November 19, 2010

Alooha Everyone!

  This last week has been hands down the best/most spiritual week so far at the MTC!! It all started with our Tuesday night Devotional in which we got to hear From Elder Kevein W. Pearson of the 70. We were kind of bummed to hear it wasn't an apostle but this ended up being the best talk I have EVER heard in my LIFE. He talked about how we have Divine Identity and right now on our mission we are Disciples of Jesus Christ and He has called us to serve His people. I had never thought of it this way and this has definitely changed my attitude for my mission. He also talked about how it is crazy that people think that if we are exactly obedient then we will become robots and lose our personality. Instead he said that when we completely follow the rules we will turn into who the person the Lord wants us to become and that we will keep our personality. This is exactly what I needed to hear!! Earlier that day I had been thinking about what small things I could give up here in the MTC and I came up with a pretty lengthy list and came to the conclusion that I didn't want to give up any of them because 'that's not who I am'. So I heard him say this and the Sprirt testified to me of the truthfulness of this and I decided then to leave all of those things behind, to leave who I thought Michael Neilson was behind, and to become Elder Michael Neilson who the Lord wants me to be. I've never felt the Spirit as strongly in my life as I have the last few days, it's such a blessing!! O and that was super kind of the Las Flores ward to send me that care package! They are so cool!! Anyways, I gotta run but I want you all to know that I love you and am giving it my all out here and can't wait to get out to the field!!! Give the little ones loves for me!!!

Love,

Elder Michael Neilson