Dear Mom and Dad,
So today has been a pretty good week and I am slowly getting closer to the end. The Spanish is still progressing and getting better and better, but there is still plenty of room for me to improve. Elder Clark and I are still getting along just fine and so far we still haven’t had any problems yet. I was also able to receive the letters from Levi and Kyle. One of the things I keep thinking about how much I write in my emails compared to others, I could have more time write. There are not as many missionaries (I think by the end of the week there will be about 450 as opposed to the 800 that were here when I arrived). This week on Saturday we also have something big happening. Elder Andersen and Elder Oaks are coming to the CCM and Elder Andersen is going to do a devotional, so I am really looking forward to that.
Our lessons with our investigators are getting better and better. Elder Clark is really improving in his Spanish and is able to speak pretty well, except for when I go off topic from the original lesson plan. We were able to commit our investigator, Wendy, to baptism and she has been reading the Book of Mormon. The other, Teresa, we are hesitant to ask since she told us that she doesn’t want us to focus only baptizing her like other missionaries that have taught her. Teresa is a lot more interesting to teach because she tends to give us more experience of what a real investigator would be like. During one of the lessons we were talking and then decided to say a prayer. While Elder Clark was saying the prayer, she pretended to fall asleep on us and so we had to wake her up. Elder Clark joked that we should have got up, left, and knock on the door again and she could believe she had received revelation about the missionaries coming. During the lesson, we taught about God and how the Gospel blesses families and this lesson will make you proud of some of your thinking mom. I used pictures of us to show how much I love my family and that it is all because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I think that it was one of the best lessons we have had and the Spirit was definitely there.
On Wednesday afternoons, we also do this thing called TRC. Member volunteers come into the CCM and you teach them about whatever questions they might have. When we talked to our first person, we asked if she had questions and she had none so we had no idea what to do. So we just taught about prayer. The second person was a lot better. He didn’t have any questions either, but I was able to understand what he was saying and had a good conversation about El Evangelic. I could tell that the Spirit was there as we talked.
Sunday was a great day. We had a devotional recording from Jeffrey R Holland and it really made commit to always try to give my time to the Lord. This isn’t my time, it is the Lords and it is sacred. So we should all live like we are running on the Lord’s time. I also enjoyed one of the videos that we watched which was I think was “For This Purpose Have I Come into this World”. The movie was about the Atonement and my favorite part is the end when Jesus is received into heaven and is greeted by all of the heavenly hosts. That is kind of how imagine happening after death. That when we enter the Spirit World, Jesus will be waiting to greet us in some form.
One of the best days of the week has actually been today. We had the opportunity to go and visit the temple grounds and the visitor center. I wish that we would have had the opportunely to do a session in Spanish, but the temple is closed for reconstruction. But the visitor center was really well done, and there is a very special spirit about everything that is in that place. It is truly designed to help all feel the Spirit and see the need for the Gospel in all of our lives. I even got to go shopping in the store at the grounds. And don’t worry, Mom, I only got three more ties. I got another side bag and scripture cases as well. But overall, it was an amazing experience. I have pictures that I will be sending of the temple and the drive to and from the places. The city is a pretty crazy place with lots of people, but it is definitely interesting. It made me realize just how sheltered we are in the CCM since we never see much of the outside world.
I love you all and thanks for all the support!!!
Elder Ferrin
