2nd week of MTC 4/1/16

On Fri, Apr 1, 2016 at 9:10 AM, Madeline Cleone De Loach <madeline.de.loach@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Hello family :)

This week has been absolutely amazing, crazy, long and really quick. On Easter we had the amazing opportunity to have M. Russell Ballard come speak to us. He shared the story of his father seeing the savior in the temple? I guess it's a really famous story. His testimony was amazing and the spirit was so strong. He is such a witness of Jesus Christ. I hope I don't get struck for this, but his voice was soooo soothing I may have fallen asleep for a few minutes during his talk.. oopps:) all day easter all we did was celebrate and study our savior Jesus Christ.. I can think of no better way to spend that holiday. I am so grateful for my savior. We watched a video called Character of Christ by Elder Bednar, I think it's only for missionaries but if you can watch it, PLEASE do!!! It's absolutely amazing and goes into such depth on the character of our savior. A few days ago it really hit me that for 18 months I wont see you guys. I got pretty homesick, and I had a really hard day focusing on anything. I asked the Zone Leader to give me a blessing. As he gave me a blessing a few things that stuck out to me that he said was, "Your heavenly father is so thankful for your decision to choose to serve a mission, he wants you to know that you have more people praying for you than you could ever possibly imagine, at all ends of the world. He then said that Heavenly Father wanted me to stick out my mission because there are MANY people who are anxiously awaiting my arrival and the gospel. Jesus Christ is preparing people for you and he loves you so much, he send his comfort around you at this time" This blessing was the most perfect thing I could have ever had. I instantly felt comforted and I have ever since. I know that I cannot see you guys for 18 months, and the thought of that kills me, but when I take it one day at a time, somehow 18 months seems to not be so long. I am so thankful for priesthood blessings. We had a devotional the other night and my district decided to sing in the MTC choir. It was amazing. We sang "Praise to the Man" I had no idea this whole song was about Joseph Smith. HE is the freakin man!!!! I love him so much. I cannot begin to explain the spirit which I felt singing of his life and the peace at which I knew that Joseph smith truly did restore the gospel. If he didn't then the whole book of mormon is a fraud and that makes me as a missionary a liar.  I know that he truly did restore the gospel. "give brother Joseph a break" I will truly always defend him, he is a prophet of God. So lately I have been teaching an investigator named Anne, Mom she is the one who knows Devri. She is a professional singer and sings with David Archuleta on a daily basis. I know she gets paid to work here, but I am almost positive she really is a non-member. I don't know what it is about Anne, but I truly believe that we were somehow friends in the pre-earth life, I may have found one of my friends:) our personalities just click, and me being inexperienced in the gospel I felt inadequate to teach her, but she just understands every single thing I said. She committed to baptism yesterday and she got tickets to go to conference. I love Anne, she is my girl!!! She has an amazing story, Mom if you can find out from Devri if she really is mormon, and what her story is. She is an amazing woman and I truly care about her so much. I got your Dear Elders where you were talking about her 5 minutes before I had my lesson with her and it really gave me the confidence to teach her so thank you so much. By the way, I am not the one teaching the lesson, it's the spirit. I truly can tell when I speak with the spirit. I pray different now, and my voice is so much softer. I know that the Savior knows Anne, and he loves her so much. Mom could you please send me the Book Believing Christ? It's in my maroon scripture case! thank you so much!! The other day when I was feeling pretty down, we were in class role playing and I was working with Sister Paulsen. We were inviting them to read the Book of Mormon and to know of it's truthfulness for themselves. As we started to evaluate the lesson as a class after we were finished Sister Paulsen raised her had and said to the whole class, "This is the gospel of happiness, so many times when we teach we aren't teaching with happiness. As Sister DeLoach spoke to me, she spoke with passion and happiness and as an investigator I couldn't have been more grateful to see her passion and excitement about the gospel, Sister DeLoach is stoked about the gospel" HAHAHA yes I am stoked about the gospel. I knew this comment came from my Heavenly Father because I needed to hear it. I am so grateful for a Savior who knows me individually. We were challenged by Elder Vinson a member of the 70 from Australia to get a brand new Book of Mormon and to pray about a question and mark only things that pertain to that question. The question I am doing is "What can I learn in amidst a trial" I am only in 1 Nephi like 7 and I already have almost the whole page in markings. This gospel is truly amazing. The amazing thing is though, it's for sinners. This gospel is hope, this gospel is the only way to our loving Heavenly Father. He is eagerly awaiting our arrival to come back to his love. It's easy, because he will forgive you more than you could ever imagine. One thing that really stuck out to me was that as latter day saints we often think of repentance as a negative or bad thing when in reality repentance is to change or to turn away. If you're not reading your scriptures right now and you decide to, that is repenting and your savior is rejoicing. If you aren't saying your prayers and you decide to that is repentance. Repentance is truly just to change. I am not positive but I believe I am leaving April 18, I believe I will fly to LA and then straight to NZ. I will be going with the Togan Elders and sisters and NZ too. Thank you so much for the letters and packages. I cannot thank you guys enough. Dear Elder letters get delivered to me instantly and everyone in my district is sooooo sick of me getting packages hahahah. Any time they check the mail, they're like "Oh sister DeLoach you have another package.. surprising.. HAHAHA" I can't thank you all enough for helping build my name ;) Jordan what is your address?? I believe I have everyone else's but I cannot find yours!! Mom could you please send me a laundry bag or basket?? One that folds if you can. Thank you so much!! Well fam, I am going to be on for about 40 more minutes, so if you want to write me and chat I can write back!! I love you guys. God speed. I get to go to the temple today and ALL of your names will be in there!! Congrats to Bryant,and tell Grandma Meyer hello and I love her!!!

"Sacrifice Brings Forth the Blessings of Heaven" So grateful I get to make this sacrifice. I love you all. Dad I am in awe at the story of your heart. THANK you so much for sharing that. I know the savior lives. He truly does and I am so grateful he is blessing us all. I will see you all soon!!!

Love, Sister Madeline DeLoach