Week 7 Of MTC

WEEK 7 OF THE PROVO MTC!! I'm so freaking ready to leave for the Czech Republic hahaha. As much as I love learning and studying about the gospel, I've been here for soo long. I started my mission the same week my little siblings started school and I'm pretty sure that they have fall break this next week and I technically haven't even started my mission yet. It's kinda crazy but I just gotta make it 8 more days. I get my travel plans sometime in the next few days to see where I will be flying. The last 2 Czech groups flew from Salt Lake to New York and then straight to Prague so I'm guessing that will be the same for me. It's also cool because I've never been to New York so that will be cool even if I'm just in the airport. 


This week was pretty boring, I'm not even gonna lie. It was a lot of learning both spiritually and with the language so it was honestly really good for me but not that many cool/funny stories to share. 


Before I left on my mission I thought I was somewhat good at pickleball. Whenever I played with friends I would almost always end up winning and if any of you guys disagree with me you can send me an email to tell me that I'm a liar. But I got completely HUMBLED today. I played a straight hour of pickleball for the first time since before my mission. I played against an elder In my district named elder Burke. This dudes been playing tennis for a while but I still thought I could beat him. The scores went like this, 1-11. 3-11, 4-11, 5-11, 6-11. Based off of these scores if I play him 5 more times I might be able to win. It was a lot of fun tho, it felt really good to get destroyed. 


Me and elder moon sang in the choir at the devotional last night and we were in the front row of the bleachers. I felt kinda bad because the people sitting in front of us that weren't in the choir had to hear our voices loud and clear. I've been in the choir the past 7 weeks but I'm still maybe the worst singer in the whole choir. Elder moon is right there with me tho so it gave me a little bit of confidence. 


One of the highlights of my week just happened to me about 5 minutes ago while I was walking to the Laundry room. Me and my comp were walking past 4 samoan sisters. As we were walking by them they all started to scream. We looked over and one of the sisters was throwing up, it was super hectic haha. They were all going crazy and me and my comp were dying laughing. I don’t really know why I’m telling you this but it was pretty funny. 


This week one of my teachers, Bratr Lewis, was showing us a demonstration of how to teach the first vision. He asked me to be the investigator/friend being taught. It was one of the coolest and most spiritual experiences I've had here so far. I understood so much of what he was saying and the spirit was so strong and it was literally just a demonstration. I can't wait to see what It's like to be in that same situation in the field but with the roles reversed and I get to help somebody else feel that spirit. 


During my personal study this Sunday I was focusing my study on how reading the Book of Mormon strengthens your testimony. President Nelson in the October 2017 session of General Conference said "My dear brothers and sisters, I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day. I promise that as you ponder what you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and direction for your own life." I know that this is true and I challenge you to read and study the scriptures daily. You will receive blessings from it whether they are big or small. The words really are true and as I've been at the MTC these past 7 weeks I have had the chance to read the Book of Mormon for hours every day. If you just read it for 5 minutes a day I promise you that you will see blessings in your life from it. 


I found a talk this week called "By Divine Design'' by Elder Rasband October 2017. It is a great talk and I suggest that all of you guys listen to it sometime throughout this week. Sometimes I wish I could see what It would be like without the holy ghost in My life. It is such a still small voice that sometimes we don't understand or realize that it is the holy ghost, but when we look back on past decisions we know that it was guided by the holy ghost. A question I got asked this week during my helping others lesson at the MTC was, "are all good things coincidences?" I've been thinking about this a lot and now I know that it's never a coincidence, God is in our lives in so many ways and the holy ghost is one massive way that he guides us. Elder Neal A Maxwell once said, "None of us ever fully utilizes the people-opportunities allocated to us within our circles of friendship. You and I may call these intersectings ‘coincidence.’ This word is understandable for mortals to use, but coincidence is not an appropriate word to describe the workings of an omniscient God. He does not do things by ‘coincidence’ but … by ‘divine design." I can be a "coincidence" in somebody else's life by following the promptings of the spirit and it is such a cool thing to think about. Without the holy ghost in my life I don't know where I would be or what I would be doing. I know that he is always by my side and I have seen some of the ways that he has worked through others that has blessed me in my life. None of the events or friends I have made in my life were coincidences. It is all part of Heavenly Father's divine plan!! I just want to end this email by saying how grateful I am for the book of Mormon and the holy ghost in my life and challenge you guys to look back and see what ways the holy ghost has affected you. You will notice that what you may have thought were coincidences, were actually ways that God has blessed you with his tender mercies in his own special timing.


I Love all you guys and hope you have an amazing week! Send me an email @hayden....@missionary.org I love hearing from everybody!!


I made a Google Photos Album that you guys can join if you want. https://photos.app.goo.gl/mkQPbkQxZK5isYKQA 


PHOTOS:
1. Elder Moon, Grover, and Eaton
2. Czech Flag
3. Elder Moon


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