Last Week In The MTC

 So travel plans, I leave at 4:30 pm on monday afternoon from the MTC and i fly from salt lake to LA at 8:20 and should be at LA at 9:20. I then have a four hour lay over in LA and leave LA at 1:30 in the morning. 14 hours later on wednesday morning I arrive in hong kong, have a two hour layover and ten fly to manila. That's all I know for now but the bus ride will be anywhere from 8-12 hours. so I'll prolly be in the philippines on thursday of next week. I am excited that elder cook will be in my mission the end of august and that will prolly be my first zone conference so that will be cool, you'll have to try out the pouch mail and just sending a letter and see which one is fastest, but I will have longer in the field to email so you guys can send emails. On sunday we had a guy who was managing director of missionaries for the church speak to us and that was pretty good, he spoke about alma and the sons of mosiah and how they became effective missionaries. But after i watched a talk called missions are forever given by elder holland and that was really good, he said that when we are set apart as an elder, we are as close to apostolic as we will ever get unless we are an actual apostle, so he said that if we have an opportunity to be apostolic and as it says in D&C prophets to those who listen to us, we should not waste any time and should serve with no regrets. he said that we need be completely obedient and get rid of the things of this world. He went in to describe that if we do then we will be like the sons of mosiah and of the nephi in helaman and be able to teach wih power and authority. He described what happened to almaa and that when the angel visited him that he was so astonished that he was struck dumb for three days. then he said very forcefully that we need to astonish people, we need to be bold, forthcoming, and excited to teach repentance and faith. So as to astonish our investigators. He also siad why it is hard for investigators to accept and live the gospel, because salvation is hard. people grow up thinking that just grace saves them but that is not we believe, we have to walk through gethsemane and up to the cross, we will have suffering moments and moments of tears and anguish but we have to be strong because jesus was strong. then he said the bigest disappointment is when missionaries come home and fall away because they just don't get why they were out there and that the gospel is really hard to live but the atonement gives us strength to move forward. He also said if we really convert ourselve for two years then we have had a successful mission even if we did not bapize anyone else. So that's what I can work on for two years, converting myself. It is about to get a whole lot harder come wednesday or whenever i get to my mission but let it come and i am going to let it strengthen me and truly convert me. well keep sending letters and what not, prolly monday at noon will be the last time i get the mail here in america, I'll send letters before i leave and hopefully email once more. Have a good week!