Loving The MTC District At The Temple

The temple was really neat today.  I felt great.  I really felt love for each one of my companions in the district.  It took me a good part of the day to write six letters.  I surely hope that they are appreciated.  It's not that I don't like to write.  It's just that I sacrifice a lot of the Lord's time to do it.

I think I am losing my voice a little bit.  I have been kind of sick the last few days with a sore throat and re-passing charlas doesn't help it a whole lot.

I got two care packages today from home and Linda.  I thought I saw a glint of jealousy in a couple of the elders' eyes!

Linda sounds as though she is doing pretty good.  I sound good in my letters to her (as far as not missing her is concerned) but sometimes I really wish I could just see those big brown eyes looking at me with that special look that she has.  Luckily for me those times are pretty few.  There is just too much to do to let my thoughts get away and start daydreaming.

I passed off C-10 today to Elder Brown.  It is the longest concept in all of the charlas and I learned it in a day and a half which is pretty good.  It gives me hope for the other long concepts!

The Foot Race Talk: "A Proud Grandson"

I am truly on a spiritual high today.  My day didn't start out in a very promising way.  Our door was "pennyed" so that we couldn't get out.  We also didn't wake up until 6:45 which was real late.  However those were perhaps the only things that went wrong with my day.

I gave my talk on the importance of journals.  For perhaps the first time in my life I have prayed for inspiration on a talk and then exercised the faith to receive it.  I had an entry to read out of my journal (my foot race).  I thought that it would be of some inspiration to someone.  However I didn't quite know how to read it without feeling as though I was bragging.

We came to the meeting and just before we walked into the room I received the inspiration on how to do it.  I treated my journal as if it had been my Grandfather's.  I pretended that I found it, then I read the part as though I was a proud grandson reading about his Grandfather's mission experiences.  I felt the spirit with me when I read it so I read with confidence and emotion.  I think it was well received.  I got a lot of compliments from the elders in my district on the talk.  I felt totally unworthy of the praise because I know that Heavenly Father provided the inspiration for the talk and the spirit was there while I was giving it.  There is no way that it could have gone wrong.

In our culture class I learned a great deal.  Our instructor Elder Reed Harris talked to us on the importance of having charity for the people in Bolivia.  I came out of class with a new feeling towards that word.  The spirit again was in that class and it taught me a great deal.  I felt so good.  We then went to family home evening.  I felt the spirit there again and very strongly.  All the contributions of them members of my district fell upon my heart.

I was finding (with directions by the spirit) things in both The Book of Mormon and New Testament that worked right into the lesson.  Tonight I felt love for my district, true love.  I wanted to hug the sisters like I could the elders but just had to settle for a good handshake.

To top off the night, Elder Brown and I had a real good companionship inventory.  We talked more freely than ever before.  It is now 10:30 and time for bed.  I wish I could write more but it is a rule.  I can't wait to pray!

Feeling Close With The MTC District

I have about ten minutes to write about an hour long subject.

We had a real neat family home evening today.  I think that everyone has been about as open as they could have been.  We are all growing really close.  I hope I have time on P-Day to write a little bit about each and every member of my district.

We had a mission conference today that was really good.  All the speakers were excellent.  Elder Acey from The First Quorum of the Seventy was the main speaker.  My old 1st counselor in the Sunday School Presidency back at the Y, Scott Swenson gave the benediction.

All About Elder Brown & A Funny Dream

It is about 5:30 on Wednesday morning and today is P-Day.  I hope that I can budget my time wisely enough so that I can make this day profitable.

I am trying to adjust to the long hours and I must say that the Lord is sustaining me.  Monday night I think that I dreamed that an alarm clock went off because I woke up.  Elder Nelson got out of bed and walked out of the room.  I got up and got all my things ready for a shower.  When I walked in the bathroom I felt proud of the fact that I was the first one up.  I looked at my watch to see what time this memorable event was taking place at.  To my amazement it was 11:30 pm!!  That was quite a shock.  But it did feel rather good to be able to climb back into bed.

I feel as though we are in a very choice district.  There is not one bad apple in the whole bunch.  Every day I see many examples of love.  Everyone wants the district to succeed.  Last night in our room prayer the four of us elders placed our arms around each other as Elder Nelson thanked the Lord for our countless blessings.  I felt loved and I felt love for them.

Last night Elder Marion D. Hanks spoke in a devotional.  He emphasized the importance of really learning to love the scriptures.  I was truly impressed with his knowledge and ability to use the scriptures.

Elder Brown and I have decided to try and get up at 5:00 am every morning.  We will see how it works out.  While on the subject of Elder Brown, I would like to write some impressions of him.  He is pretty big.  From Cincinnati, Ohio.  He has had four years of Spanish and he really picks it up fast and speaks it well.  This ability is sometimes frustrating to me.  I feel as though we get along well as companions.  I feel that we can both give and take a little so that we compromise rather well.  It is hard for me to really describe him.  Maybe I will try again later.  I do feel that the Lord inspired this companionship!!

A Prompting About Elder Christensen's Dad

I only have a few minutes now between dinner and class.  Yesterday was really neat.  I had a good interview with my Branch President.  President Barrett helped me get a few things off my mind.

We all attended the mission conference.  It was really neat.  They are re-organizing the MTC Presidency so all of the old MTC presidency members and their wives spoke.  President Pinegar is a real neat man.  The spirit was so strong that I almost cried with every song.  Every song was absolutely beautiful with 2,000 missionaries singing their hearts out.

After dinner and studying we went to our culture class.  It is really neat and it made me really excited to get to Bolivia.

After class and some more studying we had Family Night with my district.  We had a testimony meeting that was bar-none.  It was really neat and I felt the spirit as perhaps never before.

The most special event of the day though was when we were walking over to the administrative building afterwards.  For some reason my thoughts were directed to my father and I received the most wonderful spirit.  It filled my whole body, bringing tears to my eyes.  I didn't hear any voices but I felt as never before that things would be alright with my father and that things are going to change in his life.

I got up at 5:30 this morning and got right into things.  I am almost finished with The Book of Mormon.  It will be the first time in my life that I have read it clear through.  It won't be the last time.  I also passed off my third concepts in Spanish.  I know the Lord has blessed me tremendously and I pray that I can do better everyday so that I can be a good tool in His work and glory.