Week 1 - One Week Complete

written: 1/6/2021

Week 1

One week down and it has flown by! I have really enjoyed MTC at home and I honestly can’t imagine it any other way. I have great teachers, I’m giving plenty of breaks so I’m not staring at a computer screen for 10 hours straight, and thankfully they’re easing us in Spanish. I was really worried we’d be thrown straight into Spanish, although I know I’d learn either way, but they speak Spanglish to us in our classes and we’re progressively adding more Spanish to our classes and our daily speaking. We are teaching our first lesson tomorrow so hopefully, all goes well!

There are always trials during missions and I have definitely experienced one already. Almost immediately after I began training, they made it a priority to us that we’d be memorizing a lot and that it would help us learn the language much faster. I really struggled with this at first, wondering how I’d be able to memorize a scripture in Spanish and then memorize much more daily. After we memorized our first scripture, I kept going over it in my head, driving myself crazy, still not feeling confident. I prayed that night that I’d be able to feel comforted and to be able to memorize the scripture. The next morning, I woke up, and ever since then it has consistently been on my mind and I have mastered it! That scripture is Moroni 10:5, “and by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things” and in Spanish, it is “y por el poder del Espíritu Santo podréis conocer la verdad de todas las cosas.” I know that by the power of the Holy Ghost I can do hard things and that I can do things I didn’t previously think I could.

Cue it’s a small world after all... my companion, Elder Peterson, who when I got my picture of my district it said he was from Canada... just so happens to be from PROSPER TEXAS! What are the chances that me being in Utah now and his records partly being in Canada would happen to be companions... and we aren’t even going to the same mission, but someone in our district is. God doesn’t do random and I’m thankful we’re companions. We both are a little older, we both turn 20 within a few months, we both enjoy sports, and we both went to BYU-Idaho AND lived in the same apartment complex. 

Also, I don't know if everyone knows, but you'll be able to see in my picture holding Evie, that I have a broken left pointer finger (my dominant hand). I was extremely worried that I would not be able to write what I needed to write during my MTC training and that I'd not be able to journal or do what I needed to do. Well... I was way wrong. Not only have I been able to write while I have been training but I write a TON. I have written 5+ pages a day across my scripture journal, notes from class, and my personal journal. What a blessing it has been to be able to write and I am so thankful. 

I’m so glad I was able to visit Kyle and Alanna and see my little baby niece Evie! I’m so thankful I’m at home MTC and was able to have the day off for New Years to see her! Life is so precious!

All signs are pointing to me being able to go to Chile! We are gaining hope every day that I will be able to go there immediately after training, as I have not received a reassignment yet and Chile is opening up, and what a great way to celebrate my birthday!

One last thought I’d like to share with all of you. I’ve really enjoyed doing my personal study every day and this week I focused a lot on Alma the Younger. He was one of the most wicked people but after being struck down by an Angel and being unable to move or speak for 3 days, he completely turned his life around and preached the gospel for the rest of his life. No matter what anyone is going through, they are never too far away from God. He is so loving and will accept anyone who chooses to accept Him. I’m so thankful I’ve chosen to serve a mission and I love all of you!

Love,

Elder Steele

pictures include: Meeting my niece, Evelina Beth Steele born on December 28, 2020