Hola Everyone!
I have been having such a great time here in the MTC! I love hearing from all y'all, and getting all of your letters (or dearelders).
Last Tuesday Brother Gary J. Coleman, an Emeritus seventy talked to us about Pioneers. He told us that there are 4 pillars of Pioneer Work that we will use throughout our mission:
- temple recommend
- authority to preach
- scriptures
- missionary handbook & preach my gospel
We also have the power of the holy Ghost and that is the most important thing. Bytheway, did you know that in 3 Nephi 11, the word baptism is mentioned 11 times. It is so cool how the number 11 pops up in all sorts of wonderful places.
We taught in the TRC (Teaching Resource Center) for the first time. Members come in and volunteer to talk to us, and we teach them as members. We are supposed to teach them something that will bless their lives.
We heard a lot of scary things about the TRC beforehand. But I really enjoyed it. We taught an RM and told him about praying for charity. And then we taught these two cute sisters. We shared favorite stories about women in the scriptures and asked them to do something to be more like them. I shared the story of the women who annoints Jesus with an expensive oil just before the Atonement. She probably saved for a while to be able to do that. I want to be able to give the savior everything I have, just like she did.
Thursday night, after lights out, we heard some noises in the room next door. We weren't sure if they were laughter or tears. We thought about it for a while and decided that she was crying really bad. We felt really bad for her, because the MTC is a very challenging place, and we wanted to let her know that there were poeple who cared. So we gathered up some treats and went over and knocked quietly on her door.
"Are you ok?" we asked.
"Yeah, we're fine." they replyed.
"Oh, we were concerned about you. These are for you," we said.
After a few more conversation exchanges, we realized that had been laughing, and trying to keep it quiet duirng their companion prayer. But we made some new friends. :D
One of the teachers, Hermano Ames, served in Spain, and he calls me Hermana Sancheth all the time. :D He has been playing one of our investigatores, Marcos. I had a coaching missionary study with him on the 28th. He told me about the importance of listening, when I teach. He told me that I am doing really good, and that he didn't figure this out until one year into his mission. But it is okay, to just sit and be silent during lessons. Because when we aren't talking the spirit is.
I think that it is very important to give the Spirit time to teach. Hermano Ames said something about how we treat the spirit and christ like they are two separate entities. But they are both members of the Godhead, and they both have the same purpose. If Christ was in the room with me, of course I would give Him time to teach. I think I would give a majority of the time to him. Why on earth am I not doing the same thing with the Spirit? He can teach so much better than I can. All I really need to do is to invite him in, and then pause, stop talking, and let him do the rest.
On Sunday, during "Sunday School" we talked about the Book of Mormon, and I realized that the entire Book of Mormon is one big science experiment:
The Experiment of the Book of Mormon
Question What do the Mormons believe?
Research Meet with the Missionaries
Hypothesis The Mormon Church is the right one.
Experiment Read the Book of Mormon
Pray with real intent, with a sincere heart, having faith in Christ.
Results Peace in your heart, and the knowledge that God loves you.
Conclusion The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is God's true church on earth. I need to be baptized, and endure to the end.
See Moroni 10: 3-5
Just like all science experiments, this experiment is repeatable and gives the same results to every single person who meets the requirements of the experiment. Our church truly is good science. I would encourage anyone who hasn't yet given it a try, and read and prayed about the Book of Mormon to do so. If it is wrong it won't cost you anything. You will have tried a failed experiment. I have done plenty of those in my days studying math and science, and it is frusterating, but not a big deal. But if it is right, think about how much you can gain. Everyone, even if you have already done this experiment, do it again, and then post in the comments your results. (But you have to make sure you meet the requirements of the experiment, otherwise your results aren't valid. And you have to pray sincerely, and read sincerely to meet the requirements. :D )
On Sunday, we had a fireside from Robert P. Swensen, Director, Missionary Services. He is a math major, and sometimes mathematical things came out. I loved it. I love it when other people mix math and the gospel, because they are so compatible with each other. Both teach eternal truths, and both lead me to my savior.
1 + 1 = 3
When you and your companion work together, you both learn at least half of what the other knows, and somehow it works out so that together you can do more than you could apart.
And then when you throw in the multiplying power of the Holy Ghost, great and wonderful things can happen, and it grows without bounds.
Is not your meager 5 loaves and two fishes enough to feed 5000 people? the grace of Christ is sufficient for me. It is sufficient to make out that which is not enough for you.
Two of our hermanas are leaving today. Es muy triste. They are going to the Guatemala MTC to continue to study for 6 more weeks. But we are getting a new distrito tomorrow, and I am very excited to meet them. There are 6 elderes coming and 4 hermanas coming into our zone. I will get to give them a tour of the MTC on Thursday. Everyone wish me luck. I think it is quite ironic that they assign the person who will be giving tours to the person who is directionaly challenged. :D
TX-FTW is the appreviation for my mission, and the other elderes in my distrito who are going there decided that it stands for Texas For The Win! :D In Spanish the 'x' runs away and hides. Texas is Tejas en espanol, and is pronounced "Te-has".
Well, my time is almost up, but I love you all so very much! I look forward to hearing from y'all.
Se amo,
Hermana Julie Anna Sanchez
P.S. I love letters and packages. :D Every single letter is like Christmas, and packages are like Christmas and Birthdays combined into one beautiful box. :D
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