Greetings!!!! What is up my fine males and females? Hope you are all having a Sigma day. I hope you had an amazing week last week and I hope to hear from some of you via email.
saul.saunders@missionary.org
To start off this week's letter- so much has happened.
On Wednesday I was selected to help greet new missionaries. I got to help them with their luggage, take last minute photos of them and their family or whoever dropped them off. I helped them get to their rooms here at the mtc and was so much fun. It was also hard because I got assigned to help two sisters and felt so bad because most Sister missionaries will give each other a hug as they welcome each other here at the MTC and Elders are not allowed to hug girls out in the field to avoid any potential problems so all I could do was say Welcome to the Mission Training Center and We are excited you are here! and take their family pictures . A lot of feelings came back from when I was dropped off here only a week and a half ago but something that helped me was thinking about “this is something I wanted to do- no one made me or forced me to do this.” and after saying that in my head I got through it. I felt good- it's so true! To my fellow missionaries... we all know it's hard to leave our family for a long time (for the Sisters they serve for 18 months, for the elders it's 24 months) and it's a long time to put your life on hold. It can be a challenge but I can testify that in the 19 days I've been engaged in MTC at home and here in Provo, I have felt my Savior's love! I have gained and learned so much; my testimony has grown even stronger than it already was and serving a mission is truly one of the greatest things you can do and God will bless your life for years to come. Ive seen this in others lives and I know it has blessed my life already. My love for Heavenly Father and my love for the scriptures has grown so so much more than I could have ever imagined and my mission has only just begun! I am forever grateful for making the decision to come serve, it may not always be easy but pushing through those hard times and getting outside of my comfort zone are going to help me grow both spiritually and as a young man so that I can one day be an amazing father. (which I hope I am a father and if not I will just be that super cool single uncle in the family.)
Speaking of love for the scriptures this week's scripture of the week is 2 NEPHI 31:20 It says “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.” I love this verse because it is so true, we should want to deepen our love for Christ and try our best to be an effective tool in his hand and He says in return if we feast upon His words, He will grant unto us eternal life. How amazing is that? I for one am filled with joy.
Another scripture I really liked this week is Moroni 9:4. I've been highlighting and putting colored tabs in my scriptures. One of my branch presidents reminded us that they aren't the scriptures...they are HOLY Scriptures. Jesus Christ is speaking to us and that's what makes them holy.
Last week one of our 12 apostles, Elder Rasband and his wife came to speak to us. He shared so many truths that bring hope and encouragement. He also shared that the apostles pray for us individually when we submit our pictures to serve and then they assign us depending on where the Spirit directs. That really spoke to me. He had so much love and compassion for us and he was so excited that we are serving.
On Thursday I received my flight information. Tomorrow, Feb 3rd I leave the MTC and the good state of Utah for two years to head out for the greatest journey of my life and I'm so excited. Last night we had our farewell devotional. We sang "We'll bring the world His truth" and the words were changed up a bit since we are about to leave to say We are now the Lord's missionaries to bring the world His truth.
My sister asked me what I'm going to miss most about the MTC and really, I'm just ready to go to Oklahoma. Ready for some different food. Grateful for soup..I've always liked soup but surprisingly the broccoli soup is my favorite here. I had salad and I still hate it. Don Julio chips and uncrustable sandwiches are what i've been living off of.
On Friday we went to the temple again and did proxy sealings for those on the other side of the veil. For me, sealings hold a special place in my heart as I was adopted and then sealed in the House of God to my family when I was one year old. My love for Heavenly Father, knowing I have been sealed my family for eternity, is so amazing. I also got to see twin brothers be sealed to their parents very powerful.
Some other fun news to talk about-- my little niece Saylor revealed the gender of her new younger sibling. Looks like I will be an uncle to a new baby niece in the Summer. That puts me at 4 nieces and 1 nephew. Can't wait to come home and and see how much all of them have grown and spend time with them and my family. I plan to be a great funcle. Sometimes I miss some stuff but I know where I need to be and I'm so happy for everyone's support. You all have made it so easy for me to be here I have had no worries about leaving behind everything because in the end God has promised to all His children that we will be blessed when we chose to follow Him and me and the Elders and Sisters in the zone know we have the Lord's work to do
Shout to elders
Noble, Howell, Starley, Metcalf, Hill, Ryan, Conover, Stradling, Owens, Stinson and shout out to sisters Huber, Jenson, Linfred, Larson, Lovell, Watson
For some odd reason me and my District have made a Google photo album regarding anything that to do with 6 and 7 soooo 6-7 AHHHHHHHH!!!! That one was for you Elder Starley, hope you love reading that but we have photo of anything that has 6 7 in it soo that's fun. Don Julio chips have been fire here and so yummy. We played a lot of volleyball and it turns out I'm really good at hitting the ball with my head 😋 I was getting pretty decent at it until I was paired up against a 6’7 elder from Australia who played volleyball in high school and I believe one year in college. He spiked the ball off my head. I looked like a chump.
Well it's time for me to close this week's letter--farewell everyone next stop
Oklahoma City!!!!!!
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| Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” |
