Week 3 at the MTC

  Wow this week has really flown by.  It has been kind of a crazy week as well. First off we had 2 missionaries from our district go home:  Elder E. who had severe depression, and Hermana T. who had Major Anxiety.  It was really sad to see them go, but they both needed to get better help.  They are both planning on  coming back, Especially Hermana T. because she really didn´t want to leave.  It´s a sad time for them but it ended up being a blessing for our district.  

   Before Hermana T. left our Teacher Hermano Carmona wanted us as a district to teach her the plan of salvation.  We acted like we were practice teaching her as an investigator, but really the lesson was directed for her.  We mainly focused on  ´´Our life on Earth´´.  Hermano Carmona shared a video during the lesson called ´´The Will of God´´ It was about a Gardener who cut down a currant bush in order for it to grow stronger and bear fruit.  It related that to how the Lord is is our gardener and how he will give us trials to make us stronger.  He loves us so much that he would ´´cut us down´´ because he knows it will make us grow.  That really is amazing he would do that for us, and shows his unbelievable love he has for all of us.  The spirit was really strong in that room, such a cool experience.  It really related to what she was going through at that time, and something that she needed to hear.

   The next day after she left Hermano Carmona wanted us to prepare and teach a lesson to Elder E. This time we didn't  act like he was an investigator.  We taught him as Elder E. We taught him the plan of salvation as well mainly focusing on the Atonement and relating it to how Jesus has gone through all that we are going through. Ever since I heard about Elder E's and Hermana  T´s struggles, I just felt like we needed to watch a conference talk by Jeffrey R. Holland ´´Tiny Vessels´´ as a district.  A little into the lesson I introduced that video.  I don´t know if you remember Mom, but while I had my concussion you told me to watch this talk.  It really comforted me at that crazy time.  It was honestly the most powerful conference talk I had ever heard.  Thank you for having me watch that talk, because now I was able to pass it on  to Elder E.  We couldn´t watch the entire talk during our lesson to him, but we watched the story about Stephanie Nielson´s plane crash, and how she wanted her life to end.  This story and Hollands closing words brought tears to Elder E's eyes, it was exactly what he needed.  It brought an overwhelming spirit to that lesson, that stayed with us the entire time.  We proceeded to teach him, and everything that anyone said was just amazing.  Towards the end of the lesson (Elder Weese) told him to ´´never ever forget the love he felt from us in this lesson´´  You could just tell Elder E. felt our love so strong.  Then Elder Weese said ´´now times that love by a thousand and that´s how much Jesus loves you´´.  I know for a fact the spirit guided him to say that.  The spirit was unbelievably strong in that room, the words Elder Weese said really hit me so hard as well as the rest of the district. 

Later that evening in our room, Elder E. told me that the lesson that we had for him was the strongest he has ever felt the spirit in his entire life.  I´m so glad we were able to do that for him before he left. I know we were all put into district 12 E for a reason, and those experiences really strengthened my testimony as well as everyone in our district.

  So now I´m in a trio companionship.  It´s me, Elder Heaton, and Elder Beatty.  Also our district is now just 7 Elders. Hermana T's companion Hermana Thompson had to be transferred to another district because they were the only Hermanas in our district.  We are the smallest district in the CCM and probably the only all Elder district.  It´s actually really nice only having 7 of us, we get more personal focus with the teacher. I

  Surviving is a great word for the CCM food haha. Yeah it´s always great running into people that I know.
We´ve had a couple big rainstorms, but it really doesn't rain too much.  Probably rained more in Hawaii than here, but the storms here are pretty crazy.  We never get to step a foot out of the CCM except for one time where we go visit the Temple.  But the facility is big and nice so it is not bad at all.  Every day we have gym time, we normally play handball it´s like ultimate frisbee but with a ball and goals.  It´s super fun, and then sometimes we'll play ping pong, basketball, volleyball and other things.

I hope that everything keeps going well with you!  Everything here is going well for me here in the CCM.  

Love you so much,

Elder Geddes

District 12E

Beautiful sunset at the CCM

Adventures at the CCM!