Week 5

Hi Mom and Family,

Thank you for the snacks and all the other stuff in the packages. I was so excited when I received your cookies. Estuvieron fantastico! Thanks for all the support. As for all my other friends and stuff, I don't know if I will have time to read all the emails, so a weekly or monthly email would be great. Good luck with Trek this week, I hope it goes very well for you.

Another great week at the MTC. Probably my best week so far. I love the MTC, and I know that I am going to miss it when I get out into the field. I have grown so much in the past month, and I can't wait to get to the field.

Here are my highlights of the week:

First of all, I got my travel plans!!! I am going to Texas! I leave monday August 5 at 8:30 in the morning. This means waking up at around 3:30 in the middle of the night. Woooo. I am so excited. I will probably be calling you around 7:00 in the morning before I leave on the plane. I have a direct flight straight to Dallas, and I will get their at 12ish.

My week started out great, with probably my best day at the MTC so far on sunday. Each sunday, we have to write and prepare a talk in spanish. This week I was one of the randomly selected people to give my talk. It is very hard to speak when not knowing the language very well, because I don't like to write out my talks completely. I had to for this one though. Even though I had to read my church talk, I was still able to bring the spirit really strong, and it really helped my confidence in the language. For the devotional sunday night, I had the oppurtunity to usher, which was another great experience for me. To end the day off, after the devotional we watched a talk given by Elder Bednar entitled: Character of Christ. It was very motivational, and probably my favorite talk of all time. It was very direct, and I learned that I have a lot to work on to become the missionary I want to become.

This week I also hosted new missionaries on Wednesday. I realized that I really haven't been gone very long, because I remember getting dropped off like it was yesterday. It was fun to see this process from the other perspective.

This week, I have also learned so much about what I must do as a missionary. I have an amazing teacher that has taught me so much. His name is Hermano Salisbury, and he had a very successful mission when he served. He has taught me so much, but the most important thing that I have learned is to make each lesson very specific to the investigator. Teach to their needs, and get to know them the best you can. Elder Holland said something like, "As you get to know your investigators, what they say will tell you exactly what you need to teach and how to teach it." Knowing the lesson plans can be great, but knowing the investigator is much more impoartant. I learned that companionship study is the place where we really find out what to teach. So here is my experience:

We have an investigator who is very familiar with the Bible, doesn't go to church, has a daughter and lives with his girlfriend. He is also a very self confident man who wants to be right, and likes to hear himself talk. One night for my companionship study, we discussed what our investigator needed to hear. Revelation started coming, and we came up with and adjustable plan that would boldy tell him that he need to go to church. The key in our lesson was being bold, but doing it in a sweet way. So being sweetly bold. The next day in our lesson, the spirit was very present, and our investigator (who is Hermano Salisbury) was feeling the spirit very strong as well. Our lesson went great even though he didn't commit to going to church. After our lesson, Hermano Salisbury gave us some feedback on our lesson, by saying, "As an investigator, I tried to find ways to argue what was being said, but I couldn't. As an investigator I try to follow how I am feeling as myself, and I knew that I needed to go to church. The investigator though didn't want to be proven wrong so instead of answering yes, I just said I don't know. Even though I knew I needed this." It was a great experience for me, and I knew that with the Lord's help I am able to change lives. I was able to know exactly what to say and how to say it because I had the spirit with. It gave me great confidence that I would be able to follow the promptings of the spirit, and teach with power. I can't wait to be in the field. Only 9 days!!!!!!

Love,

Elder Stewart
 

Week 4

Hi Mom,

After my second week at the MTC, I was beginning to get a little bored of the MTC. I continue to pray all the time for patience and humility, and I have already seen changes in my life. My companion and I were struggling a little bit at the beginning of the week, and as I prayed for patience, my attitude towards him got a lot better. We are closer now than before. We are both having a great time, and learning so much. The end of the week has been so much fun. Nothing special about it, lots of studying and spanish, but I am starting to love all the studying. I have felt the spirit so strong which has brought me happiness and peace.

I am so excited to get out into the field! I am not really tired of the MTC, I just can´t wait until I go change people´s lives through the gospel. My companion and I have gotten to the point where we don't have to worry about how to say what we want to in spanish, but we are able to focus on the needs of the investigators. The most important teaching priniple I have learned so far, and probably the most important thing I will take with me, is to teach people not lessons. Our lessons so far have been us teaching the doctrine like it says in Preach my Gospel. I know that to teach effectively, I must teach each lesson as to how it will change investigators lives for the better. TRC has really helped with that, teaching real people instead of our progressing fake investigators.

I don't have any travel plan's yet, I will pick those up either next friday or saturday. My guess is that I will be leaving around 2:30 also, because the morning flights are cheaper. So, be expecting the call most likely at 4:30 in the morning. :)

My spanish is improving so fast. It was hard to see that the first couple of days, because a lot of what we learned was just review. Now, however, I have seen that my spanish has improved so much! The hardest part I must say in learning the language is being pacient. I want to have the language down so badly by the time that I leave the MTC, but I know that it won't happen. So, I keep working hard and diligently to improve my spanish as much as I can each day. I have also learned that to qualify for the gift of tongues, I must speak as much spanish as I can all the time, every day. It can be hard when everyone else talks in english, but I have been trying.

Thank you for the update on how the family is doing. I love hearing about everything, because it helps me feel like I am still with you.

This part is for Brooklynn

Happy Birthday! I hope that you had fun this week, and I want you to know that I love you so much! I miss you a lot. I am still having a lot of fun, so I hope you don't worry about me too much. I know that you didn't want me to go, but remember that this is what I should be doing. How was your birthday? Did Mom and Dad do a good job? I know they did. I wish I could be at your baptism, but I am so happy that you want to be baptized. On my mission I will be helping people get baptized just like you are. Let me know how it is. Happy Birthday!

Elder Stewart

 

 

Dad,

 

I am glad everything is going well! Haley has been getting back later than I did when I worked. That was my least favorite part of work was closing those late nights, but I am very greatful that I had a job. These 16 hour days of missionary work seem like lots of fun compared to school, beauty and the beast practice and then work. Those times of never being home, and working all the time have prepared me very well for my mission.

 

I wish I could have been there for Brooklynn's birthday, but it sounded like she had so much fun. I am very sad that I won't be able to be at her baptism, but I know this is where I am supposed to be right now.

I have been in all the choirs, and loved it. This last week we sang this beautiful arrangement of Nearer my God to Thee, which sounded like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The devotionals have also been amazing. We haven't had any big name general authority, but each week has a general authority or a emeritus general authority as the speaker. I love the devotionals, and I always get so pumped to go out into the field after them. I really can not wait to teach people and bring the light of Christ into their lives.

 

I am getting along with everyone very well. I still love my district even when they are annoying. :) I finally remembered what I needed, and that is: Two of my long sleeve shirts are too small. I think I need 35/36 length, and 16 around the neck. If that is wrong, I will send you a letter this week. I don't really need it any time soon, just before winter. Also I would like my mission call letter if you can. I won't say no to any more food either. Thank you!

 

It is interesting that you sent me that quote, because that is something I have noticed this week with my companion. He sometimes has a hard time staying focused even during companionship study. I have been on his case a bit, and one day I was just so mad at him that I held back and didn't say much to him the next morning. I kept thinking that he was the one to blame and I hadn't done anything wrong. I prayed for him, but more importantly for pacience. As the week went a long, I noticed that as my attitude towards him changed so did my feelings. Our relationship now is better than before. We are great friends, and are having a great time together. I really don't have any problems with him.

 

Thank you for keeping me updated!

I love you!

Elder Stewart

 

 

Week 3

I am at the actual MTC. An average day at the MTC includes personal study, language study, and additional study. We also have two classes a day for 3 hours each, where we have gospel study, language instruction, and role play practice with our teacher as a fake investigator. Each day we then have gym time and of course three meals a day. I am learning so much.

For my spanish, I learned how to roll my Rs this week!!! The gift of tongues is real. I have taught 9 or 10 discussions so far, so I can barely have a conversation, I just need more work especially on comprehending what the other person says. This week, I had my first chance to participate in what is called TRC. This is where we teach actual members a lesson. It was great practice on how to begin a lesson. My companion and I went into this lesson with out anything planned, because we didn't know, and yet we were able to teach for 20 minutes. The spirit was so strong, and I was directed on exactly what and how to say what I needed to. This was by far, one of the best experiences I have had since I came to the MTC. I loved it so much!

I have learned throughout all of these role plays, that when you go into a lesson with everything prepared as to what you will say, the spirit isn't present. I have learned that I must have faith that the spirit will help say what needs to be said, and I have already seen it. Another great experience this week happened in my last lesson. My companion and I taught for about the same amount of time, instead of me dominating the lesson. We were really in tune with the spirit, and my companion was able to teach more than he had in the past.

To keep ourselves entertained at night, the elders in my room made a four square court out of tape, and we hung up a nerf basketball hoop. The fastest hour of the day is definitely the last one, where we have a chance to relax and unwind for the night. We have had some pretty crazy nights. Another one of our hobbies, is that on new missionary day, we go around to all of the rooms with new missionaries. We knock on the door, and then one of the Elders in my room walks in without saying anything, and I take his picture with everyone in the room. We have gotten some great pictures!

I am definitely doing great! I might be getting a little bit sick of the MTC, but I still love it!

I love you all very much!

Elder Stewart

 

 

Second Week

Hello Everyone!

I still love the MTC, the spirit here is amazing. I had my very first spiritual experience this week and I would like to tell you about it:

On Saturday this last week, I talked with my teacher, and she asked if I wanted to take a test that would transfer me into the intermediate class if I passed. I said I would take the test, but this would mean that I would have to leave my district. This made my decision very difficult to make. I prayed and fasted on Sunday to receive an answer to my prayers. The answer came to me on Sunday, when the 1st counselor of my branch presidency gave a talk about humbling yourself. He said very boldly to us, "You must forget about you, and begin worrying about those around you and your future investigators." I then realized at this time that I was put into my district for a reason. At first I thought going into the intermediate class would be good for me, because everyone else would accept me more. It doesn't matter though. I decided to stay in my district and help my companion who has never been in a Spanish class before learn the language. It was a very humbling experience.

This week, we also had our first devotional at the Marriott center. My favorite part of the entire devotional was walking back to the MTC. This is because, there was over 2000 missionaries all walking back at the same time. It literally reminded me of the 2000 stripling warriors. We are God's army and we are all ready to serve. I am so blessed to be a part of the wave of missionaries. It is an amazing thing.

On the fourth this week, we also were able to watch the fireworks from the MTC. It was great to take a break from all our studying, and to have a good time with my district. I loved it. The MTC makes me so happy all the time. I am also tired all the time, but always happy. I know that when we put our trust in the lord when doing his work. He will provide a way for us, and He will bless us with happiness. I love this gospel, and am so excited to share it with everyone.