15th - 21st February 2017

So last Thursday I began hearing that my companions missionary portal online had changed from the Indonesia, Jakarta mission to the Logan Utah America mission and I had not yet checked mine. So I checked mine on the Saturday and it said I would be going to the Utah Salt lake City America mission. I had nobody to talk to about it because things were closed till today. Once I got to the travel office they notified me that until I get my visa, I am going to Salt lake and that the latest they can wait for a visa is 3 hours before the planned flight to Indonesia. So my flight is at 1:50pm on the 27th of feb (America time) and sometimes peoples visa's come on the day people are supposed to leave so basically I will have no idea which mission i go to until 10:50pm on the 27th. This is an extremely unexpected change but if it's what God wants then I will go and serve. If I go to America it would only be until my visa came which would be for one transfer at the most (roughly 6 weeks). Now that I have unloaded all my stress about that I can tell you how my week's been.

This is my last week so I'm trying to learn and take in all I can. On Thursday I will have this thing called in field orientation which is an introduction to the field basically. 

I got to see elder Rohner and received a hug from him on behalf of my family which was really great, the first taste of familiarity I've gotten since I arrived here. Nathan seems to be doing well and his language looks hard but he'll get it, his whole district are in it together so he will be o.k. He adjusted very quickly to MTC life. Our schedules are miles apart so I don't get to see him much. 

It seems I got my wish that I would get to perform lots on my mission, we are currently working on the 3rd musical item since I got here and this time it will be a version of 'brightly beams' which will be written again by elder Colman. The previous piece 'oh Lord my God' was rejected for performance for being too technical and not spiritual enough so they asked us to prepare another piece thus 'brightly beams' (which is my dad's favorite hymn). I have been trying to think a lot about my career and basically my future because i'm still fairly unsure. It's difficult trying to balance focusing on the missionary work and actually having a plan for when I get back home. I have just began making a study journal which is organised by topic (e.g baptism, faith ect.) full of scriptures and quotes I have learnt at the MTC, I hope to continue it and use it throughout my mission to help me teach on certain topics better because I am no master of the scriptures. 

A man who was the head of media for the Church spoke about MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA this week. The play 'the Book of Mormon' (the play mocks the church) had just came out when I left so the church took advantage of this and took up literally every single form advertisement available in the station from the stairs to the banners. It was cool for everyone to see such an iconic place of Australia. Today will be my last chance to go to the temple for the next two years so i'll make the most of it. I have loved my stay at the MTC and have learnt so much here. The mission is changing me and will continue to do so to help bring me closer to Christ whilst I help others do the same. For those who are contemplating a mission, read D&C 4, pray to God and begin preparing now! The mission is for you'r investigators and not you, so study up for yourself while you can before the mission. Love God, love other people, develop a strong testimony and God will aid you.