Hello everyone it has been another amazing week down here in Provo at the MTC. I want everyone to know how much that i love it here, and how amazing the spirit is here. I have so many opportunities to feel the spirit, and so many opportunities to grow mentally and spiritually, and physically too counting the food. Gernerally everything has been going very well. I have been practicing teaching a lot, mostly in english though, and i have been learning a lot of the lessons. The most benefitial thing to me riht now is that we are teaching Brother Mcpherson and he is a progressing investigator. I cant remember if this is in my last letter, but he is playing as himself as an 18 year old before he joined the church. We have now taught him 4 of the lessons, and have taught a lot about some of his questions. There is a lot of stuff that we have to teach him as a district, but it has been really great to learn how to deal with their conscerns and problems and be able to see them grow. Of course we are trying to get him to commit to work towards baptism which we finally did. We are teaching him pretty well, and we always strive to make it a spiritual growing experience. Bro. Mcpherson is an amazing teacher. He has been sharing passages from his mission journal and some other spiritual thoughts and i'm pretty confident in saying i think that he is going to be an apostle or the prophet someday! he knows so much about the gospel. He says he has a photographic memory and i dont doubt it. He makes word for word references to scriptures and general authroity quotes all of the time. and though he knows so much, he is probably the most humble guy i know. He's only been a member for 5 years and it is increadible how much he knows and how strong of a testimony he has. It really is increadible what this gospel can do.
On the line of teachers, we got a new one this week. Hermana Rivas left this week and is going to have her baby soon. It was sad to see her go because she was a really great teacher and we all loved her. on her last day we all got her a shirt from the bookstore (we had very limited options for presents) i chose out a tshirt that had "stripling Warriors" then a picture of these really ripped nephite guys, then the subtitle "mammas boys" I thought it was fitting because shes going to become a mom soon and it was just a funny shirt. OUr new teacher is Hermana Tate. She is 23 and goes to byu though she wont tell us too much or just hasnt told us much about herself yet. Shes the youngest of like 10 kids or something like that though. She is a great teacher and cares a lot about us and has a great testimony. Her lessons have been good so far and we will grow to love her i know. And as i'm writting i think i'm repeating last week. she has a theta accent, but its bothering us less and less and shes kind of switching a little though she says she doesnt want to lose it.
Spanish is coming along. I am relearning a lot of the tenses and trying to get it all down. I can teach a simple lessons, i can bare testimoy, i can pray, i can do some pretty good small talk, and i have now memorized the first vision and a few articles of faith.
For my message this week I want to share a little about music. Last night in a devotinal both the speakers talked about the importance of hymns. Hymns are a so special and truly are as it says in D&C 25:12 (google it), taht they are a prayer to god. I have not had much time to play piano, but we sing about 20 hymns everyday, and usually all of the verses. The fact that they have us take all that time here in the mtc to sing shows how important hymns are. I really have missed playing the piano and guitar and isinging my own songs, but i am happy for the opportunituy i have to sing the hymns. (also i dont know if i've said this yet, but were not allowed to listen to any music at all in the mtc, including church music and motab and everyting, dont know why but oh well). I have had some opportunities to play the piano and next week i think i'm going to be the pianist for our zone because the elder in my district that can play hymns well is leaving to peru mtc next week. Though i can play hymns and make them sound good, i'm not as good at playing whats on the page, so i'll have to practice a little bit so that i can play for people to sing too. Hymns and music is very important to me and to all of us. Wehn we sing hymns or any song we have to think about the words and raelly try to let your testimony out when you sing or think of the songs. Nothing brings the spirit more than a hymn. I find myself constantly with a hymn stuck in my head or humming one. I lay in bed at night and the music doesnt stop. It keeps my mind on what i'm here to do though and i love the spirit that music brings.
I'd also liek to share something from alma 36:1.30 (google it). iN these verses it says the word inasmuch. Inasmuch is a phrase taht in spanish is "al grado" which means to the grade. I can relate this to my work here. I have the ability to be blessed from my heavenly father more than i could possible imagine. As i strive to become the missionary he needs me to be. THis scripture tells me that inasmuch as i do what he says. i'll be bless. This can relate to anything that we do. Inasmuch/to the degree(Grade) i work on my spanish or the lessons, God will bless me with the ability to speak or learn them. This applies to anything and everything that we need help with from the Lord. If we try and work our hardest, we will be blessed.
A sotry taht is kind of funny taht i want to share is from last wednestday. after we went to the temple we came out into thunderstorms. It was pouring dwon rain and after waiting for a while we decided to go back then anyways. WE walked down the street and across the street to the mtc. As we went down the street we could tell taht lots of cars were staring and smiling at us. It was funny becasue we were soaking wet and teh rain got harder as soon as we started walking. Wehn we got back we were all soaked and our suits were way wet, except for elder thompson who for some reason brought a jacket. anyways dont worry mom my suit is fine.
I dont have much time left but i want to thank all of you for you letters and packaes. I appreciate everything you all send and it makes me really happy to hear from you and to know how you are all doing. Dear elders get to me fast, but letters are great to have!
I love you all and again i appreciate all taht you do. I cant say all atht i want in these, the thuirty minute thing is hard so sorry for the scatterbrained and the typos. I love you all and i am so thank ful for you in my life. I hope taht everything goies well for you this week and taht you can all feel the spirit as often as possible. Read the bom as much as you can and really search it for answers. k 30 seconds. i love you and miss you BYE !
Love,
Elder smith
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