Elder Sam Chamberlin: Week Two and It Seems Like Month Two // December 1, 2014

Week two and it seems like month two! This week may have been the best week of my life. So it started off with Elder Oaks making a surprise appearance at our devotional Tuesday night and it was really good. He talked about losing yourself in the work, and he made an analogy of us being an instrument in the Lords hand. We are like a pen and if we dont have ink (testimony, language skills, teaching skills, etc) then we cant work effectiviely, and God needs us to always be ready when he needs to use us. Oaks was awesome. Then for Thanksgiving i was starting to get a little bummed and missed being with the fam but the MTC takes good care of its sheep. We broke some service records this week and packaged 366,000 meals to send out to people in need around the world. It was really cool to do service on Thanksgiving... something i haven't neccesarily done before but it made the day so much more powerful and meaningful. Elder Bednar wanted to come hangout with us so we got to kick it with him for a bit while doing the service project, and i guess he just couldn't get enough of being around us so he came to speak to us that night. It was so powerful. He and his wife did this cool experiment where they passed out cell phones to the whole audience and people could text in questions they wanted to ask an apostle of the Lord. It was so amazing. One thing i loved that his wife said was that when we go to serve our mission we only have two years to give it our all, but we have the rest of our lives to look back and think about how we served. Got me super stoked, and then i loved how Elder Bednar said when we are released from our service as a full-time missionary, we become life-long missionaries. I felt like a main point of his message was that the gospel of Jesus Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost, etc) isnt a list of things we do and just be done, but its principles that we live by to become. Each week every missionary has to write a talk on the MTC-wide topic which this week was endure to the end. Then two or three missionaries in our zone get picked at random to give talks during sacrament. It is super cool, and i felt like Elder Bednar's talk was so in line with my talk that i wrote. I just love it here.

Days can defiinitely be long here... we do so much in a day its crazy! Sundays are such a day of rest and a day to reminisce on the week. so peaceful. Mondays are amazing though, i have loved reading letters and seeing how everyone was doing. Blake (mista steal yo girl and steal yo jacket) hahaa i miss you so much. Julie of course has been a faithful and loyal writer. Letters from my family of course are the best<3 i miss you guys. Highlight of today was by far reading about bekah's week! so sad i couldnt be there for it. I felt like a goob in the laundry room reading all of the wonderful letters sent to me, and im laughing out loud one moment, and the next im about to tear up because of how happy i am! Life is so good. I am so glad i have the opportunity to do such a great work.

Favorite thing about the mtc... "Elder Dunnaway" - elder dunnaway, haha but for real i think its being with such awesome people 24/7. its super uplifting and just such a good time. Some people complain about the mtc, but it makes me think of something Mr. Harnett always used to tell our class: "only boring people get bored" and i feel like it applies here too: "only lame people, think the mtc is lame" becuase it really is whatever you make of it. Days are long and hard and exhausting, and its non stop studying and spiritual feasting, and language learning, but with the right attitude its the best time ever.

As for how ready i feel for Thailand, not ready. Haha the language is coming fast but its definitely a process. Teaching investigators here is so awesome and we picked up 2 new investigators this week that we teach for the first time so we are excited to see how that goes. there names are คยยงค ้ and ค้้ คั or something like that. neen and naang. I love how as i become for familiar with Thai i can follow the spirit, remember words i learned what seems like forever ago, and really teach with power. such a good time.

I thought being here i would miss my bed, a nice bathroom and shower, being able to jump in the pool and sun bathe, hit the beach, etc. but really i havent missed anything like that a bit. It also helps that i pushed two of the bunkbeds together in our room and elder dunnaway and i both get queen size beds. But i think i miss most my Makenna, jackson, holland, lukey, mason, baby jesse, and little rowen the one year old. Pictures are so nice, and bring me back to being with the familiy. so its cool to see whats really meant the most to me. and of course Megan<3

So proud of Zane and cant wait to hear from him and micha chenga... someone tell that kid to write me.

Packages and letters are thee best thing in the MTC it gets you so pumped to work hard when you feel love comin from home<3 so thank you to everyone who sends goodies, you really keep me workin hard!

I miss and love home, but being here is the most amazing experience. I feel so blessed to have the companion and district i have. I think i told you i was called to be the district leader and its been an awesome experience. Our branch is cool, our district is full of love and a desire to work hard, i just really feel so blessed. God is so good, and i know Jesus Christ atoned for our sins, and through him we can have peace, joy, and direction. Life is SO good, and i want everyone to know of the amazing life changing message the gospel is! Love you family and friends i can feel your prayers and love for me thank you!