MTC Week 1

About to get on the plane.

Hola amigos! You soy un misionaro de La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Utimos Dias. I am a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am in the missionary training center (MTC) in Provo Utah. I love it here! I have learned harder and felt the Holy Ghost with more power and frequency than ever before in my life.

 Before entering the MTC, I visited my family in Utah. One of my favorite visits was with my great grandma Price. She is very old and speaks a lot, but nothing she says makes any sense. There is a good chance that I will never see her again. I sat with her and held her had as she spoke. The entire time, I felt an intense love for her that I know was from God. I told her I love her and that I was going on a mission. She smiled and said, "I'm proud of you."

Me and Elder Maisey, my companion

 

My first day in the MTC, our teacher spoke only Spanish. I am glad I took 3 years in high school; it's really making a difference. As missionaries, we have companions with us at all times. My companion is Elder Maisey. He is from the opposite side of the US in Alaska - so cool! He is very social and outgoing and he feels like the other half of me. Thursday or Friday, we met our Branch Presidency (the three leaders that take care of our "Branch") and they assigned a district leader for our district (our district has 8 Elders and 3 Hermanas). That night,we shared our testimonies with each other. I was last to share. The spirit told me, "you are very likely to be assigned as the district leader." I told God, "I don't want to be the district leader." I told him though, that I would be myself, and if he wanted me to be a leader, I would. I shared a powerful testimony full of the spirit. Later that evening, I was asked to be the district leader and I accepted.

 

Our classroom

My companion and I have already taught five lessons to two different investigators. Our lessons are only in Spanish (God does so much for us!) It is hard because we can understand for the most part, what the investigator is saying, but not how to reply. We have gotten Lucas and Diana (our investigators) to pray with us and read parts of the Book of Mormon. We can't speak, but the Holy Ghost testifies through us of the truth of our words. We have invited both of them to be baptized. They feel God's love for them, but are not yet ready to make the big step.

 

 

 

Our district. (Elders Cambell, Andrew, Cloward, Wandry,
Maisey, Shaffer, Starr, Inman, and Hermanas Riley, Davis, and Bryce)

Last Tuesday, Neil L. Anderson, a living apostle of Christ's restored Church, visited the MTC. He bore his witness of Christ and our district bore ours through the MTC choir. That was incredible!

 

While at the MTC (five more weeks), I read and respond to emails only on Thursday. If you sign up on DearElder.com, (for a small fee), you can send me letters any day and I will get them. That would be great!

 

 

 

 

God has blessed me with a small but powerful testimony. I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know God wants everyone to come to Him in faith, repent, be baptized by proper authority, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. I know that God loves me and that my entire family is supporting me, not just those who are alive now, but also those who are in Heaven.

Our zone leaders decorated our door!

Elders Inman, Starr, Me, Maisey, Wandry, Shaffer, Cambell, and Andrew at the temple.

Good MTC food. I eat way too much!