Adventures of Elder Dyal: Week #6 - Provo, MTC

Hi everyone,

So first off, I do have my visa for Peru, so that's good! I will be going there next Tuesday instead of a reassignment in the states. Also, this week was very strange since it was our last week at the MTC and it was also Thanksgiving weekend. Every single day this week we had a TRC which means we had to teach someone a lesson in Spanish for like 20 minutes. Those honestly have been the best thing for me at the MTC so far. Learning Spanish is very frustrating, but speaking it (at least what I know) is muy bien and sometimes muy divertido.

So Thanksgiving was interesting. We didn't know if we would get a Thanksgiving dinner (it was actually lunch) or not, but they gave us one! We had turkey and pies and all the fixings, real food for once, so that was good! We also had 2 devotionals on Thanksgiving day and did a service project. One of the devotionals stood out because Neil. L Anderson of the 12 apostles came to speak to us. As you could imagine, he spoke about gratitude on Thanksgiving, then proceeded to give one of the most powerful testimonies about the Atonement I've ever heard! One of the things I wrote down that stuck with me was when he said "your ability to lift your arms or move your fingers, or see with your eyes, your very life, this was given to us by God. And because he gives all this to us, we can never repay Him. Never in anything we do can we ever give back to Him what he's given to us!" So many other things I wish I could share with you! It was very good. Then later, the MTC came together to do a service project. We packed meals for the needy and it was pretty fun because I was a runner, which meant I just hauled boxes around for an hour and a half. We also got to call our families which was nice.

I also drank a whole bottle of soy sauce on a dare, which is a terrible idea, but you know, I don't back down on a good dare. So I chugged the whole thing, and needless to say, all of it went straight back up in about 20 minutes. So if I learned anything, it's that I shouldn't drink that much soy sauce again, or anything that you know your body can't handle that much of.

Anyways, a lot of things happen throughout the week but I always have a hard time remembering on P day, so I'm sorry about my short emails. I'm really excited and nervous at the same time about going to Peru, but I know I'll be able to handle it as long as I stay in tune with the spirit and God's will. So next time you'll hear from me will not be my usual P-day in the MTC,, but the week after, probably on a Monday. Adios, amigos!

Elder Dyal