MTC - Week 2

Now for this week! Hooray! I am still so so loving it here. I have honestly learned so incredibly much, it's insane! I have been so appreciative to get everyone's letters and e-mails. When I got here, I didn't receive anyone's dear elder's until the very end of last p-day, because our D.L. had the wrong combo for our mailbox and couldn't access our mail for three days. I was dying! But man oh man, do I love all of you. I see Hermana Pennock every day. We are constantly crossing paths and we always stop and chat for a minute. I'm so glad we are here at the same time. This week has been so packed with spiritual experiences. I can't possibly tell you all of them, but I'll tell you about the most amazing ones. So, there are two types of "investigators" we teach. We have what are called progressing investigators, who are just our teachers role-playing investigators that they taught on their missions. Then we have TRC investigators, who are volunteers that the MTC provides for us to teach. Many are members, and many are converts who let us teach them and re-live their conversion experience, once in a blue moon, they are actual investigators, but it is extremely rare. In any case, they never tell us what our is. We just teach as if they are real investigators, and the reality and spirit of it is incredible. Our Progressing investigator is Kristine (played by our teacher sister Lyon) I cannot explain enough that when she takes off her name-tag and we teach her, the spirit, revelation, emotions and experience are all so real. Kristine is married to a less-active member and they have a 5-year old daughter. She has always been Lutheran, but her home teacher referred her when he said she had mentioned not being fulfilled by her church. Our first visit was awesome. We taught her about eternal families, temple sealing, and how proper priesthood authority is so important. We had planned to extend just an invitation to church, but as I bore my testimony at the end of the lesson, (yes mom, I talked about Monica's sealing), the spirit told me to invite her to be baptized. And... SHE ACCEPTED! You cannot imagine the joy and excitement in that room. We were able to teach her again a couple days later, and taught the restoration and gave her a Book of Mormon. The spirit and experience of this lesson were even more amazing than the first. Kristine expressed after we expressed our testimonies and asked her how she felt, that she knew that this book would teach and testify to her everything that she would need to know to feel ready for baptism. By the end of the lesson, we had all cried for being touched so strongly by the spirit. Sister Paul and I genuinely love Kristine so much, and she loves loves loves us. After the amazing second lesson, we returned to our classroom. A minute later, Sis. Lyon came in and said "OH MY GOSH, Sisters! I swore I wouldn't cry, and look what you did!" She told us what amazing teachers we are, and we just talked for a minute about our experience, why it went so well, and whatnot. Holy cow, loved ones, I cannot tell you how much these teaching experiences have made me a better teacher, and enriched my confidence, and testimony of the work. I'll have to write about our other investigator another time. But here's another amazing thing that happened this week: another one of our teachers (I adore all three of them) Sis. Smith, ended a lesson about revelation through prayer by inviting us to kneel down there in the classroom and have our own sacred grove experience. As I finished my conversation with Heavenly Father, these words came through my mind clear as day, "A marvelous work is about to come forth from you, and the angels of your ancestors will shout your name from the very corners of heaven and earth for eternity." Obviously, I was astonished. I wrote it down so I'd never forget, and cried and thanked my Heavenly Father. I love this gospel so much. I love, understand, and get more excited to go out and preach it each and every day I am here. Mom, tell Dad I am going to write him a physical letter. OH, and... I get to call home from the airport. I'm not sure when, so just be home on Wednesday morning. I will call by noon or one! Thank you for everything! Love, Sis. Monroe