Sept 22, 2013

To Dad

I am learning a lot. I have learned how to use the gift of tongues for one. It is dependent on what I have learned in my studies but it comes when I trust in Heavenly Father's ability to bless me and when I have a love and desire to share the gospel. I have had many personal conversations with Christ since I've been here. Obviously, I needed His help. One problem that I've always had is having confidence in my ability to receive correct instruction from Him. I didn't trust myself, but I didn't trust His ability to send me blessings. Now I  am working on developing that faith and hope. I have received very specific instructions from Him. It sounds like everyone is really appreciative that I am here on a mission. I am appreciative of their needs and want to be a blessing for my family. I will do my best but I have to follow the spirit in all things. The gospel should be something that changes our lives. I hope you all are striving to learn more about the gospel everyday. As you seek to find what change is possible in your life, you will realize what callings the Lord has to give to you. It is so true that Heavenly Father is involved in each one of our lives. Even in the Philippines I have met many members who bare the same testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and who are coming to know Him personally just like all of you are at home. He does live and His work is real. 

Well, I think of you often Dad when I'm walking around this place. We often have appointments in the countryside and it is very beautiful to walk past the expansive rice fields and to see the jungle-covered mountains in the distance. You would love it. The houses are mostly huts made out of cinder block or bamboo. They are all dirty, but the people manage to dress well. Everyone has t.v's and cell phones for the most part.

Everyone is very kind and welcoming to me. Yesterday in sacrament meeting I played the piano. I also got to accompany the Young Single Adult choir and my companion, who has an amazing singing voice, directed it. She sings like Adele. It's cool. We sang Our Savior's Love and I came up with a sort of rendition that made it sound nice. It was fun for me. People get really into events here. They begin celebrating Christmas in September. So yeah, it's Christmas here right now! Well for the choir performance they had us all match and they had green scarves for all of the sisters and the brothers wore red ties. They are awesome. They language is coming for me slowly but surely. It took me about a week to be able to understand their accents. 

Well, I'll talk to you again soon Dad. I hope all is well. Love you tons! Rely on the Lord. Go to Him and we will show you how much He knows you, loves you, and can personally guide you. Go to Him and He will utilize your personal talents.

Love,

Kell

Branch President and Wife

 

Sept 7, 2013 part 2

Braquel had just sent me a picture of she and her district.  I thought she looked really good and commented to her about it, so, this is her reply to my commnet:

I have lost some weight, I think. Which I think is a great accomplishment being in the environment I am. Some of my roommates have drawers full of candy and snacks that they either buy or are sent by their families. I'm glad I don't have that problem!!

Well, it's a beautiful day. I've got a lot to get done, so I need to get going now. I miss you so much. I wish I could see you right now as well. I will talk to you tomorrow though!

I love you so much. The Lord has blessed me a lot. I have grown in many ways. One way is that I have more confidence in myself and in my choices. I don't know why that hasn't been there naturally for me, but it hasn't. I am happier, for sure. I am often still tempted with discouragement, but I now understand why I can overcome it as well as how. Life is wonderful. God is great. Please tell of my siblings that I have a testimony of God and Jesus Christ and of the church they have established for us. It is true. It is the way to happiness and to fulfilling our purpose. Tell them I love them. I don't know how mail will work in the Philippines, but I hope I will still hear from them as often as possible. Thanks for everything!

Sept 7, 2013

Today is my last day in the MTC. It has been good. The only thing I will miss about the MTC, however, will be my teachers. They have been great and I'm sad to leave them. Also, being with my district and branch. I have loved all of them as well.

I have had many great experiences since I've been here and I've had my testimony solidified. I have grown so close to my Father in Heaven and to my Savior, Jesus Christ.

I am ready to get out there and get started. I know it is going to be really difficult. But, it will be so rewarding to just work and focus on other peoples' needs for awhile.

For our Sunday devotional last week, Brother and Sister Taylor spoke to us. He was the Philippines' MTC president for the last few years. They spent half of the time telling us all about the Philippines. It was cool. My district felt like their message was just for us, though it may have been somewhat applicable to all of the other missionaries there. Sister Debra Taylor is an amazing individual. She once traveled to Zimbabwe because she felt like she needed to learn about humility or something. She also mentioned that she has served with Mothers Without Borders. She and her husband bore great testimonies. His was classically prepared. He used a lot of emotion in his speech and he quoted from a lot of Isaiah verses. It was pretty cool to hear.

On Tuesday, we had Elder David F. Evans of the seventy speak to us along with his wife, sister Mary Evans. He was awesome. He talked about the progression of revelation on missionary work that has happened in the last year. First, with President Thomson's call for more missionaries and the age change. Then they had revelation to guide them in all the steps that needed to be taken to handle the influx of missionaries. They created 58 new missions this past year where normally they only create about 4 new ones per year. They changed the number of missionaries in each mission. There used to be a maximum of about 250 and now that is about the minimum. They reduced the amount of time each missionary spends in the MTC. They opened the MTC in Mexico which he said has been a huge blessing. And finally, another important revelation has been the creation of sister missionary training leaders. I guess they didn't used to have these. They are like zone leaders but are assigned to watch over the sisters. This is a blessing because zone leaders can't exactly take care of the needs of the sisters like sister training leaders can. 

Probably the coolest part about his talk was his telling about the general authority meetings that occurred before last October's conference. I will paraphrase what was said for you:

He said that Elder Holland taught a class about the doctrine of Christ. (How cool would that be to sit in on a lesson that Elder Holland shares with all of the other Apostles!) Elder Evan's said that afterwards Elder Holland came up to him and expressed how he felt he had not done as good of a job as he hoped and that he felt unsure of how he exactly delivered his address. I just thought that was a funny thought. 

The next day, they gathered again for more talks and lessons. This time Elder Eyring got up to speak. He told them how Elder Holland had provoked him to study the doctrine of Christ again in 2 Ne 31. He said he realized that the doctrine of Christ is really an expression of love between father and Son. Throughout the scriptures, Christ always references the Father, and whenever you hear the Father speak in the scriptures He always expresses His love for His son. I thought this was a powerful realization and it shows how much love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ possess for each other. They are one in purpose.

President Eyring also said he read on through the book of Jacob as well. He said he noticed something new about the allegory of the olive trees in Jacob 5. He noticed that all of the servants of the Lord up until the last one had asked for more time to do the work they needed to do. The last servant, however, calls for more servants instead of more time. The next day was when President Monson made his announcement. Cool huh?

Today and tomorrow will be very busy for me. I have to finish packing, do laundry, write a talk, and work on composing an accompaniment on the piano for a choir piece that my district will be singing tomorrow in sacrament meeting. I also will be going to the temple today and then I have class. I have confidence that Heavenly Father hears my prayers and will help me this day. One thing that I've gained a testimony of in the MTC is miracles. Miracles happen for me as I exercise faith in God and His ability to bless me. It really does work. He really does love us and desires to bless us. His ability to bless us, however, is conditional upon us asking Him. As we grow our faith, we will have the power to work miracles. I know this is true. The gospel contains all happiness. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

August 31, 2013

Well I've had another great week here at the MTC. Thank you all for the wonderful birthday gifts and letters. I loved receiving them!!

We got our flight plans yesterday morning!! We were all so excited. It almost felt like a Christmas morning. We were even more excited to find out that we will all be on the same flights together for the most part. I am so grateful that we will all be going to the same mission. We are closely bonded and I'm glad we don't have to be totally separated. We will be leaving Sep 8, which is a Sunday. Our first flight takes off at 6:10 PM in SLC. I can't remember the times of my layovers, but I will send those to you soon so you can know when to expect my phone calls. We have a layover in Los Angeles and in Hong Kong. It's going to be a very similar flight as my one to Singapore so I know what to expect. Lol. I am so excited to get out there! I thought I would be nervous but I'm not at all. I just can't wait to get going on everything. I feel like I've learned a lot of Tagalog and I will work really hard this week, but I think I am pretty well prepared, or at least as well prepared as I can hope to be. I just want to get out there.

I got to hear from another Apostle this week. I feel really blessed! The spirit was the same. I felt the reality of Heaven. I felt the presence of the Savior. Seriously, I think I know what it will feel like to be in Heaven, at least in part. The Apostles carry that spirit with them. I will at least be able to recognize the feelings I think when I get there as I'm sure you all will who have the church in you lives. I am so grateful to have the gospel in my life. It is God's true doctrine sent to us so that we might be able to find our way back to Him. I am so grateful to know what the purpose of life is and who I am and where I come from. An answer to one of my prayers this week was that for a moment I received revelation (in the form of a sort of feeling + idea) about the fact that Christ knows me better than myself because He remembers who I was before I came here. I know He has a specific plan and purpose for me on this earth. I am so grateful for that knowledge! I hope you can all feel the same and that you can all have the same revelation given to you. I feel very loved and okay with myself. I recognize that it is a miracle that I can even receive that kind of revelation. I am grateful that I have been put in the MTC and given the responsibilities that I've been given because they have forced me to follow Christ. And now I have such a greater understanding of Him and of His doctrines and why they are what they are. 

Oh yeah, so the Apostle was Neil L Anderson. He spoke about love and sacrifice. He said, "We sacrifice for what we love and we love what we sacrifice for." I know that I have been stretched to grow more than I ever could have thought I could since I've been on my mission. God intentionally makes life a little bit more difficult for those who commit to follow Him and for those who are faithful to Him. It is more difficult because the trials are greater, but easier because I have better access to His love and I know that I cannot fall very far for He is guiding me. I think of the Apostles of Christ who walked the earth with Him and I think of Christ Himself. They endured unimaginable trials. What I have learned, however, is that I am going to be grateful for the trials that God will send to me on my mission because I will then understand suffering better. I will have more compassion for the poor of the earth who suffer much. I will also have a greater appreciation for the suffering that my Savior went through for me. It is humbling but satisfying. I know I will have great trials on my mission because I have now received two priesthood blessings that have told me so. In my last one, the Elder said, "remember that as you endure through these trials, then the blessings will come." I was feeling really down Wednesday night after I had received this blessing. God let me feel the weight of the burdens that I will have to carry. I was sad and I was a bit confused because I wanted God to give me relief from burdens that I already had, not more to carry. I don't even know what these trials will be, but I just felt burdened already. But in my heart I felt a bit of comfort knowing that Christ stretches those who choose righteously on purpose and that because of my suffering that I might have to endure I will become stronger and more compassionate. One of the biggest struggles about being a missionary is that you have to overcome selfishness. There is no room for it when your life's purpose is to bring people to Christ. My life is for them now and so I have to be put on hold for a while. I will tell you all the truth. IT IS NOT EASY. In your prayers, please remember to pray for strength for me. I need it. Yet, through it all, I am happier than I have ever been before because I am so grateful for the wonderful lessons I am learning. I am learning about the secrets to life and how to find peace and happiness! I bear my testimony to you that God is real. We are His children. He has a plan for us. He loves you. We have the amazing opportunity to become better than we were before in this life. Don't let trials get you down. Don't let your mistakes make you feel guilty. We have a Savior who has atoned for us and who has demonstrated PERFECT LOVE so that we might be able to return to our Father in Heaven. There is no way around needing humility in this life. It is so much better to be humble. You will be more happy. Rely on your Savior. Learn from Him. He can teach you everything you need to know and He will most likely teach you through your experiences, so watch carefully! Take time to ponder and study. I promise He will speak to you.

I love you all. After Elder Anderson's devotional, we got to walk home in the rain. It was so fun! We were all soaked, but I was so happy and we just had a lot of fun. That was probably one of my favorite experiences that I've had here yet.

I think I need to head out now, but I will try to write soon. Sorry I didn't get a letter sent this week.

LOVE YOU SO MUCH,

Kell