First Letter

TALOFA TO MY BEAUTIFUL FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!! LIFE IS GOOD HERE IN THE FUTURE :D

It is such a blessing to be able to sit down and share with you some of the amazing experiences I am having here in the South Pacific. Thank you for your continual prayers, love, and support! I feel the power of your prayers and your love fuel me with much strength to serve our loving Heavenly Father.

My arrival here in the MTC was amazing! I flew in one of the biggest planes I have ever seen for 13 long and exciting hours! Saying goodbye to my family is easily one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. However, the waves they sent me as I went through Air Port security filled me with love and the Spirit of The Lord reminded me of my important calling! While on the way to New Zealand many asked who we were and we shared with them our purpose as missionaries of the Lord. I felt the Spirit work through us as we did our best to be examples of Christ everywhere we went.

My arrival in the MTC was amazing! I absolutely love being here. The first thing that happened upon my arrival was breakfast. We ate some form of spaghetti with boiled eggs and toast. They have these flavors of drinks here to choose from. My favorite is the lime green color which tastes exactly like a green otter pop but I have no idea what it is. "You have no idea what it is... and you are eating it...? Once you get pass the gag reflex a whole world of possibilities opens up!" Haha! I love that quote from Ratatoullie! After breakfast the MTC President meet with me and with his thick Australian accent he told me he felt inspired to call me to be a Zone Leader here in the MTC. I really felt the spirit testify to me that God wanted me to be a leader here. It seems the Stake President was very inspired when he told me The Lord would teach me how to be a leader on my mission. I am doing my best to serve and love all the missionaries I have been entrusted with. I have struggled learning names but I am getting better and as I have come to know the missionaries here and serve them I have come to a better knowledge of just how much our Father in Heaven loves us. My Companion and fellow Zone Leader is Elder Tauti (Tow-tee) He is a kind, humble, and wise Samoan who will be serving in the Adelaide, Australia Mission. We have worked very hard and set goals to love, care, and get to know all those around us. As we have worked through the Spirit of the Lord we have really helped others and they have come to trust us.

While here in the MTC my jaw started to hurt. (Momma, take a deep breath this story has a great ending. Love you) I prayed for help that everything would work out. Elder Tauti and I continued to go to our amazing classes. The jaw did get worse and one side of my face began to swell. To be completely honest I was really worried and unsure of what to do. I prayed to God asking him to help make sure everything would be alright. I knew I must have faith. I opened my scriptures and read a powerful verse. The scripture is about Joseph Smith praying to the Lord asking why is going through the trials he is going through in the Liberty Jail. D&C 122 verse 7 which reads, "And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murders, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing sure conspire against thee;if fierce wind s become become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way ; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." I know this scripture is true. The Lord gives us trials to strengthen us. He loves us and He did send us to this earth to become like Him. As I continued to muster as much faith as I could I felt inspired to go to the MTC President. It turns out he is a dentist! I was given antibiotics and a trip to the dentist a few days after. What I had turned out to be a "Dry Socket." Through my faith I have become fully healed and my face is completely normal with no more pain. My dear family and friends, remember how much The Lord loves each and everyone of you. Our trials are hard for each and everyone one of us but I promise that if you are faithful the Lord will give you so many blessing you will

I have so much more to share but my time has ran out. I hope you know I love each and everyone of you. I wish I had more time to email each and everyone of you. Thank you for your love and support. My parents, I am doing well and am very happy here in the MTC. I am in the right place. I have all I need and I am healthy. Dad, I bought a hymn book and a small quad to use on my misson. That is all the purchases that I made.

Much love from The South Pacific/ The future,

Elder LaMont /Shark Bait / Island Boy

Travel to the MTC