Overload of Happiness

Hola!
This week has been incredible!


First off, all the letters I got this week made me SO happy. Like Christmas. Then I got a package of pictures from Alan and Kristin and that made me super happy. Then I got a package from The FAM and that made me even MORE happy. I love jackets. And the weather that provides a need for them. And Candy. And information! All of it makes me happy!

Also, I'm sorry to hear about the BYU-UTAH game. Our teacher went to the game and told us the score. I thought of you all.

Moving right along. . .

Sunday was our official halfway mark. To commemorate the event, we got a new district leader (now it is Elder Rockwood) and we switched 'Senior companion'-ship, which means that the companion with the first alphabetical name is now a junior companion. Good thing that is entirely meaningless here in the MTC.

It is strange that we've been here for 5 weeks. I lose all sense of time here. All I know is that it feels like we just got here and that there is no way I am going to know enough to leave in 4 weeks. We get our travel plans in about 2 weeks. How is that coming so soon?! I feel like I never have enough time to study for our lessons and that is the majority of what we do all day. It is so crazy.

Our Sunday fireside was nice. One of the District Presidents spoke about accepting hard things and making the best of it because Christ went through a lot worse. He also said "You must choose if you are willing to serve the Lord." I like that quote and I hope all of you are willing and do serve the Lord in any and every way you can.

To no one's surprise, a common theme in the MTC is obedience. A lot of the instruction we received this week included at least some mention of obedience. Twice it was said "Obedience brings forth blessings, exact obedience brings forth miracles." It is obviously very important because the speaker in RS said it on Sunday, and it was spoken of again on Tuesday. By Wendy Nelson. Who is that, you ask? Exactly who you think it is: The wife of Elder Russell M. Nelson.

Yes that is right, folks. For the third time in the last 4 weeks, an Apostle of the Lord came and spoke to us for Tuesday night devotional! How cool is that. We are so blessed. When we first got here they said it had been a long time since a general authority had come, and now we've seen 3!

Elder Nelson's talk was about the Book of Mormon. He told us some history of the translation and publication of this most amazing book. He also called 4 Missionaries from the audience to tell what they knew to be true about the Book of Mormon. Pretty nerve-wrecking for three of them (the fourth was his granddaughter!). They all did a great job because they have great testimonies--and they had done their homework. We all had homework for this devotional: READ THE OCTOBER 2011 ENSIGN
It is all about the Book of Mormon. They gave a copy to every single missionary in the MTC and asked us to be familiar with it before coming to the Devotional. Little did we know that one of the contributors was going to talk to us about it. It is an amazing magazine and I really do want everyone to read it. I learned a lot from it and I know you will too.


Yesterday, we stood out on the front sidewalk and waved at all the cars bringing in new missionaries. It was fun. I'm excited to see my cousin Garrett on Oct. 12 because he is the only new missionary I will know.

I love hearing from all of you.

Love from the land of overwhelming joy,
Hermana Anna Sheffield

Paz afuera. [Peace out!]