August 15, 2012

If I could explain the MTC in one word it would be Spirit. I constantly feel it every day here it’s such a privilege. Thanks so Much for the package!!!! I LOVED it!!! I loved all the sticky notes it made it that much more special. My favorite was the laminated patriarchal blessing and the pictures. Ha I loved the ones of you shopping for it and especially of carter. My nephew is such a stud! It was such a great day to get that and I felt so loved. So Thank you again! It’s crazy how fast it goes when I go to recall what happened the last couple days it’s just a blur. It seems like just one huge day. Where one day ends the other follows. My old comp was going to Chile Osorno. BTW. My new comps are going to Rancagua Chile. We get along so GREAT! It’s so great. This week we had our first TRC where someone volunteers to come and have us teach them. The lady that came was a member. We were way nervous. We began with a prayer to have the spirit. We were just going to go with the spirit the first time and I quickly picked up with a prompting to share Enos 1: 3-5 talking about the importance of sincere prayer. We then got to know that she has sons on missions currently. Then something amazing happened. I began to testify to her how my families and loved ones prayers have already helped me so much and have blessed my time here already. I then told her that her sons can feel the prayers of her family. What was crazy is I said this all in Spanish. It probably wasn't perfect but the spirit allowed me to say what I wanted to say. What was even better was my companions caught on to this spiritual prompting and we taught an amazing lesson on prayer. Our Spanish wasn't perfect but because the spirit ignited in our hearts and hers it was such a great lesson. Our district has become obsessed with sand volleyball during gym time. It is so much fun and it really brings us all together. The sand gets hot sometimes though but on those days we play bball or four square haha. We have this little game we created that spread to our whole zone where we get plastic spoons and you try to put it in each other’s pockets throughout the day without them noticing its sooo great haha. Oh the things that bring you simple joy. The language is coming along slowly but surely. During our service time as me and my comps were mopping the stairs we began to sing the Baptismal invitation in Spanish to "Another Bites the Dust" by Queen. It helped us memorize it soooo well. I was able to invite our practive investigator (our teacher) to come unto Christ and be baptized in Spanish; it was so cool and uplifting. Hahaha oh goodness I’m glad my bowel problems are public, glad I’m going to be gone for 2 years to overcome that embarrassment;) haha if you don’t remember during my farewell talk I used Alma 32:28 where Alma compares the word unto a seed. Sister Seamon the first counselors of the MTCs wife spoke on replacing seed with mission it was crazy how what we are able to do on our mission completely relies on what we put out regarding effort and obedience. Oh man I love you all so much though. Your letters remind me how much I appreciate our family. Continue to share things; those pictures of Carter are so precious haha. The gospel is true! Sometimes in our lives we just need to rekindle the fire and remember how blessed we are for a loving heavenly father and a selfless savior Jesus Christ. Take the time this week to ponder on times in your life where God has blessed you, recollecting past experiences are great to be reminded of God’s love, we can’t know the happiness without times of trial and sadness (2 Nephi 2:11)

My companions and I had to go to the BYU medical center to pick up a prescription so we got to walk a good ways. It was nice to see new scenery but the coolest part was as we were walking people said hello elders to us. It was soooo COOL!!! It sometimes hasn’t hit me that we are missionaries, and to have someone out of the MTC say that felt so good. It will be cool to go to Chile and be known as the missionaries. I love representing Jesus Christ and our church. It is the only thing I want to do right now. Thanks for the prayers, the letters, the emails, the packages, the thoughts. I love you so much! I am doing good here and growing everyday!