Week Three

Hallo!!!! Ich liebe sie alle! Die MTC ist die beste!

I'm having a great time here at the MTC, and I feel like I'm finally starting to Make The Change! Sunday's are the best, especially with the Sunday night devotional. I will never forget how strongly I felt the Spirit the first Sunday night when we sang Master the Tempest is Raging! It was amazing to be singing with such an amazing group of missionaries that was very loud and I thought maybe the roof would blow off it was so amazing! No matter what we are going through, no matter how much the "tempest" is pounding us, we have our Master and Lord Jesus Christ who can command those tempests. We can always get through, we just need to try. We just need to do our best and pray. My testimony has been growing quite a bit. I was struggle the first 2&1/2 weeks because I was letting my tempests overpower me. The best and happiest people in life don't let other things control how they feel, the control their destiny and take the reins and are just happy!

There are two Elders that are an amazing example to me: Elder Guanuna and Elder Garlick. They are always happy and so fun to be around. Elder Guanuna is going Dutch speaking, and I just realized that they get to do all the throaty sounds and I wish that I was learning Dutch. Just kidding, Deutsch is really good too! Anyways, Elder Garlick and Elder Guanuna are alwasy happy and I was wondering why. I asked them and they just smiled and said enthusiastically, "Why not!? We are on our Missions, we have food, we get to study all day, the sun is shining, and that elder just flipped his cup over filled with orange juice without spilling any!" Thinking about their characteristics and everything, there is a simple secret! Losing yourself and focusing on others! Matthew 10:39 is a great scripture about it. As soon as I started focusing on the positive and focus on serving other people by saying hi or whatever I have become much happier. I focus my study on my investigators and how I can better lead and help my district and I receive the Spirit stronger and I just love life more. However people around me act, I control how I feel and what my actions are. I love my companion, and he is the answer to all my Family's prayers! I honestly need to step up as district leader though and help my district focus more on our purpose.

Elder Andrew Terry came into the MTC yesterday and I got to see him, and I'll see him everyday. He is in my Branch and Zone. It was very exciting to see him come in, and I can see the amazing missionary he is already. I love all the missionaries, and we just lost 3 districts in our zone. It made me a little sad because I had some good relationships with many of them. I really miss this funny british Elder named Elder Wilkinson. I love hearing someone speaking Deutsch with a British accent. Its funny, and he was just a funny elder, but at the same time a great leader! He led with love and care, and I think I need to be more like him.

We have this awesome teacher named Bruder Bangeter from American Fork. He served his mission in Hamburg, and then Berlin. He really brings the Spirit in when he teaches and helps each missionary be a better missionary every time he comes in. He acts as one of our investigators and it has been very hard to teach starting out in only Deutsch. We should practice speaking Deutsch more. Nesho Kesso is our investigator and he is committed to baptism, but we still need to teach him what he's getting into. I love how real it is though, it isn't fake, we are really teaching a son of God and helping him come closer to Christ. I love our other teacher as well Sis. Psota. She is from Switzerland and they don't speak deutsch their they speak Switte Ditch. It's like German with some other style. She has a native accent though and so its good for us to hear from her and hear her speak.

This Sunday after our great devotional, and we had a great devotional on Tuesday too when Elder Gavarette came (from the Seventy). We watched the movie, The Testaments. It is funny to watch any movie that has any love story in it with a bunch of missionaries. I can see how it will be weird to transfer back into dating and life. It's hard enough without a two year break. In the movie I was strengthened. My testimony grew and I have a stronger testimony of Christ! Ich liebe Jesus Christus. Er ist mein Erloeser und mein Erreter. Ich weiss dass er fur uns leidet, blutet, und starbet fur uns! Ich weiss dass wir ein leibenden himmlischer Vater haben. Ich bezeuge dass durch Joseph Smith das Evangelium Jesus Christi weiderhergestellt war. Ich weiss dass das Buch Mormon wahr ist! Ich weiss dass Joseph Smith sah gott und sein sohn Jesus Christus. [Editor's Note: This translates roughly to: "I love Jesus Christ. He is my Savior and Redeemer. I know that He suffered, bled, and died for us. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father. I testify that through Joseph Smith the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that Joseph Smith saw God and His Son Jesus Christ."]

I love you all, and I'm sorry I'm running out of time. Thank you for your wonderful letters. I need to improve on sending better responses. I hope everyone gets healthy at home. I enjoyed the cookies and I was able to share them. I love Jesus Christ, and I love serving him. Getting lost in loving others is key. Decisions Determine Destiny. Have a good week and I hope that you are all happy.