Week 1.5

Because we leave on Monday, we get time to do laundry and to check email now, Yay! Classes here are now much easier to sit through, learn from, and feel the spirit in. It is nice to be able to role play some of the situations that we could/will encounter out in the field. Those are also really nice because I am able to see that I will be at least somewhat good at this. This week my companion and I actually started fulfilling responsibilities as the zone leaders. We greeted the new missionaries and told them what they could expect while they are at the MTC. I loved doing this. That is a situation that I feel really comfortable, being in front of a group of people and talking. There aren't many better feelings than making an entire room of people laugh! Some of the Elders that got here the same week I did, dressed up like nephites, using bed sheets, and as we all came in for zone prayer, they said "Welcome to the army of Helaman." It was cool and funny. The new missionaries are going to do some great things. 

On Thursday, we went to this "In-field Orientation" that was not the funnest of things that I have done at the MTC. I took about 10 hours to do... When my companion summed it up to an elder that was sick and unable to go in about a minute. There were some great things that were learned, but it was way too long. 

Friday night, two of the new elders asked me to give them a blessing. Giving blessings is a very interesting experience. You go into it with your mind completely blank, a perfect canvas for the spirit to tell and/or show you what it is you are supposed to bless this person with. I blessed these elders with things that I have no idea if they are really struggling with them, or if that is what they wanted to hear, but that is what the spirit told me to say, so I did. 

Today, I went to the first block of class, but I didn't go to the second so that another elder could go because he had missed a few due to his own sickness and now his companions sickness. I stayed in the residence with his companion, packed what I could, wrote in my journal, and attempted to study the scriptures. Reading the scriptures is still not a strength of mine. Bummer, it didn't come to me without any work... Haha! I know that this is something that I need to work on and I look forward to becoming better acquainted with the scriptures and I know that Christ will help me do that, but just for good measure, wish me luck. 

I love this gospel and I can't wait to share it with the people of Cincinnati. I know that the spirit will be my greatest supporter and that this would be impossible without him.

Thank you, I love you,