Hey there,
There’s more stuff to write about this week so I'll get right to it. Thanks Mom for the package. The jerky is fantastic, and I love having enough socks now to not have to go without on my p-days.
After firesides here they have movie nights on Sundays where there’s usually several different choices of church films. However, this week there was only one option, being Elder Bednar's Christmas devotional here at the MTC. Honestly one of the best talks I've ever heard! Here are some points:
-There could have been no atoning sacrifice made without the character of Christ
-The character of Christ is to turn out in love and charity when the natural man in us would turn in
-The natural man is selfish and cares only about getting what it wants when it wants it. For this, Elder Bednar impersonated the cookie monster, flailing his arms and saying in a gruff voice, "I want cookie now!"
-Some examples are: His charity and patience during the suffering in the garden, His forgiveness and missionary work on the cross, sending angels to comfort John after being tempted by Satan in the wilderness (see the JST translation for that one)
-A mission is not about me and what I want, that’s the natural man speaking. Its about what God would have me do.
-A testimony is only the beginning, conversion is the destination
-Church members cannot survive on testimony alone but must be converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Conversion does not occur in the waters of baptism but when the individual obtains the ability to 'turn out' in Christ's example when the natural man would 'turn in'
So here's some information I expect no one ever thought to receive from my emails: two sister in my distrcit, Sister Potts & Sister Anderson, were chosen (along with two elders from another district) to be interviewed today by Al Jeezera. Al Jeezera is the equivalent of CNN for the Muslim world, and they're coming today to interview missionaries in training. No one is sure what they'll ask so the sisters have been trained by the MTC presidency how to handle certain topics. Our best guess is that they may want to spin a story about how we're training missionaries to influence people to vote for Romney, so the sisters have been taught how to deflect any political questions. No pressure I guess, just the PR for the entire LDS faith throughout all the Middle East on your hands.
My room now has a new accessory, a humidifier! Elder Mickel went into the health office complaining about nose bleeds and they got us the machine. It’s plugged in atop the light above my desk so when I read or write there’s a cool mist falling down. I will admit, I have tried learning how to blow smoke rings with it :) not quite there yet.
I had a taste of freedom this week, and man did it taste good! Elder Dudley contracted a fungal infection on his feet (we've nicknamed him smurf feet for the blue gray mold covering the bottom of them) so he needed to go to the BYU health center down the street to pick up some lotion. I went with him to show him where the building was. We were geeking out about how cool we were, being outside the MTC grounds and wearing the nametags.
So that’s about it. Hope everyone’s doing alright. Em, good luck with the new math class and track, keep strong and take heart, you're almost through.
Love ya'll,
Elder Harker
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| A bit of p-day fun with my companion. Can you believe what you see? |
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