February 26, 2010 - Provo MTC (still...)

Well, i have no idea if you will even get this, so please, someone dear elder me today and let me know if i need to write you a real letter if you don't get this! they changed the email system here so now i have half of my time because i had to spend half of it figuring stupid stuff out! kind of frustrated to be honest.

anyway, it's been another crazy crazy crazy crazy week! so busy all the time! but it's just the same old kind of week in the 84604! with being zone leader, i have so many responsibilities and it's just crazy all the time! most of my "free time" is either spent doing interviews or helping someone or in meetings so i don't get much time to study for myself anymore! it's kind of sad but the Lord knows what i am doing and he will bless me for trying! =)

so, this week we had a really cool experience right before most of my district left where we got to have an hour "alone" if there is such a thing in missionary work! we got to be ten feet away from everyone and have an hour of quiet time to pray! a whole hour to pray! at the start of it i wondered what i would pray for and i didn't think i had enough to take the time, but as soon as my knees hit the ground, a shock came over me! it was the spirit so strong! i never felt it like that before! as soon as i said "Heavenly Father" i just bawled! i have so so so so much to be thankful for! an hour later, i was still on my knees not wanting to quit. we went into our dinner time and on into the night just praying with our Heavenly Father! i always used to get sick of hymn 142 because it is a regular in most every priesthood meeting, but now, i am so thankful for that sweet hour of prayer! i love prayer! i know god listens! i know he is dying to hear from us very similar to the way that you are dying to hear from me mombo! =)

the language is starting to come! we were challenged yesterday to never speak english again for two years except in letters and on the phone home! how awesome is that! so far i am impressed with what i know! the gift of tongues is so real! it's amazing the kind of miracles God can work through missionaries who totally just put their trust in him and not themselves! ether 12:27. god gives us our weaknesses to humble us and make us strong! on our floor right now there are the first missionaries ever from the marshall islands or so i think that's what they said! it made me think of chet a ton! i am actually sending him my testimony that we translated into marshalleese! i thought that would be nice for him to see his mission language again! speaking of uncles...if you read this, thank you so much for your example! i love you all! and one more quote about the language..."it's kind of fun to do the impossible!" i love that quote! someone special sent that to me from a fortune cookie! and it hit home when i read it! it's so true that it can be fun but only if we do it the right way through the lord!

this week has been really rough to be honest! mombo you wanted to know how i really am well here it is. 8 of the 13 people in my district have now left for brazil with visas. younger missionaries than me (as in weeks in mtc) have received their visas as well. as for me...well no dice! i have felt somewhat alone lately. the mtc used to seem full of close friends...some i would call family and now they are gone! it's very tough! but as soon as i feel alone my best friends come back to me! namely everyone who writes me from home and most importantly the savior! he is always my best friend and right by my side! i love him for it! on wednesday, before they all left, we had a district activity that was really nice! we had "the golden chair" where one person would sit in the chair and everyone else would say what they liked about them and then we went through everyone including our two teachers! it was amazing! not only because of the spirit that was there and the compliments that were given but also because i learned a lesson! (-my time is getting short but i will try to hurry!-) just remember this always..."this is your life, are you who you wanna be?" that's a quote from one of my favorite songs before the mission! cassi will know it for sure! love you sis! but ask yourself this question! close your eyes and picture this...imagine the person you want to be...now open your eyes and go be that person! stick to who you want to be! be the reflection you want to see! i know we all have the power to be that! i want to be someones hero so i will try to reflect that to myself everyday!

i love you all. i'm sorry that i don't have more time! pray for me. i am teaching a real investigator named lorenzo on the phone this week and i am close to my first legit baptism! i can't wait to tell you the story! i love you all so much! never underestimate yourself or God! he can do anything through you and you can do anything through him! thank you for everything! i love you all so so so so so much! anything you do...do it 100 percent!