Week 5 Sack Nasties






Another week is down at the MTC and this has been an exciting one! There is a lot of anticipation building for conference and everyone is getting really excited! I have never been so pumped about getting to hear from our leaders of the church and I'm so ready to hear from them and also learn for them! It's so important that we prepare ourselves for conference in a way that we can maximize what we learn from our leaders. When I say this I mean preparing ourselves spiritual to receive revelation for ourselves, coming with questions that we want answered, and being prepared to pay attention and listen to the messages that will be given! I would encourage everyone to get ready and be excited for conference! I know that if we will do this we can have an amazing experience!

A little bit about my week now...
We've been practicing every morning for choir so we wake up early before everyone else at 5:45 and get ready quietly and go over to what we call the sack nasty line. So there are a couple ways to get meals in the MTC the main one is just in the cafeteria but that isn't always practical everyday so there is another option that is just a sack meal. They aren't as good so this is why we call them "sack nasties" You're forced to get sack nasties when you need to eat before 7 when normal breakfast opens, you aren't dressed up, or when you just don't have the time to go in the cafeteria. So because of all the General Conference practices getting ready to sing this Saturday afternoon we've been eating a lot of sack breakfasts. The line is always way long and it's a mess and all the good stuff is always gone but hey it's all worth it in the end! Haha so that's just a little MTC life for you.

Soccer Saturday is a regular event every Saturday starting at 8:50 p.m. and going for an hour everytime but this saturday we had practice for choir until about 9:10 so our fellow "branch 9" (Eastern Europe) Elders were left with about half the usual numbers. As soon as practice ended we all ran back to our dorm and changed faster than I ever though was possible and sprinted to the game all together in one group. As we approached the field all of our fellow Eastern Europe Elders began to cheer for us and it was just really cool and kinda funny at the same time! So there's just a little fun story for you!

I feel like I learned and grew so much this week! It's crazy to me that it is already October and that I have already been here for a full month and then some! We'll be leaving the MTC to go to Ukraine in just under 4 weeks now and that is a crazy thought to me! I love the MTC I'm so grateful for the experiences that I had here the growth that has occured and the things that I have learned. I have learned so much that sometimes it is hard to remember to apply all these lessons I'm learning and promptings I have and I think that is a pretty good problem to have if you ask me. The Russian language is a challenge and it is hard. There are constant struggles that we work through as we're challenged in different areas. I love to learn the language and I love to think about the people I am learning this for! So that they can learn the message of the gospel so I can share some of the joy that it bring me with them! This gospel is a message of joy! It's hard for me to communicate exactly how it makes me feel! I have a testimony of the restored gospel I know that it is on the Earth today. As I testify of this now and in Russian when I teach I feel the power and truthfulness of the words. The truth is out there today and we as missionaries have the sacred privilege to bring it to the world! That is the message that I'm excited to share in conference as I sing on Saturday! There is power in the songs we're preparing and the words mean so much to me!

A quick little bonus thought that's been on my mind! I've been reading about the Anti-Nephi-Lehies a little bit this week and a thought that came to my mind as I read about how they buried there weapons of war in the ground and removed themselves from something so that they could be closer to God and show him that they were committed to him to living his teachings and following his words. (Alma 23-24) What can we bury in the Earth? What things can we put aside to show Heavenly Father how we feel about him and about his Gospel? 

I love all of you and would love to hear from you! I love getting emails and hearing about how everyone is doing! Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

The book is blue and the Church is true!!
 
Love,
--
Elder Spencer Halls
Ukraine Dnepropetrovsk Mission
Украинскя Днепропетровскя Миссия

Me and Elder Atkinson with the Ukraine Flag in the back

Our zone in the shirts that Elder Stower's made for all of us


Super cool mural of Moses parting the Red Sea!


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