Dear Family and friends!
Okay, so once again, it has been a great week in the MTC! Me and my new colega are already best friends. We have so much fun together and are just crazy! I'm so sad that we are only able to be together for another two weeks but we take it as a good sign, convinced that since we aren't "technically" companions, that we might be able to be official ones in the last year of our mission in the field. Like I said, she's British, a black belt, her favorite Austen novel is Pride and Prejudice, and LOVES Downton Abbey as much as I do (They are already on the 3rd season in England!!). So yeah... recipe for besties.
What CRAZY general conference right!! What big news, I am SOOOOO thrilled about the new changes. I doubt that it will be huge for the Elders but so many more sisters will come now! over 2000 missionaries were all watching it together in the auditorium and when President Monson made the announcement everyone was giddy and shouted, "yeah!!" Needless to say, everyone is happy about. The Lord is hastening His work! How grateful I am to be living in this time and having been able to serve when that huge change was made.
Well something that I have decided that I want to write home about this week. I usually like to share an experience from this week that was personal but this week I basically just want to talk about my Elders. Because so many of my experiences have come from their influence.
Well let me start off with my first impressions of them: really REALLY young and scared looking but then.. the second day in the MTC, we had a devotional thing with our branch presidency and we all got a chance to bear our testimony. From the very first testimony to the last I heard the most honest and spiritual testimonies from each one. They spoke like MEN, and that was when I really gained faith that whom the Lord calls, he qualifies. Even young and relatively inexperienced, they are completely worthy of this challenge and this work. It wasn't a week later that I was so impressed with them. So, I had a rough couple weeks in the MTC and I was feeling pretty pessimistic
We had a club of "the half empty" group and I liked to encourage our negativity, especially when I would say things like, "I hear of people who say that they LOVE the MTC, and I don't think they exist, I think it was all in their head to make it all seem worth it," ( I ACTUALLY said that, I'm ashamed to admit). And Elder Myler behind me just mentioned offhandedly, "I love it." I looked up in surprise that someone was defying the consensus of general disdain of the MTC. "Really???" "Yeah," he shrugged. "Please teach me how to love it," I half joked. He responded seriously, "Its just like that one scripture says, 'If the power is not ready to sow, then he is not worthy of the work.' Something like that." I was in awe of him and felt properly chastised. This was the day that I committed to no longer vocalize any negative things or feelings that I had about the MTC. And now I REALLY genuinely love it! Elder Myler fulfilled his purpose as a missionary that day. He brought me closer to Christ.
I feel like I have learned so much about the priesthood since I have been here. I will never forget the day that two of my elders gave me a blessing. I had gotten some pretty shocking news the night before and I felt a complete flurry of conflicting emotions about it. Not to mention how rough my week had already been (Like I told you about the TRC incident, it was just a couple days before), I was so spent and so distracted. I told Elder Rose and Elder Preece about the news I had gotten the night before at breakfast, mostly because I couldn't keep it in. I was in complete shock. After we got to class I just stared at the floor and missed everything. After we all divided up for the lessons we had to teach, Elder Preece caught me just outside the door, "Hey I want to make sure that you know that if you need a blessing, for comfort or focus or whatever, any of the elders would be happy to give it," he was so sincere, I thanked him sincerely but said that I'm pretty sure that I would be fine.
It hadn't even remotely occurred to me to ask for a blessing. Five minutes later in class, my chest became heavy and I felt like the spirit was literally hitting me in the chest until I finally stood up and asked to talk to Elder Preece and Elder Davis in the hall. "Okay, I need a blessing." I felt embarrassed but they did not show any at all and then we all quietly went into the other room and Elder Davis gave me the most pure and comforting blessing. He seemed so nervous and unsure until the pause right before he began, then he spoke with the spirit--with complete confidence in himself, in the words that he was prompted to speak. After it was done, I looked at them and realized the huge burden completely lifted off my shoulders. I haven't felt that kind of distraction or distress since that day. It was completely lifted. I KNEW that they truly held the priesthood of the Lord, and they had the power to be His mouthpiece and His hands. I know that day that Elder Preece had the power of discernment to offer me exactly what I needed to hear. He was able to know what I needed, even when I didn't. They fulfilled their purpose that day and brought me closer to Christ.
As we know, this last weekend was General Conference and it was the funnest weekend that any of us have had in the MTC thus far. All of my sisters in my dorm: Sister Farnsworth, Bullock, Whitticker, and Sister Jarrett, all got to be together all two days for their last few days before they left. Basically, we had the meals, the sessions in the auditorium and study time for everything in between. All of the sister's elders left the week before since they got left behind for visitor Center training, so they came with me and the new Sora and all of our Elders. It was so wonderful and we all loved the big news and the talks so much but I will NEVER forget the hour and a half discussion that we got to have with the Elders after on Saturday night. Me, Sora Rivera, Sister Farnsworth, sister Whitticker, Elder Cobabe, Elder Preece and Elder Hollist all sat in a room and we went through the Relief Society talks with them and all shared what the sisters had gotten out of them and THEN, we got to hear about the Priesthood session talks. Elder Preece took the lead with his notes and then Elder Hollist would add something else but ultimately it came to down their testimonies about all these certain things.
I will never forget how they spoke about their duty as men, as one of the speakers talked about. They spoke like complete men and I was so impressed by them. Elder Hollist, the Marine, the tough guy talked about how much he valued his mother and women, and how he considered them sacred and then Elder Preece just talked about how it is a duty of men to be the one who can love their women the best. And I know it was because they really wanted to be obedient to their duty and be the men that the prophet and that God wants them to be. We all talked about the priesthood. And I can honestly say that I have never been so impressed by any guys in a single conversation than I was with those Elders. They aren't just 19 year old kids, running around (even though it SEEMS that way sometimes :) ) they really are faithful priesthood holders, called of God to do this work.
I only have time for one more story but it's probably my favorite of Elder Hollist. So, every Tuesday we have a devotional, and every Tuesday we really want an apostle to come and he never does, UNTIL this Tuesday Elder David A. Bednar came. (He gave the best talk about the word of the living prophets, but I won't digress from the story!) After the devotional, we always have devotional review with a member of the branch presidency. This week it was only our district (with Sora River and Elder Crescenti [the Italian ) with Brother Merrill. We basically just get up and talk about what we got out of it. I went the second and gave some small schpeel about it, but before I knew it, and it came unexpectedly, the spirit swept in and I looked around and all of my Elders were overwhelmed with it.
As each person went, I could see tears in their eyes. Elder Hollist got up, he began so hesitantly a little unsure, which is NOT like him at all. We always laugh because he does everything with his chin up, his eyes straight and with complete determination. But he looked down at his feet, unsure this time. "I don't know if many of you have ever been in a room with an apostle before, but I haven't..." he talked about the feeling that he felt when he saw Elder Bednar come into the room. He talked about how he had met the secretary of defense and several high up generals but he had never felt the kind of authority and power in the room that he felt that night. He said, "I Knew that he really was an apostle called by Jesus Christ, the same as Peter, the same as John," He paused, "I thought, 'I would give my life for that man,'" everyone looked up shocked when we heard the tears in his voice at the end. He straightened up again and finished stiffly, "I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." I looked over and saw him wiping away my tears. He will be the best missionary because the best missionaries are the ones who inspire. He brought me closer to Christ. Seeing his humility and pure love was like seeing one of God's pure creations, like when I saw my niece be born. I was so humbled and so in awe of his faith.
I feel so honored to be serving with these men. I hope that their faith can reach through my incomplete and imperfect descriptions, and touch your heart a little of the same way that it has touched mine.
I love you so much. This is truly the Gospel of Jesus Christ himself.
I always pray for you and I always will.
Katy/
Sora Macdonald
