Week 1

Hello everybody! The MTC is amazing. The spirit always seems to push me just hard enough during that day that I sleep very well at night, but never really am too tired. It's wonderful to see so many people I know here -- Elder Harrison, Elder Hunt, Elder Carlson, Elder Evans, and a few more.

My district is an amazing blessing. Because I am in an international district, which means I'll be staying 6 weeks instead of 12, there are mandarin speakers left and right. My district has 7 members, with two missionaries from Taipei Taiwan, three American Asians, one from China, and one from Seattle. It's wonderful because we're all either learning English or Chinese, so we all help each other learn the words that we don't know. My companion's name is Elder Hsieh (谢). He is a great companion. He's from Taipei, so he gives me advice on what to know and what I need to look out for. I think he is lonely, though, because he is one of the few Taiwanese people here.

I would agree with Elder Harrison. Laundry here is pretty stressful. Getting the whole system down is kinda weird, but I'm getting used to it. I'm also getting used to eating dinner at 4:30. I guess the MTC knows what they're doing, because I always get up, eat, and go through my day without any kind of problem.

Devotionals here have been so amazing. There have been new branch presidents being trained here, and so most of the General Authorities have been here teaching them. So we had the opportunity to hear from Elder Bednar, who gave an amazing talk about becoming a "Preach My Gospel" Missionary. A Preach My Gospel Missionary always recognizes that he is a representative of Christ, is worthy, recognizes the Spirit to be the ultimate teacher, and treasures up the words of Eternal Life. And last of all, he encouraged every single one of us that we can do it. We might feel inadequate, but the Lord will take our best and make it enough.

There has also been so much teaching about letting the Spirit teach. I never realized how important that the Holy Ghost is in our path to Eternal Life. Although it is true that we need to turn to Christ, it is the Holy Ghost that allows us to even find Christ and gain that initial testimony. It is the Holy Ghost that is our link to all the truths that Heavenly Father lets us have. And so we need to do our best to pray and to ask Heavenly Father for us to have the Spirit, as well as live in a way that the Spirit can reside in us always. This is why mission rules are so important. I know that some of them are kinda weird, like no music at all in the MTC, but there is definitely a reason. Even if there is no good earthly reason, if we obey the rules that God has set for us, then He allows His Spirit to be with us always. I have come to learn these things from week one.

Thank you all for your support and your love. Here I've seen people from so many backgrounds and so many places. I know I am really blessed to have the people I love around me.

Love,
-Elder Liu