1/19/12
Que triste! (that sad)
It’s my last MTC email! I can hardly believe that time has gone soo fast! 10 weeks over already and I think I may be more nervous for this than I was to come to the MTC! As far as travel plans, I have to wake up early enough to be at the airport at around 6 AM and my flight is at 8:10. So I will probably call then if I can, but if not I have from 11:55 to 1:40 before my flight from Dallas to McAllen! I hope I’ll be able to find enough time to have a good talk but I’m gonna be tripping out! I seriously do not even know what to expect. There is going to be so much going on that day. I will be staying in one of the missionaries’ apartments Monday night and then I think I get my trainer Tuesday, is what it sounds like. And I’m kinda freaking out about meeting my mission president. A lot of first impressions! haha. Hopefully it all goes well. You can tell Art that I’m going to start throwing up the Longhorns in every picture now!
So thank you for all the dear elders! They have kept me going and I hope that when I’m in Texas I’ll get a lot of letters from you all. They really can make a whole week! Oh and some other great news, I saw Elder Szypkowski from CANADA! Gave him a big hug! haha He wanted me to tell Chan and the whole family hello! And his older brother just had his first daughter! It’s cool to see so many great kids that I know from random places!
Well, to finish up, I have to share my testimony of the MTC! haha No time in my life have I ever done something so hard. Most people just let the MTC fly under the radar, like it’s no big deal! But it’s KIND OF A BIG DEAL! And all my English Elders, I love you all but there seriously is a huge difference between being here 3 weeks and being here 10 weeks! This place changes from a school to your home. I have watched 3 sets of English Elders next door to me come and go and I seriously feel like an old Grandpa here. The food here, has been my greatest enemy. haha! The teachers here, have made a huge impact. And I have made some amazing friends. The Elders in my district are like brothers to me. No time in my life have I ever progressed and changed so much, so rapidly as I have here. I’ve never felt like I have had more responsibility and purpose than I do right now and it makes me so happy. I love being a missionary! If I had to describe the MTC, I would say, “It’s where God stretches you and stretches you, until you’re almost to your limit and you’re just about to snap, until you feel like you just can’t do it anymore. Then he eases the pressure and gives you just a little something to keep you going. He’s stretching us and molding us to be the missionaries we need to be. It’s just our SPIRITUAL TWO-A-DAYS.”
This truly is an amazing place. I have no doubt that the Lord keeps a close eye on this little campus and I have no doubt that there are not many other places that he would rather be! I am so grateful for my opportunity to be part of this. I am sooo stoked to leave for Texas. And I’m so stoked to talk to you family! I miss you all like crazy! I hope you know I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and wait for my call!
Until Monday, Love Elder Smith
