5 Things I've Learned in the MTC

Dear All the People,

I can't believe that the time is coming for me to leave the MTC. I still feel like a little newbie here in Mexico. I guess that is okay because I will still be a newbie out in the field. I just wanted to share with you all some things that I've learned since being here in the MTC.

1. You are capable of more than you know. I think God has really tried to impress this upon me so far. I think it was divine that I found the quote by Glinda the Good Witch before I left. Then Aubrie sent me another amazing quote by Glinda: ''You've always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.'' Then like my second week here, one of the districts in our zone left. The zone leader, who had befriended me, took me aside the night before they left and told me that I could do more than I thought I could. It took me until a couple days ago to realize that he told me that I was capable of more than I know. God has shown me these past 6 weeks that I can do more than I first thought, especially when I ask God to help me.

2. I am grateful for where I come from. I have expressed this in earlier letters, but I really mean it. Weston, Idaho has given me so many blessings already. I thought of the lyrics of one of my favorite songs a couple nights ago, ''Old tin roof, leaves in the gutter, hole in the screen door big as your fist, flies on the butter...'' When I say I am grateful for where I come from I also mean my ancestors. I have already felt the promises given to me in my setting apart several times in my stay here.

3. Sometimes we have to answer our own prayers. In a devotional by Elder Bednar he taught that if we go to ask God something without a proposition that we will do our part, we will be waiting for a long time with no answer. Also one member of Presidency here, President Tenorio, taught us that God will not grant us gifts that we can do ourselves. He is not going to move a book if we can walk across the room and pick it up ourselves. I think this thing is very important to remember as missionaries.

4. What kind of missionary I want to be like. I think a big blessing of the MTC is interacting with many other missionaries. Getting to know other missionaries and spending time with them has really helped me realize the missionary I want to be. I want to be the missionary that people wonder what they would do without them. The missionary that people miss when the missionary is transferred. A missionary who can speak with the power of God.

5. I do like the song Called to Serve. I admit to professing that I did not like the song Called to Serve before my mission, but now I love it. I translated the Spanish version of called to serve into English, one night for language study, and this is what resulted:

Llamados a Servir - Translation

''Today we are called to the service, to give testimony of Jesus. We go to a world in darkness to proclaim the light.

*Chorus*

Faster, everyone faster, we sing in unity. Ready, always ready, we sing the song. Always singing our happy, triumphant sound. God gives us power; We fight in the Celestial cause.

God gives us his rich blessings; we are children of the Eternal King. We praise his divine name; we give thanks for his law.

*Chorus*

Today we are called to the lines, lighting the eternal light. With courage we follow the path, that Jesus pointed to us.

*Chorus*

Today we are called to the way of Salvation that Christ gave, and joyous, with love, united we fight the wicked.

*Chorus*

I know it is really awesome! I love it so much more. Anyways these are some of the major things I have learned these past six weeks. I have really enjoyed my time here but I am really excited to go to Kansas. I love you all and I hope you have a great week.

Sincerely,

Elder Connor Douglas Waldron

p.s. here is a picture of me in Narnia