Most Spiritual Week...

Hola!

 

Wow this week has been the best week of this experience so far. We had the PRIME opportunity to hear from Elder Holland from the Quorum of the Twelve on Tuesday. He gets pretty excited when he speaks. I can't remember how many times he used the line, while sobbing, "DON'T YOU DARE GO HOME!" He also told us how his mission means everything to him and how we should not waste 10 seconds of the Lord's time. He also said that the church does not apologize for what they ask of us. "We don't apologize for what is expected of you. Welcome to the church. Welcome to the big time. It's time to grow up!" There's too much that he said that I LOVED to write here, but what a great experience it was to hear from an apostle.

 

Another event that adds to my spiritual high is one I believe I shared the story with you last week. An elder in our district hurt his knee while playing soccer. They took him to a surgeon this week and did an MRI, took X-rays the whole gammit. When he met with the surgeon on Tuesday the doctor showed him in the MRI and Xray that he had torn his miniscis (sp?) and would need surgery the next morning. As you can imagine, he was pretty down. However, that night his companion E' Erni and the DL's gave him a blessing. The next morning he went in for surgery. Here's the neat part. When they opened him up...... THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG! The miniscis had been healed. There's NO doubt in my mind that the Lord blesses His missionaries. Everytime that story of this Elder is told I get shivers up my spine. It makes me realize that the work I am engaged in is REAL, and how important it is to the Lord.

 

Steph, I'm still waiting for the spanish dream to take place hopefully one of these days.  Someone asked if we have any roomates yet.... Unfortunately 3 weeks in.... NO. I wish so bad we would get some. 

 

I loved hearing of the experience of Salvador being made an Elder. Dad, you wouldn't have wanted me to be your translator. My spanish is still pretty weak. I'm hoping to have experiences like that on my mission of meeting people like Roxanna and Salvador. People that will be humble enough to let us in and teach them.

 

Well, I better take off. They called me to be the Branch Music Coordinator this past week. I need to pick out the hymns we are going to sing for Priesthood, and  Sacarament, get someone to lead, ask an Hermana to play etc. I'm going to play Onward Christian Soldiers for the musical number in sacarement meeting. It's going to be interesting to see how I do without the music. I've been practicing all week though.

 

Thanks again for all your letters, boxes etc. They make my day when my feelings are down. I LOVE the MTC. I LOVE gettting to serve the Lord. I'm hoping the Spanish will come more this week. I'm glad you all liked the pictures. I'm going to write a letter to Bishop and Sis. Wilker, but will mail it to the house. Can you get it to them for me? They wrote me this past week, but I didn't have an address to send it back to them. Have a great week!

 

 

Love---- Elder Stoddard