9-13-2019

Kamusta Ka Mga Higala! 5th week was a normal week at Provo MTC for me. Full of all sorts of excitement and shenanigans.

My favorite thing that happened this week in the MTC was a story that our Zone Leaders told us as they were doing their nightly check ins with all the rooms. The zone leaders are some Elders who are designated to make sure all of the Elders are doing good in the MTC every night. When they dropped by our apartment they told us about a prank that their roommate had done to his companion. They told us that their roomate got up that morning with his companion and made a trip to the sack lunch room to pick up his breakfast. When he (Elder Mott) was there he got a chocolate donut. Elder Mott and his companion came back to the apartment to eat their breakfast. Elder Mott decided he needed to use the bathroom when he got back and dropped of his breakfast in his room but brought his donut with him to the toilet. When he was on the toilet he asked the person next to him for some toilet paper because he claimed he was out. The person next to him turned out to be his companion. Elder Mott's companion reluctantly handed some toilet paper under the stall. This is when Elder Mott struck, he was not going to the bathroom but pranking whatever poor soul had answered his call for toilet paper. He had smeared his hand with chocolate donut frosting on purpose and as he took the toilet paper he grabbed his companions hand much higher than where the toilet paper was and wiped chocolate frosting all over his companion's hand as he took the toilet paper. His companion was silent for a solid ten seconds and then muttered to himself, "THAT IS SO GROOOSSSS!!!!!!!" My Zone Leaders and my room were laughing so hard when they told us this story that we all had tears streaming down our faces.

 My district and I are getting more nervous the closer we come to the 23rd. One of the Elders in my district is hilarious. His name is Elder Christiansen. To give you an example of his humor, this week when we had new elders coming in to the dorms, he had just got done showering so he threw on some underwear and wrapped a towel around his waste and then proceeded to go welcome the new elders with hugs. They did not look comfortable when he strode up to them and yelled welcome to the MTC. The fact that it looked like he had nothing else but a towel on did not help their comfort levels either. His companion eventually had to pull him off of the new elders and tell him to stop freaking out the new missionaries. When he walked away he yelled I just wanted to welcome them, as he revealed to everyone that he had underwear on under the towel. It was sooo funny.

 He brought a bag of army men to plant in different places in the MTC throughout his stay. So you will be taking a shower and randomly look down and see an army man lying on the soap holder. Or you will be brushing your teeth and look up above the light on the wall and see another undercover army man watching you. One guards our room against unwelcome intruders (such as the Elders in our district when they storm our room). There is another who guards the telephone to call the front desk that is in the hallway. My favorite army man placement is the one in class that has his gun trained on us Elders as we are all learning Cebuano. Sometimes, learning the language is so stressful that there might as well be an army man there with his gun trained on you as you learn the language hahaha. Though it is never really that stressful it is quite difficult at times. Scroll down to see pictures of the placement of these army men.

Regardless the MTC has been an amazing and humbling learning experience. Not only have I had the opportunity to hear one of the lord's apostle's speak, I had the opportunity to hear two. This last Tuesday the MTC had the opportunity to hear from Elder Gary E. Stevenson. He gave an amazing talk about how we can become better missionaries and what tools we have available to us. A quote that he said that really touched me and helped me learn was,

"Let the keystone of our religion (The Book Of Mormon) be the keystone of your testimony."

 It really helped me to understand that there is so much doctrine and truth to a book that I have taken for granted all of my life. I know that as we use this book to it's full potential we will not only learn of Christ and come closer to him but we will gain a testimony of him and his redeeming atonement that he fulfilled for us.

This week in class we have been discussing the Atonement. We have discussed several things but something that touched me regarding Christ and the atonement was,

"Jesus walked that path alone so we don't have to"

He walked it willingly because of his love for us. Through his grace we can make it back to live with god again. Through the Atonement we can be clean of our sins and return to god's presence.

Luke 22 Verse 42 is Christ just before he atones for our sins. Christ is speaking in the scripture,

42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, ^aremove this cup from me: nevertheless not my ^bwill, but thine, be done. 

 

In D&C 19 verses 16-19 it follows up on that a little bit.

16 For behold, I, God, have ^asuffered these things for all, that they ^bmight not suffer if they would ^crepent;

17 But if they would not repent they must ^asuffer even as I;

18 Which ^asuffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might ^bnotdrink the bitter cup, and shrink—

19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and ^afinished my preparations unto the children of men. 

Christ loved us and endured unworldly pain to atone for our sins so that we might be able to return to live with god again. I know that through the power of his atonement and god's grace we can be redeemed from our sins and be spotless once again. Without the Atonement this would not be possible. Without Christ's redeeming love this would not be possible. I know that my redeemer loves me. Christlike love is something I strive for every day. The depth and magnitude of this love is unfathomable. He loves everyone more than words can say. I strive to be as loving as he was and is today. Through Christ's pain and afflictions we have the ability to become even as he is. He can help us endure our trials, sicknesses, and pain. The atonement though used generally for repentance can be used for our trials, our sickness, our afflictions, and our pains. He is our redeemer and he will walk that path with us so that we do not have to do it alone. Remember if you are going through something and you feel alone, you are not, Christ is walking next to you and carrying the same burdens you are. I know that as we use the atonement in prayer through trials we can receive comfort from the great comforter. In closing I would like to share one last scripture about who Christ his and what he did for us.

In Mosiah 14:3-6 it reads,

3 He is ^adespised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has ^aborne our ^bgriefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was ^awounded for our ^btransgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are ^chealed.

6 All we, like ^asheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all.

I know that we feel his love and light every day of our lives. If we follow him, have faith in him, and draw close unto him we can again live in god's presence.

Until next time,

Kita Kites

Sincerely, Jordan