Last week in the MTC

I can't believe that this is my last P-Day at the MTC!

The time really does fly by, and I've heard it goes even faster in the field. That's great if there is someone here at the MTC that will be going to Oaxaca with me. Especially someone who knows Spanish really well. That's strange he's not in my travel group. As much as I like it here at the MTC I am ready to go out and get my real mission started. 

It was so sweet that Josh was able to send a recording to you all from me. Josh and Tyler also left me a little note and an awesome MoTab CD. I really treasure their advice and loved what they wrote. I know that I am about to jump off the deep end, and I know I will never be able to prepare myself for that. I have been thinking a lot this week, that in my life, I have never been so desperate that all I could do was turn to the Lord. I have been blessed so much and I have been comfortable all my life. I know that this mission will knock me down to my knees, begging for help from my Heavenly Father because I will have no other option. I know that whenever that experience happens for me, I will be a changed person. 

This week we had Elder Quentin L. Cook come and speak at devotional! The MTC choir sang Praise To the Man. It was such a cool experience. Elder Cook spoke a little about the process for assigning missionaries. He said that the decision is of course a revalatory one and he personally looks and ponders a few things while making the assignments. He said that he tries to match the missionary with a mission president that he thinks they would thrive with. I thought that was really interesting. He said he also goes by which people the missionary needs to teach, and finally he takes into consideration what language the missionary needs to learn. Elder Cook described how spiritually draining the process is for the Apostles and what he said really makes me believe that my call is from The Lord. 

Also, this week we had a missionary from our district go home. It was tough on the entire zone. The MTC changes people, and I was able to see the growth of his testimony the 5 weeks he was here. If that Elder didn't have a testimony of the Church, he wouldn't have gone home. He went home because he found out that this whole mission thing, and our message is real. It sucks because right now he so ready to serve his mission but he knew that he had to go home. It is insane how much of a huge family we have become and we are all leaving each other on Monday. 

We have been told that our first convert is ourselves. I have already felt like I have changed so much and I haven't gotten into the field yet. I know I will be so humbled by the people of Mexico and they will teach me so much. I know that if I can share the simple and eternal truths that I know, the Spirit will be able to touch those who have been prepared by God to hear my message. Elder Cook also stressed that WE are the message. If I can have the Light of Christ in me, the people will notice that something is a little bit different about me and my message. And it won't just be because I am a goofy white kid in the middle of Oaxaca Mexico that they will think I'm different.

Love you so much!

-Elder Smith