April 22, 2013

Hey everyone,

Well this letter might not be as exciting and as long as I have had before because I have had a really rough week and a very blessed week at the same time. The mission is not easy and I know that but I know that I am learning much more than a language out here I am learning a life style and how I want to be for the rest of my life. I can not even comprehend the miracles that I see and the amazing opportunities that I have had to try my hardest to speak Spanish. I have been studying recognizing the Spirit and how to this past week a lot. I want to tell you that I think one of the biggest sins that a missionary can commit is to get comfortable with the Spirit or get use to His promptings. Now you may ask why? But I tell you that we are called out here to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to help bring people unto the fold. Now I know you can't see it but I have noticed when I am teaching by the Spirit and when I am teaching by my own words. I know that the best way to teach by the Spirit is by personal experiences and by baring your testimony to everyone you meet. This past week during companionship study I have had a really hard time with my confidence and knowing the doctrine so that I may teach these people. But as we were again sitting in silence together waiting for me to give him an example or to speak Spanish he says I actually have an idea. He had heard of this from another trainer and wanted to try it in a different way with me. I of course said okay and went about doing what he asked he then pulls out his camera and begins to record me. I just look at the ground and am like I am not doing anything this guy asks me to do. He then goes on to say. Bare me your testimony in English. I look up and then put my head back down. I in that moment realized that I had not bore my testimony in a long while for a missionary and that I really needed this opportunity to express what I know is true and to bare my testimony on things that I have experienced it in my life. I then end in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. And I sit there with tears rolling down my cheeks and thought to myself where did that come from? I did not know what happened I sat there and just waited for my companion to say something. And then he says, "I can't believe that it has taken me this long to realize this. But, I just learned more about The Plan of Salvation and the Restoration in those two minutes of you baring your testimony than I have in my whole mission." I still sat there not knowing what to say but then realized that I did know these things are true but that before I was sharing my testimony with my words. I want to say that again "I was baring my testimony with my words." Not until 9 weeks into my mission did I realize that if I want to touch the hearts of the people in my mission I need to forget about my self and really try to touch there hearts through speaking my testimony with the Holy Ghost. The beauty of a testimony sometimes can be over looked I think we "teach people not lessons" Preach My Gospel says. But I realized that the best way to teach is to ask questions and then with the Holy Ghost you testify of those answers you hear. We are not hear to put information into peoples minds but to have them become converted to know that this Gospel is true and the Heavenly Father is our Father and that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I love you all and hope you are all doing well have a great week and don't forget to share your testimony with people. 

With my love,

Elder Marse