MTC - Week 5 Already?!

Mi familia y amigos,

I cannot believe that I have been here for a month!! PUES, I actually can... but still time is flying! What a week it has been!! To start off, on Tuesday Elder Dallin H. Oaks came for our devotional! It was amazing. He walked in the door and BOOM. Spirit. It was such a testimony builder for me that the apostles on the earth today are men of God, who have been called by him. What a blessing to be able to hear him speak in person! His opening line was profound, and started the devotional off perfectly. He said, "This is not your mission. It is the Lord's." He then proceeded to talk about how important it is to forget ourselves and become an instrument in the Lord's hand. It was amazing!! This mission is not about me, it is about the people the Lord has been preparing for years to hear the gospel. I am just blessed enough to be able to witness his hand in their conversion process. Oh how I love this work!

On Wednesday we had an amazing class lesson with my teacher Hermana Russell. She is basically the best teacher at the MTC... and my district would know... we have had 12 so far!! But in all seriousness it was amazing. We were reading in 3 Nefi.. and there were two verses that really stuck out to me. It was 3 Nefi 9:13-14. In these verses, Christ is speaking to the Nephites when he says "O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous then they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? Yeah, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me." Oh how I love that scripture! Christ is literally begging us to come unto him, so that he can heal us! He wants to make us feel better, he wants to protect us. He is pleading for us to take advantage of his sacrifice so that we can receive happiness. Oh how I love my Savior. I invite you all to Come unto Christ this week by reading the Book of Mormon a little bit each day. I promise you that as you do so, you will feel the love of Christ, for the scriptures truly are the words of the Lord. 

I don't have much more time... but I GOT MY TRAVEL ITINERARY!! 10 more days and I will be on my way to Panamá!!! Me and the two elders in my district are the only ones going to Panamá from this MTC, and we leave at 4:50 AM...yeesh! But I am so excited!! It is all becoming so real... this is my last week here!! Muy loco! I am nervous and a little scared, but I have faith that through the Atonement I can do all things. Yo puedo hacerlo! I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!! 

Hermana Van Deusen