August 8th

I love my family :) This week was super fantastic! The second week has been much better than the first week, even though the first week was already great!

I'm gonna get to leave the MTC this week and go to the doctor with my companion! I'm actually kind of excited for that, because I'll get to go out in the real world with the limited missionary experience I have and maybe talk about the gospel and stuff. I also got a blessing last night by my companion, and I really am feeling like it won't be a problem, and I'll still be able to go to Albania. If I don't however, I've realized that wherever and however I serve, I will still be happy to serve, and grateful for the amazing opportunity it is to be a missionary. I have faith in God's plan for me, and I am willing to adjust and be flexible. Don't get me wrong, I'll be pretty bummed out if I don't end up getting to go to Albania, but I'm not going to let it affect my love and testimony of the gospel, the Lord, or for Heavenly Father.I'm gonna go eat lunch, maybe do some laundry, and then be right back to tell ya some more stuff! Brb!
Truth be told, this is actually helping me to continue to strengthen my testimony of the Atonement, because I know that the Lord has suffered pains and afflictions for me that apply to whatever I am/will be going through! My testimony of Jesus Christ and His Atonement has grown so much since I've been here. Elder Child wrote me a letter where he mentioned that we must allow ourselves to be completely dependent upon the Savior, and that touched me. I needed to hear that the day i read it, which was one of the first days I was in the MTC. I can testify that what Elder Child testified of is true. I have experienced that when I allow myself to depend on the Lord for everything, I come out of whatever I am doing with an increased testimony of the Savior, because the enabling power of the Atonement is working in my life and allowing me to do things such as learn Albanian, have charity by loving everyone i serve and interact with, and even just to carry on and be able to keep learning and loving my time here. I love the Lord. I'm so glad we sang that song before I left, because it has greater meaning to me now than when we sang it.
- Elder Schneider