MTC Week Two is in the BOOKS!

Here is Elder Troy's latest letter.  It looks like he is getting ready to fly out to Houston!  His email to me said, "Wednesday" but I don't know if it's TOMORROW Wednesday or next week.  Once he has a new address, I'll post it.  For now, please keep emailing him!  He needs all the love he can get.

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Hey all! Week two at the MTC is on the books. It was a duesey! 

Things are finally starting to click for me. If I focus on letting people be converted to Christ through the spirit instead of trying to convince them that what I believe is true, I will succeed much more readily. I've noticed that as I focus on that, my teaching improves a ton, and the Holy Ghost takes over.

This week has been a real blessing in many ways and a real trial in others. I'm really striving to be obedient to the letter of the law - in a way I've never been before. As I have, I've been so blessed. I get up a half hour earlier, for example, than the rest of my room. Then that day they're struggling to  stay awake in classes and I know I would be just as tired if I wasn't being blessed for being obedient to the guidelines we were given.

The other night we had a bunch of Elders up far too late yelling homophobic and racist slurs and general garbage, and keeping people up who were trying to sleep or were studying scriptures. Well, finally I had enough and came out like a ball of fire.

A couple of the elders in the residency halls were offended for being called out, and then a couple thanked me for doing what they were too afraid to. But over those next couple of days, the spirit in the residence halls was markedly improved. Still, I wondered if I had been too hard on them, given that they're mostly only 18/19. I don't want it to be my job to be the "bad guy".

Then a couple of days later, I was called into the branch presidency meeting with my companion. We ended up being called as the new zone leaders over our zone of 30 or so. Our branch president asked the outgoing ZLs if they had solved the problem he had been hearing about of reverence in the residence halls. An outgoing ZL mentioned that I had gone out and quieted them and we hadn't had a problem since. The Branch president asked if it had been like Joseph Smith rebuking his Jailers to the infernal pit. I answered it was closer to that than I would like to admit, and he thought the whole thing was hilarious. I guess it must have been fine.

Then, that sunday, our priesthood meeting topic for all the classes was obedience. The rowdiest of the Elders from that night was in the class there, as was I, and our new branch president. The instructor was a bit awkward, and blurted out at one point to the rowdy elder "I'm not calling you out, it's just the lesson!" haha. 

I can't feel too high and holy though. my rug-burn from last week's wrestling match still hasn't healed yet! I guess that's what I get for my own disobedience. I've had an open sore from it the size of a half dollar on my foot for a week now as a constant reminder!

I'm learning a ton all the time, and constantly coming to a better understanding of my Savior's importance in my life.

The Church is true, the book is blue, and Moroni's on the ball.

Elder Derek Troy