week 7

Week 7 brought on some changes in the MTC. My district is now the oldest in our zone. On Wednesday, my companions and I will be welcoming a brand new district of 10 elders. We are their zone leaders. Excuse me while I laugh that I am in missionary leadership. It just seems strange to me. But I am grateful for it. I've gotten to know a lot more people through this call and it is wonderful.

With all the departing districts since we arrived, the five elders in my district have accumulated many gifts, traditional rites of missionaryship if you will. And soon, it will be time for us to bestow these meaningless things onto others for them to figure out what to do with. These are things such as a paper-organizer box, or a bendable glow in the dark skeleton, etc. Who will I deem worthy of such honors? Sometimes the MTC feels like scout camp.

Today I face the barber. I am nervous, and I did my best to avoid it, but I need a haircut. After weeks of parting my hair to make myself feel more like a missionary, I finally gave it up. A part in your hair is not longer a requirement for missionaries, there are few people that have one. As for the Barber, I hope they know how to follow instructions, I don't want to feel self-conscious about my hair.

But all of these things that I've talked about really only signify that our time in the MTC is waning. In just a few short weeks we will be teaching real people the real gospel in real Spanish. Really. I thought I would be nervous at this point. But you know, I've realized that as long as we are doing what the Lord wants us to, we need never to be nervous, for anything. I know I have spent a lot of time with uneasy anticipation for good things and with negative outlook on change. What was I worried for? God has never led me in a direction I didn't like. I have such an appreciation for the details of our lives that were planned ages before we ever came here.

I love the Gospel. I love that the Atonement is for everybody, ever day, all the time. Jesus Christ is our Savior and God wants us to be happy with Him, nothing more. I love you all and miss you and pray for you. Take care. And don't be nervous.

-Elder Sam Bostwick