I have no idea where
to even start. This week was one of the busiest, craziest, and most stressful
weeks I have experienced, but I wouldn't change a thing. The MTC is quite the
place, to say the least I kinda like it here. The MTC has a unique spirit about
it, no matter what building you are in and no matter where you are on campus,
you can always feel the spirit, it is incredible. My testimony has already
grown so much in only the first week. I can't wait to look back on my mission
at the end and look back on how much my testimony has grown over my two year
mission. The days here all kind of blend together so this email might be all
over the place, so please bear with me for a little. I'll start with my comp;
his name is Elder Zackrison. He is from Sandy, Utah. We have had a lot of fun
and I look forward to the next couple weeks as his companion. I really enjoy
teaching with him. He has a sincere love for the gospel and he loves our
Savior. The other night he told me that I was an answer to his prayers and that
sure felt good. I sure love the guy already. Couldn't ask for much
better.
We received some
interesting news on Thursday night when we met our branch presidency. I have
been assigned the district leader of District 32 D. So pretty much the apostles
have been taking advice from me while I have been here. I have a meeting with
the MTC president later to discuss some changes that I would see fit. HAHA I'm
kidding but being a district leader is pretty cool. My district is full of
excellent missionaries. We haven't had any problems with any of our
companionships yet, so that is always a good thing, hopefully we can keep that
hot streak going.
Elder Zackrison and I were
able to give one of the sisters in our district a blessing on Friday. There was
a sister who wasn't feeling too hot and she asked us for a blessing. I anointed
and Elder Zackrison gave his first blessing. It was a beautiful experience and
the spirit was so strong. It is nice to be able to call upon our priesthood
whenever someone needs it.
I guess lets get a little
bit more serious for a second. Being in the MTC has been kind of rough for me
this weekend. Not for the reason you might think (I sure do miss home, but that
isn't what was making me sad). It was really hard for me to walk around the
grounds of the MTC and see missionaries learning a new language and trying to
speak that language. I suddenly found myself looking at every missionary
nametag I passed. Every time I saw a nametag that said "Jesu Christo"
I thought, "Why can't that be me?" Sunday was especially hard for me.
At the end of the day we watched a video devotional given by Elder Bednar
called the "Character of Christ" I would recommend that you look it
up, but it is only available to missionaries unfortunately. But in his talk he
said some things that I really needed to hear. He mentioned at one point that
missions aren't for us, they are for the Lord, similar to an incredibly
farewell talk I heard on August 10. But the part that hit me hardest was when
he said "Stop being so selfish, GET OVER YOURSELF." I felt like Elder
Bednar was talking to me personally and it hit me right in the feels. I
immediately felt an incredible love for the people of Iowa, and since then I
have never been so excited to serve there. Plus I have heard several times that
a lot of the teachers at the MTC served in Iowa. It must be a good place to
be.
We are blessed to have a
devotional tonight by ELDER HOLLAND!! I am so pumped. I will let you know how
it goes, and I will take good notes and share some highlights next
Tuesday.
I love you all so much and
I miss you like crazy already. Please know that you are in my prayers and that
I think about you a lot.
Love Elder Obray
P.s. Mosiah 2:41 has never
been more relevant. The MTC is such a happy place.
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