MTC Week 7

Everything's going great here! It's super fantastic! I can't wait to leave though! I've been talking with the natives, and they're all Super excited for me! They say that the Southeast mission is by far one of the highest baptizing missions, and I'll average around 300-400 contacts a day! Tons of people, and they're all really willing to listen. They say the food is AMAZING! Although they did say to say goodbye to normal bowel movements, Hahahahaa!! Elder Manzano pointed to one teeny place in my mission, probably about 1/8th of my whole mission, (which is tiny to begin with) and said, "Here, almost 2 million people, in little place here. I don't want to scary, but very dangerous, but many many many many people convert." (He's learning English, and is doing extremely well)

It's great, we get together and talk with the natives all the time. Spanish is becoming ridiculously easy! I can still understand a lot better then I speak, but I can feel it balancing out. I know I'm going to get a reality check once I get there about how much little Spanish I do know, but I'm excited nonetheless.

This week's revelation. I was studying to try to figure out how to teach one of our investigadores how to pray with a sincere heart and real intent in order to truly receive an answer from God, and I stumbled upon something (How amazing it is to see how much you learn when you're studying for to help other people). So, according to Moroni 10:4-5, if we truly want to receive an answer from God, we must pray with a sincere heart and real intent, believing that we will receive an answer. That belief means that we must have faith. But according to James 2:17-18 Faith without works is dead. Which means that faith is not an item, or a thing, but rather an action word. If we have faith in something it will determine our actions, and who we are. I have an undying faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that's why I'm serving this mission. So, D&C 9:7-8 says that we can't just ask for an answer and expect to get it. We mus first ponder it out in our minds. Study it and try to find an answer for ourselves, we must provide the action necessary to demonstrate our faith, THEN we come to Him with an answer in mind, and he will manifest the truth of it unto you through the Holy Ghost. That's why you can't just pray to know if the Book of Mormon is true. You MUST READ IT. You must Demonstrate your Faith first, then and only then will God make manifest the truth of it unto you through your feelings for a Surety. So when we cycle back around to Moroni 10:4-5, that's why the promise that God will manifest the truth of it unto you through the Holy Ghost comes after the condition that "after you have received these things". You Must demonstrate your faith first. For Faith is an action word.

And it is Soooo much easier to explain this and talk about it in person. Especially when the spirit is in the leccion (lesson), this is super hard to write it. I feel like Nefi when he talks about his weakness in writing, but how much more powerful a testimony is when he speaks by the power of the spirit. I just wish I could talk to everyone and teach these things I'm learning in person. I love teaching by the Spirit!

I leave for the field in 19 days. Bring. it. on.