Week 1: Home MTC

 October 14, 2020

Well, my first day was a success. I got up, did missionary stuff until 8:30, and then met my companion, Elder Holmstead. He's from Pocatello, ID, and we seemed to get along, even though we only talked for about 10 minutes. My district is filled with a bunch of great Elders, and I look forward to getting to know them better. Today Brothers Jafek and Taylor mostly just taught us some basic stuff about the MTC and what we would be doing. It was kind of a disorganized day, and I was honestly over stressing things, so tomorrow I'm going to relax and do things right. 

After the 'Welcome to the Work' workshop, I went to Blake and Gabe's football game and said hi to a lot of people that were asking a lot of questions. But it's nice being in public and holding yourself to a higher standard. It allowed me to feel the Spirit and take my calling more seriously.

October 15, 2020

Yesterday I felt a certain level of cluelessness as well as hopelessness, but today fixed that problem. Most of the questions that I had were answered, and I learned so much more than I did yesterday, partly because today was our first real day of classes. It struck my today how fast I became closer with all of the Elders in my district. There are 8 Elders in my district including me. Elders Green, Hoyel, Tree, Ward, Robinson, Tringham, and of course, Holmstead. I think they're a bunch of great guys, and we all get along really well. Elder Hoyel is from American Fork, and we actually seem to have a decent bit in common. Even though today was a lot better, it became more evident that I have a very long line of hard work and sacrifice ahead of me, though that was never much of a secret. I'm excited to get into a more solid routine, and I was blessed with a companion that is easily as enthusiastic, if not more so as I am. I'm still just taking everything as it comes, and I'm eager to improve my teaching, speaking, and studying skills.

October 16, 2020

Today was day 3 of many, and it amazes me how quickly I've been able to have the Spirit with me so often. Every time I sit down to study or join class, the Spirit is so quick to follow right behind me. I become even closer with my district again, and it's not a coincidence that we're all so alike. But never before have I been so spiritually exhausted, and never before has my exhaustion been so fulfilling. It's a strange thing, being able to want to do something that takes so much time and effort, I almost thought that I would never have what it takes. I find that my time seems to crawl by when I'm in class, but as soon as I'm out of class, I want to be back in class. Like I said, it's a strange thing. 

Elder Holmstead and I have been preparing like crazy for our TRC with Grace P., because it is easily the most nerve-wracking thing that I have in my future. But with enough prep and enough praying, I think we'll be fine. I've been noticing how things I used to care about and the past weaknesses I've had seem to fade away like an old memory as I try harder and harder to be the best servant to God I can be. Hopefully I've begun to lose myself in the work.

October 17, 2020

Today was my first P-day, and I already can tell that the days are going by faster than it seems. Of course, most of the time the classes feel like they last forever, but sitting here now, this first week seems to have gone by fast. It was nice to have a day to relax and do chores and kind of focus on the busy week I have ahead of me. When I went shopping with Mom and Dad, I struck up a simple conversation with the bagging lady at Macy's. The Spirit told me and logic told me that it could be useful to start getting some practice.

October 18, 2020

First Sunday as a missionary, and it felt good to have this mantle of a servant of God. Sometimes it seems like I haven't changed my lifestyle very much, because I'm watching G-rated movies with my family, but when I actually look at it, I have. And I know that was a run-on sentence. I have given up a lot of privileges and a lot of fun things to do this, but I know that I want to somehow repay the Lord for the many blessings He has given me. There's never enough I can do to repay God and Jesus Christ for all they have done for me, but I think serving a mission is a start. 

Elder Holmstead and I have our first TRC tomorrow, and I'm nervously excited. We have prepared so much to help Grace, and I'm eager to see how we do. I feel like it's getting to the point where we need to actually teach, and then learn more from that experience. The grind continues on.