Week 3: CCM (MTC) Graduation

The Good

I cannot believe how the time has flown and that I would so soon find myself sitting in the Dallas Airport writing this email about to enter the field. It has been a wonderful 3 weeks and I have learned so much from my teachers and district. They will always have a special place in my heart, especially Elder Ontiveros. Him and I started making plans for me to visit Mexico in 10ish years or so to be able to get to know each other in person, so that I can try the best street tacos in the world, so that he can beat me in ping pong, and so that we can start the most successful recreational activities company that I will not take over and steal for my own selfish desires (long story). In essence, I was very surprised how close I was able to get to people who live about 2000 miles away from me. 

Something very cool happened on the plane today. So I walked on the plane with the best intentions to try to talk to the person I would end up sitting with. Well shortly after I sat down, the man next to me put in some headphones and started watching a movie on his phone. I, being able to neither confirm nor deny the fact that I got less than 2 hours of sleep last night, promptly fell asleep for the two hour flight. Upon landing however, the man started talking to me and after a bit of conversation, I realized that I was good friends with his son back in middle school. When he asked me what my name was, you would have thought I told him I was Adam Levine or something by the way he reacted when I said I was Austin Holt. It was a very neat experience. Oh and for anyone who is curious, the man was Gunner Robinson's dad (yes Corey, THE Gunner Robinson).

I am also SUPER excited to land in Arizona today and just begin learning and working again. The best two years of my life have barely begun. 

The Bad

I had to say bye to Elder Ontiveros. It wasn't terribly sad, I mean neither of us cried or anything, but I still wish that he was called to Arizona. The silver lining is that I believe part of his mission boarders part of my mission so we will actually be closer to each other than we have been in the past 3 weeks geographicly speaking. 

The Beautiful

Beauty takes many forms. This past week, it took the form of a well-seasoned brisket smoked to perfection. My dad smoked brisket for Friday night as one of my last meals, and it was delicious. If you know the process one must go through to make such a juicy and savorous piece of meat, then you know it is an art and is simply beautiful (Yes, Brother Reynolds, I'm talking to you).

The Funny

Jaja I feel like half of this email is about Elder Ontiveros, so I apologize if you all are board of hearing about him, but this is funny. Yesterday, while we were having our last companionship study, my mom and Christina said hello to Elder Ontiveros. After a couple of minutes, Christina compliments him on his English to which he replied, "Thank you. I just have my sexy Mexican accent." This man's confidence in that moment just about had me crying from laughter.

The Spiritual

This past week we had our last teaching experience with a volunteer member that was gracious enough to offer up their time to give the missionaries some more realistic practice. Well the person that Elder Ontiveros and I were supposed to teach was not able to make it; so we were joined with Elder Merlín and the man that Elder Merlín was supposed to teach because Elder Lugo (Elder Merlín's companion) was missing as well. I was a bit stressed because Elder Ontiveros and I had already planned a lesson to teach and we didn't have any time to prepare with Elder Merlín. So naturally I was worried about who was going to say what next, but as we started talking to him, Elder Merlín simply sat and had a conversation with him about the gospel. We didn't teach a full lesson like we had planned, but seeing how the man reacted to the conversation we were having, I believe that Elder Merlín listened to the spirit and said exactly what that man needed that day. I learned a lot about the importance of listening to the people that you interact with as a missionary. It reminded me of the best teacher that has ever lived, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Somehow I doubt that Jesus went about teaching with a set lesson plan. He simply knew the gospel and was attentive to the needs of the people he taught. He used Torah or scriptures and laws when He taught the Pharasies because that is the language they understood. The woman at the well probably would have spat on Jesus if He started quoting Torah to her, but instead he took the time to let her know that He knew her and then changed her life. Jesus could have simply taught Jairus a pre-planned lesson about the gospel in Luke 8, but imagine how much greater of a lesson of faith and love he learned when he saw the Savior take the time to heal a women and still heal his daughter though she had died while Jesus journeyed. The perfect teacher first loved, then listened, then taught.  

Once again, thank you for reading and I hope you all are doing w
ell!

The Pictures

I no longer have my personal phone so I don't have the pictures I would like to have shared. 

Instead, here is a picture of why everyone in the Dallas Airport is stressed out of their minds because so many flights are being delayed/canceled.