Thursday, August 8, 2013

Almost Out

By the end of this week, I WILL HAVE BEEN IN THE MTC FOR 5 WEEKS. SANTA VACA!

We get our travel plans this week, and there are a bunch of Elders in our Zone (which now consisted of 2 districts this week, for a total of 14 Elders, and 2 Sisters. 16 people in our Zone in total. Pretty ridiculous huh? Anyway, almost everyone has their Visas. 3 Elders do not, and guess who has theirs?

NOT THIS GUY. NOPE. NO VISA.

My companion leaves to Las Vegas to get his, along with a few other elders, and the other person going to Tijuana, Elder Kessinger. I am not, so I'm going to be here, enjoying the fun times of having 3 people in class. Oh joy.

Our Zone Leaders left to go to Las Vegas and got their Visas, but their flight was delayed SUPER long, so they were picked up by an Institute teacher, who talked to them for 4 hours about the ENTIRE Old Testament. Really, it was just a way for him to show them that he knew a ton.

He had them answer absolutely stupid questions. He sounded so funny. He literally drew a green arc on the board. Just one green line in a semi circle, and asked what it represented, and then acted completely amazed and baffled that they didn't know what it meant. (It represented the Firtle Crescent apparently). He was a complete jerk too. The absolute first thing that he told them was "Seatbelts are of the Devil." I kidd you not.
Anyway, he had a bunch of funny stuff that I wish I could say, but I've got no time to relate it all.

This week has been mostly for me. The Lord has blessed me with the lessons to be able to use them for my mission. I have had to be EXTREMELY patient this week with my district. Many of them were pretty lazy, and EVERYONE was tearing each other down. I had to really learn how to be more patient and kind with those people who were literally absolutely rude to each other. The Lord knew I needed it, and man, am I a lot more patient now than I was before.

The next thing that was for me was the devotional. It was about scriptures, and I really needed to know exactly what I need to do for "studying" and this devotional taught me exactly what to do. It was as if the Lord was sitting right next to me and saying, "I notice you're struggling with studying. I will help you, if you would like, by sending a General Authority to speak on it. That way, you can use his methods, and he can help you understand what it means to study." I was just in complete awe.

I next found out what it meant to "Hunger and thirst for righteousness" I recently started reading the BoM as much as I could, and I suddenly found myself STRUGGLING, and I mean literally STRUGGLING to put it down. I just couldn't get enough of the words and promises that jumped out of the pages to embed themselves in my mind. It was just incredible. I also listened to a few recorded talks from the General Authorities, and I found myself desperately wishing to listen to them more. I have never felt this way before, but any free chance I get, I read. Any time I can, I watch a GA talk. Any time I have some way to hear the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ, I take it. I am quite literally "hungering and thirsting" for righteousness.

Finally, the lessons during class this week were absolutely perfect for me. They taught me so much about teaching my investigators. Elder Hilton and I have been praying very fervently for help with Ricarda, our difficult investigator, and we are actually being given that help! It's so incredible. Many things were taught to me that just made absolute sense. My mind tried wrapping around the concept, but I felt like I knew exactly how to do it in my heart. It brought a whole new meaning to "understanding through the Spirit." I wasn't able to understand the meaning of the words with my mind, but I just knew how to do it in my heart.

We have a few things that we do that I haven't mentioned, and they're really funny/awesome, so I'll just state them now.

1.) Elder Sawyer, one of the Elders in our Zone, is EXTREMELY wealthy. His dad is a Doctor who OWNS around 10 Medical Clinics in Gilbert, Arizona. Because of this fact, he is SUPER SUPER SUPER rich. So, Elder Hilton, Elder Madsen, and I all started just yelling "RRRRIIIIIIIIIIICH!!!!" Whenever anything that requires a lot of money happens. (Seeing a nice watch, or looking at new shoes, or if you say you have something that someone else doesn't)

2.) We always say stuff like "Esta SUPER bien (soo pehr)" whenever someone asks how we are, or if it's okay.
It's pretty funny.

3.) Apparently, Elder Smith told our investigator that it was a commandment to pray out loud. As it turns out, he was right. D&C 19:28.

There are a couple more inside jokes that I just can't seem to remember right off the top of my head.
Dad, I have sung "Secreta Oracion" many times. It's just not as fun for us, and I think it's because we have so few people in our district. My favorite song to sing in Spanish is "Battle Hymn of the Republic." It's SO fun. I love it. Or "Put Your Shoulder To the Wheel" or even "Joy to the World". Those are all fun.

WE SING CALLED TO SERVE PRETTY MUCH EVERY SINGLE/TUESDAY DURING DEVOTIONALS. IT'S RIDICULOUS. I'M ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT I'M CALLED TO SERVE AT THIS POINT.

We hosted Senior Missionaries, and ONE COUPLE IS GOING TO THE TWIN FALLS MISSION! I asked them exactly where, and they said they were going to be around Arco. I'm not sure you'll see them, but if you see the "Shaffers" or "Chaffers" (don't remember how to spell it) ask them if they remember a boy at the MTC who lived here! They may remember me. I don't know. I don't speak Spanish.

I'm about to leave the MTC. It's nuts. I don't even feel like I've been here for more than 2 weeks. My Spanish is just AWFUL for what I think it needs to be, and I'm just absolutely ecstatic to finally enter the field.

EVERYBODY WHO READS THIS, PAY STRICT ATTENTION TO THE NEXT STATEMENT THAT I MAKE:

REACH OUT AND SHARE THE GOSPEL WHENEVER YOU POSSIBLY CAN

No joke, the more you share the Gospel, the more you know it's true. It's completely and totally insane. I came to the MTC knowing it was true, but I didn't really have a super strong testimony. Just strong enough to share confidently.

I know now that there's no other Gospel on this EARTH as true as this one. It is literally the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. Not even the most intelligent person on this Earth could provide the immense promises that are made in the BoM.

This church is true. It is. That's it. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. It's true.

Do what you should do, say what you should say, and be who you should be.

Love you all more than you will ever know,

Elder Carter