December 20

 It’s been yet another amazing week in the MTC! It’s amazing just how fast time is going by. It’s already been a month and Christmas is in 5 days!! It’s been so much fun singing Christmas music 24/7 and just going around and doing little nice things for people because light the world. I’m really grateful that I got to come here to learn and grow. This week because my group is an awkward 7 week district, we’ve been doing the infield training and I’m just so pumped to get to Mexico already! My mission president uploaded a bunch of pictures from missionary’s in my missionary portal. I had thought that it was going to be a lot more like home, and desert-y. But to my surprise there are some pretty green areas in the mountains there. I’m just anxious to get out of here and finally go serve my people in mexico. Spanish this past week actually broke my brain. We had one day where we learned the noun clause and adverb clause in subjunction, as well as the rest of our indirect and direct object pronouns. It was the first day learn Spanish where I actually felt lost and confused. I’ve since figured it out and I’ve even been able to teach with it. It’s really satisfying to actually work hard enough for the gift of tongues and to see it in your teaching. I’ve moved away from a lot of the “fear” or scared feeling of teaching and I’m beginning to love it so much. Granted when I get to the field, I’m not going to understand anyone, and it’s going to be frustrating and nerve wracking.  But I’ll just keep working till I master the language. I’ve been pretty dang humbled this week. It’s crazy how many problems people have, and as a District Leader, I feel responsible to help everyone in any way I can. And while I thought I could do more of it on my own, I’m positive that I can’t now. The lord is the one who leads this district. And as long as I put the lord first, and go to him for guidance, he will guide me in all I do and say involving those I serve with. I’ve really realized that you shouldn’t ever aspire to a position of leadership. It’s not glamorous. It’s a lot more hard work, and it brings a lot of unexpected stress. I’m grateful for the time I’ve had to learn in this position, but that being said. I’m excited to get to the field and to just be a normal missionary for awhile.  I’m really sad about this pday. Because the temple is closed and I don’t know when the next time I’ll get to go to a temple is):  I love spending my Wednesday’s in the temple. Being so close to the lord makes me so happy. That’s the closest thing I can imagine to the celestial kingdom that I can. And I know that it will be even greater. I want to spread that joy all over the earth! I’ve made a decision this week. Seeing all the senior missionary’s has lead me to decide that if the opportunity presents itself, I want to serve one with my future spouse. It’s the least I could do to pay back the lord for the countless blessings he has given me. But back to matters of the temple, because of the temple closure, they invited my district and several other members of our zone to go clean the temple. It’s going to be a really awesome experience to be able to clean the temple. I hope that even though we’re only cleaning, I can still find an opportunity to grow and learn from just being there. So crazy stuff happening within our district, one of our sisters has been having heart problems, and it turns out that it’s most likely anxiety induced. So as of right now there’s a big chance she’s going home this week. Which is really sad. Seeing people go home early makes me really sad, but I know that her mission has yet to stop. She is going to serve throughout her life. She’s an amazing person and has had such a positive impact on our district and in my life as well. I’m so grateful to her for her willingness to help others and to sing the song of the gospel for all to hear. Our Tuesdaynight devotional was with Elder Taylor of one of the quorums of the seventy(not sure which one). He’s main topic was on searching out for sacred grove experiences. It made me think about some of the life changing prayers that I’ve had. And it’s made me also think about how unbelievably sweet the atonement and repentance is. I have such a testimony of the saving power of the atonement, I know that while we all become stained each and every day. We all make mistakes and feel sorrow for that which we’ve done. We have a guilt and regret that is within us, but through the atonement, we are able to be made clean. When we come unto Christ and truly repent, we are able to have exceedingly great joy.  As Alma says in his chapter 36:26 21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy. I know that sin brings nothing but pain. Wickedness never was happiness. But that being said we are able to have all that pain removed from us through the blood of the savior. And I can testify that the joy we feel when we are truly repentant is unmatchable. Being able to comeback into the presence will be the greatest joy any of us will ever have. So this week I invite all to come unto Christ. And to humble yourself before him and repent of those things that you have done that are offensive in the sight of the lord. I’m so grateful for you all. Be sure to send more pictures and let me know how everything is going! I love you all and I know that the lord loves each and everyone of you! I need to apologize for being terrible at taking pictures and letting you all see what’s going on. It’s just inconvenient to take them. I’m always more focused on other matters. But I will try to get some more for everyone! -Elder Smith