MTC Final Day! July 24, 2017

This last week here at the MTC has been a really eventful one. The biggest event has been our district. We all have really grown close, so much so that we act like we've never been strangers. we just act like a big group of siblings. We do everything together, whether it's eating breakfast, in classes, playing sand volleyball, or just being around each other, studying and just talking. I love them so much and I know that it's going to be really hard when we all say goodnight tonight and go off to our three different missions. But it's also comforting knowing that those missions are receiving such amazing and strong missionaries. 

I don't know if I've mentioned this before but even though they're still finishing up the new buildings I've been working in them the whole time that I've been at the MTC. I've switched to three different classrooms on three different floors though which has been loads of fun. They've also started the open house for the buildings. The past week or so has been VIP tours, including President Erying and Elder Holland!!! Sadly we never got to meet them but President Erying did wave to Elders Andreasen and Taylor through the door window as he walked past. then we saw him through the front window as he walked between the buildings. He's actually a lot taller than I thought he was. that's the interesting thing about the Apostles and the First Presidency, we never saw Elder Holland but their presence was so strong that you could just tell that they were in the building. Security was also really tight which really convinced us that they were here before they even came in the building. 

Being a Zone Leader has also been quite beneficial. Elder Moffett and I have both said that it was a massive learning curve because people really expect us to know everything. And if we don't know, we have to find out. We also had to carry a flip phone around. The only people that can call it are the front desk and the district president's secretary. You'd be surprised how often the front desk calls us. On average, we got about 5 calls a day. then we had to run around campus to track down a missionary so they could talk to the front desk for a bit before we could go back to class. And most of the time, we didn't even know why they wanted to talk to the elder. But it's really helped us to get to know everyone and connect with those in our Zone. 

Another responsibility we've had has been taking over Zone Prayer, where we all get together somewhere on campus and prayer together. Before Elder Moffett and I took over everyone thought that it was a really rowdy event and not too conducive to the spirit that is everywhere in the MTC. So Elder Moffett and I added a spiritual thought and changed the hymns from the loud anthem hymns to much more prayerful hymns. We are still getting responses about how much more people like it, which is weird because I thought the past Zone Leaders did a pretty good job. I decided to end the week with a spiritual thought of my own instead of assigning it out. I pondered and prayed about what our zone needed to hear and finally came up with Section 135 of the Doctrine and Covenants. It's the section announcing the death of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. For a few days before then I was scared that I was going to scare all of them. But when the time came, I read the first verse, bore my testimony, told them a bit about when I got to stand in Carthage, and ended by singing the first verse of "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" before we prayed. From all the reviews that I've gotten, I didn't scare anyone, but they were saying that I gave everyone there the shot in that arm that they needed. I have such a strong testimony of the power of the spirit after that experience because I'm certain that if i hadn't had the spirit with me, i wouldn't've been able to stand, never mind sing on pitch. 

As always, I love this place. It's been such a life-changing experience and I wouldn't trade anything for the world.

Joshua 24:15,

Elder Howell