Reporting to the Lord

Hey Family!

Hope you are all doing well and home safe from California without too bad of a sunburn! Dax looks like a cute little boy. It is crazy to think that he will be two when I get home! Thank you all for your love and support and prayers. It seems like everyone is super busy right now and that life is hectic.

Life for me is wonderful. I cannot imagine being any other place on earth than serving the Lord full time. Yesterday was the best day yet! Elder Gray and I had set some goals and then just worked super hard the whole day and received some incredible blessings. First of all, we have started waking up at 6:00 every morning and running around the MTC which is just a good start to the day. We use the 20 minutes as a time to practice Spanish and the grammar that we learned the day before. We also have set the goal to only speak Spanish for our last three weeks here. We haven't been perfect at it but have certainly improved dramatically in our efforts and ability. What a blessing to receive the gift of tongues so rapidly. I know that I still have a long way to go, but it is incredible at how far we have come since day one. Our roomates shipped out earlier this week and we didn't new roomates, so we did some remodeling in our room and put our bunkbeds together. I have bottom and he has top. Now we each have our own king size bed. We definitely are living the spoiled life at the MTC. I will send pictures home this week so you can see it.

We had a really neat opportunity to help a new elder that came into our zone. He was scared to death, didn't know what was going on, planned to be here for nine weeks but was only here for 2 weeks and a day, slept in three different rooms in three nights, and so many others crazy issues. We only had the opportunity to know him for three days but in that time came to love him so much. It is amazing how serving people has that effect. He left this morning and we saw him off. It was an incredible experience to see the hand of the Lord in his life and ours.

Elder Gray and I are already worrying about not being companions in the field. We have been trying to figure out what we can do to receive a promise from President Ashton that we will be albe to serve for at least one transfer together. So far, nothing too convincing. We have become the best of friends and enjoy everything we do here at the MTC. Also, a bunch of my boys from my elders quorum are here now and it is so good to see them and see that they are continuing to do and be good.

One of our teachers talked with us as a district earlier this week about reporting to the Lord each night. I have heard about this a number of times but have never really applied it. I started to this week and boy has it been good for me. Each night I kneel down and discuss my day with the Lord, my failings, and my accomplishments. I express my gratitude for His help throughout the day and try and recognize all the ways I saw His hand in my life. I have become so much more appreciative for prayer as I have done this and I have been able to feel the Spirit more than ever as I then make a conscience effort the next day to improve from the day before. Line upon line, I have found that I can improve.

I am still reading the Book of Mormon and loving it so much. I just read all about Alma and Amulek today and was grateful that I don't have to endure their same trials. What a great example of a missionary companionship. I also will finish reading Our Heritage today. I have gained a renewed appreciation for the pioneers and their many sacrifices. I have loved reading through the book and knowing just about every place in there. It was much more powerful for me because I could remember Haun's Mill, the Kirtland Temple, Nauvoo, the Sacred Grove, and especially Carthage Jail. Thank you dad for planning those wonderful trips and for allowing me every opportunity to grow and strengthen my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that this work is true. I don't think I have been happier in my life. It is wonderful. 

I love you all and pray for you often.

Elder Case