First Week from the MTC
I'm not sure how to start this email. Firstly I want to say that this is all coming from me, the Dallin you all know, not so much missionary Elder Poulson. Sorry if it might sound like a totally different person!
I want everyone to know that my life has changed forever. I thought I had a testimony before my mission but I've come to realize that I just had faith that it was true. I now know for myself that this is all very real. Every part of it is real, especially the holy ghost and our Heavenly Fathers love for us. If you know me, I'm not one to get in peoples faces or try to force anything on anyone. I felt like I didn't know how I would be able to find that drive to teach people about the church.
My mind has been blown because I always thought that when people said they knew the church was true and that they received answers to their prayers that they just had a super strong faith. I've come to know that that isn't exactly what they mean. I mean that they KNOW. I started to feel the Holy Ghost in my chest pretty soon after I got here. At the time I didn't really think much about it until I actually used it. When you pray to feel the spirit and it actually comes to you, you know it. It's undeniable. I hope everyone can have this realization.
I have never felt it like this in my life. I feel extremely happy because I know I can pray for the spirit to help me in whatever I do. It has helped me a lot in my classes. I've been put with all the fluent speakers (read that as I'm the resident white guy with about 30 latinos) and we're only here for 11 days. Everything is going crazy fast. Immediately after arriving, I went to my first class. All spanish. I kind of skated through it on my first day thinking that it will all get better. The next day I had to talk to my teacher because I felt like I may not be up for the expedited program. I felt like I didn't have a good knowledge of what I was supposed to teach in english, let alone spanish.
Then everything started changing. I started reaching out in prayer, both alone and in groups, and we would pray for the companionship and assistance of the Spirit when we were learning and teaching. I started understanding every single word of Spanish. I'm not making this up, I've been learning with the help of our Heavenly Father. I know I belong in the expedited program now. I have personally experienced the gift of tongues.
Story time.
In class we were practicing simplifying the first lesson and we were doing it in spanish. I didn't have very much confidence due to my lack of knowledge on the subject and my spoken spanish was pretty bad up to this point. However, I really focused on teaching with the spirit and trying to use it in this practice. I started speaking to my partner and I can't even remember what I said. I remember hitting the bullet points that we discussed but it surprised me as to how well I was speaking Spanish. I was feeling the warmth of the spirit so much when I was teaching my partner that I just kept talking and smiling and I knew that he was feeling what I was saying. It was incredible. It really hit when all he could say was, "Woah.. that was like perfect, I felt that so strongly."
Now that my heart has been opened up to receiving guidance from the spirit I have been getting a TON better at spanish. I have had several people tell me that my spanish has skyrocketed and that they've seen a really good improvement. It's an amazing feeling.
I challenge all of you to open your hearts, find a reverent setting and just pray to FEEL the spirit. I guarantee you that if you do that sincerely, you are going to know it and feel it and it can change your life. It is all the proof you need to know that this really is His gospel and that it's not made up.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Sorry for the wall of text, I just have a lot to say!
The food at the MTC is pretty good for cafeteria food but I'm realizing that I have to slow it down because of the lack of exercise they allow.
I'll admit I'm struggling with being obedient. Nothing serious but a lot of the small stuff seems really petty to me. For example, be in bed, lights off at 10:30. It's not really feasible due to the studying and preparation we have to do. I have been given a companion that is pretty much the complete opposite person as me. He is also the district leader and takes it seriously.This is good though, I feel like I need to learn to be a little more discipline with some rules. The only problem is that he follows everything to a T. No tolerance. I feel like there should be room for some common sense. Last night I was told to stop reading my scriptures because it was 5 mins past bedtime and we needed to be asleep NOW. Bugged me big time. It's whatever though haha I'll live. We went and did Sealing ceremonies at the temple today and it was nice. We have had several mini arguments but we bounce back. Just have to surrender most of the time.
I also forget I have to be close to my companion all the time. I'll often leave without thinking about it and I'll hear a loud "Elder POULSON!". Oh yeah, my bad.
SO I leave next Sunday. To Honduras. That surprised me big time. I thought that I would be here for a month or so but NOPE. I have one week and I'm out of here! My plane flies to Atlanta GA from 1am monday morning to 7am then I fly from Atlanta to Honduras from 10am to 11:30am. I'm Excited for the daytime flight.
I'm pretty excited to leave the MTC, I mean it's nice but it feels like a really nice prison sometimes, I wont lie.
I love spanish now, I have such a supportive zone and branch. My district, which is a group of us six elders are the best. There are 3 gringos ( white people) in my branch and they support our spanish so much. I'm blessed for sure.
I love gym time. I thought I would hit the weights but I figure I'll have plenty of time for that when I hit the mission field. I usually play volleyball and it really helps me relieve a lot of my stress.
I found my mission best friend, he rides bullet bikes also so naturally we clicked once finding that out. He rides a Ducati 898.
It's hard to find motivation sometimes, sleep goes by way to fast, but I've found that it's always worth it to study and practice.
I want you all to know that I'm having a great time! I had a little bit of a realization the second morning where I realized that this is my life for two years and I was pretty weirded out. But now I actually understand the desire to share the gospel and its happiness! God loves us all and he has given us the gospel as a means that we can be happy!
Love you guys!
ps. I'm going to send more emails with photos due to the fact that they can't all fit on one.
pps. Selfie game still on point.
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