MTC

Hey everyone!

I LOVE the MTC!! The spirit is so strong here and I love that we get so much study time (sometimes even three hours is not enough!). There are three districts in my Zone. One district has 8 Elders and the other two districts have 4 sisters and 4 elders each. My entire district is going to Dallas together! we leave at 4:30am Monday morning. My companion is from Mesa Arizona and attends BYU Idaho. She couldn't be more different than me personality wise, but we both understand that we have the most important thing in common: a strong desire to serve the Lord! That is all that really matters and we love each other and work really well together despite our differences. I was called as the online coordinator for my zone in the MTC, it's a pretty easy job. I just have to be sure everyone knows and follows the computer rules.

We got to participate in the Ogden Temple dedication last Sunday. Elder Ballard gave a devotional on Tuesday night. Both events were super cool! 

My favorite part of the MTC is the TRC investigator lessons. My companion and I have an investigator that comes to the MTC everyday to learn from us for about 45 minutes. TRC investigators may or may not be members of the church, we don't know. The investigators that are members are converts to the church playing themselves before they were baptized. I am not sure if our investigator is a member or not, but because of a number of small clues we don't think she is. Our lessons with her have been amazing and completely directed by the spirit! I love her so much! Through getting to know her we have been able to help her with some of her concerns, and through the spirit bring her closer to Christ. She recognizes the spirit she feels and she LOVES to learn about the church! She agreed to be baptized after our first lesson and she prayed with us and now prays on her own all the time. I KNOW Heavenly Father loves her so much. When we told her we are leaving the MTC Monday she  was sad, but gave us her email so we can keep in touch and she is excited to learn from new missionaries in the MTC next week (we are the first MTC missionaries to teach her!!!) She was so excited about the gospel that she wants missionaries to go teach her family in Korea! She also said "why can't everyone know about this!?!" She also wants me to sing with her in our last lesson with her on Saturday (she was in a lot of choirs as well as me)! 

I know that not all of the people and investigators that I talk to in Texas will be this excited about the gospel, but hearing her excitement motivates me to bring the "good news" of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of Texas.  It is a good reminder and example for those of us who have grown up in the church to be excited about the gospel! Her awe and amazement helps me to realize how wonderful the God's plan for his children is and the attitude I should have about it instead of taking it for granted. 

I get to go and do a session in the Provo temple today! I am very excited!  

I don't have a USB chord to connect my camera to the computer and there isn't a memory card port here so I will try to send MTC pictures from Texas when I get there.

Love,

Sister Melina Lillie Jones