Hello family and friends! Just under a week ago I entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo Utah, although it feels like I've been here about three times that long. Each day starts around 6:00 am and ends around 10:00 pm. Here at the MTC we mostly learn how to connect with people and how to love and see them as God sees them. I feel like that's a lesson that everyone could use, and I wish I could have learned it better much earlier in life. With each day being so long and packed with classes and studying it can be hard at times, but I know that I've never grown as much as a person in such a short amount of time. They had a saying on the first day: "Growth doesn't come in your comfort zone, but comfort comes in your growth zone." Its been hard adjusting to being in a full time growth zone, but I am definitely beginning to find comfort in it. It connects really well with the story/ parable of lobster growth, for those of you who have heard that one. Meals here are nice, but nothing like home cooking. I eat three BIG meals a day, but still stay my same slender self. Unlimited chocolate milk has had no effect either haha. I've been blessed to stay healthy, but the dry and cold weather takes a toll on me. Coldest its been here in Provo is about 7 degrees, but I'm enjoying this warm weather before I have to go to Alaska. It's supposed to hit 34 degrees BELOW in Fairbanks, AK this week, ouch. Anchorage is warmer than here though, so I guess we'll see if I spend my winter there next year or if I go farther north. Time will tell. I leave for AK in about the second week of January and get to spend my 21st up there, maybe an Alaskan birthday will feel different from a Texan? Getting to Alaska is kind of my light at the end of the tunnel for the next 3 weeks, although I do love it here and have made some great friends. I feel impressed to let you all know that God knows you each individually and He desires a relationship with each of His children here on the earth. We can establish this relationship by beginning with prayer, opening up the desires of our hearts and giving thanks for what we have in our lives, no matter how small or simple they may seem to us. There's others things we can do as well, but the basis of any relationship is communication, so why would it be any different with our Father in Heaven?
Well, next email will be next Tuesday. Feel free to email me throughout the week, responses will come on Tuesdays until I get to Alaska. I hope everyone of yall are doing great, you're in my thoughts quite often and I try to keep you in my prayers. I hope you're enjoying warmer weather than me!
With Love,
Elder Ashton Hymas
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