Hello Everyone!
This week has been absolutely amazing! (I can’t believe it’s already been a week!) I have officially started my mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! I started HMTC (Home Mission Training Center), and have loved every second of it! I don’t even know where to begin, but I guess the best place to start is probably at the beginning.
It all started on Sunday Night, when I got set apart to be a Missionary by my Stake President, and that was such a neat experience! I could feel the spirit so strong and I knew that I was doing the right thing. 🙂
My first day of HMTC was on Monday, and it started bright and early at 6:30am, which I am not used to at all, so that was exciting, but then I got to meet virtually with my companion, and can I just say, I am so lucky to have Elder Messerly as my companion! He has been absolutely fantastic to work with, and I am soo grateful for the wonderful insights that he has been able to share and teach me! I can’t imagine having anyone else to go through the MTC with! We had our first large group meeting, where all of the new missionaries that were starting that day got to join, and there were more than 500 of us!! Let me tell you, the zoom meeting chat was insane! This meeting was really cool because I found out that I actually knew some of the missionaries that were starting at the same time!
After the large group devotional, I got to go to my first class, and meet one of my teachers, Sister Andrews, and my district for the first time. I got SOO lucky to be put into such an amazing district! I have gotten closer to them faster than I thought was humanly possible. The insights and stories they have shared have just been spectacular and the spirit that they are able to bring is SOO strong! I am not usually one to brag, but I would definitely say that District 14-D is the best district ever! Then, I got to go to night classes, and meet our night teacher Brother Smith. I don’t think I can stress enough how amazing both of my teachers are too! Sister Andrews and Brother Smith (and special shoutout to Sister Graham for subbing because Brother Smith went on vacation…) have just been spectacular! I know that they have spent time on their lessons, care about us, and have been prepared and it shows!
The rest of the days this week were very similar to the first, so I don’t think that I will necessarily go through every day this week. I do know that Heavenly Father has a plan for me. It is no coincidence that I have the companion that I have or am in the district that I am in, with the teachers that I have, because it is just perfect for me! I have been able to learn and come closer to my Savior Jesus Christ, and my testimony has been strengthened so much more this week, than I think ever before in my life. I know that I would not be where I am today if I didn’t have the support of everyone that is reading this. I love you all! 🙂
In one of the large meeting devotionals, one of the teachers made the joke that we couldn’t sing ‘I hope they call me on a mission’ anymore, because we have now been called on a mission now, so I wrote a little ‘remix?’ of it that I feel is fitting.
I know that they’ve called me on a mission,
Now that I have grown a foot or two,
I hope that now I will be ready,
to Teach and preach and work as Missionaries do
Tonight, I have had more time than I will probably have in the future and I am also on a computer, and have not had to type this from my phone. Because of this, I cannot promise that every email will be this long. 😉 With that said, I do hope that no matter how much time or where I am writing from, that I will be able to at least share a scripture with you guys! 🙂
Today, I would like to share 2 Nephi 31:21
“And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.” (italics added)
I love this verse because one, it proves that the Mandalorian stole straight from Nephi, and two, because this truly is the way! I know that through Jesus Christ and his Atonement, we can repent, and ultimately make it back to our Heavenly Father again. This is His work, and His Church; and I know that it has been restored for us today by the prophet Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon is true, and I know that as we read it, we will be able to come to know of its truthfulness. I would like to invite everyone reading this to try and find something that you can do to help someone, in whatever way that might look like! I know that if you do this, that you will not only bless the lives of those you help, but also be able to feel the spirit and strengthen your relationship with Jesus Christ.
I love you all,
Elder Claussen
