Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Hey everyone! 7/21/2010

I completed "la vision" this week and it was super sweet! We were supposed to teach 30 lessons and get at least 10 contacts every single day. We ended up getting well over 40 lessons this week and got all of our contacts done as well. It was a SUPER busy week but we learned a lot about Spanish and a lot about teaching. We were incredibly busy but wow, that really made time fly. We did our first TRC last Wednesday and it went really well!! We had no problem communicating and the investigator committed to baptism. We are definitely coming along and progressing all the time. Anything is most definitely possible with the Lord's help.

This week we made a lower goal of 25ish lessons so we could have more study time and make our lessons more quality and applicable. We've already started doing this and it's much more beneficial. Instead of teaching missionaries as investigators, we are teaching them as themselves. It makes everything so much more meaningful and sincere. It also means we have to expand our vocabulary more!

We had a great Large Group Meeting about recognizing the Spirit and it really was amazing. If we are doing what we should be, praying for the Lord's help, and striving to magnify our calling, we will be inspired to do those things the Lord wants us to do. We don't need to question all the time if what we're thinking really is inspired. If we're doing what we're supposed to, it could just be our thoughts. We don't have to KNOW that we're being inspired. We really can feel the Spirit all the time here and it really is amazing. We can feel the love the Lord has for each missionary here and we get filled with that love when we teach them. I can't even describe how amazing and empowering this feeling is!

We had a really good zone workshop on contacting, making lessons simple and meaningful, and becoming a missionary. We always can work on simplifying lessons, but it's a good thing we can't get too complicated - we're teaching in a completely different language! But becoming a missionary is the most important thing we can do. you can either go on a mission or become a missionary. We shouldn't go on a mission, but let the mission go through us. If we don't do this, it will be a long two years and it will drag on. But if you keep the right attitude and remember why you're out here, it will be the best time of your life and you will accomplish so much. You can especially feel this if you have a sincere love for the people you teach and want them to have this amazing change in their life.

Part of how I can feel my testimony growing so much is how often I share it! I bear my testimony so many times a day about how glorious this gospel is and how I know the Church is true. I love being able to feel the Spirit so much, and the Lord's help in making me the missionary I want to be.

We had a sweet devotional last night, and the speaker talked about how when we follow the commandments, we acquire truth, light, knowledge, faith, power, and ultimately Spirit! When we disobey, we lose these things. The only way to reverse this process is througth repentance. There was some profound stuff though. Those who need repentance the most know the least about it. And it takes a really good man to repent, but it's the really bad man that needs it. It totally makes sense and these devotionals are so inspiring! As missionaries we have more commandments (mission rules) and when we follow all these we are blessed so much and can have that much more spirit and power!! It's so amazing.

Well, I am doing well, teaching a whole lot, and doing the best I can! Thanks for your support! I really appreciate mail and hearing from everyone!

Adios hasta semana proxima!

(Adios until next week!) ~Elder Jesse Carlson

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