Miracles all around at the MTC

Hello everyone,

This week has been absolutely crazy! Crazy busy, and very very eventful! (: On Sunday something truly amazing happened. We actually got to leave the MTC for an hour! Now don't get me wrong, I love the MTC, it's very beautiful and the Spirit is incredibly strong, but it's also like living in a box. We're very shut out of the world, and it has taken some time to adjust. So simply having the opportunity to leave the MTC walls, and walk around the Provo Temple grounds was a breath of fresh air. 

Also my first Sunday here I joined the MTC choir! (: *The director Brother Egget told us that we would be singing at the Tuesday night devotional and that he had picked out the song specifically because it was the speakers favorite hymn. He told us that the speaker was one of the 12 apostles, but that we would figure out exactly who was speaking on Tuesday. Tuesday at dinner, the word spread pretty quickly, "More Holiness Give Me" just happens to be Elder Hollands favorite hymn, and he would be speaking that night!! WHAT?! Elder Holland just happens to be my number one favorite speaker ever! And I got to hear him my first week here. Now, that pretty lucky if I do say so myself. You have to understand... at the MTC, Elder Holland is like a celebrity. Well, as close to one as you can get. So, having him come and speak at the devotional was like a dream come true for most missionaries. The devotional was amazing! Elder Holland pretty much told us that if we wanted to be good missionaries all we have to do is be courageous and open our mouths. He told us that we we're like David, in the David and Goliath story and that we needed to "prove our armor" He is an inspired man, and truly an apostle on the earth today!  

Something else pretty exciting happened this week. Sister Griffeth and I got to teach our first investigators, but they call them TRC's here at the MTC. Acronyms are big here.. ;)

Sister Griffeth and I have made it a goal to invite them to be baptized on the first lesson unless otherwise told by the Spirit. Monday was our first lesson with them and we were both excited to invite them to be baptized, but the spirit told us to wait. M. mentioned her concerns with baptism. She also brought up her grandmother passing away, and that was hard on her. Sister Griffeth and I taught her about the Plan of Salvation.  We learned during class that as long as we're focused on the doctrine of Christ (our purpose - faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end), the Spirit would take over. We each took turns sharing our testimony with her as we felt prompted. The Holy Ghost was doing his job because both me and Sister Griffeth felt prompted to invited her to be baptized! We looked at each other for a second and then all of the sudden she was inviting her to be baptized! After, we just waited in silence for a second, a little bit in shock I think. Then M. looked at us and being incredibly sincere she just nodded her head and said, "Yes." 

After the lesson, I looked at Sister Griffeth still SHOCKED!  We started talking about what to do next. We hadn't thought this far ahead, and we still felt like there was a lot to teach her.  She kept her commitments - read the Book of Mormon and prayed to know if it was true - and she said she hasn't ever felt like this.  She said the Catholic church was something her family went to, but she never agreed with children being cast off if they weren't baptized as a baby.  She hasn't told her parents yet, so we'll see how it goes.  

L. is our other investigator.  She's about in her sixties and doesn't believe God loves her.  Our first lesson with her was a reality check for Sister Griffeth and I. We asked her to pray at the end and it made her feel really uncomfortable, especially since she doesn't believe in Jesus Christ. She also said she feels like she's disrespecting His name by closing with it at the end of a prayer.  We told her we would still like to invite her to pray, and we would explain it better next time. That lesson was pretty rough, but she said she still wanted to hear the lessons. I think she's really lonely and enjoys the company. The second lesson, on the other hand, was incredible.  Again, the spirit took over! She told us about some pretty hard times she has been through and I was prompted to share Mosiah 24:14 - "And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions." and she broke into tears after reading that verse. We invited her to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it after showing her the scripture about praying in his name, and explaining that it's a sign of respect.  We invited her to end the lesson with a prayer.  She said, "Dear Lord.....are you there?  Can you hear me?"  Her voice broke as she continued with one of the most sincere prayers I have ever heard in my life.  

I love them both so much, and I'm sad that today will be our last lesson... hopefully they can continue to be taught by different missionaries! (:

At the MTC a typical day includes a lot of devotionals, many meals, and lots of in class time where we learn a lot, but we also usually have gym time! For the Elders of our district this is their favorite time of the day but, if you know me I'm not necessarily talented at sports... so although I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to wear comfy pants... the whole playing sports thing is mediocre. Until at least yesterday it was. I've learned 3 things about going to the Gym. #1 If you play volleyball, you will lose to the athletic Polynesian elders and sisters, #2 If you play basketball, you will in fact feel inferior to any Elders playing, and then they'll take pity on you because your're in the
MTC so they'll let you win. and #3 The real athletes play four square. ;)  And guess what?! Yours truly is actually good at this sport. I know... hard to believe. But I'm a missionary, and I believe in miracles! 

This morning, being my P-day and all, I got to go the Temple! It never ceases to amaze me how much better my day will go when I go to the temple to start off my day. It was really such an incredible experience to go with my district. Hopefully they'll let us go to the Temple in London... but apparently missionaries don't go much.

I've honestly loved being a missionary so far! (: I have realized how much I truly want to share the happiness of the gospel with other people, and couldn't be more excited to start. I love you all! Thanks for the prayers, love and support! 

Love, Sister Croft

*Before Rebekah left I told her she needed to join the MTC choir with Brother Egget. I sing in a choir that records music for Lex de Azevedo. Bro. Egget is our director, so over the past year I've had the opportunity to get to know him. The day after Rebekah sang with the MTC choir for Elder Holland, I sang with Bro. Egget recording a new song. I told him about Rebekah and he asked to see a picture. He immediately recognized her and said, "Yes! She sang in the choir last night! I remember her!" And then he told me all about Elder Holland's fireside and how amazing it was. It was really fun to talk to someone who had seen Rebekah just the night before and would be seeing her again soon!