Where do I begin? Well the first and second day I got here, I had no idea what I was doing. I can't tell you the amount of times I walked into the girls bathroom, the times I called an Elder or Sister the wrong name, the awkward moments I have had with the people around me, the list goes on and on. But the good news is I'm finally figuring things out, whether its being on time to the hundreds of activities I do in a single day or the endless amount of times I have prayed to God and asked for guidance, it is good to be in the right mindset. The first day was the most difficult because of the fact that I got homesick so quickly. And while I lay in bed that night, I came to the realization that I needed to pray. So I got out of my bed and got on my knees and had the most sincere conversation that I have ever had with my Heavenly Father. I leaned on Him for support and He brought me to my feet and told me to take in this experience as much as I could before it was simply too late.
I have had a change of heart. I am learning to love people, regardless of their faults and imperfections, you love them for who they are. It is this Christ-like attitude that I think we can all attribute in our own personal lives and I challenge you to do it and reach out to someone. Regardless of your opinion of them, change that into a loving Characteristic of Christ.
So with that being said, let me tell you a little bit about some of the Elders and Sisters that I have been around in the MTC. My companion's name is Elder Jones and he is the complete opposite of me. He is 6 foot 4, about 230 pounds, he is from Idaho Falls and talks about the Gospel as much as he talks about the next meal we are going to have. He is an interesting guy and though we have our differences, we are getting used to each other as we participate together in Investigator Discussions, Book of Mormon classes and so much more. (Don't worry, I'll send pictures so you can laugh at our physical differences)
Some of the other missionaries include: Elder Gardea, Elder Nixon, Elder Orlandi, Elder Stohlton, Sister Hopkins and Sister Harris. All these missionaries are in my district and I see them almost as much as I see my companion. They are a great group of Mormons and they push me to be at my best and I'm so thankful for that.
We have an apartment sized room with 3 bunk beds, 6 missionaries, a closet for each missionary, and enough room for a medium sized table and chairs. I got the bottom bunk (thank goodness) and am proud to say the cleanest missionary in our residence, which is definitely a surprise to my parents, I guarantee it. I haven't lost anything (yet) and I'm so excited to be depending on my own and growing up.
We did a temple trip this morning and it was such a neat experience doing endowments in the Provo Temple for the first time. I have some pictures that I'll send in separate emails for you to see.
Overall, the MTC has been a tough, Spiritual, enlightening experience that has gone by very quickly so far. I leave to Columbus, Ohio on August 19th and it is weird to think I only have 9 days left here before I become a proselyting missionary. Just know I love you all. I miss being at home and I miss the life that I am leaving behind. But there is a reason for that. It is to serve the Lord, my Heavenly Father and to bring others unto Christ and that's what will make this 2 years an absolutely life changing experience.
Elder Galbraith
P.S. Oh darn, they won't let me send pictures while I'm in the MTC because I don't have the right USB Cable so I'll send out pictures next week. Oh and my P-day is today so next Monday expect another huge massive email from me. And shout out to the Carter family (Their son, Josh, is in Argentina right now serving his mission) for sending me cookies! Even though they lasted for approximately 5 minutes, (Blame my roommates) they were absolutely fantastic so thank you!
You all have a great day! Love you all!
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