MTC Week 2

Wow it seriously feels like just yesterday I was in here writing up an email to you all! Firstly let me tell you, this is one of the most stressful parts of being here at the MTC.

This week has been incredible though. But firstly I'd just like to say thanks to my friend who wrote me, and thank you to the family for your encouragement and great things you've sent to me! I love getting stuff from home. Mom, the stuff you sent me was perfect! I guess first I'll answer some of the questions I've gotten throughout the week for various people then I'll just share a little I've learned in the past 7 days.

Dad had a bunch of questions but I'll do my best answering them all. Uhmm I have 4 people in my district going to colombia (theres 6 in the MTC including us) and all four of us are in the picture I sent home. In that picture it's me, Elder Riepl, Elder Jensen (taller one) and Elder Marciasiano. They're all great guys. I'm going to try to get a picture sent home of Elder Rushton and I so you know who I'm talking about. As far as what we do, we do a Lot of studying. Yesterday we had a fast from english and I spoke spanish the entire day until we had gym at night. That was insane, but i've learned so much spanish it's awesome. Everyone seems to think that the food gets progressively worse each day but luckily I still think it's good. Hah. I have seen Spencer Hughes, Robbie Olson (on his first day), and I also saw Seth webster if I didn't already tell you. Unfortunately I sorta forgot about susanne on sunday and didn't see her. But i'll be sure to look for her this week! I also wanted to thank dad for the letters he sends me because I really love the simple things you have to say and I love the inspirational things you let me think about. Mom, thank you for your letters and packages. I love them so much. One thing I read totally reminded me of your last letter. It was D&C 11:12-14 I think.

Hmm some things that have happened this week.. There were 7 apostles here and the prophet too to train the incoming mission presidents! It was so awesome to hear about how everyone would see them walking around. We even got lucky enough to have the 7 apostles present be at our sunday devotional (including Holland and other great Elders) and guess who talked? Elder Bednar! It was one of the greatest talks I've ever heard and it was so cool knowing it was directed very specifiaclly to me. He talked about "Becoming A Preach My Gospel Missionary" and had some really great things that I learned from. He said a lot so I won't be able to write it all. Among some of the other talks I've heard this week It seems like three things really stuck out to me that they all have suggested and those are: Focus on the Lord, Forget Yourself, and Work Hard. They had many other points that were great but I really believe that if I can just do those three things everything else will just fall into place. I love being here and improving myself for the people of colombia. Something else I've read many times but never quite related it to myself as I did this week is found in Alma 26:27-30. I think it applies perfectly to everything that I will experience as a missionary and it just makes me so happy to know that even in the toughest of times the Lord will be there to comfort me and make support me in the work.

As if this talk wasn't enough awesome spiritual inspiration for one night after his talk we had the oportunity to watch a film i believe is called "The Testaments". I remember seeing it as a little kid but this seriously was an amazing reminder of the real reason I'm here. It helped me to remember that I don't just believe in the story of a man who came to earth and wants to help us. I believe that Jesus Christ can save us all and did truly pay the price so that we can someday become like Him. It's such a great thing to remember and to know that he will always be there for you because he felt everything dissappointing and more that you've felt in your life. I decided to start thinking of Him more as a brother and less as a story that happened a long time ago.

One great thing that happened this week was I got to meet my mission president and his wife! They were seriously the nicest people I've met and I know that they'll do everything to help me once I get out there. He told us awesome stuff about colombia and the people (because he was among the missionaries to open my mission) and how blessed we are to get to serve there. We had a little testimony meeting and just got to be familiar with them when it was time to go, and right now they're already in Colombia! I sure hope I can get down there on time because we asked the desk if they knew if our visas were good and they just said to come in on the thursday before we're scheduled to leave and thats when the country will inform them If we're good to go.... Pray that It'll happen!

One more scripture that I think is so cool (that happened to be Gordon B. Hinkleys favorite missionary scripture) is 1 Tim 4:16. This is so incredible because in essence all i need to do is Take heed (learn and appy) the doctrine; continue in it, and then I will "save [myself], and them that hear [me]". This is such and incredible blessing and testimony to me because I'll I've been focusing on is the people, making myself the best I can be to teach them, and the different things they need to here (or in essence the doctrine) and I will literally save the people who are willing to listen, through the Lord Jesus Christ. And I will save myself. Being out here in the field is the greatest blessing I could have right now at this point in my life. Like a great scripture I'm trying to apply says, (Matt 10:39) "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." I know I'll find my life our here in the field and how the rest of my life should follow after.

Really quickly Glenn asked me if I had any advice for Him and It made me think of this chapter in Alma that I think is Amazing advice for everyone but particularly return missionaries how to really have happiness and to succeed. Please read Alma 38 and just think about the different things mentioned in that chapter because It's incredible advice! I love you Glenn.

While we're on the topic of siblings I wanted to let Sarah know how much her letter meant to me. I showed all of my friends Bently's secret message to me and they loved it.

I don't have much time but I just want to let you all know that I know that I'm here because the Lord wants me to be and there are people out there that need to here the greatest message of all, which is that they can someday return to live with their Father, having Eternal Life. I love this church so much and I'm doing my best to be the missionary the Lord intends me to be. Thank you for the support and thank you so much Mom and Dad for teaching me the things I needed to learn to get to this point and thank you to my friends and family for being the examples that kept me on the right path.

Can't wait to tell you about all thats happening next thursday.

Much Love,

Elder Jacob Stucki