So I just got Dad's email, and I'm betting that it's too early in the day for Mom to have written one yet, so you might just get a letter if I don't end up having time to write a second email later today. Thanks for the advice Dad, I have been keeping a journal, writing every night - way more then I've ever done before!! And I'm actually really enjoying it. It's really awesome to records thoughts and impressions that have come to me from talks, or from scriptures I've been studying. I can't believe I've been here for a month already!! Concept of Time in the MTC is very obscured....especially when most of your day is spent in a classroom! I really appreciate what you said about having patience with my companions. The Lord has definitely been teaching me patience with Elder Bruner. He's a great guy, our personalities just don't mesh well all the time, and I find myself having to just tune him out when we are walking to and from class, or just hanging out in the dorms at night to keep myself from getting too impatient. Its surprised me too, because I've always thoguht of myself as someone who is pretty patient and flexible, and I guess I still am, its just harder when you're with the same person 24/7.
Thank you so much for all your support, love and understanding. I love getting emails and letters from you all, and I just want you to know that even if I'm not thinking about you all the time directly, I've found myself turning back to every bit of advice and everything I've learned from you, Mom, my friends, my siblings, and everything is all interconnected in the gospel. This past week I've been thinking and praying a lot about how I can become a better missionary, and have greater faith. I've been reading in Alma about Alma, Ammom, and the sons of Mosiah, and the amazing missionary experiences they had and what exemplary missionaries they were. I connected with those stories more then I ever have before, because I'm a missionary. So I've been thinking about how I can have faith like Ammom, Aaron, who converted entire cities of Lamanites, and how I can be as great of a missionary as them, and my answer came in Tuesday's Devotional. Elder Kevin W. Pearson of the 70 spoke about finding you divine identity, giving your whole self to the Lord, leaving behind everything that you thought you were, and letting the Lord take care of everything. So that is what I'm trying to do. He said the day you reach your full potential as a missionary is when you can look in the mirrior and say, "I am a disciple of Jesus Christ." This really changed my perspective on things. Last week one of the teachers told us that the Romanian Mission doesn't allow any fretted instruments, and I'm not going to lie, that really brought me down for the rest of the day. But my patriarchal blessing says that I have been endowed with a gift of music, and that I will use it in times when my words won't be as effective, and I will be able to touch the souls of those who need it. So after hearing Elder Pearson's talk, I realized that I need to stop thinking of myself as Shane Myers, who is a musician, artist, and student, and is on a mission, but as Elder Myers, a missionary, disciple, and son of God and Jesus Christ who has God-given talents that will help me accomplish the work that the Lord has in store for me.
I'm so excited to get out there and start teaching the gospel to those Romanians that have been prepared to here from no one else but me, and I'm doing everything that I can to make sure that I will be in the right place at the right time for that to happen. It's amazing being able to have a taste of what it's like to know that you are always guided by the Spirit, and that as long as I'm doing all that God commands, I will recieve blessings promised to me, and I will be able to have the faith of Ammom, Aaron, Alma, and so many other amazing missionaries that performed wondrous miracles. I also recently read Hebrews ch. 11, which talks of faith, and the miracles that were performed by men because of their faith. It's a really good pep talk to get you going if you're feeling stuck in the gospel, or just not very motivated.
Thanks again for the awesome emails, I look forward to them so much every week! I love you all!! Va iubesc! Oh, and I'll send a tape today with some Romanian on it!
Love, Elder Myers
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