Last Week at the MTC!

October 6, 2016

Hello everyone!

Today is P-day, and we went to the temple. We did a session; it was so good. I did a family name for one of the family names that I did the initiatory for last week. (Thanks Chad for the names!) I'm so glad I got to be a temple worker before I came on my mission! It's only been 2 weeks and I can already tell how much it blessed my life. It's weird going only once a week, but it's going to be even harder not going for like 6 months.

Conference was this past weekend. I hope you all had a chance to listen to it. If you didn't, you should look it up and watch it soon! It was amazing! I've never learned so much in conference before. My favorite was Elder Nelson's talk on joy. I like how he said that we are living in perilous times, these are the latter days, no doubt. But in 2 Nephi 2:25 we know that "men are that they might have joy." So here we are, living in this world, and we are supposed to have joy! Thank goodness for the gospel and for Jesus Christ and the light we can get when we keep the commandments. Being obedient equals blessings. Be obedient, and you will have joy. There were lots of talks in conference that I liked, but that one really stuck out to me. Also, when the MTC choir sang "Called to Serve" it was amazing! We were in the MTC standing and singing as our friends and companions were representing us in the conference center, singing that song in front of the prophet! I felt the spirit so strongly!

At the MTC they do movie nights for the missionaries, and by movie night, I mean watch a talk. And we had just watched all 10 hours of conference, and then had a devotional. But we lucked out because they were showing Meet the Mormons too, so we watched that. But it was the new one. I actually don't think it's officially out yet. They added 3 people to the original 6 people they did in the first one. But it was good!

My district is super funny; we always find stuff to laugh about. Sunday night we were in the classroom, and all 6 sisters could not stop laughing (I can't even remember what was so funny) but for a solid 20 minutes we were just laughing our heads off.

On Tuesday nights, they do a devotional, and this past Tuesday, Sister Linda K. Burton and her husband came and spoke. It was so good! (Sister Burton is the general Relief Society President). But I really liked what Brother Burton said. He talked about becoming a missionary. He had his granddaughter come up (she's actually in the MTC right now) and put on his suit coat. He said that the suit represents a missionary's mantle, or purpose. We put on our name tag and represent Jesus Christ, and at first, it's way too big and you feel like you're drowning in it (because the suit coat was really big on her.) But as we serve our mission, it's like we are working out our missionary muscles and we are growing with each lesson or act of service we do. And over time, we begin to fit into the mantle, and eventually it fits! But then we go home, and are released from being a missionary, and take off the suit coat. And what we have left is what we have become. I don't know if that made any sense, the way he explained it was much more eloquent, but it was a really good analogy and the spirit was so strong!

Yesterday, Sister Gillie and I had extra time after lunch, and we decided to go into one of the rooms and just play the piano. We took turns, and while she went, I stood by the window and watched all the new missionaries coming in. I felt the spirit really strongly at that moment, and I know this is where I'm supposed to be. I realized how incredible the MTC is. They have 500+ missionaries coming in from all over the world, and they come here and get a companion and take different classes and teach different people. This place is so organized!! It works like a very intricate clock, and the spirit is always present.

It's crazy to think that this is my last week at the MTC. It feels like I just got here! Time is so warped at the MTC. The days go slow but the weeks fly by. I'm going to miss feeling the special spirit this place has, it's unlike anything in the world! But I'm excited to get into the field and serve the people in New Mexico! I leave Monday morning!!

I hope everybody is doing well! I love you more than the number of missionaries who come into the MTC each week!

Love,
Sister Withers