Elder Anthony James Holt: MTC Week 2

Week Dois is done!!! It has been a good interesting week. So I talked about Angelo last week, and we stopped teaching him on Wednesday. It was kind of sad, we really got to know and love him, and we didn't want to say goodbye. Then on Thursday night we were working on our study time and all of the sudden the door opened and Angelo walks in dressed in Sunday best with a teacher name tag on. Turns out he is our Second teacher for the rest of our time here at the MTC. His name is Irmao Workman, and he served in Mozambique 2 years ago, which is really nice because he teaches us the Portuguese we will speak there. The week has been really fun though.

So on Wednesday we were walking to lunch, and all of the new missionaries were coming in, so there was a really somber air about. We were talking when all of the sudden Elder Lunt just yells, AW CRAP!!! We all turned around and he had some weird brown stuff on his face. Apparently some bird pooped on him while we were walking and hit him square on the cheek. We were all right there laughing so hard we couldn't breathe, and I felt bad because all of these new missionaries were there crying and what not because they were saying goodbye, and all of us were just dying of laughter. I hope they don't think that we were laughing at them. Elder Lunt and I have a lot of fun. We sing in the shower every night at the top of our lungs for about 15 minutes. So far our repertoire includes anything from Taylor Swift to Fall Out Boy to Ed Sheeran to George Strait. We are pretty sure MoTab will be asking us to come as a preferred walk on any day now. I have the coolest Elders in my district. Elder Ryan and I are the coolest companionship. We decided I'd a Leader and he is a Lover, so we both have a lot to learn from each other. We get work done though, we even focus better than the sisters in our district during study time now. The rest of the Elders are so cool, we all do choir, and It is so fun, we are singing Consider the Lilies this week, and the arrangement sounds amazing. The sisters are pretty cool too. I really feel like the district is my family. WE are going to have some really hard goodbyes in a few weeks.

I am not gonna lie to you. As much fun as we have had, this week has been so hard. Our Branch President challenged us to start the Book of Mormon over and read it all before we leave the MTC. This past week I read the Isaiah chapters, and for the first time they didn't confuse me. I really understood most of what Isaiah was talking about. It was really hard because I began to be filled with a lot of feelings of inadequacy as I know that I am part of the mission force God is sending out here in the 11th hour, and it is really scary. I also have been struggling with sleep too. I know that blessing are predicated on obedience, and I am striving to be exactly obedient, yet I still struggle to sleep, and in the days I fall asleep in class and it is so hard because I try to be obedient, and all I want is to be blessed with some more energy, but it hasn't come for some reason. This coupled with the feelings of Inadequacy made for a very hard weekend. Thankfully there were a few things that made it better.

On valentines day I got a package from my mom and it really lifted my spirits. Actually I got four from her. All the Elders in my district decided that with as many packages she sends me my mom is the best missionary girlfriend. I think so at least. We also talked about bae's on valentines. Fortunately I've never had a Girlfriend so I couldn't get too depressed, haha. Sunday was amazing also and really helped me feel better. I blessed the Sacrament in Portuguese, and Sang a musical number in a quartet with Elders Ryan, Walton, and Nelson. It was awesome, and the spirit was so strong the whole day. I don't know that I feel 100% better, yet, but I've started to realize that this whole mission thing is supposed to be easy, but I know that there is a reason I'm here, and there is people in Mozambique who I am Foreordained to teach. These thoughts keep me taking one more step each day, no matter how hard, because I've learned so much about love in the few weeks here. I know that Jesus was pained to go through the atonement, but he went through it because he Loved me, and all of us. For this reason, no matter how hard it gets I have someone to look to that has been where I am now, and it makes such a difference. I also feel the influence of the hundreds of thousands of young men and women who have come through the mission field before me, and if they can do it, I know I can too.

I love all of you so much, and am so grateful for all of your prayers and love. Please keep them coming, we truly need them. Even if the entire church prayed for the missionaries I think we would still need more because of the depth of the task we are called to undertake.

With Love,

Elder Anthony James Holt