Week 4

After three weeks in the MTC all the days and times are blending together. The days feel like weeks, but the weeks feel like days. It feels like I have been gone for a week and also six months. I am enjoying the people in the MTC so much. We definitely have the best zone. We have a new zone leader who is very strict and self righteous, so he can be hard to get along with and he is also in my district. He is really bossy and tries to tell us how and when to do every little thing. I also have been playing frisbee in front of the temple everyday for gym time with my friends, Elder Buhler and Elder Young. The language is good, very different from anything else in the world. When speaking it you need to pronounce every letter in the word. Also it can be very confusing because in the Marshall Islands spelling does not matter so I have seen the same word spelled a lot of different ways. It is coming though, it is a weird thought to thing I only even heard this language three weeks to how well I know it now. We have one kid in my district who believes thats we will be speaking English in the Marshall Islands so he has not put a lot of effort into the language. We played scripture jeopardy in class and I swear the rest of my class knows all these weird details about the Scriptures, like the names of the sons of Isaiah and Noah. While my companion and I have no idea what is going on. My district is very interesting and a lot of times hard to deal with but I love them and they are great kids. The food has not gotten better, but my tolerance has I kind of enjoy eating rice everyday and it is preparing me for the Marshall Islands where I will probably eat it out there everyday too. Love and miss you.

Week 3

The MTC can we really hard at times we are sitting most of the day and we have to food that isn't very good. It is frustrating being told what to do and follow a strict schedule. I was talking to my teacher Brother McOmie and he said that he hated the MTC when he was here and explained it was so hard because you are changing every aspect of your life. You are being told when to eat, you don't have much choice when you do eat and you are required to wear certain clothes and sit most of the day. A lot of devotionals are really good, but they start off with one of the speaker's wifes who usually have that Utah county really soft condescending accent and it can be hard to stay awake. This Tuesday though there were rumors that Holland or Uchtdorf were coming so people started lining up an hour and a half before it started. It wasn't Holland or Uchtdorf, but Sitati, I think the only black man in the church presidency. It was really good Sitati and his wife talked about their lives growing up in Kenya. But the thing I like most instead of talking about themselves our sharing stories they talked about the things as missionaries to be grateful for and to remember. We must remember what a blessing and opportunity it is to be here. The MTC should be taken advantage of because time is limited. He also told us that  "the greatest gift we will ever receive is that of the gospel, and it is by far the greatest gift we can give away." On our Sunday night devotional the speaker asked for everyone with family members less or inactive in the church to stand up, around 95% of the audience stood up. It made me realize how truly blessed I am to have not only my immediate family but all my extended family to be church members who support the church and fully support the fact that I am voluntarily serving a two year mission. I believe we have all stayed such strong church members is because how close we are and we are able to support one another. I want you to know that I am not only serving a mission for myself but for all of my family, the blessings it will give you and the example it is to my younger cousins. I know the MTC is hard for me and it can be hard to get through the day, but I need to be taking full advantage of every second here. I have already learned so much about Marshallese and the Gospel here and I will be able to learn and grow so much more. Love, Elder Sweenig

I really wonder if they would let me get a name tag with "Elder Sweenig" instead of "Elder Weenig" I will keep you updated

First Week in the MTC

Lakwe! The MTC is great, besides the food. I eat rice and cereal for basically every meal. The language is coming a long great and we have already started mock investigations. I know several things already, and it is hard to believe I only started the language a week and a half ago. My companion is still so great and am so blessed we are companions. Although I have a few interesting kids in my zone, one who is saving his first kiss for his wife, it is really great and we joke around a lot and just have a lot of fun. I have started reading the Book of Mormon and am on a schedule to finish it in a month. The spirit is really fun and it is great to be around all these other kids my age working hard and preparing to serve a mission. Although I do miss home, and being with family and friends I love it here and cannot wait to be out in the actual mission field.

First Missionary Pictures!

And Off He Goes

We dropped Spencer off at the MTC on Wednesday, 8/27.  It was gut-wrenching to see him go but we know he is where he is supposed to be and we are beyond proud of our Elder Weenig. I was really excited to get his first email!

Hey mom and dad. Love you guys the MTC is fine. I need you to send my pants and also my garments in the mail. Also please send photos.  How is the house coming along, is it all furnished? How is everyone?

Hello Everyone 

   The Missionary Training Center is hard and difficult but is a lot of fun because of all the friends I know and that I have already made. My companion is this really cool and funny guy Chaz Salanoa, this Samoan guy from Brisbane, Australia. Elder Salanoa and I get along really well and he is one of my favorite people here. He is trying to get me to say a lot of Australian phrases. The best is when he uses his American accent and talks like a New Jersian he always says "to be honest, I am from Orange County, California." There are 9 of us going to serve in the Marshall Islands Majuro, Marshallese speaking mission. My whole district is really cool with a lot of great guys. Although I have only been in here two days I feel like I have already been here weeks. Wednesday when I dropped off everything just happened really fast. I got my name tag and my books and then I was dropped off straight in my classroom. Right when I sat down my teacher started talking to me in Marshallese and did not speak in English the whole entire class time, he still has yet to speak in English. I have seen a few friends: Tyler Hansen, Josh Miller, and Courtney Stotts and many others. Davis Johnson, my friend from HEFY Fiji, is my zone leader here. My companion thinks it's funny that I know so many people here. The weirdest thing is seeing sister missionaries I know and not being able to go up and hug them. My district is made up of the Tongan and Kiribati missions. There are two sisters from Micronesia that will be serving in Kiribati they are similar to the Marshallese, they are tiny people, shorter then five feet and really humble, funny people. The floor that I am on is very loud because of all the islanders. At night there are a lot of rap battles and riff offs. This morning I had the opportunity to go to the Provo temple I miss everyone and am so excited to be here. Love you guys. Please send me photographs to have.