This is a letter written by Elder Jacob Avery to his sister, Hermana Hannah Avery, before Hannah left for the Mexico Missionary Training Center (MTC). Elder Avery is currently serving in the Peru Lima West Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sister Avery will be serving in the Chile Vina del Mar Mission after her training in Mexico. I've added this letter to the blog because I feel like it is great advice for anyone preparing to serve a mission.
16 July 2013
Dear Hannah,
I hope this gets to you in time! Hannah, I'm so happy for you and your mission. The MTC may be hard. There may be home sickness, you may be unsure of the doctrine, Spanish, strange food, sleep deprivation, stress, lack of free time, and everything else I've seen myself and others go through, but I know that you can do it! After all, you were called by a prophet of God!
Reading other people's testimonies strengthens your testimony. The scriptures (including the title pages) are full of testimonies that strengthen me everyday. Don't focus on the language, focus on the Spirit.
Remember to have fun. God has a sense of humor, but remember to be reverent. Make friends and build relationships.
Pray often. A prayer every hour is totally fine. It helps me keep the Spirit and it gets me through the day. You're never alone. I've felt alone, and I know that it's a lie. He's always watching us and He's always mindful. We just need to calm the freak down.
South America is the craziest place I've ever been. The people are super friendly, except in traffic. The people have a deep love of God and of the "Mormones" (as far as I've seen). My Latino friends change every 2 weeks in the MTC, and they are so awesome. Hopefully you will have some Latino Hermanas that you can speak Spanish with.
Remember why you are here and who has sent you. Teach by the Spirit. Say "hi" to Flynn (our dog) for me. Good luck as you get ready! I miss you so much!
- Jake
