The MTC

It wasn't until I entered the MTC that I finally began figuring out why I was there and why I was serving a mission in the first place.  I learned that there were things in my life that I needed to change.  I learned just how prideful I was.  The moment I entered the MTC, the Lord immediately began breaking me.  I was put in situations I was very uncomfortable with.  I'm not a talker.  I'm not a big people person.  And now, I had two new "appendages" as everyone called our companions, that I had to be with all the time.  On top of that, I had to talk to people.  I had to gain a strong enough testimony in the message I was sharing to put aside my fears and open my mouth.  That was hard.  We did tons of role-playing.  We were studying all the time.  Our schedules were so packed that it felt like we had zero free time.  We had so much information being fed to us, it felt like we were trying to drink from a fire hose.  I remember having a melt down on one of my first days.  I was so tired and overwhelmed.  It was so hard.  It was such a painful process trying to get out of myself.  Yall, buckle up, because, while you'll likely love your time in the MTC, it's not going to be easy.  You're going to get homesick.  You're going to want to go just take a break.  (Be careful what you wish you.  You might get the flu and then a nasty cold the day after you recover from the flu while you're there.  But you'll get some extra rest to help your body through!)  But you can do it.  From the MTC, I learned better how to recognize the Spirit and rely on the Atonement.  I came to cling to the scriptures and treasure their words.  I learned to sacrifice more of what I wanted for others.  I learned how to talk more.  It was such a good experience and I'm so grateful for everything everyone went through to help me get to where I was by the time I left.  The MTC changed my life.  It changed my mission.  And it was a good introduction to the principle that would haunt my mission my first 9 months as the Lord worked to break me.  "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." (Ether 12:27)