Week 5 at the MTC

Week 5 (26 Jan to 1 Feb 2011)

Hola familia!

How is everyone doing? Did you have a good month of January? From what I hear you're all getting along fine. Don't be afraid to tell me more, though. And please tell me if there's anything more I should include in my letters. I like answering your questions and knowing that you enjoy hearing what I enjoy writing about. :) Also, just a reminder: in four weeks when I go to Paraguay it'll be much harder to write me so take advantage of this month. And expect to get pictures soon! I'm sending a load through snail mail today.

Thank you SO MUCH McConkies for the very sweet package. ;) Those Costco snacks were perfect for mid-class munching, and Hna. Y and I especially loved the blueberries. Also, I enjoyed reading your letters. You are too too kind to me. Wilson, in response to your question, the only other place I'd choose to go on a mission is Peru because of the mountains, but I'm SO content with Paraguay. Australia would be awesome, though, too.

Thank you Jessie and Andrew for the beautiful pictures. Seriously, I loved them. The one of AZ reminds me of home, and the one of the MTC will help me remember my great times here. And Jessie, your drawing of me convinced me that I need to dye my hair turquoise. Too bad that's against mission rules.

Grandma, I loved your e-mail. Your Mu Phi meetings sould like so much fun, as does putting all the grandkid art together. I'd like to look back at my old art someday. And no, I can't listen to a CD but thanks so much for offering. I have some of those pieces on my iPod already, though, and I'll think of you when I listen to them in Paraguay.

Springers, I responded to your letters in a note with the pictures I'm sending. I didn't forget you, don't worry. :)

So how well did you complete the challenge I gave you last week? How many referrals did you give to the missionaries? Never stop looking for potential investigators. Everyone needs the gospel whether they know it or not. Here's a new challenge for this week: Read Alma 32-34 and think of the "seed" as the knowledge of Christ's Atonement, not as faith. Faith is what makes the seed grow.

I can't believe week 6 of my mission is already here (Sister Soderquist [Heidi] arrives tomorrow. I hope I see her!). Only four more weeks at the MTC! Earlier this week I was terrified about that. Only four more weeks to become fluent in Spanish and confident in teaching. But then as this week went on I gained more and more confidence and now I"m just downright psyched! I made my own personal language study plan and we refined our district goals, so I feel like I"m making real, daily progress again.

We've been learning to teach from the scriptures this week isntead of just explaining things in our own words. Using the scriptures provides authenticity and clarity to what we're saying. Who better to tell people about the gospel effectively than the Lord?? My new project now is to fill my newly-purchased journal with scripture chains that clearly explain doctrines. We've also been sharing helpful references and memorizing them together as a district.

Another helpful thing our district has been doing together is memorizing things from scriptures and Preach My Gospel. So far I can perfectly recite "Our Purpose" (PMG pg.1), Doctine and Covenants section 4 (yes, the whole section), the First Vision (abridged), the baptismal invitation (I'm sure I'll use that a lot), and Articles of Faith 1-8 (soon I'll know them all). It's good that I'd already memorized a bunch of those in English at BYU. It makes learning them in Spanish much easier. They're seriously so good to have memorized. I feel another commitment for you coming on... :)

So those district practices have helped me a lot, but the greatest practice preparing me for the Field has been teaching Marcos and Pablo. I realized today that I haven't really said much about them yet, so here's more detail:

Pablo is a genius. He's so smart and intellectual and studious. The only reason he let us come teach him initially was because he wanted to learn more. Not believe more, just know facts. As we teach he comments that it all "makes sense," and he thinks that God probably does exist because science can't explain everything. At first I kind of wrote him off as someone who didn't really want to know the truth by feeling the Spirit, but this week he really changed gears and his prayers have become much more sincere. We feel the Spirit during the lessons, and while he keeps saying that he needs to KNOW that it's true before he commits, I know that soon he'll be a believer. And teaching him has really taught us about the importance of explaining to investigators what the Spriit feels like and how they can know when something is right. We haven't used that approach on Pablo yet, but we did use it this week on Marcos.

Marcos is kind of a loner. He works a night shift and sleeps most of the day. His only friends are his two dogs and he doesn't even have close family because his mom passed away, his dad ditched the family, and his brother is a drunk. Those first few lessons I think he only let us come back because he liked our company and we were nice to him. He seriously makes me want to cry whenever he mentions how great we are to him. The world has been so hard on him and he has a hard time believing that God loves him. He believes there is a God, but he doesn't think that He loves him--only some people. Anyways, teaching has been slow. He keeps commitments and is slowly making friends with church members, but we couldn't get him to believe that God cares about him.

This week though, when the Elders were teaching, they pointed out that of course God loves him. God sent us to him so that he could have friends and know about the infinite Atonement. And then on Saturday, when it was Hna Y's and my turn to teach, we were so scared about not making any more progress. Our district has been really dedicated lately to speaking only in Spanish, and while before we would just drop Spanish and teach in English, today we were determined to only use Spanish. I was scared, because he really needs to hear the right things, but it ended up being the best lesson yet.

For the first time, the words just flowed in Spanish. Almost better than if I'd been speaking English. We talked about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, how it was for HIM, not just a group of people; how Christ knows him and his pains; how Christ wants to take those pains away and let him be free of the burdens of guilt and hurt. The Spirit was so strong in the room, and it was the perfect time for Hna. Y and I to teach him what the Spirit feels like. We explained that any feeling of peace we have in life comes from the Spirit, and he recognized it as the feeling that he gets around nature. Hoping he would recognize it in the room right then with us and using our newly memorized challenge, we invited him to follow Christ's example, accept the Atonement, and be baptized. He said "no," but that he'd continue to learn and try to know the truth. Hna. Y almost backed down, which is unusual for her, but I wouldn't settle for that answer. "Marcos!" I said, getting his attention, (this was all in Spanish) "I know that you CAN be ready by the 27th. The Lord can do anything, and He loves you. He wants you to be happy, and he wants you to be baptized on February 27th. I know that He will help you. Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone holding the proper priesthood authority of God?"

He said yes.

*Pause for effect*

It was amazing. The Spirit was so strong, and I felt so strong. I felt like a teacher finally. I'd done it all in Spanish and I'd followed the Spirit's prompting to not take no for an answer.

Hna. Y and I start with a new progressive investigator on Thursday. I'm so excited to take all that I've learned from teaching Marcos and Pablo and use that knowledge to really teach Gloria effectively. More than that, I'm excited to teach real investigators in Paraguay, to follow the Spirit to people who need the gospel in their lives--people who have been prepared to hear ME. I know that the Lord provides a way, and I know that he is sending me to Paraguay because there are people there who need ME to teach them. I love this gospel. I can't wait to share it with the world. I have felt God's love and goodness throughout my life. I know that this church is true and I want to do absolutely all I can to spread it throughout the world. I pray that all of you feel the same way and that you know that God loves you. Christ Atoned for you.

And PLEASE, if it's possible, stay worthy and prepare to serve a mission. I promise that there is no greater work.

I'm out of time.

I love you and I pray for you always. Take care!

---Hermana Springer