May 29,2013

Where to begin?!

I can see why some would hate MTC but I am loving every minuet of it! We are so busy all the time but that is fine by me I am used to having something to do every minuet of the day, however for some they arent so lucky and many in my district are really struggling.... It is hard to keep their spririts up at time but as a whole we are progressing and doing very well; P-day always brightens thier spirits. The other great thing about P-day is every P-day we have the opportunity to vistit the temple and either do a session or inititoriy, i love it and love the food haha... it cost a little bit but the MTC food is great but can get kind of old so it is a plessent change every wednesday. So I just keep pushing on struggling in my spanish and putting a lot of faith in the lord.

It is crazy how fast they throw you into the language here.... as a laguage learning missionary your are teaching investigators in 100% spanish the third day! Yesterday was even crazier thought... We have what is called TRC where there are voluteers that come here and know spanish most who would like a spiritual message to help them in thier lives.... this really humbles you and leads you to prayr for the companionship of the holy Ghost. Hoping praying that some how you will find a scripture or the words to say that will impress your invstigator with whatever help they needed. My two bits that was impressed with last night was for the first guy was in Nephi chapter 2 when is talks of Lehi getting into the wilderness and building an alter. this amazes me that after everything Lehi had given up in leaving jeruselem he was still building an altar to give thanks to the lord. the other was just that I was impressed with the idea that she was feeling alone and I was able to bear a strong testimony of the fact that the lord is here for us all and that families through the atonement could be together forever.

Mom and Dad please tell Brother Jensen that you sooooooo much for challenging me and giving me the oportunity to read "Teaching by the Spirit" by Gene R. Cook.... It has changed my whole life and my whole mission in so many ways. One of our devotional speakers gave us an example of how to teach by the spirit in a wonderfull talk that he gave to us only relying on the spirit. Many were amazed, some doubtful, but I knew of the power that he spoke becuse I have learned and felt it myself. Its at times like these that I feel the spirit the strongest; I didnt think that you could feel that spirit in such a way that it is nearly painful. The most excitement I have is all the many opportunities that I have to speak and bear testimony of the spirit over these next two years. It is such an amazing blessing that we all have that we can all use to bless the lives of others and all we need to do to accomlish such things is rely on the spirit and HAVE FAITH.

There have been some pretty good times in our district .... mostly because of one elder, Elder Miller... He has the innocence on a five year old and is hillarious. He is very intelligent and fun. He has kept us all going in laughter. Every morning he wakes up saying "Anouther day another dollar.... spiritual dollar that is" haha and so that has become like our district motto.... whenever we are down or thinking about the long day ahead of us we are reminded of how spiritually weathly we are becoming with every waking moment we are here.

The MTC is great but pretty well the same everyday so I dont have a whole lot to say other than I know this is the work of god and I am at the right place at the right time.

Love,

Elder Stoor

 

May 22, 2013

The MTC has been great... everyone in my district really stuggled with the waking up so early and with how much study time we had... but I personally love it.. not a second of the day is wasted! I owe it all to hawaii because of the study and sleep habbits I had aqured there. The first few days were a little confusing learning the campus and walk time ect. My comp is elder anderson and for the most part he is a great comp! we get along well and have been doing good in our studies and lessons. As for the district i was called Distirct leader second day here! It has been a wonderful experience and going back the the experience in hawaii, I was prepared better than most that come in which has really given me a great quality for leading. in our district we have to elder companionships and two hermana comps. we all get along very well and the branch president has commened us on how suprisingly well we are doing! are days are all a little different but a typical day in the mtc would go as follows.
wake up and prep for day
hour and a half personal study in classroom
breakfast
3-4 hour class where we are learning spanish and how to teach the gospel
lunch
3-4 hour language and gospel class

dinner

1 hour laguage study
prep time
bed
There is deffinatly a lot of class time but suprisingly I have hadeled it very well. I feel the spirit nearly the entire day and it has been wonderful! In our classes we are teaching progressing investigators ..... completely in spanish, they show no mercy here and throw us right to the wolves. This way of learning has helped build my faith as well as help others realize that in a lesson you just just have to rely on the spirit. I really did this in the past lesson with my investigator Armando. In the lesson my comp who did not have the trust to do this stuggled while I with no notes was able to speak very broken spanish but was able to convey the spirit and say the things that the lord would have me say! I bear testimony of the power of the spirit and challenge you all to teach any lessons or talks with faith in the spirit! you will be able to touch everyone in their ow way and will be blessed for your faith! If my testimony is not good enough Read or listen to the talks given by gene r cook "Teaching by the spirit" (book preffered)

The food here is great but overwhelming... I fourutnaley have already destroyed my eating habbits in hawaii so i can handle to food. however most missionaries in our district have been putting on the pounds and getting sick because of the amount and "greasy-ness" of the food. They have wonderful meals i think but they have been getting old quick. My p-day here at the mtc is on wednesdays so that is when you can expect emails, however while at the mtc i have more time for letters than emails and here they have "dear elders" where you can write an email and they will print it off and give it to me and i will be able to write back.

Another amazing thing that i have witnessed is how true being set apart as a missionary can be... since being here I have nearly forggoten my hobbies and interest and even my bikes and cars. I truly am being helped in devoting my time to the lord and I am so thankful for that. the other thing that has been amazing is the speed that I have been learning the laguage... i am able to pray, bear testimony, give lessons and really convey any message I would like to in spanish. I still have a long way to go but the gift of tounges are present here.

I cannot stress the importance of who bennificil preparing for a mission can be I have seen elders who have not even opened the preach my gospel and or really been "actively" preparing for a mission. and not to brag in any way but the hours of daily preperation that I had commited myself to before coming out has given me such an advantage and has blessed me in many more ways that I could count!

This is probably typical of missionaries but I cannot stress enough the importance of a mission. If you my friend, cousin or even if I don't know you and your reading this I am now challenging (commanding) you to serve and mission, Guy or girl! It will be hard and you may think that "its just not for me" or maybe that you just aren't worthy to be a missionary... its all crap. the devotionals and talks that I have been able to hear and feel has brought me knowledge that these are the last days and there is a reason missionary work is booming.... I pray at night weeping for some of you hoping only that you will serve a mission cause I have no doubt that if you do so you will be in the right place at the right time. I would not wish upon anyone the regret and blessings that you will miss out on in your life if you do not serve a mission. and I leave that testimony with you guys.

I am out of time so until next week god be with you until we "read and write" again.

Through the temple In Kona Hawaii.....down to days before the mission