Let me answer the questions I got before I go into my week (if you have any questions, you can just email me directly! Christian.breshears@myldsmail.net - I can read these emails whenever but can only respond on my p-day):
When do you leave for new York?
Tuesday at 4:45 am - we have a connecting flight and I think we are supposed to touch down in New York at around 4 pm. We already got our itinerary and everything for that day.
Where are you going to watch general conference?
I actually don't really know... I'm waiting for someone to tell me that actually!
Where do you usually eat?
There's a huge building that consists of an information desk, scheduling information, classrooms, laundry room (in the basement) and the biggest room is a cafeteria. I think it can hold like 700-800 missionaries. We don't all eat meals at the same time - they are spread out in different timeframes.
Where do you teach other People?
There's another separate building that has classrooms for us to learn in (more like lecture rooms - usually 50+ missionaries being taught at once) on the main floor. Then floor 3 is where there are smaller cubicles (like office cubicles) just big enough for a few chairs that we teach people. We meet them there.
How is the teaching going? Are you working well with your comp?
It's going pretty dang well! For only teaching each person for 2 lessons and no more, we thought we did very well. I'll get more into that in the email about my Week:
Oh also, I did get those cookies you sent from crumbl! I got them at around 6:05... pday ends at 6... so I couldn't email to tell you I got them.
Sunday:
We started our day preparing 2 talks on the gift of the holy ghost and enduring to the end. President Samuelian randomly calls on people during sacrament to gives talks, so EVERYONE has to be prepared to speak. While I was preparing the talk on enduring to the end, I went to the preach my gospel booklet and there was a section that referred to God saying "ye have eternal life." And I immediately started thinking of the hymn "Press Forward Saints." It has honestly become one of my favorite hymns. I highly suggest to lookup the lyrics to it. The last verse is sooo powerful.
Monday:
Monday was not fun. I was about to start writing in my journal before I went to bed when I was told to get out and come outside. One of the sisters in our zone had her best friend die earlier that day and she just got the news. We all were feeling horrible for her. Our district/zone leaders gave her a blessing and it wasn't more than 60 seconds after that blessing ended that another sister came running over with tears down her face. There was ANOTHER death that a sister barely just got the news from. We were all in utter shock. A few of the districts on our floor got together and we decided to start a fast for them right then.
We've been told quite a few times that Satan tries to break the Lord's missionaries more than anyone else in the world... After today I believed it. He is trying his hardest to break us, and he won't ever stop.
One thing I can say for certain is that our zone of missionaries was created by the Lord. He knows that EVERY ONE OF US has something to offer to carry our brothers and sisters alike. The Lord knew this would happen to those sisters and he put everyone else in this zone SPECIFICALLY because he knew we could offer a form of help no one else could.
Tuesday: we had a TRC with Jose today - he's doing super well. He suffers from chronic anxiety and has been struggling all this past month, his biggest thing is that he feels alone. Mainly because of the culture of Utah- he says LDS people are "always willing to invite him to things, but when I invite them to something they immediately become ' too busy'" which I totally understand. I don't even remember what we told him to provide comfort, but whatever we said definitely did help. I'm gonna cut some of these days a bit shorter because I know it can be a lot to read sometimes.
Wednesday: we had another TRC with Jose, I found the PERFECT scripture for him and what he needed! Matthew 28:19-21
This scripture basically days if ye follow Christ, He will NEVER leave you. Also, not related to the scriptures, we shared a poem with him - footprints in the sand. If you haven't already, please please please read this poem. I get the chills every time I read it. It's so beautiful. Anyways so we had him read this outloud during the lesson, and we knew it was exactly what he needed. Jose struggles with feeling alone and left out. It was such an amazing experience to be able to tell him that the Lord will never leave him, and even during the darkest, scariest times of his life, when he only sees one set of footprints in the sand, it was then that the Lord carried him.
Thursday:
It's my birthday today! Thank you so much for the presents. I think I'll be able to find room for everything in my luggage somehow... I was most excited for the family history stuff and the photo album. I don't even know how you got some of those pictures but I am so glad you did!
In terms of other missionaries knowing my birthday, I decided to keep that on the down low. I need to remember that while today is my birthday, I'm a missionary now. Im not on my time anymore. I'm on the Lord's time- I shouldn't be taking away from that time. A few people did find out it was my birthday but I asked them not to make a huge deal out of it. That being said, we are definitely gonna party with all the treats you gave me for the next few nights.
Friday:
Turns out our teacher in the morning, brother rosenbalm, is planning to get engaged with his girlfriend on Saturday! He's already got everything planned out! He called her dad, got the day all setup, lights and everything! He showed us a picture of the ring and it looks amazing. The best part is she doesn't expect a proposal until November so she's totally gonna be taken by a blind side! Hopefully he keeps us updated on it all after we leave the MTC!
Oh also, I've been playing the piano in my free time for the past week or so. I'm determined to learn if you could hie to kolob and we'll bring the world his truth. Oh also mom - send some of my old piano books to new York Please! The hymns made easy, Les Miserable, and the other book I always played out of that I can't remember the name of...
That's all I have for this Week! Thank you again so much for all the packages! Special thank you to Kate and Lucy for the cards, I'll send pictures of those because I just feel like everyone should see the inspiring words I was sent 😂
Some spiritual invitations I have for all of you:
-Read (don't sing) the lyrics to hymn 81 - Press Forward saints
-read the poem "footprints in the sand"
-Matthew 28:19-21 - Christ will not leave us!
~Elder Breshears
OH I ALSO TOTALLY FORGOT!! I KNEW 2 MISSIONARIES THAT JUST GOT TO THE MTC ON WEDNESDAY!
Elder "Christian" Coldera (I can't remember the last name exactly) - my district hosted new missionaries who got in on Wednesday and the first missionary I hosted was him. Turns out when Lamar took his priests shooting, one of the best friend's of one of Lamar's priests came - that was this missionary! He recognized me first but as soon as he told me where he knew me from it all came back to me. When his parents dropped him off they were thrilled to know he was with someone he knew.
Also - Elder Rounkles! I had no clue who he was until he came to my room and said "did you play baseball for summit academy?" And I was like "uuuhhhhh yeah?" And he just shows me his hand and there's a giant scar and says "you did this to me when you played Morgan! And I instantly remembered what he was talking about but I didn't actually know his face!"
When we played Morgan, he was on first vase and I was holding him on. Gerritt went to pick him off and It was a horrible throw so I jumped to get the ball and I landed directly on his hand and finger. I felt pretty horrible when I did it... thankfully there's no hard feelings! He's a pretty great guy.
No comments:
Post a Comment