PICS - GOODBYE MTC . . . HELLO HOUSTON!

GOODBYE MTC . . .

... HELLO HOUSTON!!!

PRESIDENT PETERSON AND 11 NEW MISSIONARIES ARRIVE IN HOUSTON

WRITING LETTERS HOME

ELDER PINSTER AND TRAINER ELDER TROY

Week #3 - MTC = Missionary Transformation Center

Wow I am so blessed. This week was a struggle sometimes, but overall it was a blessing. 

First things first:  Remember how last week I said that Elder Holland is my favorite person in the whole world? Yeah well I GOT TO MEET HIM ON TUESDAY!!!!!!!! He came to give the devotional Tuesday at the MTC. Talk about an answer to prayers. I've wanted to meet him for so long and no better place than here. He loves missionaries so much and expects the world from us. A quote he said was "We must first go through crucifixion Friday to achieve Resurrection Sunday." We all will have trials but they are leading to something better. 

This week we taught someone named Megan. Megan was on her last leg with God. She was struggling with her recent miscarriages. We taught her and the spirit was so strong but she kept denying God. While teaching I started dropping questions from the spirit that were blunt but helped us illustrate who God was. I've never felt so helpless. I didn't think there was anything I could say to help her but then we taught about our Savior and his helping power. I'm so thankful for our Savior and his healing power. 

It snowed like 8 inches this week which lead to some dang good snow ball fights! Our zone gets in trouble every day because of snowball fights but hey that's what repentance is for, just kidding. We also all bought matching shirts that say "Greece-Hellas Mission" because we needed matching shirts for our volleyball team and that was the only mission that was available. Plus it's fun to pretend I get to go somewhere foreign. 

Another thing I learned this week is that the MTC is the Missionary Transformation Center not the Missionary Training Center. That really stuck out to me. We come here to transform and train into servants of our Lord. 

Another thing I'm working on is to worry less and trust more. I think that is so important as a missionary especially as one who needs all the help I can get. 

I leave for Texas tomorrow and am so flipping excited!!! We fly out Wednesday afternoon. There's 10 of us gong to Houston and I cannot wait to share the truth with so many people. 

This gospel is so true and am so blessed to know of it. God looks out for all of us and has a plan for all of us. 

Love you all and next stop Texas!!!  God bless. 

Pics from the best district and zone in the MTC:

SURPRISE!  A FRIEND FROM OREGON!

Week #2 - LOVE AND GROW

This week has been a blessing. I cannot even explain how lucky I am to be in this position in my life and to be have the ability to focus on the gospel of Jesus Christ all day every day. Here are a few points from this week and some takeaways that I had: 

1) The Book of Mormon. It's just true. I've learned that it really is a book about love and families trying to follow Christ. I find so much comfort from reading it and I love the peace that comes while I read it. 

2) I think I finally found my jump shot. An hour of gym time has helped me finally find that sweet stroke once again. The church is true. 

3) This is the real gospel of Jesus Christ and it comes straight from Him. I never comprehended that everything we do is what Christ did when He was on the earth. I feel so blessed to be a part of the Savior's gospel. Growing up it never fully sunk in that we have all the truth Christ had. We are so blessed to have the full truth and to build a relationship with our Father in heaven. P.S please forgive me for my typing sins I'm still working on typing with a Samsung. 

4) Make Sundays a blessing. Sundays are the best even though I get the opportunity to wear a suit for 14 hours. My first meeting is branch presidency which starts at 7:10 am and we get back to the dorms around 9 pm, but Sundays have never been so special to me. Sundays give us the opportunity to renew promises we made with our Heavenly Father plus we get to spend the rest of the day learning of Christ. We have a MTC wide devotional Sunday night followed by the ability to watch a video from a general authority. This Sunday was by Elder Holland. During today's devotional the MTC president and his wife shared how grateful they were for two missionaries who served in Texas and in Idaho. Because of two separate missionaries their families have been able to have over 40 members and thousands of names for temple work. An entire family genealogy had the truth because of two missionaries. It made me think about Elders Torrence and Semien who are going to Idaho and myself going to Texas. I don't know if we will have that big of am impact but it was so amazing to see the possibility I have that I can be a good enough servant of God to have that ability. 

5) Elder Holland is my favorite person in the whole world.  Here are some notes I took from a talk I listened to:

"One shot don't miss it to do a mission don't miss it."

"A mission is Real Life -- capital R&L. It doesn't end because we can always come closer to our Savior."

"Salvation is not easy because His sacrifice wasn't easy. Gethsemene wasn't easy and neither will a mission. We must take a step towards Calvary's hill to get salvation for ourselves and for those we teach."

"Following his gospel costs more of us because it costs more of Him." 

"Moses 1:39, if you want to do His work you have to do it His way." 

Holland was very upfront and direct but it allowed me to fully understand my purpose while being here. 

6) Happiness comes when we don't think of ourselves. This week we got the opportunity to teach a pregnant young mom named Kaitanna about the gospel. As we taught truths, she talked about how true it all felt and fit together. She loved being able to see the plan of salvation and the ability to be together with family forever. At the end of the week we invited her to be baptised. She agreed and is now meeting with missionaries from the Provo mission with a baptismal date. My heart was full being able to see someone come unto Christ. I pray that she becomes a faithful member and her future child will be able to reap the blessing from the choices her mom is making. 

7) We got 5 inches of snow and were lucky enough to play in it for like 10 minutes. I'd say the MTC is a blast!

I'm so blessed and happy to be in the MTC. This gospel is such a blessing to have in my life. There is so much happiness and joy that can come from knowing the truth. I pray we can all grow and come closer to God a little bit more everyday. God bless. 

-Elder Pinster 

Here are some pictures! 

ELDER TORRENCE (from Alabama) and ELDER PINSTER

ELDER T, SISTER FINCH AND ELDER P BETWEEN CLASSES

GROUP SELFIE

THE BEST DISTRICT IN THE MTC!

MATCHING TIES WITH ELDER ELLIS
(Elder Ellis was in my stake in Kentucky and is now in my Zone)

UTAH SNOW!!!

Week #1 - ALIVE AND THRIVING @ THE MTC

ELDER HAUGEN, ELDER PINSTER, ELDER TORRANCE, ELDER SEMIEN
Provo Utah Temple

The MTC is busy. The second I got here it was a non-stop spiritual thrill ride. The spirit and feelings here are so strong and the people are even better. I have never been around so many happy and Christ-like people. I don't even really know where to start so I'll try to kinda divide it up by topics.  

My companion is a fun-loving drama geek from Spanish Fork Utah named Elder Haugen. We struggled at first to find common interests, but since the first day we have both grown so much closer as friends. My district is the best. I was made district leader. We have six elders and six sisters. Four elders are going to Houston, two are going to Idaho Falls. Four sisters are going to Lansing Michigan and two are going to Canada. In total with my zone I know of eight people going to Houston the same day as I am. I think I Heavenly Father is definitely looking out for me as he put two Elders in my district that are my long lost brothers. One is from Houston and the other one is from Auburn Alabama. Their names are Elder Semien and Elder Torrance. We are always laughing and having fun but build off each other spiritually.  I have found that my district/zone is literally the best. Everyone here is super loving and great examples to me.  

ELDER HAUGEN and ELDER PINSTER
MTC Companions

The work here is crazy busy. We are always scheduled. Even on our day off it isn't a day off. We are either in a class or teaching a real investigator. We got to class on Thursday morning and taught our first lesson that morning.  It's busy but the work is full of love.  As we have begun to teach people the amount of love I feel for them is more than I've ever felt. I'm starting to see people the way our Savior does. We are teaching a woman who is pregnant and looking for something that could help her in her life as well as bless her future child. As my companion and I taught, we taught about the love we had both been able to have in our lives because of growing up in the gospel. As we taught about families she began to cry while she was thinking about having her family together forever. I'm so excited to teach her again tomorrow and follow up on her commitments and pray that she has felt to spirit after learning to pray. My two teachers are RM BYU students and set such good examples for us to look up to. 

The life of living in the MTC is exhausting but fun. The meals are actually pretty good and the dorms we live in are pretty nice, The beds and sheet not super comfy but by the end of the day I'm ready for bed. The Utah weather is actually really nice. It is like 45 degrees everyday and sunny which is my favorite weather. 

While being here I have come to realize my purpose. My purpose in being a missionary is not to teach. My purpose is to invite people to find Christ and guide them in their learning. It really has nothing to do with me besides sending the invitation. I never realized that we don't convert people the spirit and Christ's love converts people to the truth. 

I have come to know so much truth while I've been here and it has only been a week. I can't even imagine my life without having this type of love and happiness in my life. I love you all and am so thankful for all the love I have felt from everyone since I have gotten here. God bless. 

Here are some pictures from this week:

THE BEST DISTRICT IN THE MTC

PROVO TEMPLE PICTURES

ELDER TORRANCE AND ELDER SEMIEN

Pre Mission - February 5, 2018

Hey guys!! 

I thought I would write a pre-mission post to talk about why I'm going on a mission and why I am so excited to go.  I would like to just say that I know this church is true.  I know we all have a Heavenly Father who loves us personally and that Jesus Christ is our advocate.  I am blessed to know that families are forever and we can be with them forever. 

I know that the Book of Mormon is true and through it we can find truth and peace in our lives.  I find happiness and joy from this gospel.  It brings me peace and love that I have never felt before.  I can't wait to share my experiences on here and tell about the progression I see and feel.  I am one blessed guy and can't wait to go to Texas and share with people the light that can come from the Gospel of Christ. 

This gospel is true and I know Jesus Christ is my Savior!  God Bless!