February 5, 2010 - Provo MTC

It's been another amazing week! i am always suprised at how hard it can be but i know that god works with us harder! satan can be hard on everyone especially those who are trying to do the most good but i know i have the lord on my side and with him i can not fail!! we had richard g hinckley at our devotional tuesday and it was awesome! he talked a lot about what to expect from missions and i loved it! it's gordon b hinckley's son so he had some pretty intense stories! sometimes when he talked you could just hear the prophets voice ringing out in him but it has been awesome to listen to apostles every week! our other weekly devotional is on sunday and this week was kinda different! we had a straight up musical testimony meeting where people got up and just said what they liked about their favorite song! it was so spiritual!

i did see evan and nicki and it was so great!!! i just loved getting a real hug! you know how much i love hugs and so it was nice to get one from a woman! i love them! they are awesome and a great aunt and uncle!

so this week has been tough! you learn to just hate the food here! it's the same stuff every day and it all just starts to taste the same but i am so grateful for the people from byu who spend their time here serving us! it should be the other way around! this week has also been tough because you learn to rely on your own testimony a ton! satan works so hard on the lord's missionaries but i had a way cool experience wednseday in my personal study! we had about 6 hours of personal study that day because of the schedule and i loved every minute! i started with a prayer which i strongly suggest any scripture study should be preceded by! and i just asked heavenly father to help me with my rough day! to find something in the scriptures that would turn my day around and give me strength! not ten minutes later when i picked up my b.o.m. and picked up where i left off in 2 nephi i had an amazing experience! for lack of time i won't get to into the details but i know for a surety that god answers our prayers and that he loves us! the book of mormon is so real!!! nephi and jacob are my new role models! read the last chapter in 2nd nephi and hear his testimony and you can't help but feel the spirit! i love that book! i started over again last week and i am already into mosiah with some heavy marking and writing in all the columns!!

another way amazing experience was a talk that was sent to me by jeffery r holland about the atonement and missionaries!!! AMAZING!!!! i'm sending you a copy of mine i marked up real soon! mom thanks for the letter folding tips and also the thing from gordon b hinckley!! i drew a lot from that! i also know the blessings missionaries get are real! i see them every day in myself and also in others here and people like you back home! but i would like to say being a missionary isn't the only reason we receive blessings! anyone can receive them but it is all predicated on your faith in christ!! read hymn 136 and make it your testimony! go on you tube and watch a video called i believe in christ (piano) that is about 5 minutes long! amazing!!! christ is everything in this world! without him we would be lost and in darkness!! we would not have hope! we are teaching the lesson of the plan of salvation this week and i would encourage you to pull out dad's plan from his mission and go over it and understand it! and then when you put it all together, put it in one big circle labeled jesus christ! without him there would be no plan! remember that in heaven you heard his testimony of the plan before either you or me were on earth!! i love jesus christ! i believe in him!!

as for t.a.l.l. it is available to us but it's not my favorite...learning the language is coming along awesome! i feel so comfortable with it! hopefully i'll have time today to write you my testimony in portuguese and blake can translate for you! as far as visas...we have gottten 80 or more this week so the chances of me being in brazil in a week are very likely! it all depends on how hard the consulate there parties for carnival which is right now so pray for me! i know you are i feel it! prayer is so powerful! proverbs 3:5 trust in him with everything! excercise faith and he will help you! 2nd nephi talks a lot about that! i love it!

cassi i loved the new picture! mom you did a great job! cassi my room mate wants you to write him a letter! he thinks you are cute! his name is elder hann!...if you get a chance...cassi i miss your hugs! i miss hugs a lot actually! from everyone! but imagine how great a 2 year absence of hugs will be when i get back! that first one will be amazing! imagine the hug when we die and christ sees us! that will be the best! sorry i am kinda rambling! i hope you all know i love you so much! dad hang in there! i know for a fact that god blesses those who trust in him and use the atonement to it's fullest degree! it encompasses everything! even cuts in pay! christ took those emotions as well! i love you all so much! mom try not to jump up and down too much when you read this but hopefully i will get to call you this week!! we'll see....i love you all so much! i miss you all! tell everyone hi for me and i love them!! i love you all soo much! i can't wait to see you all again and share with you these stories and many more! make christ your foundation! make the b.o.m. your offensive stumbling stone and you will win!!! i love you all so so so so so much!!! good luck!!!