Week 1 Complete!
Date
August 13, 2016
Area
Missionary Training Center
Companion
Elder Alvey
Week 1 Complete!
Dear Family,
Thank you for the updates, letters and news from back home! Also I want to thank the Ogletrees for their package they sent me and the Larsens for the pictures they sent me.
I need more exercise clothes including socks because I am having to re-wear all my dirty ones to exercise in. If you will please send me these that would be phenomenal!!
I would like to extend my love and concern for the Simms family. I don't know what to say besides that Wes was a friend of mine. He will be missed by me. I made sure to put the Simms family's names on the prayer roll here in Provo today. My prayers will be with them.
Sunday was a great day! Everyone here says just make it to Sunday because then it will be ok. They were right. Sacrament meeting was a little different because it was in Spanish!! I understood almost everything though which was nice. It was a good service. I then went to a class where we learned about the attributes of Christ. I have never so clearly understood them until now. I can see the natural man in me that must be changed. I am weak by myself but my efforts and the Atonement will make me strong. He told us to keep the flame going. Later we watched a replay of a devotional by Elder Bednar on the attributes of Christ. He told us to only take notes on the things we felt impressed to do or strongly about. He mostly talked on Charity. Charity is forgetting ourselves and our will and aligning with the Father. It is truly the pure love of Christ. I felt I learned so much more than I can express with words.
Monday was a lot more productive. Every minute I felt was filled with activities that were building my testimony or language skills. It was amazing. Later in the day we taught our mock investigator. We had him read in Alma 34:8-10 about the atonement. We asked him how he was feeling. He says he felt happy and hopeful after reading that. I felt I should testify that that was the Spirit that he was feeling. I did exactly that I afterwards the spirit permeated the room completely. It was magnificent.
Tuesday did not have much that happened we had President Anderson speak to us. He gave a powerful testimony on the Second Coming.
Wednesday went very well. My companion was not in the best mood to start the day off and throughout the rest of the day. I didn't know what I should be doing. I knew that I had to do a companionship inventory and he agreed. I prayed before we started for guidance and to have the spirit with us. That definitely helped. I looked down at PMG and it said to share your strengths in companionship inventory. I was then prompted by the spirit to share the good qualities that I have seen in him. Then he started to cry. He was weeping by this time. I stood up and he hugged me and thanked me for what I told him. He said that was exactly what he needed.
Thursday was pretty good as well. My teacher interviewed the Elders in the class to personalize her teaching. I was selected and she asked me about my home, family and why I wanted to serve. Explained all of that. Then she asked me about my situation. I confided in her all that had happened until that point. She seemed to be very understanding. She said she had the same problem with her companions. She complimented me for my attentiveness in class. She also said I have a bright countenance that is noticeable to everyone. She realizes how much I want to help people. She says the spirit is always with me and I have a strong testimony. She told me that she would help me as much as she could. This was one of the highlights of the week.
Friday was the best in my opinion. My companion's state began to worsen. At lunch he asked me to give him a blessing. I was prompted to read D&C 121 and 122. Then I was able to bless him. I told him first off that his Heavenly Father loves him and wants him back desperately. He is a choice spirit. I said it was a blessing of comfort. Then I quoted D&C 121:7-8. I told him he would have trials but Christ knows exactly what he is going through. He knows better than anyone else. Christ didn't just suffer for our sins, but also the physical and emotional pains of man. I exhorted him to come unto him that he may partake of eternal life. Later he told me that he really appreciated the blessing and he felt better already.
Now my companion and I are closer than we ever were before and my love for him has grown a lot. He is going to switch from speaking Spanish to English because of his health issues and the stress his body is not able to handle. He is still serving though! He has a firm testimony that this is exactly what he needs to be doing. Until Next week,
Love,
Elder Smith
Thank you for the updates, letters and news from back home! Also I want to thank the Ogletrees for their package they sent me and the Larsens for the pictures they sent me.
I need more exercise clothes including socks because I am having to re-wear all my dirty ones to exercise in. If you will please send me these that would be phenomenal!!
I would like to extend my love and concern for the Simms family. I don't know what to say besides that Wes was a friend of mine. He will be missed by me. I made sure to put the Simms family's names on the prayer roll here in Provo today. My prayers will be with them.
Sunday was a great day! Everyone here says just make it to Sunday because then it will be ok. They were right. Sacrament meeting was a little different because it was in Spanish!! I understood almost everything though which was nice. It was a good service. I then went to a class where we learned about the attributes of Christ. I have never so clearly understood them until now. I can see the natural man in me that must be changed. I am weak by myself but my efforts and the Atonement will make me strong. He told us to keep the flame going. Later we watched a replay of a devotional by Elder Bednar on the attributes of Christ. He told us to only take notes on the things we felt impressed to do or strongly about. He mostly talked on Charity. Charity is forgetting ourselves and our will and aligning with the Father. It is truly the pure love of Christ. I felt I learned so much more than I can express with words.
Monday was a lot more productive. Every minute I felt was filled with activities that were building my testimony or language skills. It was amazing. Later in the day we taught our mock investigator. We had him read in Alma 34:8-10 about the atonement. We asked him how he was feeling. He says he felt happy and hopeful after reading that. I felt I should testify that that was the Spirit that he was feeling. I did exactly that I afterwards the spirit permeated the room completely. It was magnificent.
Tuesday did not have much that happened we had President Anderson speak to us. He gave a powerful testimony on the Second Coming.
Wednesday went very well. My companion was not in the best mood to start the day off and throughout the rest of the day. I didn't know what I should be doing. I knew that I had to do a companionship inventory and he agreed. I prayed before we started for guidance and to have the spirit with us. That definitely helped. I looked down at PMG and it said to share your strengths in companionship inventory. I was then prompted by the spirit to share the good qualities that I have seen in him. Then he started to cry. He was weeping by this time. I stood up and he hugged me and thanked me for what I told him. He said that was exactly what he needed.
Thursday was pretty good as well. My teacher interviewed the Elders in the class to personalize her teaching. I was selected and she asked me about my home, family and why I wanted to serve. Explained all of that. Then she asked me about my situation. I confided in her all that had happened until that point. She seemed to be very understanding. She said she had the same problem with her companions. She complimented me for my attentiveness in class. She also said I have a bright countenance that is noticeable to everyone. She realizes how much I want to help people. She says the spirit is always with me and I have a strong testimony. She told me that she would help me as much as she could. This was one of the highlights of the week.
Friday was the best in my opinion. My companion's state began to worsen. At lunch he asked me to give him a blessing. I was prompted to read D&C 121 and 122. Then I was able to bless him. I told him first off that his Heavenly Father loves him and wants him back desperately. He is a choice spirit. I said it was a blessing of comfort. Then I quoted D&C 121:7-8. I told him he would have trials but Christ knows exactly what he is going through. He knows better than anyone else. Christ didn't just suffer for our sins, but also the physical and emotional pains of man. I exhorted him to come unto him that he may partake of eternal life. Later he told me that he really appreciated the blessing and he felt better already.
Now my companion and I are closer than we ever were before and my love for him has grown a lot. He is going to switch from speaking Spanish to English because of his health issues and the stress his body is not able to handle. He is still serving though! He has a firm testimony that this is exactly what he needs to be doing. Until Next week,
Love,
Elder Smith
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