The Temple was closed because it was Labor Day. We played basketball which was BANG (AWESOME) and we also played a volleyball game with another district in our branch. We all entered the MTC at the same time so we have a little branch rivalry going on. They're honestly great though! They are all going to Mandarin Chinese speaking Australia and Canada. I taught my district a football chant that the offensive line would always do right before our games. It goes like this: I would shout "Who's got my back?!" and then they would shout "I've got your back!" We decided to do it before our volleyball game...haha. It really got our whole district fired up which was funny.....And then we lost!....hahaha It was still fun! We had the opportunity to skype with a former mission president from the Taichung mission. That was really cool! He told us a bunch of tips and really helped us with our Chinese!
Tuesday Sep. 8, 2015:
Today I had to have some ingrown toenails removed from my feet. I've had them for about a month and just kept thinking that I could take care of them myself. It didn't quite work out like I had expected! Elder Butler basically forced me to get them removed! I'm glad he did because they were really hurting! Elder Miller and I had to take a shuttle to the Dr. to get them removed. While on the shuttle Elder Miller and I actually saw the outside world! There is still a world outside of the MTC! I noticed a sign showing that Taco Bell had a new advertisement! That was cool! It was weird seeing all of the people not wearing missionary name tags...Haha!;)
Wednesday Sep. 9, 2015:
We had the opportunity to be a Host today. That is when you walk around with the new missionaries and help them find where their classes and residences are located. It was really fun, but also very sad at the same time. It brought back memories of when I came to the MTC. It still feels like yesterday and 8 weeks later I'm still here! The MTC truly is amazing. It's funny how the Lord works. Whenever I start to put my own abilities higher than the abilities of the Lord, I get knocked off of my feet! This week was really humbling. I was a little down about not having the capabilities to deliver the message of the Lord in the way that He would want me to. I did a lot of praying (I even fasted!). I decided that if I work my hardest and I don't leave any time to feel helpless or inadequate, the Lord will help me. I'll talk later about a cool experience that happened on Sunday and I how my prayers were answered.
Thursday Sep. 10, 2015:
Today was a little rough. I got really down because we received our flight plans, and I realized how close I am to leaving for Taipei. This kind of put me in a bad mindset because I want to go to Taiwan NOW....not in a week. The MTC is great, but I feel almost as if I would grow so much more if I were in Taiwan. I have since been humbled and realized that I still have a lot to learn in order to be the most effective missionary I can be in Taipei. If I want to be successful for the Lord in Taiwan, I can't waste any time. I need to learn as much as I can while I am here in the MTC.
Friday Sep. 11, 2015:
We were able to talk to a sister missionary who just returned from the Taipei mission 10 months ago. She gave us some great advice and a lot of helpful tips about Taiwan. She said that it was most important to just love the people. Our Chinese will definitely not be as good as the people in Taiwan and it isn't going to be easy, but if we love the people with the same love Christ has, then everything is going to work out. She said not to worry about getting rejected because they don't understand yet. We need to have a desperate attitude when we serve because if the investigators see the amount of compassion and love we have for all of God's children, then they will feel God's love too.
Saturday Sep. 12, 2015:
Nothing Major happened today. Everyday is amazing but nothing worth note. Sorry ....I don't have much time so I'm trying to condense this email as much as I can!
Sunday Sep. 13, 2015:
We watch a former talk from Elder Holland called "Mission's Are Forever". It completely changed my perspective and attitude that I had been feeling this week. I was a little discouraged about not feeling capable and not having the abilities yet I need to learn this crazy hard language. I was just ready to leave for Taiwan already, etc. I watched this video and I was comforted. I don't remember exactly what Elder Holland said, but I do remember how I felt after hearing his words. I learned that I need to think of the people serving more than myself. I'm thinking too much about my own feelings and if I am prepared. In the end it isn't about me. The message I have, although not perfected, is the perfect message for the children of God. God is preparing the people of Taiwan to receive his message. I do know that I still cannot get complacent. I have to keep moving forward...learning and growing. I need to keep thinking about how the Lord can best use me in order to help the people of Taiwan. I can't get discouraged if I'm not feeling ready or I'm feeling inadequate. I should turn outward so that the Lord can better use me.
It is so hard to try and remember everything that happened this week. An hour can go a lot faster than most people would think!
Here is a cool poem I heard this week:
God says, "Come to the Edge"
We say, "No, we will fall"
"Come to the Edge!"
"No, we will fall!"
"COME TO THE EDGE!"
And so we did.
Then he pushed us off
And we flew.
We are not always going to understand the promptings of the Spirit. According to Mosiah 4: 9, We can't comprehend all the things that God can comprehend. God knows best about everything. We have to listen to the promptings of the Spirit, even if we at first don't understand it. God can only make miracles happen if we are in a place where miracles can happen. Don't expect something significant to happen if you won't put in the effort or have faith. Trust in God and act on the promptings of the Spirit. Listen to the Spirit and act on it, even if you don't feel comfortable or agree with it. Get ready to watch miracles happen....they happen everyday if we will just see with our hearts and acknowledge them.
Love you all! Thank you for the support! I'll write one more email in the MTC next Mon. and then I will be in Taiwan! So excited!!!
Elder Coletti
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