January 29, 2010 - Provo MTC

Hey everyone! thanks first off for all of your letters and for all of your support and i can't even begin to tell you how happy they all make me! This week has been crazy crazy crazy! you'll all also notice that for a while you won't be getting hand written letters! we were reminded of a rule here that i wasn't aware of until last sunday but our branch president said that we only can write letters on p day. so this week has been a lesson in obedience! it's so hard for me not to write back to all of you when i get something! i so wish that i could but i know i will be blessed for being obedient! as well as everyone that i love and care about will be blessed for me being obedient! it's hard but worth it! mom thank you for the package and everything in it! it is exactly what i needed and so i am so thankful for that! thank you for your help there and also with taxes! thank you for all the support that you guys have given me! sometimes i need it to make it through these long long days! the missionties.com idea sounds fantastic! i would love hearing from everyone in 2-3 days compared to weeks! just let me know what you need from me to do that!

so a normal day in the mtc....well we wake up at 6:24 to be exact and we pray then we go to gym and pray and we stay there for an hour! we come back and get ready for breakfast at 815 and then we have our first set of classes at 845 until 1... and we pray about 6 times in there...usually depending on what our teachers schedules are like! we have two teachers! i love them both! both recent rm's from brazil! they are so awesome! we have lunch at one where we pray and than back to class or study time from 145 to 6. where we pray about 6 times in there as well! we have dinner at 6 til 645 and then depending on the agenda we either have a devotional or class again until 9. where we pray 3 times! then we have companion planning time and plan our goals for the next day until 930. we pray twice in there! then we do pullups and workout a bit more til ten and then we pray and write in the journal! it adds up to about 24 prayers a day...(not enough to be honest) and about 13-14 hours of class! it's hard work but so rewarding!

ok now for my favorite part of the email...the spiritual thoughts!...the first one is in proverbs 3:5. lately i've had a hard time leaving everything at home and questioning why i am here...which usually means your doing something right if satan is making you question it all...but anyway i said a prayer in the shower the other night and i haven't thought of this scripture since my freshman year probably and it came to me totally memorized and i know it was the spirit reassuring me! i know it! next thought is captain moroni! he was the best!!!! he was so amazing! go back and read the title of liberty chapters and there is a scripture that says even satan feared him! how amazing is that!! next thought is in nephi 1. i just finished the book of first nephi and it is amazing when you really truly intently study something to know if it's true! nephi was so amazing! one of my role models to be honest! then the final thought...alma 26:27-30! it's the sons of mosiah that were so wicked and repented and now they are on a mission! it hits home to me a bit more...because they gave up everything imaginable! it even says that in the scriptires but they did it! with joy in their hearts and ever trusting in the lord! they wouldn't have gone back and done it any other way! i know it's hard here sometimes...never leaving a certain area or leaving the side of someone but i know if i do it with joy and focus on the lord that he will bless me! in the trc (the place where we teach fake investigators) this week we had an amazing time! the spirit was so strong! "in my very hour of need i was directed towards what i should say!" i flipped open to scriptures that answered questions i would have struggled with before! it was so reassuring to know of the sprit and it's help to me! now for your challenge! read preach me gospel! you will never regret it! take it line by line! you could honestly write a whole talk in every line and every quote! especially read chapter 4! AMAZING!

thank you so much for all your support! the computer is blinking at me right now telling me i have 3 minutes so i better wrap up! for all of you stay strong! i know you are strong! i know it!!!! be stronger!! i love you all so much! i miss you like crazy but my obedience is blessing me and you and more importantly the people of brazil! i know it without a doubt! joseph smith was a prophet of god and those keys that were restored are the keys in the church today! i love you all! i love you all so much! have the courage of nephi! the strength of moroni. the persistance and joy of the sons of mosiah! i love you all so much! all my love! proverbs 3:5! trust the lord with all thy heart! love elder excell!!