Life is still great here at the MTC I can't believe I only have a week left!! We got our travel itinerary and we are flying out Tuesday morning. I can call you from the airport. Probably between 8-930 am... let me know if you would like me to call. You might all have to be in one place. I can't talk for more than 30 or 40 minutes.
This morning our Elders left for South Africa. It was really really sad to say goodbye. They have become some of my best friends and it will be hard to not have them around. But we exchanged addresses and plan on writing each other and stalking each other on facebook when we get back :)
Visitors Center training doesn't start until Wednesday so this week me and my companions get our teachers all to ourselves. That will be weird, but good. We feel like orphans a little bit. Oh yeah, when I switch to VC schedule, it will make my Pday on Friday. So this Friday is my next and last P-day here. So feel free to email me by then.
I see Reeve a lot. We have gym together so sometimes we play four square together. I have become quite the force to be reckoned with when it comes to 4 square. The elders were all very proud. One time I saw Reeve in the cafeteria and their district does "part your hair days" and they all had it parted down the middle. It was really ugly hahaha.
Well, we have all been sick this week. It was the WORST. We think it's because our AC unit in our room was leaking water and we're pretty sure there was mold. So that was special. But, we moved rooms and are feeling a little bit better.
I got my first package from Casey!!! It was like Christmas! It was funny though because she sent it in a prepaid cell phone box so I looked like I was trying to sneak in a cellphone haha. Thanks Case!
So, on Friday we had in-field orientation. It was really cool and a total "PUMP YOU UP" for the mission field. Also, they started a new 12 week program for when you get to the field that also helps train you. I am kind of excited about that.
MTC choir is so COOL! We sing every Tuesday for devotionals. Last week we sang "Behold the Wounds in Jesus' Hands." such a good song. Yesterday our district sang "Nearer My God To Thee" for our departure song in Sacrament Meeting. It was gorgeous. We all know how to sing, so it sounds SO GOOOD. Our teachers have told us we are the best singing district they have heard here. So that's way cool.
We are going to be at Temple Square this Saturday. That will really be a lot of fun. I'm excited. It will be weird to drive by Highland though.
OK. So enough about that.
The MTC is the coolest place. The other day, we were at the TRC with our investigator named Hely. She is from Guatemala and she is Catholic. She wanted to know why if we were so young we would come on a mission. I told her about how I knew the church was true and what not, then I talked to her about the BOM and how it had helped my life and how it could also help her life. She started to tear up and said I was speaking to her heart. Which is great, because it means that the Spirit was speaking through me. Very very cool. It is so cool what happens when you bear your testimony. Elder Holland said in a video we watched to never let your faith be too hard to detect. I like that a lot.
Another really really cool thing I realized this week was that without the restoration of the gospel, the Atonement would have been in vain. No one would be able to fully repent because they are not baptized by the proper authority and even the Sacrament where we renew those covenants and partake of the Atonement if not blessed with the proper authority does not count for anything. My mind was blown.It is so cool to be here because I learn more and more of how true this gospel is. I don't even feel like it's an act of faith anymore. It is true, it's logical, it makes sense, and I just KNOW IT! I am so glad that I can be here. A few days ago, we had a Testimony meeting with one of our teachers. It was really cool. He had us sing Nearer my God to thee and then we all realized that it wasn't US becoming nearer, but it's Jesus singing those words. That even though it's a cross that raises Him up, He is Nearer to God. It was really cool and makes the song so much more special! I am so excited for Jared to get here and to be able to feel the Spirit that I feel daily.
So, like I said, the Elders left this morning. This was my first freak out panic attack of the MTC. hahaha. I could not fall asleep last night because I was so worried that we would miss our last breakfast together. I seriously woke up probably every hour and just stressed otu about it. Luckily, we didn't miss the breakfast and we were able to say our goodbyes. They were really really great friends and will make amazing missionaries and even more amazing men. I will send some pictures home today so you can see them and my companions.
My companions and I are still getting along swimmingly so that's great.
I always write a list of things I want to write about, but then I get here and I spout them out and I don't know what else to write. Luckily for you, I do hand write that one that might make my letters a little bit better. So I"m sorry if my emails are super lame. It's just hard to concentrate when you ahve the time ticking down in the corner haha.
The other day we had a workshop where we practiced teaching people about the Atonement and what it could do for their lives and what it has done for your life. Right as I walked in I felt the Spirit so strong I just knew that I was going to end up bawling by the end of the night. And, obviously I did. It was so cool. It amazes me that God has this perfect plan. And the central focus of that plan was the Savior and His Atonement. So we could overcome both Spiritual Death and Physical Death. He loves God so much that He would do this. He knows how amazing God is and so He would do this for us, to help us get back to Him. But most importantly, he loved all of US individually, to not only receive the punishment for our sins, but experience everything that we experience so He could be the perfect comforter. It's amazing. it's really cool to read John 3:16-17 and replace the word "world" with your name. That is really special. That is what I focus on mostly with our "investigators." People's minds are blown when they find out how much someone loves them and did EVERYTHING for them. It's really cool. Like I said, I love this gospel and I know it is true.
It's really cool to teach things to other missionaries just role playing, but to feel the Spirit so strong when you are doing it. Even if we aren't saying the things that they need to hear, the Spirit speaks to them and helps them individually. really cool.
I am already amazed by the person I have become through this short time. I feel so much more confident and happy. I love who I have become because I was willing to follow my Savior.
I love all of you very much and I can't wait to hear more from you!
Write back lots!!!
Love,
Marf
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