I wasn't sure she could! ;) Our other teacher is now Bro. Cook, he is really nice and genuinely cares about helping us and he is really super awesome cool. :) Bro Day, my last teacher got switched to a different class to meet his college schedule. better

August 18, 2011

The MTC is great! The rate of learning is absolutely unbelievable. My teacher only speaks to us in Tagalog. The only English words he uses are words that are the same in Tagalog, or when there are no Tagalog words to express them. It is really hard at times, but Brother Day (my teacher) has all the patience in the world and my district is really good about helping each other understand. I got my first companion yesterday his name is Elder Machen. He is a great guy! My room mates are Elder Machen, Dalton and Tapusoa. Tapusoa is from New Zealand and is a really special guy. As of earlier tonight, he was also made my district leader. Oh and now I am now a senior companion. After 4 weeks Elder Machen will be made the senior companion.

The spirit you can feel here is absolutely amazing. The brother ship here is just as awesome. My zone leaders, and a host of other senior elders, walk around our floor at random every night to give everyone hugs and say “gabi” “night” Here is my most used phrase

Ano po ang__________sa tagalong? How do I say__________in tagalong?