I was asked to provide a schedule so you can see what we do at the MTC (Missionary Training Centre). Here you go:
6:30 jump out of bed, run to bath hoping (in vain) that a shower will be free.
7:15 Breakfast (15 minutes late, since no shower was free and I had to wait an eternity). Gulp down breakfast as fast as possible, in order to be ready for
7:30 pS (personal Study). Reading the scriptures on my own.
8:30 csS (Companionship Study with Elder Bore) starting with reciting Doctrine and Covenants 4. I really like CsS (it's easier to stay awake together this early in the morning). We prepare the lesson plans for the next milestones.
9:30 one day we have classes, the other day we have Mormon Chat.
11:00 Sports. Let's stay healthy and slim.
12:30 Lunch (not enough salt for my taste)
13:00 Choir. The only way currently to make some music. Oh, how I miss my guitar.
13:30 classes
17:00 dinner
17:30 cleaning toilets. Well, in reality we should do different chores every day to keep the MTC clean and nice, but for whatever reasons, I always end up cleaning toilets. So, you know, when I come home, I will be the world expert on toilet cleaning ;-).
18:00 classes
21:00 preparing the schedule for the next day
21:30 Good night snack. Initially I always ate something, but I felt overfed and, you know, my suit started to become uncomfortable, so I stopped it.
22.15 quiet time.
22.30 sack time
Well, today was my last day in the Preston MTC! Tomorrow "real life" starts. The first 2 weeks seemed to be 2 years, but from then on, time seemed to run backwards in high speed. I cannot remember having been here for 18 nights! ;-)
It was a really spiritual time so far, I've found friends and I even managed to accept the mission rules ;-). Today was our second time in the temple in MTC. The temple is a marvellous place. Nowhere else do I feel so close to the LORD as in the Celestial Room. Just sitting there and praying is marvellous. Praying outside the temple is a bit like writing letters to God for me (well, sometimes it's rather a postcard than a letter, but I'm working on it). I tell him what I want him to hear, and then I send the letter. If everything works out with the heavenly post office, I get an answer within the next few days.
Praying in the Celestial Room is like talking on the phone. I do not see him, but it's far easier to tell him what bothers me and with what I'm concerned. I can even sit there for 15 minutes and pray, and it feels as if he was right there hearing my words and I can feel and see his reaction immidiately, stronger and more directly. I don't know if I can really express this well, and if you can understand me (especially those of you who have not been to the temple so far), but that's my impression, these are my feelings, and I wanted to share this with you.
I know the church is true, and I know that I can be closer to God in the temple than in any other location on this planet. I'm soo greatful for temples.
For all of you who have not been to the temple or who do not have a temple recommend, get one and visit the temple.
I know the gospel is true. Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet, and the Book of Mormon is the most true book on earth.
Greetings from the High North where there is no snow
Elder Krywult
PS: If you have questions concerning the temple, just post a comment or send me an eMail to: david@elderkrywult.info.
Jan 29, 2010
Jan 22, 2010
2nd week on the mission (2010/01/20)
Today is the second P-Day in the MTC.
There are so many missionaries here, I think they grow them on the trees :-)
As we are not allowed to surf the internet (which is a clever thing, since we really do not have much time; surfing would further reduce our time, so thank you, no internet), my Dad's posting this for me.
The last days were not too easy for me (I finally realized that 2 years are a bit longer than I imagined:-), and I really miss my friends, my family, and my Debby).
Today we were in the temple for half the day. Finally! The last time I was there was in September. Next week we will also have half a day in the temple. I'm really looking forward to it.
And now the future seems brighter again a little bit (to be honest: very much brighter). I have prayed a lot, and I felt that the LORD Jesus Christ really wants me to be on this mission. He wants to save people and to bring them to His Church through me. 2 years is a long time, but with the LORD's help I know I can make it. As the LORD promised in 1Nephi 3:7 in the Book of Mormon (If you don't have one, send me an eMail to david@elderkrywult.info, and I will see to it that you get one), he will prepare a way, so that I can make it, and the LORD will bless me and my family (both my current and my future family) because I was on a mission.
I really know that I'm doing the right thing by being on this mission, even if (and when) I have to face difficulties now and then. Yet I still know that my decision to go was correct.
I know the Church is true.
Next week I will use my P-4-hours to go to the mission field in Birminham by train.
Greetings from the High North
There are so many missionaries here, I think they grow them on the trees :-)
As we are not allowed to surf the internet (which is a clever thing, since we really do not have much time; surfing would further reduce our time, so thank you, no internet), my Dad's posting this for me.
The last days were not too easy for me (I finally realized that 2 years are a bit longer than I imagined:-), and I really miss my friends, my family, and my Debby).
Today we were in the temple for half the day. Finally! The last time I was there was in September. Next week we will also have half a day in the temple. I'm really looking forward to it.
And now the future seems brighter again a little bit (to be honest: very much brighter). I have prayed a lot, and I felt that the LORD Jesus Christ really wants me to be on this mission. He wants to save people and to bring them to His Church through me. 2 years is a long time, but with the LORD's help I know I can make it. As the LORD promised in 1Nephi 3:7 in the Book of Mormon (If you don't have one, send me an eMail to david@elderkrywult.info, and I will see to it that you get one), he will prepare a way, so that I can make it, and the LORD will bless me and my family (both my current and my future family) because I was on a mission.
I really know that I'm doing the right thing by being on this mission, even if (and when) I have to face difficulties now and then. Yet I still know that my decision to go was correct.
I know the Church is true.
Next week I will use my P-4-hours to go to the mission field in Birminham by train.
Greetings from the High North
First P-Day at the MTC (2010/01/13)
Hi all!
I'm here at the MTC (=Missionary Training Centre) where I am to learn all that I need as a missionary.
In general, it's ok here (a bit strange, though, because, really, this is not Austria, it's England. Surprise, surprise! Strange power plugs, strange currency, strange language, strange food, and people drive on the wrong side of the street).
There are many rules here, and we have to learn a lot, but aside from that, it's really good. I don't have much time for writing (90 minutes per week), so please don't be mad at me for not writing a lot or even late.
P-Day is Preparation Day. Our one day off in the week. Time to wash our clothes, clean our room and write eMails. In the MTC, our P-Days are short: We call it "P-4-hours".
On the mission, we are always in pairs, two and two. My companion for the time in the MTC is Elder Bore. No, that's his name, not how he is. He really is a nice guy. That's him:
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A grrrreeeat time for you all!
I'm here at the MTC (=Missionary Training Centre) where I am to learn all that I need as a missionary.
In general, it's ok here (a bit strange, though, because, really, this is not Austria, it's England. Surprise, surprise! Strange power plugs, strange currency, strange language, strange food, and people drive on the wrong side of the street).
There are many rules here, and we have to learn a lot, but aside from that, it's really good. I don't have much time for writing (90 minutes per week), so please don't be mad at me for not writing a lot or even late.
P-Day is Preparation Day. Our one day off in the week. Time to wash our clothes, clean our room and write eMails. In the MTC, our P-Days are short: We call it "P-4-hours".
On the mission, we are always in pairs, two and two. My companion for the time in the MTC is Elder Bore. No, that's his name, not how he is. He really is a nice guy. That's him:
.JPG)
A grrrreeeat time for you all!
I'm leaving on a Jet plane (2010/01/08)
Time to say good-bye!
Today at 10:00 a.m., the whole family, including Tim and Debby, went to Vienna International Airport (VIE). I was to fly to London Heathrow airport, and from there to Manchester, where I would meet some elders who would bring me to the MTC in Preston.
When we reached the airport, Dad got a call from Frankfurt. He was told that British Airways had cancelled all flights from Heathrow to locations in the UK for that day due to heavy snowfall.
So it was not clear how I should go on, and it was even considered that I would not fly today.
So we went to the BA counter, and they told us that I would have to go Gatwick by transfer bus and then fly to Manchester, or, if that was not possible, I would have to take a train.
All is well. ;-)
So I stood there at the check-in, with tons of people in front of me.
Here you can see the queue, and my family is standing at its rear end. You can see Sophie reading a book on the left, for instance.
We stood there and waited, and then a friendly BA employee came directly to us and had us check-in at the self-check-in counter. We were ready to go.
We talked and cried, and laughed and talked and cried some more. For two years I would not see them again, I would not chat with them, and I would only have two phone calls a year: For Christmas and for Mother's Day. I will not hear their voices, not be able to talk with them, no chance to pick a nice fight with my sisters, no contact with my fiancee. It is a sacrifice.
A last foto that Dad took of our family:
Kisses from my sisters:
Two people, four red eyes (Debby and me):
And a last good-bye:
And off I went.
I arrived in Preston at 11:30 p.m.
Today at 10:00 a.m., the whole family, including Tim and Debby, went to Vienna International Airport (VIE). I was to fly to London Heathrow airport, and from there to Manchester, where I would meet some elders who would bring me to the MTC in Preston.
When we reached the airport, Dad got a call from Frankfurt. He was told that British Airways had cancelled all flights from Heathrow to locations in the UK for that day due to heavy snowfall.
So it was not clear how I should go on, and it was even considered that I would not fly today.
So we went to the BA counter, and they told us that I would have to go Gatwick by transfer bus and then fly to Manchester, or, if that was not possible, I would have to take a train.
All is well. ;-)
So I stood there at the check-in, with tons of people in front of me.
Here you can see the queue, and my family is standing at its rear end. You can see Sophie reading a book on the left, for instance.
We stood there and waited, and then a friendly BA employee came directly to us and had us check-in at the self-check-in counter. We were ready to go.
We talked and cried, and laughed and talked and cried some more. For two years I would not see them again, I would not chat with them, and I would only have two phone calls a year: For Christmas and for Mother's Day. I will not hear their voices, not be able to talk with them, no chance to pick a nice fight with my sisters, no contact with my fiancee. It is a sacrifice.
A last foto that Dad took of our family:
Kisses from my sisters:
Two people, four red eyes (Debby and me):
And a last good-bye:
And off I went.
I arrived in Preston at 11:30 p.m.
Setting apart as a fulltime missionary (2010/01/07)
Today we went to Culinarium as a family (that is: Mom, Dad, Laura, Sophie, Lorenz, Tim = Laura's sweetheart, and Debby = my love). This asian restaurant is special in that you go to the buffet, take all the ingredients you want and give it to the cook, who cooks it before your eyes. It's also all-you-can-eat.
Afterwards we went to the stake house, and before you start wondering, why we went to a steak house after having been to an all-you-can-eat asian restaurant, please click that link so that you know what I'm talking about, we dressed up in our good suits, and then the stake president, Viktor Wadosch, started the meeting. We had an invocation, though I don't remember who prayed, then my dear Debby spoke, and then my Dad.
Afterwards, President Wadosch, Bishop Wondra and my Dad lay their hands upon my head and set me apart as a fulltime missionary of the Church. From now on, mission rules apply.
On the picture below you can see Debby and me before I was set apart.
Afterwards we went to the stake house, and before you start wondering, why we went to a steak house after having been to an all-you-can-eat asian restaurant, please click that link so that you know what I'm talking about, we dressed up in our good suits, and then the stake president, Viktor Wadosch, started the meeting. We had an invocation, though I don't remember who prayed, then my dear Debby spoke, and then my Dad.
Afterwards, President Wadosch, Bishop Wondra and my Dad lay their hands upon my head and set me apart as a fulltime missionary of the Church. From now on, mission rules apply.
On the picture below you can see Debby and me before I was set apart.
A Dance and A Farewell (2010/01/05)
Years ago, we used to have farewell parties for missionaries days before they left home. This practice was discontinued long ago.
Nevertheless, as I am the first missionary from our ward (i.e. parish for non-Mormons) since Robert Degasperi went on his mission (which was at least 5 years ago), we thought of a way to commemorate the occasion.
As a Young Single Adults (that's how we call the group of 18 to 30 singles) representative of our ward and an enthusiastic dancer, I organized a dance. We started with a short show program. The bishopric had a short sketch about mission, then the bishop added a few words.
The Young Women and Young Men (age group 12 to 18) also had a longer sketch about mission in the distant future, when cloning and remote controlling a clone on a mission would wreak havoc, and then my Dad talked about mission preparations, and he even sang a Cymraeg lullaby that he learnt when he was in the Vienna Boys Choir.
After the buffet, the dancing began in earnest. At 11 p.m. we started taking down the decoration and cleaning up.
Thank you all for that great evening. Not only young members from the whole Vienna area came, but also members from Graz (about 140 miles distance)! I guess we had about 70 attendants. Great dance, great fun.
Nevertheless, as I am the first missionary from our ward (i.e. parish for non-Mormons) since Robert Degasperi went on his mission (which was at least 5 years ago), we thought of a way to commemorate the occasion.
As a Young Single Adults (that's how we call the group of 18 to 30 singles) representative of our ward and an enthusiastic dancer, I organized a dance. We started with a short show program. The bishopric had a short sketch about mission, then the bishop added a few words.
The Young Women and Young Men (age group 12 to 18) also had a longer sketch about mission in the distant future, when cloning and remote controlling a clone on a mission would wreak havoc, and then my Dad talked about mission preparations, and he even sang a Cymraeg lullaby that he learnt when he was in the Vienna Boys Choir.
After the buffet, the dancing began in earnest. At 11 p.m. we started taking down the decoration and cleaning up.
Thank you all for that great evening. Not only young members from the whole Vienna area came, but also members from Graz (about 140 miles distance)! I guess we had about 70 attendants. Great dance, great fun.
Jan 21, 2010
Elder Krywult - The Beginning
United Kingdom, the final frontier.
These are the voyages of Elder David A. Krywult.
His continuing mission is to explore a strange country, to seek out and teach people who want to know more about Jesus Christ and His Gospel, to boldly go where no one has gone before.
I‘m Elder David Aaron Krywult, and I was called on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to the England Birmingham Mission to teach those who are willing to hear about our LORD Jesus Christ fulltime.
My journey started on January 8th 2010 and will last 24 months.
On this blog, I will tell you about me, my Savior Jesus Christ and whatever happens on my mission.
Enjoy the ride, and write me an eMail, if you want.
Elder Krywult
These are the voyages of Elder David A. Krywult.
His continuing mission is to explore a strange country, to seek out and teach people who want to know more about Jesus Christ and His Gospel, to boldly go where no one has gone before.
I‘m Elder David Aaron Krywult, and I was called on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to the England Birmingham Mission to teach those who are willing to hear about our LORD Jesus Christ fulltime.
My journey started on January 8th 2010 and will last 24 months.
On this blog, I will tell you about me, my Savior Jesus Christ and whatever happens on my mission.
Enjoy the ride, and write me an eMail, if you want.
Elder Krywult
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