MTC Week #6

Hola Everyone!

Wow. The MTC has gone by so fast. It just seems like yesterday that I got here. At the same time, it feels like I have known nothing else, and that I have been at the MTC for all of my life! I will miss it here though! The spirit here is amazing. There is no place on Earth like it. I have learned so much here. Especially about the Savior. I have come so much closer to him. I cannot wait to share his gospel with the people in Nicaragua! I fly out Monday morning around 8:30, but I have to leave the MTC at 3:50 . . . so I guess that means I'll have some time to do some Proselyting at the airport! I am so excited to share this message about the Savior and his gospel. This week we got to hear from Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson (the Young Women General President). She was really awesome and really funny. I love the devotionals here, it is such a wonderful opportunity we all have, and I will miss them a lot! Today I am spending the rest of the day packing for Monday. 

This morning I got to go to the Temple for the last time for two years, it was really awesome and very spiritually uplifting. We taught our investigators for the last time this week, which was sad, but again I have learned so much and I am so grateful and humbled by this great privilege to go on a mission. 

Time is just about up for me, so I'll close with some thoughts. I know that the Savior, Jesus Christ, lives. I know that he loves us so much and that through is infinite grace we can all be made clean and return back to him. I love him so much! I know that God is our loving Father in Heaven! He loves us and will help us with anything! He has helped me so much! I love Him! I love this gospel! I know that it is true! Thank you all for everything! Your prayers and thoughts lift me up so much! I love you all!

Love,

Elder Erickson 

MTC Week #5

Hola!!!

I hope all of you are doing well! I am doing great and I am so excited to go to Nicaragua next Monday! I fly out at 8:30 and I'll get to Nicaragua at around 7:45 that night! Time has just flown by. The days seem to mesh together. It feels like it was two seconds ago that it was P-day last week! Oh, and today is my one-month mark! How crazy is that?! It just seems so weird that I only have 23 left. it makes me kind of sad too because I don't want to have it be over that soon. 

The MTC is still pretty much the same thing every day. It is still awesome though and I have learned so much. I continue to learn a lot about the Savior and his atonement. I am learning how to study (as you all know I'm not much of a studier), I am learning to love the scriptures (especially The Book of Mormon and the New Testament). I am learning more than ever to rely on God, and I learning to love as he does. It really has been a wonderful experience already. 

Oh, and for the Tuesday devotional Elder Anderson showed up. It was a great devotional and was really powerful. I love hearing the devotionals. They answer so many questions and bring the spirit in a massive way. My Spanish is going really well and I love learning it. I am not having to translate as much when my teacher or investigator is talking. I'm beginning to understand without thinking about it, and I am getting a lot better at the grammar. That being said, I still sound like a child. And I just can’t wait to get to Nicaragua and realize that I actually don't know Spanish. :) 

We have had some great lessons this week, I am learning so much. Sorry that I don't have a ton of details this week! When I get to Nicaragua I'll be shelling out a lot more! I love you all and I am so grateful for your support! Your prayers and thoughts help me every day! I know that God is our loving Father in Heaven, and He love all of us so much! Have an awesome week!

Love,

Elder Erickson

Week #4 -MTC

Hola!

I hope everyone is doing good! Life here at the MTC is good! This week wasn't as good as last week, but it was still great! It is weird to think that I am so close to leaving the country and going to Nicaragua. It is strange. I hosted new missionaries again this week, and that was cool! There was a ton of them, but it is always cool to see new missionaries come! There is a ton of Elders and Sisters going to Nicaragua! It seems like I meet some more every day! And most people I talk to are flying out with us on the 22 of August as well! I get my travel plans next Friday, so I am excited for that. I am pretty set in to the routine now. 

We are teaching 3 investigators right now! Two of them are our teachers and one is real! The real one is from Mexico, her name is Viri! It is funny to me that they trust us enough to teach people and I have only been speaking Spanish for a little over three weeks! And Viri doesn't speak English very well! she is currently learning it at BYU. It is way cool though! 

The devotionals this week have been awesome and really inspiring! like I have said before, even on a bad day the spirit is still here. It really is a wonderful place! My Spanish and teaching is constantly improving! I am so excited to go to Nicaragua! I learn so much every day! I am growing closer and closer to the Savior all the time. I know that he lives and that he loves all of us! I know that God is our loving Father in Heaven, and that he loves us so much! I have felt his love for me so much this week and I have especially felt his love for all of his children! I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve him and his children in Nicaragua! Thank you for all your prayers and support! I love hearing from all of you! Have an awesome week!

Elder Erickson