I've survived my first full week as a missionary!
The MTC (missionary training center) is so amazing. The first few days are like drinking out of a fire hose....instead of drinking it all, most of it just splashes on your face! There is so much to learn and so many new faces. The first is my companion, his name is Elder Luisa Reynon, and he's from Hawaii. We get along really well! Its hard at first to be with someone 24/7 but now its kind of nice to always have someone to talk and learn with. So in the mtc, there are districts you are put in (which consists of people you are in class with every day), and those districts are put into zones. Theres 7 of us in our district and 3 districts in our zone, so 18 of us.
The first day we were thrown right into teaching! It was an amazing and eye opening experience. I have written in my journal from that day: "Trust your feeling! Let go of fear!" I've found those those two things are so helpful when trying to talk and to teach people. And it goes perfect with what I wrote in my journal yesterday: "Talk to everyone!" That practice of talking and continually trying to stretch out of my comfort zone has been a ton of fun!
My companion and I have 3 investigators right now we are teaching. Hailey, Tayla, and Carla. Carla is someone my teacher taught on her mission and she is role playing as her. At first I thought it would be kind of weird but we have grown really attached to "Carla" haha, we teach her every day. The other two are possibly real investigators. Either way, it is such a cool experience teaching and loving these people! Member of the church or not, everyone can always come closer to Christ!
One thing I have really learned is how important it is to love everyone just as the Savior loves us. It was hard at first because sometimes people are just hard to love. I'm sure I'm hard to love at times too haha! But I've really learned that as you pray and ask for that capacity to really love others like Christ loves us, that that capacity of yours will be stretched and it will grow! It's so amazing to see the atonement work in my own life and I love sharing it with others!
The first Thursday in the MTC I was called to be Zone Leader over our zone! I was really humbled as it set in how I need to be an example and help lead my fellow missionaries. It is such a cool feeling to feel the love I have for each and every missionary in our zone. As I was thinking of how I can be a good leader, when I myself am so new into the mission and not even in the mission field yet, one scripture has really come to mind and has helped me as I learn in this calling... In 3 Nephi 18:24 Jesus Christ is talking to the Nephite/Lamanites and he says: "Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up." This verse is at the exit to our residence hall on a frame that has a picture of Christ right next to a mirror. Each time I leave for the day I stop at that and look into the mirror and ask myself the questions, "What will others see in me today? Will they see the light of Jesus Christ in me? Will they see that without me even saying a word?" Those questions have really helped me every day and are a constant reminder that people are always watching!
Well, I am so excited to head to the mission field in Irvine California! I leave next Tuesday at 4am.......should be an interesting day haha I'm stoked! I am really excited to get there but at the same time I feel like I still have so much I can learn from the MTC experience. But one things for sure, I'll never stop having new things to learn and to improve on...even 2 years from now!
Until next time!
-Elder Mills"
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