MTC - week two
 |
| Life in the MTC |
Hello everyone! Wow! You've all had such big week this week! That's so
awesome that Madsen's team won team won the championship! Im so sorry
about it being so hot working on the garage that's sounds really
tough! Dad take it easy on them por favor. I'm glad Stockton is taking
care of his ankle it's very important...never at any time should
building the garage threaten the health of his ankle, you hear me!?! I
miss you all and when it's in the evening and I'm walking to class I
always think of cedar city being with all of you in our yard. I love
you. I'll send you all some letters again personally but here's a
summary of my week...
This week has been a lot of work but it's been really rewarding and
fun! I've worked so so hard all week on learning the Spanish we're
supposed to learn mainly 50 phrases, a couple hundred words, our
missionary purpose, and some scriptures mainly the first vision
obviously all in Spanish. This week my companion and I have continued
to teach our investigator in between Spanish class and study sessions.
I've been able to improve my Spanish and be more involved as the week
has progressed-a blessing true blessing. The lessons have been great
we get to receive emails every time we teach her reviewing how well we
taught and we've done very well! Besides the fact that
mine(ecspeacially)and Elder Horsely's Spanish is muy gringo and we've
told her to sin always and that baptism is worth a pineapple, the
spirit has been so strong when've taught. Remember we are nothing
without the lord but when we put our hands in his we can work miracles
and in the process we become a miracle ourselves.
Below is my journal entry from this week as well as some pictures oh
and my testimony in espanol I hope you enjoy them. Thank you so much
for making time for me during this past week to write me letters and
emails!
I testificó que él manos del Señor está en los todas las cosas.
Jesucristo y Padre Celestial están real personajes. Yo testificó que
José Smith vi ellos y porque de que tenemos el evangelio de Jesucristo
hoy y El libro de Mormón y todo él bendiciones que venir con el
evangelio. Yo sé que mi llamiente misional está de Díos. Por favor
continua seguir el ejemplo de Jesu Cristo esta solo camino a Dios y
vida eterno.
Por favor sabe te amo. En el nombre de Jesucristo nos elsavador amen.
Please be kínd to one another and please read the scriptures. It's so
important that we make time for the lord to speak to us and feel of
his love. I love you all so much please continue to write me emails
and letters it makes me so so happy that you still remember me. I know
it's only been a week and a half but here it's felt like a life time.
 |
| cuatro ombres |
Today was really hard because yesterday the lesson with María didn't
go well for me. I tried my best to communicate with my "investigator"
but I couldn't say what I know María needed to hear. I began to feel
that learning Spanish wouldn't come to me for a long time and I would
never be as fluent as my companion. Everyone in my district could
understand and speak so much more Spanish than me it was was so hard
to have a positive attitude...these feelings made Saturday pretty sad
for me.
However after a productive P-day(Saturday) I began to feel a little
better it felt good to do little things like hang pictures of the Book
of Mormon stories and letters from Emma and Maleck and reading through
the rule book.
Later that night I received an answer to the prayer of strength from
the lord, a tender mercy. An Elder Elder Cole a shorter lean dirty
blonde hair, blue eyed, lean young man that'd been here for a while
came to talk to me after hearing from my zone leader that I was
feeling discouraged. he began to describe how he personally had been
struggling with the language for weeks. He said that this is an
opportunity to prove how much we love God, and how though we may feel
if only we could speak English...to speak English is not our purpose.
He said I may never be able to speak Spanish but it must mean so much
to the lord if we keep pressing forward even if he knows he hasn't
given us the gift of tongues. He said ask for the gift of patience and
pray for a miracle to learn the language but if not be patient and
show your faith by trying to learn the language as hard as we can even
if it is as trying to tear down a wall with our bare
hands...afterwards we met with another brother in my district elder
mclaren and we went out to pray outside and we asked for a miracle.
Tonight I have felt gods love so much he is with me and I'll try my
hardest to be obedient
Sunday 7/10
It's very crazy to think that in 4 days I could feel and be so much
different today and yesterday have been a true blessing from God. His
hand is everywhere it's changing me so much. In elder Christoferson
gave a talk " the will of God" it taught me that I'm a bush that's
been cut down immensely.
These last couple of days I've been made humble and weak through
trying to learn the Spanish language but as it said in his talk I am
being made small by the will of God so I can grow to be very strong
muy fujerta. He is the Gardner and knows what I need to become.
I've been studying in first nephi and what really stood out to me is
how many times and consistently Lehi and nephi give thanks right after
they receive help from the lord, and we must have faith in order for
the will of the lord to enter into our lives(1 nephi 7:12)
It was my first Sunday in the MTC today I loved it! I had a hard time
staying awake in some parts of sacrament meeting but the talks in
sacrament meeting, priesthood session taught by missionaries that are
leaving for Argentina tomorrow, the divisional taught by president
Heaton-the head administrator at the MTC, and lastly an amazing film
message from Elder Bednar-a member of the twelve. We also went on a
walk next to the temple where I got some nice pictures
 |
| MTC roommates: Elders, Rigby, Horsely, Bohne, and Bergstrom |
devotional and the talk/film from elder Bednar. I hope what I received
from the spirit through these men can help you come closer to Christ
and begin to more fully become what he wants you to be. I am trying
hard to come closer to him please come with me
In the evening devotional... I felt I need to focus more on charity.
In 1 Corinthians 13:1 Paul teaches us that even if we have tremendous
faith and have no love we are nothing. We focus so much on what Jesus
would do this can lead to us being superficial and not sincere-harder
to become like Christ. We need to rather focus on what would Jesus
feel?
By feeling what he feels for the people around us we will be more
throughly attached to his will and begin to understand what it truly
to become like him.
I will ask for greater ability to feel what Jesus feels. He has
perfect love for us all I pray to have this perfect love. This love
will change me.
This last part of my day was a true turning point for me and what I
learned during this point is muy importante for us all. We all want
and need to become like Christ but who is Christ?..he is our savior
but what is his character, what makes him who he is.
I will share what I feel is very important however it is critical that
all men and especially members of the church hear this message "The
Character of Christ by Elder Bednar"
Watch this please it will change everything.
 |
| Seleck and his companion, Elder Horsely |
Christ's main characteristic is he never turned or turns
inward...during one of his greatest trials where we see the devil
trying to tempt the savior we see Satan in one moment telling the
savior that he should turn the stones into bread. Be aware the turning
of the rocks into bread was a secondary temptation the first
temptation was to turn inward to think about ones self
In the New Testament we see many evidences of the character of Christ.
One of my favorite is when after Christ has been disappointed
immensely by his apostles not staying awake during his unimaginable
suffering, then being betrayed-struck to the core by one of his
nearest friends, all of this coming after the suffering of all men.
Imagine what he must have felt.
During this time Peter cut the ear off of one of the guards that was
taking Christ to be crucified, Christ while feeling the pain and
anguish of all men stopped and healed the ear...an ear because his
character was always to look to the never ending needs of others
before he thought of himself.
The Holy Ghost through the elder Bednar I learned this mission is not
about me it's about others, my life is not about me, it's about
others.
In order to follow the savior we must forget ourselves and go to work.
This is the path of conversion. It matters not if we have a testimony
it matters if we are true to that teatimoiny and turn outward to
follow Christ.
This task is impossible for us; however, mediante de expiación(through
the atonement) we will be able to do all things
7/11
Today was fuego (fire) id been praying that I'd receive help from the
lord to be able to speak more Spanish. Today we had another lesson
with MarÍa and I was able to communicate more. Me and elder Horsley
taught the lesson of why we must be baptized and receive the Holy
Ghost. It was so amazing the spirit was so strong I am so grateful to
the lord for blessing us and ecspeacialy me with his spirit and the
gift of tongues. I also said a long nice prayer it was great! Today we
spoke a little Spanish in a southern accent which was very funny.
7/12
Today we had an evening devotional. Elder haefen a member of the
seventy. I felt the Holy Ghost teach me these things that I feel will
be important for all of us.
* A member of the Martin handcart company said,"the price we payed
to know. Him was a privilege to pay"
* We are stretched to what seems the darkest place we have
ever been but then, if we are faithful, we will see miracles and then
it'll be worth it
* You don't have to see Christ to know him
* Mosiah 5:13 the servant knows his master
* Obedience and sacrifice will lead us to his presence
* We come to know the lord in our extremities...are we
willing and do we love him enough to endure
* What I am doing is worth the sacrifice
* What's more powerful than sight
* When we try to follow Christ we may not see him but we
will see like him...
* When we go through struggles...and come unto Christ and use the
atonement(follow the doctrine of Christ-2 Nephi 31-) we begin to feel
the prints of the nails in his hands and feet
Today I received letters from mom and Emma, an email from Stockton,
and I got some banana bread from my mom. It's been a pretty good day I
feel like my head is going to blow from studying so much Spanish.
7/13
There are so many words in Spanish. This is what I learned today. I
memorized so many phrases I think my head is going to blow.
Today we asked MarÍa to follow the example of Christ and be
baptized.(María seguirá el ejemplo de Jesuscristo y será bautizado).
Even though she's just a teacher acting like an investigator, when she
said yes, I was so excited and very relieved I've tried so hard to say
what the spirit wants me to say but it's so hard in Spanish...but I've
been able to do it for the most part because of the lords tender
mercies. As missionaries we don't give the message...we allow the
message to go through us. We are just the vessels.
7/14
The lord walks every path with his servants...today I studied really
hard. We have to learn a lot of phrases, words, and scriptures in
Spanish. I work really hard in class but everyone else messes around
during study time which makes it hard to concentrate. I love them but
it's frustrating. This week I've been playing soccer during our hour
exercise time it's been fun! Every time we score I say Viva España! I
scored my first goal today which was way cool! I miss all of you I
thought all about you today! It's hard but today I again received a
tender mercy from the lord. When I was working on memorizing the first
vision in English so I could then later memorize it in Spanish I just
felt a small but very profound feeling that Joseph Smith really did
see God and Jesus. I love you all and this is hard but I know it's
Comments
Post a Comment