MTC - 3 Sep 2018 ~ The Final Countdown

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Braydon Carter <braydon.carter@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Sep 3, 2018 at 10:47 AM
Subject: 09/03/2018 The Final Countdown

Hello everyone!

I LEAVE TODAY! As I was in the shower this morning, I sat and started to think. Holy cow, the next time I shower I am going to be in a foreign land, that's going to be my new home. I keep thinking about how weird it is that I am leaving. When ever I saw other missionaries leaving, I would always jokingly turn to the people around me and say " One day." A day I honestly never thought would come, is now finally here. I am all packed and ready to go. I leave at 1:45 from the MTC, seriously so weird. But I am so excited to go.

Oh and I stylized my bags. I couldn't not rep the boys ;)

Honestly going into this week I had no idea why in the world I was here for another week. I think that's how we all felt honestly. We were all so anxious to go, but we needed to be patient into another week. We were all super worried that it was going to be a complete drag. Well it wasn't at all, and I am honestly so glad, that we had the blessing to stay for another week. Let me explain why.

To start off, the beginning of the week was really strange. Everyone from the 2 districts that came in the same time we did were starting to leave. They were all starting to pack their bags and get ready to start the next adventures of their lives. For a lot of them, we said goodbye in the earlier day, and when we came back from class at night, they were gone, and I mean like no trace they were there. SPOILER ALERT. You know how in the new avengers movie how some of all the heroes start to just vanish, and as the whole thing is going on, you can totally see the emotion in the faces of those that don't leave. Where it's just like "noooo come back." Ya well that's exactly how it felt throughout the first couple days of the week. Except instead of " nooo come back." It was more like, " nooo take me with you." I hope that adds emotion to how we felt ;)

Then we started going into classes which I thought was just going to be super weird with new teachers. We until that point had the same teachers for 9 weeks, and now we were just going to have new teachers for a couple of days. But it was honestly such a blessing to have them as our teachers. We had PeiLaoShi, and GaoLaoShi. PeiLaoShi was seriously the best at just tying in the spirit, and letting us know how great our callings was. PeiLaoShi actually ended up showing us a video in one of the classes about how the first missionaries in Turkey, who had to learn Turkish. The video was basically how these Elders were given a super hard task and a reassignment, but as they rose to the occasion and gave it their all, they learned the language and they grew way more than anyone thought possible. She then related it to us. She let us know that she knows we have been called to a hard language, but she know's as we stretch and push ourselves, in our goals, and actions. That we will see results like we never saw possible. She had a very strong testimony of the Gift of Tongues.

We also had GaoLaoShi, Which was honestly one of the big reasons we stayed. I think it was needed for us to have Him as a teacher. The first day that we had him, we started to a lot of review, especially on grammar principles. He wanted to see our knowledge on things. As he did so, he could see that some of the Elders were a little confused on things went in class. Which totally makes sense, Chinese grammar is really cool, but very different. Let me give you a direct translation. In Chinese instead of saying, " We are all leaving on a bus tomorrow" it would be " We tomorrow on a bus will leave." Super weird, but I'll explain why it's so cool. So he noticed that there was some confusion, and just dove in and explained it to us in the most eye opening way possible. So he wrote down the grammar structure on the board, which is STPVO ( Subject, Time, Place/Preposition, Verb and Object ) He then asked us why it was this way. None of us had a clue, not even myself, I just kind of assumed it was just the way it was. He then introduced us to a theory he developed as a missionary. He told us in the MTC he was dumber than a bag of rocks, and couldn't just speak " because it is the way it is." He needed to know how and why they do it that way. So he found the answer for himself. He developed this theory called the " Importance Hierarchy" He explained that the Chinese not only speak very differently but they act and think very different because of this theory. To explain it shortly the Chinese people have different importance's than we do. Instead of like, " When are you leaving" They would say " You at what time leaving" It's because in their "culture" they care about the subject, or person the most. Then from there the time, then the place, verb, then object. It's a super cool way. It really helps you not only see the difference in the language. But it is really cool to especially see that the most important thing to them is the Subject. Then everything else. I honestly think their language is so much more respectful, and really better for communication. The important things are first, all the fluff comes later. Could you imagine if we communicated that way? Man would so many problems be solved ;) Then as the week went on he would just jump into these massive grammar principles and put them in a new light. Our language because of it has improved greatly this week.

The week was also great because of the Spiritual nature of it. This week I was really able to ponder why I am here, and what I am hoping to accomplish as a missionary. I started to reflect on my whole MTC experience and think of all the wonderful memories I have had and the growth that has come from it. I thought of 2 solid things that I learned this week as I was pondering.

1. Loving God, and His plan will solve so many problems. Almost all of our devotionals this week were about Loving God, then your neighbor. That is isn't our job as people to judge, or to take badly about others. In fact that's exactly opposite of who we are as a religion. We believe that God has given us His infant love, and has provided a plan for us to everyday become better as people through the atonement of Jesus Christ. I found out this week, that if we have a perfect love for God, there is no reason to worry, or to be troubled. That as we 100% put him first in our lives, not only will we see life in a whole new light, but His children in a new light. As we fully become able to understand his plan it makes us much better people. For example instead of judging and belittling others because of their trials, we would recognize they are working to be better, and they are just in a tight spot, and instead of putting them below you for noting being perfect, you would put out a helping hand. In the process we will be grown as well. I have found that especially true with missionary work. We are not called to judge, or even to teach. But to completely trust God and put Him first. Then your neighbors ( or the people that will be around you ) As you do so you will grow with out even knowing it. We had a really cool devotional and the person speaking showed us pictures of missionaries that completely lost themselves in the work. That completely trusted God, and as he showed us the before and after photos it is completely evident that they didn't just change spiritually as person. But their physical state change. They had the biggest smiles, and you could just tell they were in love with life. That is my goal as a missionary, to get so lost in trusting God, that the only thing I'm capable of doing is smiling and thanking him for the journey.

2. I learned how absolutely incredible the Book of Mormon is. I have to be honest in saying before my mission, I never really took advantage of the Book of Mormon. I would skim through it, or listen to it on times 2 speed to get my reading done for seminary, but I never truly feasted upon the words which were in it. As I have been at the MTC I have really been able to dive in and see how incredible the Book of Mormon is. There are some days I have spent hours on just a couple of verses really just breaking it apart and learning of the fullness of it. As I have done so, and used it and relied on it for guidance, I have received nothing but help and guidance. I seriously can now say I don't just believe the Book of Mormon is true. But I have an absolute witness and testimony of it. That it truly is the word of God, and as you use it, your life will dramatically improve with it's guidance. I promise as you have a question, or concern in your life, as you trust God with prayer, and open up the Book of Mormon He will answer and guide you!

This week has been such an absolute blessing and in a very strange way I think I will miss it here. But it's time to start the next chapter of this adventure. I am so excited to see what the field will have to offer and what joy it will bring. I know that I am going to be able to not only witness miracles but share them with you too!

I won't be able to email anyone today, I am about to turn my device in here in a short hour. But I want all of you to know I love you all so much and I am so thankful for the example you have been to me and the support that I have received over the last 2 months! Next time you hear from me, I will be on the other side of the world. In my new home!

I love you all so much,
Elder Carter