Another great week here at the MTC (or CCM in spanish, I don't know why) We had our last lesson with Brian on Wednesday and that was really sad. We taught about families and the temple for his last lesson and he seemed really touched by it. I'm going to miss that guy. We've started teaching lessons over Skype with people from all over the world. This last week we taught a guy named Christian from Mexico. I understood about 40% of what he said, so I was pretty proud of myself. One of the Elders in our residence hall area asked me to give him a haircut the other day. That was a surprise but I went with it. I think I did pretty well actually. Now a couple others have asked for haircuts but I don't want to make that my career so I told them it was a onetime thing. Speaking of surprises though, my entire district has received their flight plans for next week... Except me... I talked to the office about it and they said that my mission has been temporarily changed to Atlanta Georgia while I wait for my visa. That is why it has taken longer for me to get my flight plans. They said I should receive them by tomorrow or Thursday though. I suspected that I would stay in the states somewhere since my visa hasn't come. My district acted like I was getting a second mission call and everyone had their guesses. It was kind of fun. I am excited to go to Georgia though. I have learned in my life that these unexpected changes are really just Heavenly Father's way of saying "Wait a sec, Elder May, I have a better idea" and then he just goes for it. I am excited to find out what he has in store for me in Georgia. Nobody really calls me "Elder May" anymore. My name changes every week. The first few weeks I was "Elder Mayo", then it evolved to "Elder mayonnaise" and just this week they decided that I wasn't good enough to be associated with real mayonnaise, so currently my name is "Elder Miracle Whip". I get teased a lot about a lot of things, but it is fun. Just yesterday we were practicing reflexive verbs and I was trying to say "we eat because we are hungry" but it came out as "lets eat ourselves because we are hungry" My teacher couldn't stop laughing. The MTC has been fun and I have learned so much. This week I was reading in Luke 15 where Christ teaches with his parables. He talks about the shepherd who would leave his 99 sheep to find the 1 that was lost. He also tells about the woman who loses a piece of silver so she spends all night looking for it. That is how Christ views us, he would do anything, and HAS done everything to help us return to him. In the story of the Prodigal son, in Luke 15:20 it says "And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." This verse really touched me. Christ doesn't wait for us to come all the way to him before he shows his love. As soon as we have even the desire to repent, Christ can't help but run to us and show us all of his love. All of us are like the Prodigal son and are "a great way off", but because of Christ's infinite love for all of us, we are never too far gone. He sacrificed the ultimate sacrifice for us; to bring all of us who are struggling back to him where we can feel of his perfect love. I love my savior. It is through trials and hard times that we really come to develop a relationship with him. Don't be afraid of trials, embrace them. Look at them as an opportunity to learn something and to strengthen your relationship with the Savior. In 3 Ne 11:15 it says "... and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and feel with their hands..." Christ loves each of us personally, and wants to bring us unto him one by one like he did with the Nephites. He suffered for each and every one of us personally. I know that he is the Son of God and that he will come again. I love you all and appreciate getting your emails, have a great week!

Elder "Miracle Whip"...

Goofing around with Elder Colson

Elder May and Elder Ferrin  - He has become one of my best friends.