Hello There!!
I think I'm actually starting to get attached to the MTC as strange as that may sound! At the same time though, everything that we do here makes me more and more excited to get out into the field. As I've mention before, I am expecting my reassignment this week to somewhere in the US while I am waiting for my Visa. I have definitely seen my attitude about my whole situation change as I've been here these past 2 months. At first, I was a little bit apprehensive about having my "plans" disrupted and not being able to go straight to Brazil. With time comes perspective though. I've realized just how much of a blessing it will be to me and to others if I have the chance to serve in my own country (and likely Brazil at some point too.) I could not be more excited, or willing, to go wherever the mission department, the Prophet, and the Lord want to put me. Besides, we talked to the travel office here about our visas. They said that 97% percent of missionaries who are originally called to Brazil will eventually make it down there....the numbers are definitely on our side, but like I said, whether I am the 3% or the 97% doesn't not matter to me....I will give 100% wherever I go. There's a quote that all of this has made me think of....it's from President Uchtdorf: "Often we cannot understand the present valleys of despair until standing on the mountains of perspective"
So some fun things about this week.....I got to host incoming missionaries on this past Wednesday....there were about 300 missionaries coming coming in, and about 100 missionaries to host them. Our district decided to volunteer for an early assignment (we are 10 missionaries out of the 100) to host early arriving missionaries (earlier than expected). I knew that Elder Spencer Miller was coming in this week, and I thought it would have been cool to have been his host. I figured those odds were extremely diminished by having that early assignment. Nevertheless, out of the 4 or 5 missionaries that ended up arriving early, Elder Miller was one of them, and I was able to host him! Definitely a cool experience, and not a coincidence by any means if you ask me.
On top of that, I was in my room one writing in my journal on Friday night, when I heard some Elders talking outside of our room. One of them said that he lived about 45 minutes away from San Francisco. Thinking that there was good odds that I knew him somehow, I went out and started talking to him. Turns out his name is Elder Olsen, and he's from Fremont. Not only was he from Fremont, but he is the Centerville Ward, the same ward as my Grandparents! He said that he had just been over at my Grandma's house a few days ago, and that she had charged him to find the "tall skinny red headed elder" (not that there's too many of those here....) and tell him hello for her! Definitely a very, very cool experience. He is right next to me in our residence hall. He is also going to Brazil. He told me a few stories about my Grandpa, and just how much he looked up to him. He told me how he was "infamous" among the High Priest's Group. Sounds just like my Grandpa. One thing that didn't sound like my Grandpa though, was a story he told about he dressed up as my Grandma for a ward talent show! We may need to fact check that one.....
I also saw the 2nd counselor in my BYU ward bishopric in the temple this morning. We had a chat about all of the Elders (I think there is at least 7 or 8) from our ward in the MTC right now. Definitely a small world up here....
Not to be outdone, I came to find out that my teacher here, Irma Gonzales, was in the Brazil MTC with Nick Johansen. She was passing around pictures of her mission, and there was Elder Johansen chilling right next to her. I also talked to another teacher, Irmao Burkholz who served in Fortaleza, who said he knew Elder Johansen too. He said that he was a stud and helped to grow an area that the Burkholz guy had opened from 10 members to 85 members! Atta Boy.
In one of our devotionals this week, we a 70 speak to us. He was from Argentina I think. He told a great story about how Eskimos hunt wolves. They take an extremely sharp knife, and cover it in blood. Then they let the blood freeze, and bury the knife (with the blade sticking out) into the frozen snow. With some time, a hungry wolf comes along and starts to lick the knife after smelling the blood. Because it is so cold, the wolf's tongue is completely numb, and while he continually lunges and bites at this blade, he is completely unaware of what he is doing to himself until it is too late. The wolf bleeds to death, when the Eskimos come and collect their dinner. I think this a great analogy to the world we live in. Often times, we make mistakes or do things that are wrong, and because we are so numb to the influence of the Holy Ghost and out Heavenly Father, we don't realize just how much of a detrimental impact it has on us. It is for this reason that I think King Benjamin (fun fact that Benjamin in Portuguese means "favorite, youngest son") told his people to "Yield to the enticings of the Holy Ghost" (Mosiah 3:19). We have to make sure that we are where we want to be in life, and if that means to re-evaluate yourself every once in a while, so be it. Don't allow yourself to get to the point where you don't feel sorrow for doing wrong. Come unto Him who can and will forgive you every time you ask with a sincere heart.
I know this work is true and that I am a very, very small piece in it. Do your part to be a servant of Heavenly Father, and you too can feel the joy and blessings that I am so abundantly receiving here.
Until next time,
-Elder McKinley
I think I'm actually starting to get attached to the MTC as strange as that may sound! At the same time though, everything that we do here makes me more and more excited to get out into the field. As I've mention before, I am expecting my reassignment this week to somewhere in the US while I am waiting for my Visa. I have definitely seen my attitude about my whole situation change as I've been here these past 2 months. At first, I was a little bit apprehensive about having my "plans" disrupted and not being able to go straight to Brazil. With time comes perspective though. I've realized just how much of a blessing it will be to me and to others if I have the chance to serve in my own country (and likely Brazil at some point too.) I could not be more excited, or willing, to go wherever the mission department, the Prophet, and the Lord want to put me. Besides, we talked to the travel office here about our visas. They said that 97% percent of missionaries who are originally called to Brazil will eventually make it down there....the numbers are definitely on our side, but like I said, whether I am the 3% or the 97% doesn't not matter to me....I will give 100% wherever I go. There's a quote that all of this has made me think of....it's from President Uchtdorf: "Often we cannot understand the present valleys of despair until standing on the mountains of perspective"
So some fun things about this week.....I got to host incoming missionaries on this past Wednesday....there were about 300 missionaries coming coming in, and about 100 missionaries to host them. Our district decided to volunteer for an early assignment (we are 10 missionaries out of the 100) to host early arriving missionaries (earlier than expected). I knew that Elder Spencer Miller was coming in this week, and I thought it would have been cool to have been his host. I figured those odds were extremely diminished by having that early assignment. Nevertheless, out of the 4 or 5 missionaries that ended up arriving early, Elder Miller was one of them, and I was able to host him! Definitely a cool experience, and not a coincidence by any means if you ask me.
On top of that, I was in my room one writing in my journal on Friday night, when I heard some Elders talking outside of our room. One of them said that he lived about 45 minutes away from San Francisco. Thinking that there was good odds that I knew him somehow, I went out and started talking to him. Turns out his name is Elder Olsen, and he's from Fremont. Not only was he from Fremont, but he is the Centerville Ward, the same ward as my Grandparents! He said that he had just been over at my Grandma's house a few days ago, and that she had charged him to find the "tall skinny red headed elder" (not that there's too many of those here....) and tell him hello for her! Definitely a very, very cool experience. He is right next to me in our residence hall. He is also going to Brazil. He told me a few stories about my Grandpa, and just how much he looked up to him. He told me how he was "infamous" among the High Priest's Group. Sounds just like my Grandpa. One thing that didn't sound like my Grandpa though, was a story he told about he dressed up as my Grandma for a ward talent show! We may need to fact check that one.....
I also saw the 2nd counselor in my BYU ward bishopric in the temple this morning. We had a chat about all of the Elders (I think there is at least 7 or 8) from our ward in the MTC right now. Definitely a small world up here....
Not to be outdone, I came to find out that my teacher here, Irma Gonzales, was in the Brazil MTC with Nick Johansen. She was passing around pictures of her mission, and there was Elder Johansen chilling right next to her. I also talked to another teacher, Irmao Burkholz who served in Fortaleza, who said he knew Elder Johansen too. He said that he was a stud and helped to grow an area that the Burkholz guy had opened from 10 members to 85 members! Atta Boy.
In one of our devotionals this week, we a 70 speak to us. He was from Argentina I think. He told a great story about how Eskimos hunt wolves. They take an extremely sharp knife, and cover it in blood. Then they let the blood freeze, and bury the knife (with the blade sticking out) into the frozen snow. With some time, a hungry wolf comes along and starts to lick the knife after smelling the blood. Because it is so cold, the wolf's tongue is completely numb, and while he continually lunges and bites at this blade, he is completely unaware of what he is doing to himself until it is too late. The wolf bleeds to death, when the Eskimos come and collect their dinner. I think this a great analogy to the world we live in. Often times, we make mistakes or do things that are wrong, and because we are so numb to the influence of the Holy Ghost and out Heavenly Father, we don't realize just how much of a detrimental impact it has on us. It is for this reason that I think King Benjamin (fun fact that Benjamin in Portuguese means "favorite, youngest son") told his people to "Yield to the enticings of the Holy Ghost" (Mosiah 3:19). We have to make sure that we are where we want to be in life, and if that means to re-evaluate yourself every once in a while, so be it. Don't allow yourself to get to the point where you don't feel sorrow for doing wrong. Come unto Him who can and will forgive you every time you ask with a sincere heart.
I know this work is true and that I am a very, very small piece in it. Do your part to be a servant of Heavenly Father, and you too can feel the joy and blessings that I am so abundantly receiving here.
Until next time,
-Elder McKinley
No comments:
Post a Comment