This week has been insane. Lets start with that haha
So we get into the MTC and its pretty much a game of figure it out as you go hahaha they give us a schedule but don't explain anything to you so we were very confused for the first couple of days, we have the hang of it now though!!
I got put in my companionship which is a trio so it has been super fun!! My companions are Elder Cooper and Elder Madsen!! They are awesome guys and are both from Utah! Elder Madsen is from Lehi and Elder Cooper is from Farmington!
Elder Madsen loves receiving mail and is probably excited about that more then anything else hahaha Elder Cooper is very forgetful so we like closing our door which is automatically locked from the outside when he leaves the room because he never takes his key with him!! haha
I love my district!! I have been called as District Leader and am learning more about that role and doing everything i can to help the Elders in my District!! We were lucky and didnt get any sisters put in our District so it has been way fun!! If you havent used the website Relative Finder then i recommend using it haha i showed the Elders in my District it and we found a way of making a group for our district and see if anyone is related!! We are almost all related to each other and I found my 3rd cousin in my own district who is also from Lehi!! hahaha its awesome! He is my favourite!! We joke about everything possible and we especially enjoy referring to each other as Cuzzy hahaha He is one of my favourites but he won't be serving in my mission which sucks! I'll send a photo of him soon!! The Smith family reunion we had in 2014, if we had of had a reunion for 1 generation higher this Elder would have been there haha So awesome!! His name is Elder Kimball!!
The classes have been awesome!! We have a teacher named Brother Wright who finished his mission nearly 2 years ago and he has been incredible. He is definitely teaching us by the spirit!! I am so grateful for him!! We had one night where he played the role of an investigator and we had to teach him as a district. It was awesome. We had done a similar role play earlier in the day with another teacher that i felt i was very involved in and a lot of Elders just sat there and didnt talk at all so i felt i should be a little less involved in this second role play to get the other Elders to talk. I regret it so much and Heavenly Father definitely taught me a lesson. Although i am here to help these other Elders, I am more importantly here for my own growth to be able to help investigators and sitting out like that doesnt help me in the slightest. I learnt my lesson and am trying to stay more involved when i can... Anyways, the investigator that the teacher was playing was a young boy who had lost his father and felt like his prayers weren't answered so he left the church and started down a bad road but ended up dating a girl who was a member and wanted him to meet with the missionaries again ( US ), it was amazing as we taught him we could see the change he was having and we were able to get him to pray for us by the end. After the role play the teacher playing this Investigator told us more about the person he was playing... IT WAS HIM!!! MIND BLOWN!! He had gone through all of that and met with the missionaries and because of that ended up serving a mission and now was our teaching!! He is an awesome guy if i havent already mentioned that!! It was a crazy spiritual night for all of us and i am so thankful for it and way it had me look at things and investigators. Like President Monson said.. People CAN change! Look at me for example hahahaha
So in the MTC they give us a couple of investigators to teach and they told us that some are members playing the role to help us train and some are actual investigators but we wont actual know, some we can see garments on and one of them is Bubba from the mormon message so that is cool! So our first investigator appointment was with a Lady named Barbara. We believe the character she is playing is meant to really district us and get us off topic so we can't teach her. Our first lesson was TERRIBLE!! But so funny to look back on and has taught us so much!! So I start the meeting with her but talking about How her Heavenly Father loves her and she is one of his children... Figured it was a good way to start off... Elder Cooper then decides to jump to the atonement... don't know how or why he did it but he did and somewhere he mention Stephen seeing two personages so then Elder Madsen decides thats a great time to talk about Joseph Smith seeing Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.. So within 5 minutes i think we had given her a quick summary of the whole gospel and were reading to take her to a baptismal font hahahaha She was so incredibly confused and after meeting with her I had to ask my companions what the heck they were thinking hahahaha Was such a terrible lesson but a great learning experience for all of us haha We are trying to learn how to teach by the spirit and know the needs of our investigators rather then what the book tells us to say next.. It is hard but we are going there!! And just so you know our last 2 meetings with Barbara have been amazing and we have felt the spirit so strong in those lessons!! Learning so much in such little time but I will get there and am praying that heavenly Father will guide me in what to study and teach in lessons!! Feel free to join me in that prayer!! Haha
Everyone says food is terrible here but our district is loving it!! Breakfast is mediocre but everything else is on point!! I can see where you gain the weight hahaha also i had been told the chocolate milk was amazing here and i can definitely agree to that!! Amen to whoever told me that one!!
I am missing Family, Friends and Rahzy but i am trying to stay focused on the things i have to learn here. I know i need to be strong for the Elders in my District as some are struggling more then others with home sickness. One elder can look out the window and pretty much see his house so he is really struggling!! Pray for those in my district!! Its not easy but we will get through it with the Lords help!!
I have enjoyed many talks given to us but especially one Elder Bednar gave into the MTC years ago called Character of Christ.. He taught us that we need to stop thinking of ourselves as missionaries and worry more about others we come in contact with. We are not here for us! Something i know it will take time to reach but i am working to get to a stage where I can honestly say that I am thinking of others rather then myself!! I love this gospel!! I love the things I am learning in here. I love my Companions and the Elders in my District!! I hope i serve them well!!
A scripture I really enjoyed since coming in here is - Alma 18 verse 32.. I know if someone sent me and email with just the reference then i wouldn't look it up so i will type it out for you all hahah it says - Yea, and he looketh down upon all the children of men; and he knows all the thoughts and intentions of the heart; for by his hand were they all created from the beginning.
I love that scripture! I love how personal it makes the relationship we have with our heavenly Father. I know he knows what we are all going through and sometimes our actions dont always represent who we are or what we are going through but Heavenly Father knows..
And another one that relates very much to me is Doctrine and Covenants 42:6! And ye shall go forth in the power of my spirit, preaching my gospel, two by two, in my name, lifting up your voices as with the sound of a trump, declaring my word like unto angels of god.
Soooo pretty much me... especially the angel part! ;) kiddingggg!! But this scripture is me for the next two years! I love it and i know it to be true!!
Thank you Mindy and Joel and fam for the packages! Loved the chips and salsa!! Please send more chips if possible... might not have lasted very long haha
Thank you Austin for the Ties!! I shared them with my companions and Elder Kimball!! We are struggling to figure out to get cameras uploaded but if we get it then you will see our photo in our ties!!
Oh! We also did a temple session this morning as a district which was nice, Provo temple is Beautiful!!
I know i have missed email address's of people so i apologise but please send this email onto people!! Also, Someone tell Kaitlan that i love her very much but she needs to send me an email or I will go inactive..
I love you all very much!! I hope I can get photos to link up!! Sorry to anyone i dont get back to this week also!! Just know i love you!!
Also need to say a massive thankyou to EVERYBODY that got me here!! Without all of you i know i wouldnt be sitting here right now!! Love you all!!
Write to you all again next week!! Don't miss me too much!!
