One Week Down!

September 5, 2014

Hello Family,

Sorry about last week, my letter was short because time was short. I am sorry I won’t be able to reply to all of your emails. So I am going to start from the beginning again.

Every morning starts at 6:20 and continues with what seems forever long class time. We have breaks three times a day for meals but they are only about 40 minutes long. Some days we have gym time but that is only like three days a week. And then around 9:30pm we return to our residence. The food here is not bad but there is so much of it. I have been pretty disappointed in the chocolate milk but the honeydew is out of this world. I have 2 bowls of it for every meal. The teachers are all super cool and understand what they are teaching. Which is a big change from normal school. Hehehe. One day seems to last for a week but it is one awesome week. When everyone is trying to do what is right it is hard not to feel the spirit here.

My companion, Elder Dalling, is 20 years old from a small town 45 minutes out of Detroit. He is 6'2" and I will be sending pictures with this email. All the computers here require that you buy an adapter for your SD card, which is really annoying and they go super fast. Today is the last time I’ll be writing from the MTC. On Tuesday we leave for Idaho so my address will be changing as well.

I hope you are all doing well. I miss everyone so much but there is no other place I would rather be. I pray for you always. Please keep me updated on everything that is going on. Today we had the opportunity to go to the temple. It was pretty awesome but the San Diego Temple will always be my favorite. 

It’s hard to get down all my thoughts in only 60 minutes of email. All the things I think to share with you just vanish when it is time to write them down. We found the pillow room but it is locked, "The way is blocked and we cannot get out. They are coming!" -LOTRFR HEHE 

Thank you for all the letters and packages I appreciate it very much. You are all awesome and I miss you so much.

Well here at the MTC they record devotionals that are given and they do not share them with the public. One we watched the other day was called the Character of Christ by Elder Bednar. It really touched me. He said that we all need to turn ourselves out onto others instead of inward, when times get tough. At times we feel so scared and hurt that we think only of ourselves, but when we are going through times of tribulation and still care for others more than ourselves, we will learn true happiness. By doing this we can build our testimonies. He also said having only a testimony is not enough. Too often people forget how they felt so we must live our testimony everyday to convert ourselves unto the end. The people of ancient times were given signs and miracles to build their faith and often lost it because they did not live their faith. Now days we are not given as great of miracles because we have to build our faith through how we live. Remember that the most important thing we can do on a day to day basis is be better than yesterday. That includes reading the scriptures and saying our prayers. Through Christ all things can be done. I love you and miss you all so much. See you in 720 days.

Pray Always,

Elder Rush

The pillow room Elder Rush is referring to is a room, floor to ceiling of pillows. My son in law Ben asked Mitchell to find it.  Ben said it reminded him of Heaven filled with clouds. Crazy boys!

Mitchell wearing the rainbow kitty shirt Aurora made for him!

      

Mitchell's room (his bed he fits on!) - journal writing time with Elder Dalling

    

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 Oh how I miss my crazy Mitchell. So glad he still  has his playful side to him!

 10 of the 15 missionaries going to the Idaho, Pocatello Mission on Tuesday!

I know these next 2 years are going to be hard. Lots of tears on my part. I am so proud of my Mitchell for the complete commitment he has made to serve The Lord and the people of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Utah. 

Aurora with Uncle Mitchell. The artist of the rainbow kitty shirt Elder Rush is wearing proudly!