How Oft Will I Gather You: Week 2 (11/1/2018) Feliz Dia De Los Muertos

Feliz dia de Los muertos, y bienvinidos a la MTC!

Wait, hold up, Elder DeFord. Wasn't last week "bienvinidos a la MTC"? Yes, of course. Buuuut this week I had the opportunity to host new missionaries on Wednesday. It was really weird to think that just two weeks ago I was standing directly in their shoes. But it proceeded smoothly, I only probably put one new Elder into the wrong room. I'm sure it got figured out. Probably.

So, funny story. Actually, it's really sad. So, I ordered new name tags so that my name would be spelled DeFORD instead of DEFORD. So I picked up my tags, and was all excited about it, until..."La igleja de Jesu Cristo".....hold on. They printed them in Portuguese. Unfortunately. When I told them about it they took the Portuguese tags and wouldn't give them back. It was exceedingly disappointing. But I should get my new English tags today.

Let's see. The investigators we have this week are Andy and Josh. Andy is helping to prepare us for the Bible Belt, asking for a Bible reference for everything we say. Meeting with Josh was great, though. We taught the plan of salvation, and he soaked it up like a sponge. When we invited him to pray at the end of the lesson, I felt the spirit so strongly. I love listening to investigators pray. Sometimes it makes me think that we ourselves need to be better with our prayers. The faith and trust that they show humbles me.

Let's see. Elder Kurth and I auditioned today for his musical number, Savior Redeemer of My Soul. I have a video\sound clip that I'll include. I doubt we'll get to perform it, but I supported him the best that I could. (Editor (aka Mom) the sound clip was too big, I'll try to figure out how to include just a portion.)

A note on one of the Elders in my district: Elder Strain is incredible. He's really a rock of faith, obedient, kind. I'm very much grateful that he is in my district. I'll include a picture of the two of us. He's also helping me work out, so from the 137 lbs I entered the MTC I am now a whopping 139 pounds of pure muscle. Rawr. Haha, no. But I am at least learning a bit about weight lifting.

So it gets kind of lonely here at the MTC, so I like to cuddle with Sister Socks. See attached picture before you judge me.

For those of you keeping score at home, here is a day in the life of the MTC:

6 am: my alarm goes off, I turn it off and curl back up under my covers

6:30: Elder King's alarm goes off, and since this is the Handbook Mandated Time to be up, I roll out of bed, do a little calisthenics, get ready for the day.

7:15: We migrate to the cafeteria to eat a breakfast that usually consists of some variation on eggs, meat, and hash browns.

7:45: Elder Carraway and I prepare our lesson for our investigator.

8:30: Elder Carraway and I teach a 25 minute lesson

9:30 classroom instruction with Brother Herrod or Sister Ohrmsby, on teaching skills and the missionary lessons.

11:30 Personal and Companion study and other needful things

1 PM: lunch

1:40-5:15: additional study, an hour of exercise, some time to shower and get back into missionary attire

5:15-6: Dinner time

6:15-9:15: additional classroom instruction as earlier.

9:15: return to residence hall for the duration of the night, get ready for bed, journal

10:30 lights out

There is some variation day to day, workshops, or devotionals on Tuesday and Sunday. On the note of devotionals. Our Tuesday devotional was by Elder Carpenter of the quorum of the 70. He and his wife spoke of how our missions prepare us to choose eternal companions. I was apparently on this same wavelength, as on the first day when we were first together as a district our teacher asked each of us why we were on a mission. I slapped my new companion on the back and told him he was preparing me to be married. I had forgotten about it, but after the devotional Elder Carraway brought it up. Apparently the Sisters remembered it, because one shared that at the time she was like "I'm a couple years older than this guy, and don't know what I'm doing, and he's thinking about marriage? What a -------- (such a word would be inappropriate to share. It wasn't a cuss word, but it wasn't nice)." They don't feel that way anymore, of course, I just surprised them at the time.

So, the Houston temple is very beautiful, and I sent a picture home last week to Jayci. On Halloween she sent back a picture of a pumpkin she carved. It's incredible! I'm going to include it in this email, it's so cool. Also, she got her mission call, which is super exciting. She'll tell me today, finally, where she was called. I'm pumped to hear about it. Hint hint. Tell me.