MTC Week #3

Sawaddii Khrab Family!


How are you all doing? First off thank you for all of your letters and packages! It's so nice and they really help. I have gotten all of them I think. I'm sorry that I haven't mentioned them before. This week was great! I feel like yesterday I was emailing you so the time really is flying! I can't believe I'm already on week four!

The MTC is so great! This past sunday was Mission Conference so we had the opportunity of hearing from the mission presidency! It was so great! Elder Kevin W. Pearson was referenced a couple of times by various speakers so that was great! Preident Brown talked to us about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This was so great to me because it is one of my favorite things to learn about in the gospel. Then, later on Sunday night, Wayne S. Peterson talked to us all about the history of the Nauvoo Temple. I loved hearing about Nauvoo, and my desire to go back there increased even more! I really want to do that when I get home if thats alright. Then, to cap off the best day, we watched the Joseph Smith movie. I didn't know that they had redone it! That was so great to see! I was able to learn of my favorite things in the gospel on Sunday: The Atonement, The Resurrection, and the Restoration. These are all so crucial to our religion, and they are all so interesting!

This last week I decided to read the New Testament before I leave the MTC. I really wanted to learn more about the Savior's earthly ministry so that I can better teach the Thai people about Jesus Christ. I never before realized how much there is to study in Matthew 26. I encourage you all to take a good amount of time and read over it and ponder what is written. I loved it! The Savior really suffered so much for all of us! He truly does love us, and my testimony of Him is strengthening so much during my time here. I have grown so much closer to the Lord. His hand really is in everything. I know that we all say that, but it's really is true. I have realized that I have always believed IN Christ, but we have been challenged to also BELIEVE Christ. Not just that He is real, but to take His words to heart, and to really find out for ourselves if they are true. I know for myself that the words He spoke are true, and I challenge you all to know for yourselves. Study His words. FEAST upon them.

Dave told me that he loved the time he had at the MTC in Brazil to study the scriptures. Since then, scripture study has changed for me. It's become more meaningful and is my favorite part of the day. It goes by faster than the rest of the day for sure! I look forward to it every morning, and I love Sunday because we get so much more time to study on our own! I really took scripture study for granted in High School, and I wish I hadn't. Brooke and La, don't do that. ALWAYS ready your scriptures for seminary. Don't forget to have family scriptures in the mornings, I miss those.

Elder Doria and I are doing really well as a companionship. We have our differences, but we strengthen each other. We have made great strides forward in teaching investigators. During our TRC on saturday, we taught three sisters. The feedback we got was good! And then last night, when we were doing role plays, something amazing happened. As we taught the investigator, the spirit totally took over. I have never had en experience like that when I knew what to say without effort on my part. My tongue truly was loosed. I don't know if I can ever forget that.

The language is coming. It's hard, but I know that the Lord will qualify those whom HE calls. So as long as I am putting in effort, and trying to learn Thai, He will bless me as He sees fit. I realize that the Lord has lots of blessings ready for us. He is just waiting for us to be ready to be blessed. He won't give them to us unless we ask Him, and show that we are prepared for these blessings. I never realized this until we started teaching it to investigators. I really am learning so much more than I imagined! I'm really glad to be here in the MTC, and am growing to love it. Sure, I miss home and my family and friends, but I know that this is the place I want to be most right now (besides Thailand of course).

Sometimes when I think about going to Thailand, I get a little nervous about it all. It's kind of a scary thing, but yesterday, when I was having some fears, the words of a great man came into my mind. "Faith and fear cannot coexist." I knew that as I prayed to the Lord for strength that He would bless me. He helped me to remember the words of Elder Pearson, and to remember that if I have true faith in Jesus Christ, I will not have fears. I know this to be true. I was challenged by my teacher, Brother Miles, to read Ether 12. I slowly and thoughfuly went over it. I have never spent a full hour on a chapter of scripture until I read Ether 12. If you get the chance, read it, and really study it. It's an amazing chapter. The scriptures are an amazing gift that the Lord has given to us. We need to take greater advantage of the gift. I know that life can be busy, but we need to ALWAYS make time in our day to read the Word of God. They are His words. And the words of His servants are words of Him.

I love you and hope all is well! Thank you for your support!

Love,

Elder Todd