Last Day at MTC

Well, I can say that I have enjoyed my stay here at el CCM (MTC).  Not that it was easy, but through the learning and stretching and the knowledge that comes through the Gospel, I have grown and become a better person and servant of the Lord.

Tomorrow morning I leave for Argentina and will be there for the duration of my mission.  One thing I am determined to teach people about is the Atonement.  I have realized much more of what the Atonement of Jesus Christ is…and it’s incredible.  I want to share with you some of my thoughts about it because it’s so impressive and I invite everyone to further understand their knowledge of it, members of the church and nonmembers.  Through my more understanding of the Atonement, I have gained more faith for everything.

God sent us here to learn and to progress.  It is through the challenges that he allows to beset us that we grow.  But it is only if we overcome the challenges that we learn and become better. The Atonement that Jesus Christ performed while he was on the earth is everlasting, ever redeeming, and ever enthralling.  Christ suffered for every wrongdoing, every sin, every hurt, and every anguish.  Because he has done this, he has answered the demands of justice for the penalty of sin and wrongdoing. Every rough trial we go through in life will be made up for in the life after.  All wrong will be made right.  All unfair will be made just.  And all heartache will be made joy.  Only if we come unto Christ with full purpose of heart, having faith, repenting, being baptized, and enduring to the end can we receive the blessings of this Atonement.

21 And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.

22 And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.

23 And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.

-2 Nephi 9: 21-23

The Atonement is everything.  There would be no reason for life on Earth without it.  It gives reason to life and it provides redemption to everyone.  This gives me power to go through anything and everything in life with faith that it will all be made right in the end as long as I keep my end of the bargain.  Which is simply…to obey.  Everyone is supposed to receive this gift.  Even my close friends :)  That is why I’m on a mission.  To spread this message to people.  The Atonement covers……everything.  And is the answer and reason to everything.  To my friends who aren’t members of the Church, I promise that this is the true Church of God.  The same Church that Jesus Christ established when he lived.  It was taken away because people distorted it.  But God has restored it on the Earth again because we were finally ready to receive it. It was restored through a humble young man, Joseph Smith, who was a true prophet of God and called by God to be so.  I promise this is true.  I know this is true.

Thank you for letting me share.

To member friends and fam….have you seen the NEW new Temple video yet???!!!!  Not the one that came out 4 or 6 months ago but one that came out in the past couple weeks???!!!  It is incredible and I received personal revelation through it.  Definitely made for our day in age.  I invite you to go see it and go with a question or thought in mind that you want an answer or help with.

Love you all!  Talk to you on the other side!

-EO

Me and hermana Calder

My branch

My branch!

The Brotherhood

The river i fell in

The bubbles that have gyms inside like volleyball, weightlifting, and basketball

Branch singing. We do it together every night.

At Jamba Juice.  One of the perks of west campus.

Hermano Dolbin!  He’s an incredible example and has taught me a TON too.  My teachers were the best part of my MTC experience.

Hermano Dolbin!

Branch President Stewart.  A stalwart man and a grandpa to me.  A blessing.

Some of my favorite buds.  Our friendship flourished through volleyball haha

Volleyball!!!!

This deer was in front of our dorm…crazy!  It’s left back leg was dangling off…crazy! Poor thing.  I’m not sure what happened to it.

My maestra!  Hermana Savage.  She’s incredible and taught me A LOT. We are doing a sign that means cool I guess in Uruguay where she served.

All the Works at the MTC

Hello!

An Elder in my district dropped his half gallon of milk right after buying it last week and it just so happens that my companion tripped on it, smashed it with his foot, which propelled the dairy contents into the air and onto me, the poor soul standing behind him haha!  I was drenched…it was weird how perfectly it worked haha.  My brown shoes need a reshining :)

I also walked on the ice, over the little river in our classroom complex…and it actually broke through  this time after many other successful attempts!  I was wet from shins down but was heading to a devotional at the time, but I had to go right away so I walked in with squeaky shoes and warm moisture inside.  What’s good!?

Mom asked what my daily schedule is like and this is it: We wake up around 6:20am-ish (can’t sleep after 6:30).  Get to breakfast at the cafeteria at 7:00.  It’s a nice cafeteria, got the works, and has rice milk for me to use for all my cereal desires! At 7:30 we have study time until 10:30am.  We do personal study from the scriptures and also language study and then companionship study to practice what we will teach our practice investigators that day.  We gots GYM from 10:30-11:30!  We go play volleyball and it’s da bomb diggity!  It’s so fun and I’m getting so good.  Then lunch at 12:00. Class at 1:15pm-4:15pm. We have truly AMAZING lessons by our teachers.  We also teach a lesson also during this time, in companionships to our practice investigators, which are our teachers acting as investigators.  A lot of good stuff happens during those lessons.  That’s where we learn a TON on how to teach better and what to improve upon.  I’ve enjoyed some spiritual experiences during these lessons.  There are moments when I feel my soul on fire with the spirit and I teach with power.  I have felt my companion’s power as well.  He brings a lot of good insights to the table and the spirit works through him as well which is awesome!  My teachers are the hip to the hop! They are INCREDIBLE.  We have two.  Hermana Savage (female…hence the “a”) and Hermano Dolbin (male…hence the “o”…teach you all some espanol.)  Hermana Savage is good at teaching the fine details of understanding investigators like why people who are happy are still in need of the Gospel. and Hermano Dolbin is good at teaching us how to find out the needs of an investigator and how they are fulfilled by the Gospel.  Finding out investigator’s needs are the most important part to teaching lessons.

4:30 is dinner.  5:15-8:15 more classtime.  8:15-9:15 study time.  9:15 sing a hymn with the whole branch…really fun. 9:30-10:30 personal time.  10:30 bed.

I am learning to never look at people for their faults.  It’s downright mean and makes you feel awful.  I did that to my companion early on and it was a huge mistake.  My thoughts have to be directed towards his strengths and that is all.  That’s when God blesses our companionship and we work well in lessons together.  I hope I can ditch all dumb habits I have here and acquire the new and good during these last 8 days I have in the MTC.  So as to not waste one moment further here and in Argentina.  I have flight plans for Argentina on Jan. 27!  Going through Atlanta, Georgia (just like Dad always says, “you pass though Atlanta before you reach Heaven or Hell” hahaha something like that.)  Then onward to Buenos Aires, Argentina. 8 days!  Gotta learn so much more before then!

Hey! I love you all!

-Elder Orme

P.S My Spanish is still slowly yet surely coming along.  Still a lot broken but it’s pretty good.  Please continue to pray that I may have the gift of tongues, the discernment of tongues, and the discernment of feelings.  Thank you!  And sorry for no pictures for a while…memory card went berserk.  Got a new one so lots of pics will come.

Wow o Wow

Can I just start off by saying how wonderful my family is…  And my friends…  And perhaps all the people in the world.  Wow, people are so cool.  I just love them!

I’m still learning a ton.  I love the people I interact with here at the MTC.  I especially love it when I am filled with the love of Christ.  Because when I do I only feel goodness towards people.  I am learning to be more humble with people.  Sometimes they bug me when they seem to do selfish things.  I selfishly do things sometimes too and it’s so dumb! But I love people.

Can I also say that I wish the best for everyone!  It is so hard to see people suffer, sometimes for their own decisions and too many times because of other’s.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ doesn’t change people!!  People have to change.  This life is all about agency and learning from it.  Albedrío is what it’s called in spanish.  It is hard to change.  But the only way to feel Christ’s love is if we let him in.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ only changes people who choose to change.  They may feel it’s good affects, but cannot grasp its entirety until they try it out for themselves.  With this mindset, it is so much easier to love people for how they can change and for what they can become.  The only hard thing is to watch those that could have a much better life, suffer for their poor decisions.  Deep down I feel like that is the only main hard thing in this life.  God is so loving to give us the opportunity to learn to choose good.  “He’s da beist!”

I don’t have very many exciting stories to tell yet, haha, the only thing that changes here at the MTC is yourself.

I can’t say much more in spanish than “muy bien!” when I’m asked “Como esta?”  But I can tell you in spanish how God has prepared a way for us to live fulfilled, happy, lives with our loved ones. That’s pretty cool “in’t it!”

Loves to ya’ll! :D

-Elder Orme