MTC WEEK 6………….June 6, 2012

Dear Family and Friends!!!!

Well it’s been another week in the MTC and it has been a very spiritual week for me especially! So I know my emails sometimes get a little long and so for those of you who may only read this first little bit, I figured I would share my spiritual experience that I had this week. First of all I want you all to know that I love you and that our Heavenly Father loves each and every single one of you.  He knows you personally and knows what you need in your life! So this week we had many speakers and devotionals but for some reason on Fast Sunday  I felt the spirit testify to me stronger than it ever has about the power of the Atonement in my life and the life of everyone else in the world. I know for a fact the Jesus Christ died for every single one of us, so that we can all be able to repent and return to live with our Heavenly Father. I broke down in tears because of how strong the spirit was and I knew that no matter what I have done in my life or what anyone else has done in theirs, they can be forgiven no matter what, because that is the power of the infinite Atonement. It was the best day for me so far in the MTC, because of how strongly the spirit testified to me. I know I could feel that spirit because of my obedience and doing all I can!

Okay and this is something I felt yesterday during Tuesday devotional. I would love for all of you to read the Book of Mormon, if you have not read it.  If you don’t have a copy of it, I am sure you can contact my parents and they will help you out and give you one. I know how much this gospel has blessed my life and I feel like I have not done my part with sharing the gospel. So please read it if you want to know why I am doing what I am doing. There is so much truth in the Book of Mormon and the spirit will tell you why it is so good and that it is true.

I got to play a little soccer and some softball. It just brought back some good memories of when I was a kid. I felt like I missed some of those sports that I no longer play, but it also showed me at the same time that I am getting out of shape. I couldn’t even run for 40 minutes playing soccer…… ha ha.  Now I know I am out of shape! However, it was a lot of fun and definitely a great part of the day.  It’s nice to go to the gym and do something physically active, because 10 hours a day we are sitting down studying.

Last week after I sent my email, we went to the hospital for my companion. We don’t know the results yet but he seems to be doing well and things are looking better for him. So that is just a little update on that if any of you were curious about that situation.

On Wednesday I got to see Elder Wright (Tanner).  It’s hard to get used to calling him Elder  Wright …….. ha ha It was great to see him…… it was something I really needed that day, because all of our people were gone. It seemed like the day was just dragging on but when I got to see Tanner…… it just lifted me right back up. I knew that the Lord was supporting me and gave me what I needed, so I could keep pushing on and working hard!!!

We will be getting new missionaries coming into the MTC Wednesday (today) and I am so excited!!! We get to set the example and the tone for them. We’ll show them how great of an experience the MTC can be if you have the right attitude. I am so thankful for the MTC and I know that I have learned so much about myself since I have been here. I have really learned how to study the gospel and teach the gospel. It will be so fun to meet the new missionaries and get to know them tonight and then we will get the opportunity to teach them a little bit about companions on Thursday. I can’t wait for them to get here.

So something embarrassing happened to me this week………. we were in class and I was talking with my teacher and apparently we are supposed to be formal with our teachers. I didn’t realize that because I thought we were tight. So I used the informal which is Tbl but then our teacher acted super mad, but was really joking around.  I was told that with teachers you always use Bbl  (formal) and I turned so red and was so embarrassed. It was bad, but I got over it after a few minutes. I was so embarrassed that I completely messed up my sentence that I was trying to say.

It was an uncomfortable experience, but I’m still learning and now I know you speak to teachers using the formal way.

Something cool that happened was that I was trying to break the free throw record at gym. I didn’t have anyone watching me but I was just shooting and I made 10 baskets and then 20 and I thought……. Hmm……….. I could break the record and it wouldn’t matter. I kept shooting and I got to 28 and the record is 29 and so I shot another one and I made it. I tied the record, but no witnesses or anything…………… just me! Then I thought, I’ll keep going………….. but low and behold I missed! So I tied the record, but didn’t break it.

It was a sad day in the MTC. Ha ha

Another exciting thing that happened this week was that we caught a mouse. One night I saw things run across our floor and my companion hates anything that moves and so he asked

“What was that?” I said uhhhh I think someone threw something into our room. He said….. Nope, I just saw it and it was a mouse!!!!  My companion was freaking out and made me switch him bunks. But that was good for me because I sleep so much better on the bottom bunk. Anyway they gave us a mouse trap and the trap went off but we didn’t catch it. So then we put some peanut butter on the trap and caught the mouse the next day. It was fun!!!! Now I am on the bottom bunk and I have been sleeping so much better. Crazy!!!!!

Well I will leave you all with a little challenge that our substitute teacher gave us during one of our classes. The challenge was to sum up the plan of salvation in 5 sentences. It was really difficult to find the 5 most important sentences. So if you would like to take this challenge, I would love for you to send me your 5 sentences on the plan of salvation. It will be interesting to read them. I know I had a hard time doing this. Good luck :) I look forward to reading what you all have to say.

I love you all so much. I want you all to know I have a testimony of this gospel and I know that I am doing the Lords work. I know you are all being protected. I constantly pray for you all….. Every single night! I love you all and hope life is treating you all as well as it is treating me.   Take care and may the spirit of Our Heavenly Father always be with you!!

Love Elder Anthony Litchfield