I love be a represntative of Jesus Christ

The Provo MTC is amazing.  I love it here so much.  I have never been happier in my life.  Its crazy how fast time has flown, it feels like i just got here.  The days really start to blur together because I am always doing the same thing.  Going to the temple every week is the best part of my week.  I get to feel the spirit very strong, and I get to recharge for the rest of the week.  I also love when all the missionaries get together for firesides and devotionals.  Its such a different an amazing spirit when all the missionaries get together.  The best is when we sing Called To Serve together. My Spanish is coming a long very well.  I teach a lesson to investigators every day, and I feel more and more comfortable with my Spanish.  Granted I still have a lot to learn, but I am can teach simple Gospel lessons.  Simple Gospel lessons are good because then it is easier for the investigator to understand and feel the spirit.  My district and I are getting a long very well, and we always have a lot of fun together.  In our district we have 4 going to Honduras, 4 going to Spain (2 already in the Spain MTC), 3 going to Chile, and 1 going stateside to Tennessee.  we are all very close. 

Anyways, nothing much new has happened.  I am still loving the MTC, and I am still trying to be as positive as i can.  My ankles are doing a lot better, but I still have to wear ankle braces every time I play sports for gym, and I am going to have to wear them for the rest of my mission to be safe.  the last thing I want is another sprained ankle on a walking mission.  Trevor sounds like he is having a lot of fun in the MTC in Guatemala, and I am so happy for him.  I do love the MTC, but I can't wait to leave so I can go to Honduras and preach the Gospel.  I am a representative of Jesus Christ, and I will do whatever it takes to be the best missionary I can and to be a great example.  I am working very hard, and I will try continue to work very hard the rest of my mission. 

Overall, I love what I am doing, I love the MTC, I love being a missionary, and I have never been happier in my life.

 

Thanks for the support.

 

Elder Travis Ward

Photos from the MTC

Elder Ford (left), Elder Combe (Right), Jiro Ramirez (middle)

Elder Thimigg (left), Elder McClennan (Right) 

Elder Folsom (Left), Elder Harding (Right) 

"The Trio" Elder Wride, Elder Lewis, Elder Bookstaber 

Elder Harding (Left - District Leader and roommate) Elder Wride (Right) 

Elder Wride (Preaching), Elder Bookstaber (Center), Elder Stalts (My Companion - Left) 

"Classroom Life" - Elder McClennan (Left), Elder Wride (Right) 

Elder Bookstaber

MTC Life

I am loving the MTC so much.  I have never been happier in my life.  I love what i am doing, i love being a missionary, I love speaking spanish, and i love my companion and district.  I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve a mission.

The spirit is so strong at the MTC.  The best part of the MTC is the Devotionals, Firesides, singing in the choir, and going to the temple every week.  I especially love meeting together with all the missionaries.  It is such an amazing feeling to have all the missionaries from the MTC together.  The best part is when we all sing Called To Serve together.  I feel my testimony growing every day.

I am very busy at the MTC, and i am always doing something.  I have been teaching two investigators for the past few weeks with my companion Elder Stults.  Their names are Marco and Monica.  It is such a wonderful experience to teach in spanish.  even though I still have a lot to learn in spanish, with a lot of hard work and the help of the holy ghost, we have been able to teach well enough so that they can understand us, feel the spirit, and gain a testimony (the investigators are our teachers acting like one of their investigators they had in the mission field.  Even though they are not "real" missionaries, it is a real teaching experience, and i have been have to learn and grow so much from them).  looking back on my very first week I realized how much I spanish that I have learned.  I feel a lot more comfortable with my spanish, but I know that I still have a lot to learn. 

Yo tengo un fuerte testimonio de este evangelio y sobre Jesucristo (I have a strong testimony of this gospel and about Jesus Christ).  Estoy gracias por la oportunidad servir un misión en Honduras (I am grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission in Honduras).  Yo sé que el Libro de Mormón es muy importante por conversión de la investigatores y yo sé que el Libro es verdadero (I know that the Book of Mormon es very important for the conversion of the investigators and i know that the book is true).  Yo sé que Jesucristo es mi salvador (I know that Jesus Christ is my savior).  En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amén.

I love being a missionary, and i cant wait to go to Honduras.  Thanks for all of the support

Elder Travis Jay Ward

I love the MTC so much

Being at the MTC is such a wonderful experience.  I am trying to enjoy every moment that i can.  I many cool experiences all the time, and i wish that i could tell you everything. 

My ankles are doing much better.  I can run and jump with a little pain.  I have been playing volleyball the past week, but i have to wear braces on both ankels.  I am actaully very grateful for the trial i had because I grew a lot closer to Heavenly Father.  I know that i will have plenty of trials in my mission, and i cant wait to face them head on.  I know that if i pray, have the spirit with me, work hard, and be positive that i will be able to get through it.  a quote from an amazing MTC devotional says "when you have the holy ghost, you can do anything". 

I have been teaching 2 mock investigators (which are my teachers acting like one of their investigators from their mission).  Even though the person is "not real", the situation is real.  I have learned and grown much from these teaching experiences.  I am also forced to learn spanish faster to communicate with them well enough so that i can teach them the gospel and help them come closer to christ.  My spanish is coming along very well, but i still have much to learn.  I ask for the holy ghost to be with me every day so that i can learn the language faster. 

Trevor left for the Guatamala MTC on tuesday.  These past week i was looking for him everywhere but i could never find him.  I wanted to see him before he left so that i could get a proper goodbye.  on the last day my prayer was answered and i saw him, and we took pictures and exchanged bear hugs. 

This past tuesday the president of BYU Cicil O Samelson spoke on being a good example.  he shared a story about how these two missionaries were such great examples that this lady became interested in the church.  One day she decided to chase them down, but when she got close she heard them talking in a very crude way.  Becasue of their example, she became interested in the church, but then she lost all interest.  This shows that we mush be a good example always, especailly as a missionary.  i compared this story to the quote from the movie "Miracle".  "the name on the front is a lot more important than the name on the back.  As missionaries we always have the name of Jesus Christ on our chest, and we need to always act in the same manner.

I love the MTC, i love the spirit that is felt here, and i have never been happier in my life. 

Elder Ward

Satan is trying to wear me down, but he is unsucessful

This past week at the MTC has been very eventful.  Last Monday (7/25) I sprained my ankle playing soccer.  I had a priesthood blessing and i felt better the next day.  But on Friday I was playing volleyball (with a brace on my ankle), and I sprained my other ankle, but this time a lot worse.  I couldnt walk, and i had to use crutches.  it is still very bruised, swollen, and painful.  I have no idea why or how I can sprain both my ankles within 5 days.  i dont understand because i play sports all the time and i have never been injured.  I have done a lot more crazier things than soccer and volleyball, and i have never been hurt.  And the the very first week i am at the MTC i sprain both of my ankles.  What are the odds?  But i have been trying to be very positive, smile lots, and laugh often.  I know that there is a reason why i have this trail in my life at this moment, and i will do everything i can to bear this trail well.  I know that if i do so, that i will be blessed.  the scripture in D&C 121 7-9 really explains that and has helped me a lot.  But as of right now, i will be styling with 2 ankle braces the rest of my mission while excersizing. 

Other than that things have been absolutely wonderful.  I love the MTC so much, and i have never been happier in my life.  the spirit is so strong here.  I love my companion, i love my district, and i love my zone.  i have been learning a lot in class, and i have learned a lot of spanish.  since the second day, i have been teaching a real investigator named Jiro Ramerez.  it was very scary at first because i didnt know any spanish, i counldt understand him, and his is from mexico.  through the amazing power of the holy ghost we were able to teach him so that he could understand us, and he committed to baptism.  it was such a wonderful experience, and the spirit was so strong. 

The next day after Jiro committed to baptism, i found out that Jiro was actaully my other teacher, and that his real name is Hermano (Brother) Jimenez.  He has been a member his whole life, he served a mission in mexico, and he is from mexico.  Even though the situation wasnt real, it was real to me.  I taught him as a real investigator even when i had no idea what i was even saying.  I loved him so much, and i prayed for him every day.  from that experience i was able to learn so much.  Hermano Jimenez said that Jiro was real because he taught Jiro on his mission.  the real Jiro is now serving a mission.  the expericne was so wonderful, and i was able to learn so much from it.  Our whole district taught him in our companionships, and after he committed to bpatism we gave him a book of mormon, and sang him a hymn in spanish.  it was such a wonderful spiritual experience that i will never forget.