Hello everyone :)
Be prepared, I have a good feeling this email might be a good one :)
So I’ve gotta be quite honest in terms of events, it’s really hard to come up with new stuff every week. We don’t have a whole lot of physical stuff that’s going on that’s different. It’s basically wake up, gym time, study time, lunch, class, dinner, class, and then start all over. To be quite honest that’s just what’s it’s like at the MTC, getting in a schedule and making sure you work hard. Then do it all over again. But it’s not the rut I want to tell you about it’s all the things I’ve learned and experienced through the rut. The growth and blessing I have received for their are many.
So first :) how is everyone’s Book of Mormon challenge going? You should be right around Jacob if you are staying caught up. If you’re in 2 Nephi with all of the Isaiah chapters do not fret, us missionaries don’t understand it either. It’s very prophetically written. I hope to understand one day :) But keep going! The blessings from the Book of Mormon is incredible. If you know me well enough you would know I love self help and motivational books. The Book of Mormon is the best one that I have read. It has answered every question I’ve had well being here and gives me motivation. So keep going keep pushing. God will bless you. I promise you.
This is evident in the Book of Mormon. I love 2 Nephi 32:5,6:
5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.
6 Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do.
In those scriptures it tells us as we trust in God and do his work, he will little by little be able to trust us more. After this happens he will be guiding us in everyday and we don’t even know it. That’s how abundant the blessing are. I promise you as you turn to him and do his work he will bless you.
Story time! :)
So this week had some bumpy roads, we teach lessons almost everyday, which takes a lot of preparation in every aspect. My companion and I get along very well, except we have something about us that is completely opposite. He really loves to plan and write out exactly what we want to say and where we are going, and I well don’t. I like having a plan and being prepared, but I love just talking and feeling things out. Well we did that for our first lesson. ( by the way our lessons are with our teachers, they act as people who we have just ran into, and take on a different personality so they can better help us.) So our first lesson went good, we had a pretty detailed plan and it worked. It fit the needs of the person! Then... well the second lesson came around, and the teacher that is playing this person is native from Taiwan, so as we planned out our whole lesson, had a really good idea of to say, we thought we were going to crush it. We “knocked on her door,” and everything went down hill from there. She would question everything we said, wouldn’t really answer any of our questions, and we knew nothing else to do but kind of follow our script. We wanted to teach her about the Holy Ghost and prayer, and every time we would see a little bit of a light, the sun came crashing down, we were a dear in the headlights. We had no idea what to do, most of the class felt the same way when they went in. My companion was getting so frustrated, saying “ what were we even supposed to do?” The whole class kind of started to get frustrated. We had no idea. We all acknowledged that that encounter was probably pretty close to what it’s really like. But we didn’t like it very much. I quickly realized, we didn’t build a relationship, we didn’t let the spirit guide, and honestly we walked in like the pest salesman that tell you they’ve done the whole neighborhood. While most everyone was still frustrated I quickly became embarrassed. That’s not me. I love people. I love connecting with them. I love to have others look at me as a Go to, and someone they can trust, and I didn’t do that at all. I was ashamed.
Then the teacher came in crying because she felt like she had gotten in the way of us learning. She felt like she had gotten in the way of us feeling the spirit. I completely disagree, although it was difficult, I think it was a wonderful learning opportunity.
Ether 12:27
27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
I know this scripture is so true especially to the situation. God grows us by cutting us down. Remember this as you go throughout your life. He has a plan for all of us, and he will help us become great. But we will have to go through a lot. If there’s anything I’ve learned from the MTC that would be it.
Anyways on with the story,
So my companion afterwards got really sad because he thought he made the teacher feel this way. He was in tears talking about how bad he had felt and how he wasn’t going to be a good missionary.
*PAUSE*
For those of you that know me well, when someone is struggling I kick into my loving motivation mood. He learned that real quick.
*UNPAUSE*
So as soon as I heard this I reassured him that he was one of the best out here. He knows Chinese the best. He picks up new words so fast, and he’s so good at explaining the gospel in Chinese. He was an inspiration to all of us, and the adversary would do anything to take him down.
The next day came around and I suggested we don’t make a detailed plan. Let’s have an idea of where to go with the lesson, and just see what the spirit would have us do. After hesitation, and wanting to plan every 30 minutes he finally gave in. We went and taught our other teacher and it was incredible. We got to know her, she had told us about some issues that she was having and the spirit guided us in a beautiful lesson. The spirit was so so strong. I know that as we prepare our selves and follow the spirit he will guide us.
To tie into that. We had an beautiful talk given at a devotional and the quote that stuck out to me most was.
“Don’t just understand and teach the gospel, but become it”
He then continued by saying you know you’re a converted missionary when Preach MY Gospel has a very literal meaning, it becomes yours. I loved that.
I had made a goal this week to not look to my self and look to others. To focus on serving. I knew my companion was having a really rough week. I also know my classmates love extra help. We had another talk given by Brother Thurston ( I think it was Jeremy’s mission president) and he said the most important calling as a missionary is to become the GoTo missionary. That missionary everyone can trust and go to for help. That’s my primary focus. As the week went on I prayed for opportunities to help my classmates. To be an example and then just last night one of them asked me for a blessing of comfort. I was so excited that God could use me as an instrument in his hands.
Now for a fun picture!
This is all the elders in my branch going to Singapore:
From left to right:
Elder Verkler, Elder Hubert, Elder McArthur, Me, Elder Peterson, and Elder Orr.
I’m not sure if the spelling is right on all of those. We all use our Chinese names.
I love all of you so so much. I have seriously learned so so much, and the blessings are incredible. I have such a strong testimony of this church. I know that God is watching over and blessing all of you. I keep all of you in my prayers and I know God is blessing you.
Keep on pushing, remember God. Keep saying prayers. He will bless you and strengthen you.
Love,
Elder Carter
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Oh and I got my first mission haircut!! Check it out!
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