Friday, December 13, 2013
I didn't realize until I got here how casual I have been about the gospel. I've always been really casual thinking, "They'll ask me when they want to learn more." As I've been teaching "investigators" I have realized people aren't going to act on anything you teach unless you invite them to. My first lesson was my third day. I taught David and Sister Thurston and I tried but failed. I didn't know what I was going to say or what scriptures to share so I didn't. We talked probably 80% of the time, asked questions 10%, and he mumbled short responses. We were teaching a lesson, not him. Later that day we taught Matt. We had learned from our mistakes and focused on him. We asked more questions and shared one or two scriptures. The lesson was much more powerful that time as we focused on what he needed. I was still worried about what I was going to say. In two days my testimony was 10 times stronger. Maybe that's an exaggeration...
I didn't realize until I got here how casual I have been about the gospel. I've always been really casual thinking, "They'll ask me when they want to learn more." As I've been teaching "investigators" I have realized people aren't going to act on anything you teach unless you invite them to. My first lesson was my third day. I taught David and Sister Thurston and I tried but failed. I didn't know what I was going to say or what scriptures to share so I didn't. We talked probably 80% of the time, asked questions 10%, and he mumbled short responses. We were teaching a lesson, not him. Later that day we taught Matt. We had learned from our mistakes and focused on him. We asked more questions and shared one or two scriptures. The lesson was much more powerful that time as we focused on what he needed. I was still worried about what I was going to say. In two days my testimony was 10 times stronger. Maybe that's an exaggeration...
The next day I focused on studying the atonement. I didn't feel like I knew a lot about
it. I read Alma 36 which is Alma the
younger telling his son his story of conversion and the power of the
atonement. In verse 18 he cries unto
Jesus begging for relief from the bitterness, shame, and guilt or his
sins. As soon as he prayed he remembered
his pains no more. He testifies of the
Savior and says in 21 "there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was
my joy." The atonement is
powerful. It transforms lives. People that utilize the atonement feel peace
and relief from pain. It enables you to
start again with a clean slate, but with the knowledge gained. The atonement is what allows people to
change.
Sundays are beautiful at the MTC. I was able to listen without worrying about
teaching. We walked to the temple even
though it's closed for cleaning the whole time we're here. It was beautiful! The east mountains were covered in snow and
there was powder everywhere. Sister
Cahoon and I threw a few snowballs at the elders and ran through the foot of
snow (thank goodness for boots). The
other sisters avoided the snow the whole time being from Georgia and St. George
and no one dared throw any at them.
Luckily Sister C is from Canada and was more than willing to play in the
snow. I asked her if she was okay with
me throwing a snowball at her and her exact word was
"abso-frickin-lutely." I saw
Michale Gauthier from our stake in Minnesota.
He got here three weeks ago, but he's going to Brazil so he'll be here
when I leave next Wednesday.
Monday night Sister Boatright was having a really hard time
being away from family. She was praying
as everyone in our district was receiving letters that she would get just
one. She was beginning to worry that her
family hadn't made it through the pass to St. George because they weren't used
to the snow. She said, "I really
just needed a letter right then."
Sister Cahoon found her in the bathroom (the only place you can be
alone) crying. She had no idea what to
do and came back and talked to me. We
decided t owrite her letters (all three of us) and I unwrapped one of my
presents and used the paper to wrap up a bag of holiday M&Ms Mom got me for
Christmas. When Elder Meaker was handing
out mail that night he said, "And what's this? It looks like a package and letters for
Sister Boatright." She took it and
also got a letter from home. When we got
back o he dorms she said she almost started crying in the classroom. She said we were the answer to her
prayers. I'm grateful we know of Chirst
and God's love and can show it to others.
I love this gospel and the atonement of Christ.
I met Grandpa's brother!
He walked past me in the cafeteria and I said, "Grandpa?" I walked over to him and his wife and talked
to them. They said they are going to
Kazakhstan and will have an interpreter.
They said they were looking at all the name tags of the sister
missionaries for a Despain. It was great
to see them. It was like seeing Grandpa
Despain again.
On Wednesday, the 11th, Sister Carey was assigned to us as a
companion. She had been in quarantine
for two day because she got the flu and her district was already in the
field. She described it to us and said
there was no human contact except when they handed a tray of food through the
door and left. She felt like she was
going crazy. She only have her
scriptures and PMG to read. We taught
Claudia, an "investigator", with her and when we were stumped with a
question she knew the perfect answer. We
also taught Matt again. By this time we
had taught him almost everyday and improved a ton. The lesson was, in his own words, the best
lesson we had taught thus far. I felt
that from constant study we knew his needs and the perfect scriptures for those
needs. he's in 1 Nephi 9 now and has
been praying and committed to baptism.
We were talking about repentance in the gospel of Christ lesson when he
said he had an alcohol addiction. I was
sad, but so happy he wanted to change enough to admit it to us. He committed to give up alcohol. Before the MTC I would have had no idea how
to address that need. Now, with the
spirit, I have had inspiration and confidence.
I have been struggling with
the feeling of inadequacy the past week, especially because I stumble over my
words A LOT. For personal study one day
I read 2 Nephi 32. In verse 2 it says,
"Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the
Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels?" I testify that the lessons that go the best
are when I have the spirit with me and don't worry about what to say. I trust that I will have the right words at
the right time. It has been a miracle as
I have been able to teach and connect with my investigators. I have known the perfect scriptures to share
and the perfect story to tell. I know
that with God we can do anything. When
"we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly
can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains,
or the waves of the sea" (Jacob 4:6).
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