Letter #7 11/16/10

hey family!, 

this week has been so awesome.  i think i've learned more spiritually this week than most of the other weeks i've been here. its been seriously incredible.  i think it was friday, we had this Large group meeting which basically means that all the intermediate groups that got here the same week as me met together,  and we had a lesson about teaching skills.  And the topic of this meeting was not forgetting the importance of the restoration of the gospel.   and we did this activity where we all got up and found another missionary in the room to teach, then the instructor told us that we had one minute to teach the other person and the situation was supposed to be: if you only had one minute to tell someone who knew nothing about the church, something that would help them to accept the restored gospel, what would you say.   so we were basically teaching a very basic version of the joseph smith story and then a testimony. and we got to do it a few times and it was super powerful because we had so little time to share the testimony that it had to be really powerful and it was an amazing experience.  I think it would be an awesome activity for the young men in the ward.  first have someone teach the restoration and then have all the boys teach each other what they know. it only has to be a minute.  anyway-- and then the next day we had a lesson in class about teaching with our personalities and not being boring.   and during the lesson i realized that i think i had turned into a lesson-teaching-spanish-speaking robot the last few weeks-- and the two of these lessons really helped me to realize that when we're teaching -- we're teaching real people. and when you really understand the gospel and how important the message your sharing with them is then your going to want them to know everything you know. because the gospel of jesus christ can change lives. it can fix any problem and struggle that a person is having and it brings happiness joy and peace.  when we truly realize that what we're doing in the mission field is bringing people the ability to come unto christ, be forgiven of their sins, be baptized, recieve the holy ghost, bind their family together for eternity in the temple, and recieve all the other blessings the temple offers, i think once we realize all that, then the lessons stop being just memorized points and you start actually trying to know your investigator and you tailor your message to the individual because investigators arent numbers. investigators are our brothers and sisters, other sons and daughters of god,  who he loves so much.  i think when you know that then your testimony becomes 1000 times more powerful because you want so much for the investigator.   but in the end, its really 100% the lord who does the real work,  we do our best to make the message clear and applicable to the individual then we bear our testimonies and the spirit does all the converting.   it truly does not matter how many baptisms you get.  in preach my gospel it talks a lot about how you measure your success. success should be measured on how well you’re following the spirit, if you’re following all the rules and if you’re giving all the effort you possibly can to do your very best, the lord will take your weaknesses and make them strengths.  oh have i seen that these past five weeks.  i cant believe its five weeks.  i feel like i'm completely different than when i left.  its incredible. i love the mtc, i dont think there is a better place on this whole planet. but i seriously can not wait to get out of here.  haha. how funny is that.   i cant wait to get down to mexico and actually teach some people.      ha i've been thinking about it this past week and i have no idea why i'm so happy. the food here is terrible. we get up early we go to bed late, and we work all the time in between and i'm tired allllll the time. all the time.  but at the same time. i'm so happy. i'm happy about everything. its ridiculous :)     i think when you're serving the lord you just realize how unimportant other things are.  i used to think things like my phone where so important. i honestly have not thought much about my phone the past few weeks. maybe the first week but honestly not since.  all i can think about is trying to improve myself for the people down there.   
   wow, i had not planned on ranting on about that for the whole email time. but there it went :)  i'll write you a letter for sure some time tonight answering all your questions from your letters and telling you some more.  Glad to hear all is well at home though.  tell grandma bingham thanks for the brownie congo bar things she sent w/ the chocolate chips, they were unreal.  i think my district worshiped me for the next few days {not literally, that would be sacraligous} :P  haha.  but  they seriously loved them.  also thanks to katelyn, the mechams and the kilbournes for the package and thanks for the package from home. it was wonderful.  i'll tell you more in my letter. 

love elder lloyd


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