Week Six: Just When I Thought Things Were Getting Easier

So, I've been here at the MTC for a while now. I've liked it my entire time here! My language skills are improving, my testimony has been strengthened everyday, and I can feel the love of my Heavenly Father more than ever! Not to mention, I'm jumping higher than ever and I'm in the best shape of my life! Okay...not really, but I'm trying to stay in shape the best I can! Both spiritually and physically haha.

The title of this is "Just when I thought things were getting easier", so, here is why: I've been made the District Leader. Who would have thought it would change my experience here so much! (Okay, probably everyone but me knew that haha) It's been a trip to say the least. Meetings all the time, checking on people, putting everyone before me. It ain't easy! But it's worth it. I've already seen the blessings from it! It eats into a lot of my personal time haha but I'm still making sure that I have time to write in my journal and to people, don't worry :) I just get the opportunity to help people more than I did before, and I love that!

Sacrament meeting on Sunday was really really nice. The Spirit was so strong and everyone could feel it. I got to pass the sacrament too! It's been many many years (because I'm such an old guy haha) since I last got to do that, and my companion and I loved it! Then, at the end of the meeting, my district sang a special musical number ("Oui, je crois en Christ" and "Dieu soit avec toi jusqu'u revoir"...."I Believe in Christ" and "God Be With You Till We Meet Again"). It was such great experience and such a great way to invite the Spirit. If you sang a special musical number in church on Sunday too, then great minds really do think alike! Or....there's more to it than that :) Plus, my voice really isn't super good, so your singing was probably 1,000x better than mine haha tis the truth! :)

In Sacrament Meeting, Sister Cannon spoke to us about the Spirit and strengthening our testimonies. One thing she said that really hit me was that there is no "Spiritual Insanity" workout or "spiritual shake" that can give us the quick fix to a strong testimony. We have to work hard at it daily! For example, if someone (especially someone like me) decided that they just wanted to go out and run 5 miles, then probably wouldnt be able to do it. I know for a fact that I wouldnt be able to! But, if that person decided to run everyday to help strengthen themselves, and everyday pushed themselves to be better and better, then they WOULD be able to reach a 5 mile run! (Which is incredible. That would beat me by a long shot, that's for sure.) And if that's the best that they've ever done, way to go! Celebrate! If you're able to run 5 miles, then you're looking good, so props to you! ;) That's what I would do haha but then I would have to make sure I kept working hard! We have to do the same thing with our "spiritual muscles". We have to exercise them daily to keep them strong and get stronger, and help the people around us to do the same thing!

One more interesting thing that I learned in church is that God is consistent. Sometimes when we pray for help for big things, we feel like we should be getting a big answer. I know I'm guilty of that! And sometimes a big answer DOES come! But I know that I need to remember that big or small, He will answer our prayers often in the same way. He will bless us with whatever we really need at that moment, because He knows us perfectly and can help us perfectly.

Well, I gotta run. You know, do missionary stuff! But I'm thinking about you all the time and I hope you're doing your best to BE THE BEST.

Never stop improving!

Elder Daniel Anderson

P.S. Some elders in my district were looking at pictures on my camera, and I had to beat them off of someone in some of the pictures. They understood. I made them. BUT, they decided to take a fancy to someone else in the pictures instead, and wrote them. Just a head's up. That's the real story.

P.S. Elder Stobbs says "Hi" haha