Dear Blog and Loyal Family Readers,
Well this is it. My last letter from the Provo MTC. This is pretty exciting for me, because it's a moment that I never really quite expected. In many ways I logically knew that at some point I would leave the MTC, but the goal always seemed quite a bit aways so my mindset still hasn't changed. For some reason I still am thinking like I have two months left or something along those lines. My brain will probably be in a big state of shock when I board the plane in Salt Lake and depart for this adventurous undertaking in Russia.
Fortunately for me, all international flight plans and VISA information came through and I am good to go. I will be leaving early in the morning on the 2nd from Salt Lake, arriving in the afternoon in Atlanta and showing up in Russia in the afternoon.. of the next day. Its going to be a pretty darn exciting flight. I'm pretty excited too because some of my other friends who will be serving in the Moscow-proper mission will be flying with me, so its going to be a bit of a long flight.
Other than all this exciting travel plans and the fact that we are leaving quite soon, this week has been like every other week I have spent here in the MTC, so nothing new to report there.
I feel as though that as this is the final e-mail I will be sending from America, I should make some sort of grand lesson, tell you about all the things I have learned, and utter some pretty good idealistic (if not slightly propaganda-esque) phrases. Well I probably won't do any of that, but I can sum up what I've learned here.
I think that although in all honesty I can't say that I loved the MTC, I have learned alot about myself that I otherwise wouldn't have. I have really started to realize what is truly important to me in my life and the goals that I have. I also feel like I have been able to appreciate more of the things around me. For instance, since my toe got all messed up, I haven't been able to play soccer very much so I spend my gym time laying in the grass, sometimes writing short stories or writing poetry, but most of the time looking around at the Utah valley, specifically the pretty cool looking mountains behind the MTC. Its so cool to see all of the beauty of the mountains and of the world from my little vantage point, and I think I have come to appreciate all of the beauty of the world. No matter were we are or what situation we are in, there is always something that we can admire and love, just sometimes we have to look really hard for it. Over the past few weeks I have been trying hard to do that.
I have also decided a lot about what is truly important in my life and what is important in my future. It's interesting how much a mission forces you to think about that and mature a little. A lot of the other Elders came and there goals in life were to be famous, get rich quick and go on hundreds of adventures. I must say those things never really made me excited, and I've realized even more that the most I could want in my future is to have a family of my own and to be the best to them. I honestly regret taking family for granted, and I've realized that that is the most important thing I could want in my future life. I've learned a ton of other stuff too, but a lot of it is pretty personal, so sorry, I'm not going to share it, you'll just have to wait until I return to see the external effects of much of my thinking!
Finally, I am so excited to go serve the people of Russia. Right now I am so fired up, I want to talk to everybody I possibly can to tell them the good news of the gospel. If I could stand up in the airplane over and start teaching on a soap box I would (but we can't, very specifically we are told not too). In the Old Testament the prophet Jeremiah talks about how he just has to go talk to people and tell them about God and Jesus Christ, he can't be restrained. I feel like I am feeling a sliver of that emotional state. I can not wait to talk to the people of Russia.
Well folks, that's about all I've got for now. Next e-mail comes in from Russia, so I'm sure I am going to have seem pretty cool stories already to tell you. It's a strange land over there and I really am not quite sure what I am getting myself into but I have faith and confidence that this is where I am supposed to be going, so I think I'm entitled to a little extra power than most people. I'll let you know how things go!
Signing off from the MTC one final time,
Elder Zachery Donovich Brasier
P.S.- I leave August the Second, which is a Tuesday, so please do not send any mail after August the First (Monday) I will not get it for a long time. As soon as I know I will give you my Russia mailing address.
Moscow Time
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