Thursday, July 18, 2013

Week 4 at the MTC

Hello family!
Holy moly I can't believe this is my FIFTH week here at the MTC.  It literally feels like yesterday I was dropped off and taken to to start my mission.  Time is going by SO fast!  In just a week from today, I'll have my mission re-assignment!!  I'm SO excited!  Various Elders and Sisters from my zone going to Brazil have been reassigned from California to Kansas and everywhere in between.  I'm so excited to see where the Lord calls me for my Visa waiting time!  The process for re-assignment is the same as your original call (an apostle receives revelation for YOU personally as to where you should go).  I hope that I'll be able to travel with some people from my district.  We've really gotten close, and many companionships have gotten re-assigned to the same place, which I would really love!  We'll see what is in store.

Since this is our fifth week, we're really stressing "SYL" or, "Speak Your Language" in the classroom and anywhere else we can.  It was really hard at first, but it is an excellent way of learning more and more Portuguese.  I'm really starting to LOVE the language.  I'm pretty sure I know more Portuguese that Spanish now, and almost always pray in Portuguese.  It is such a neat feeling, praying in a different language.  It is amazing to me that Heavenly Father can and DOES understand every language!  So neat.

This past week, we had a wonderful devotional, where the speaker spoke about "acting well our part" (remember that general conference talk "What ere thou art, act well thy part"?).  It was phenomenal.  He told us that our missions won't necessarily be the "best two years" of our life, but they WILL be the best two years FOR our life.  The spirit bore witness that that was true!  He told us how our missions will help us become the kind of Father, Husband, Mother, Wife, and disciple we want and need to be.  It was touching.  Gosh, I LOVE the MTC!!  Everyday we are blessed with an outpouring of the Spirit, and it truly is beautiful.
 My room

When we first arrived, we were challenged to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover before we left.  I thought it would be difficult, and that I wouldn't get much out of reading it reading it that fast, but it's been a beautiful experience. I'm done!  With 10 days to spare!  And I've learned more than I thought possible.  In my patriarchal blessing, it mentions how my "...mind will be opened to gospel truths as you study the scriptures.." and that blessing has certainly come to pass.  It's amazing how the Book of Mormon truly testifies of Christ and really does contain the fullness of the Gospel.  The Gospel is SO simple!  All we're asked is to come unto Christ, accept and keep his commandments, utilize the loving gift of the Atonement, and endure.  That's it!  What I've come to know more than ever this time as I've read through the Book of Mormon is that Heavenly Father is a God of LOVE.  Time and time again, the people are given chance after chance to repent and come unto Christ.  As they do, they are blessed and always prosper.  We see the sadness it brings Heavenly Father when we refuse his invitation to "come unto Me".  He is there with open arms, always beckoning us to come unto Him.  Let us come unto Him!

In other news, 4-Square is quite the activity here at the MTC.  At first I thought it was ridiculous, but it is SO fun!  That's all we do!  It gets pretty intense sometimes :)
 Me and Elder Han!
I love you guys!  I KNOW this Gospel is true.  It is incredible.  Can't wait to tell you where I'll be embarking to wait for my Visa next week!  (I'm thinking Alabama or Arkansas)

O evangelho de Jesus Cristo é verdadeiro!!  Eu amo minha familia!!
Com moito amor,
Elder Jason Allred

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