MTC Week 3

Hey everyone!

This week was amazing! My district got to roleplay investigators outside of class so that each companionship could teach much lessons while the MTC is short on helpers. I got to play the role of Shaq'uiel Anetetokoumpo (yes I picked the name). He's a friend that wants to know about eternal families so that he can marry his girlfriend and be with her forever. He's a really great guy and a phenomenal ball player. Half my district left Monday morning leaving only 6 of us at the MTC. It was definitely a different experience without them. Today our numbers have been reduce to only 4 Elders as the last pair of Sisters left early this morning. I can't say for certain but I'm pretty sure I'm starting to understand how Ether felt watching the Jaredites all slowly disappear. Ok maybe that's not the best analogy but it could we worse. We talked a lot about the Priesthood this week which served to remind that I need to have the Spirit with me when I'm teaching cause I don't know nearly as much as I thought I did. The MTC let everyone stay up late on July 3rd to watch Stadium of Fire from one of the building and it was so amazing! I can't imagine how epic it would be been to actually be there! We got to see the fighter jets do a fly by too and they went right over us!! All the missionaries were hyped with exceeding great hype. We had a devotional from the MTC president and it was amazing! I can't share everything he said, but the thing that stood out to me the most was when he told us about blowing up our thoughts. "Everyone has thoughts that get them down" he told us while wearing his military man helmet. "When we have unbecoming thoughts blow them up!" This idea was super simple but is so useful. Any time something discouraging or unbecoming tries to weasel into our head all we need to do is launch the most powerful explosive our mind can think of and quite literally blow it out of our minds. Trust me it actually works and your brain will never run out of explosives. I apologize that this email isn't super long but hopefully my pics will make up for that. Till next week keep on keeping on and never stop until the work is done.

-Elder Smith

PS- I got a purple hydro flask and it's awesome but I'm gonna need help decorating it. If anyone has any idea hit me up.

PPS- I dented my hydro flask two minutes after buying it but that's ok cause it's just a little dink and it adds character.

Elder Smith & Elder Reed pointing at their mission.

Elder Smith & Elder Reinarz showing off their guns.

Sister Harward (Elder Park's coat), Sister Patterson (Elder Reed's coat), Sister Jensen (Elder Smith's coat), Sister Welling (Elder Reeve's coat), Sister Sweat (Elder Steven's coat), Sister Moffat (Elder Barney's coat),

Elder Reeves, Elder Park, Elder Stevens, Elder Smith, Elder Barney, Elder Reed