Week 4 - MTC

Hola, mi familia y mis amigos amados!

This was a great week, an extremely difficult week, but great in all. On Wednesday, after having finished my hour of email time, my teacher, whom I love, hermano Powell, opened his heart to us. He explained that his whole life, his family was just a checklist family. They did everything just to do it because they'd be looked down upon otherwise. Then, just after his mission, his parents got divorced. He then said that his father explained, after telling their children of the horrid news, that if he followed this PRO symbol (meaning Pray, Read, Obey), their marriage would have been saved. He then said that he would do his best not to be a checklist family. He said that on his mission, he had a sheet of paper where, after finishing a day, he'd mark everything he followed from the white handbook. That's how it was for him. What he taught was very eyeopening. On Thursday our class gave each other goof names. Mine is Dilbert, my companion's is Reginald. My favorite is Kurble, Elder Wallace. At night, our teacher came and said that we'd be teaching someone immediately and to go follow him. We were terrified. But then it turned out that we were just teaching each other(our teacher got us). In the lessons, we could only ask questions, and only take turns with each other. It was fun. On Friday we got our information for our first real investigator, and her name is Patricia Moura. Everything about her was very unclear. She is an Odontologa, but I'm not sure what that is. I'll explain the lesson in a moment. We found out that if you put your scripture marking pen (the one you can pull the lead out super far with) really close to the camera lens with the flash on, and connect it with someone's hand, it becomes a lightsaber. We took a lot of lightsaber battle photos with it! We taught Diego, and took longer than we meant. I was in Alma 32 on that day. On Saturday we learned from Hermano Kinghorn, and he taught about keeping your lesson focused on the commitment. We asked him to be baptized today and he said yes(again, this is just a practice guy). He also said that Sunday is not a time to hang out with members, which is what I've always imagined, to be honest, because Sundays are usually when families are together. Hermana Ellison taught us, and we've started memorizing D&C 4. I have the first 2 verses in Español, and thank you mom and dad for helping me get it in English. We had a great conversation together about just spiritual things. It was cool. On Sunday Elder West and I fasted for Hermana Moura, our real investigator, for fast Sunday. We had a devotional where brother Chad Lewis came and taught. He played in the NFL. He is such an adult Jeaux! When he and his wife went on a date, he was on BYU's team but barely played. One of the first things he said to her was "I had a dream that I jumped over a guy in a football game. I want to do that so bad." While they went shopping he leaped over her shopping cart and said "YES! I've almost got it!" without any warning at all. He then jumped over her car perfectly and had the same reaction. He said some great things. "You are blessed with His Spirit which has no fear," and "The veil is so thin. I can hear His voice". He was an awesome guy. "This is the law of life: As you serve, you will love." He also said "Do we have faith in the one we're teaching about? "Don't let anything discourage you from thinking about and working for and loving those you see." "My superbowl is my family. Superbowls last three hours. Families last forever." After he spoke, we watched "Joseph Smith:The Prophet of the Restoration." It was really good. Here are some awesome quotes from that. "The trials I had passed through seemed but a small thing; we learned first to trust in God." It was great. On Monday we taught Diego about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. On Tuesday we taught Hma Moura, the real investigator. She said she didn't believe in God, and I tried to convince her to pray. She said she only took these lessons to make friends here. I'm trying my best with her though. She kept saying that Elder West and I were young and basically that believing in God was childlike and that I didn't know reality. That night Elder D. Todd Christofferson came and taught us. It was awesome. Some of the significant things he said were " Repentance is the testimony of Jesus Christ. When you teach repentance, you are testifying of Christ. The original Greek word for repentance is "A change of heart or a fresh view, or turning our hearts to God. It is greater to be trusted than loved. Can we be trusted? The Lord can look at you at any time and say "I can trust him and can send Him anywhere: That should be our goal. He then said something that really fortifies my faith from what Patricia Moura said about me being too young and not knowing reality. He said "It doesn't matter how young or inexperienced you are. It is still just as true." This has been a great week, and it sounds like everything is awesome at home. I love all of you guys, and I hope the best. Of all that you've read, remember that the Lord has a plan for all of us.

I can't work my SD card so these are random copies from other missionaries.

Love, Elder Daniel Jacob Sant
Go and Do