Week Two

Hey everyone! This week has gone by a lot faster and has been pretty great. Yesterday was a little hard being Thanksgiving and not having my family around and it was the first day where I was truly homesick. Although I was homesick, I had a great day yesterday. We started off the day by being bused over to the main campus early for choir practice (my whole district is in the choir). We then had a devotional that was broadcast with Elder Russell M Nelson. If you have the chance to watch that do it because it was 1. an awesome devotional. 2. I was shown on the screen during the choir number multiple times. :) 

I miss you all and hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving without me. After the devotional we had an awesome Thanksgiving feast for lunch then had another devotional about service. After the devotional about service, we participated in a humanitarian project. In the MTC, we prepared 350,000 meals for starving children. We then got to watch the movie Ephraim's Rescue while we snacked on milk duds. This week has been very spiritual and I have learned lots from my amazing Branch President and all the devotional speakers. I wish I had all my notes with me to share some more experiences I have had, but the 4 things I can think of off the top of my head are:

1. In the movie Ephraim's Rescue, after he preformed many miracles, someone asked him how he was such a great man, and his response was "I'm not. I am just an ordinary man who makes lots of mistakes." The lady then asked him how he was able to preform all of these miracles and his answer was, "Because I try." We all make mistakes and none of us are perfect, in the definition of being flawless, but we can all become perfected in Christ. Using the other definition of the word perfect, to do that which is required of us. If we do what the Lord wants us to do today, and try our best everyday, we can do great things and will be blessed for giving everything we can. 

2. Elder Russell M Nelson said "It is better to build character then to be one." This is very true. In the MTC, and in life. There are so many people who are fake in the things they do. They aren't serving a mission for the right reasons. They do good things just so others can see them doing good things, rather than doing good because they have character and because they love everyone of God's children and because they are will to serve those in need of help.

3. Russell M Nelson also said, "Teaching and baptizing can lead to thanksgiving everyday." Giving people the joy that we have been able to feel because of the church, will bless everyone involved. Not a whole lot to say about this except for I know the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ can bring everlasting joy to everyone who is a part of it. Knowing that families can be together forever, knowing that we can once again live with our Father in Heaven though our Savior can bring a joy that is unmatched.

4. President Tyler gave an amazing talk about feeling the Spirit, how to feel the Spirit, and how we can recognize its promptings. During that lesson he gave us the scripture 3 Nephi 11:27 (I think this is the right scripture but I don't have my notes in front of me so I'm not 100% sure. It should be about being able to have the Holy Ghost because the Savior lets us). President Tyler told us that every blessing we receive from God, including the Holy Ghost, is because Christ wishes us to have it. President Tyler imagines the Savior saying to our Heavenly Father "I know _______ has messed up and is not worthy to receive this blessing but give it to him for me, and take it out of my "Atonement Bank Account"". This has brought me to a whole new level of gratitude to my savior, for what he did for both you and I.

I miss everyone and would love to hear from anyone and everyone. Make sure to emphasize on Facebook and through relay of this email that getting a letter in the MTC (weather it is hand written or sent through dearelder.com) is the greatest feeling in the world. 

I will spend almost all my time emailing you (Mom) and my friends who are on missions because email is the easiest form of communication. I will always send an email back if you email me, but I would prefer a letter or dear elder. For those who don't want to hand write a letter dearelder.com is pretty much just a print off of an email you send me that I get in my mailbox that day. Once again my address is:

Elder Taylor Michael Adams

Jan6 MEX-MEXW

2023 N 900 E Unit 881

Provo, UT 84602

I miss you all and would love to get letters from you whenever!! I hope you all had a good week and great thanksgiving and will send you another lengthy email next week. 

Hasta Lugeo

Elder Adams

Elder Adams was spotted at Jamba Juice today.

I received this anonymous text from someone who ran into Taylor and took this picture. Thank you random person! What a stud. This is his companion.

FIRST LETTER!! First Week

Hey Mom (and everyone else), my first few days in the MTC have been great, long but great. I love my district and my companion and everything seems to be going well even though I miss you all. Its crazy but my district has 7 elders going to the Mexico Mexico City West Mission also! My companion is very cool and is going to play Defensive End at the University of Utah after his mission. 

Some cool things that have happened in the MTC are still to come. For example, this Thanksgiving will be awesome because Elder Russell Nelson of the quorum of the 12 is coming to speak to us. We also will have a big feast here in the MTC and then we will participate in a Humanitarian project. Also one thing I forgot to mention because we are Spanish speaking missionaries in the Provo MTC we have our own separate campus at Wyview for all the Spanish Missionaries. 

I love our Branch and my District President as well as his companions and their wives they are like my Parents away from home. Our Zone motto is so awesome! We say, "Obedience brings blessings, exact obedience brings miracles" 

I miss home and still not a huge fan of the MTC but I feel a lot more at peace this time around and even when I'm feeling down I know that this is where I need to be. I am excited to go out to Mexico already but I know I need to prepare before I leave. 

Just some information: I have P day every Friday where I have a chance to email for an hour. We go to the temple every morning and today we did sealing's which was an awesome experience! After the temple as a zone we go onto the main campus where we will print out all of the emails we have received over the week to read during personal time (this way our reading emails doesn't interrupt our actual emailing time). After personal time my companion and I will eat lunch and then come email for about an hour. 

The majority of this time my be spent emailing my family and friends who are on missions so if you would like to contact me, please write me a letter, that will be the best way to keep in touch as the time I have on the computer to email is very brief. 

As for basketball.  We don't play actual basketball but we play knock out with about 30 missionaries. Yesterday I won 4 games in a row and when someone finally got me out in the 5th game everyone cheered.... haha I guess I would too if I were them. 

My mom had a few questions for me that I will post and answer now: 

-Where are you staying? Raintree?

I am staying in Wyview and I don't know where Raintree is.

-Do you have Brother Garrett as a teacher?

My Teacher is Hermano Day not Hermano Garrett sadly.

-Is the Hamilton boy in your district?

Because Duncan is going to MEX City South and the majority of my district is going to the west mission Duncan is not in my district but I do see him on campus quite a bit and almost all the Spanish speakers in the MTC about twice a day.

-Dirt on your companion? Is he cool?

My Companion is really cool, He is a big football guy and is going to play at the U of U after his mission. My whole district is so awesome though and I would love to be companions with anyone in the district.

-Are you happy?

That is kind of a hard question, I am not the biggest fan of the MTC but it's a necessary evil. Things are much better because I get along with my companion as well as my district. Although it's a lot of hard work we find ways and time to have fun which is nice to relieve the stress and home sickness. 

-Do you need anything?

My van's and an alarm clock are the only two things I have forgot so far but I'm sure I will have a much bigger list for you next week ;)

Well i know it has only been a few days so I doubt has much change has come upon you and the family as it has upon me but please let me know what's going on and if there is anything new. I miss you guys a lot and I look forward to Friday every week now!! Everyone stay safe and remember my Zone scripture, "Look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear not!" D&C 6:36. President Tyler believes that this scripture is the key to all happiness in our lives and I completely agree! Have a great week everyone and I look forward to emailing you all again on Friday. 

Hasta Luego! 

Elder Adams

Taylor and his companion.

Our goodbye at the MTC.