So It was another week in the daily grind! First off I must apologize for not having pictures this week, I kept forgetting to charge my camera, but I charged it today so I will have more pictures next week!
Anyways, HAPPY EASTER (One Day Late). Easter in the MTC felt like....well it felt like a day in the MTC, but we did have some cool things happen so I will tell you about those later.
First off, the night alone: Tuesday Morning everybody else from my zone left to their respective missions so I was truly alone. It wasn't too bad, I went around with some elders and sisters that are in the same classroom building as I am, and then I slept in a room with the Elders heading for Japan, and I thought that was going to suck but it didn't. I met this one elder, Elder Jung, who is probably the coolest human being I have ever met! He is Korean, but from New Zealand, so he speaks English with an awesome accent. He is the chillest though! He is 24 years old and already has his masters degree in accounting, and decided he needed to drop everything and serve a mission so there he was! It was a really cool story! And then he told me all about New Zealand and I have decided I need to live there someday! He is an incredible singer, and all the way around just a really on point human being, so sleeping with the Japan elders that night was Rad!
Then Wednesday came and my new zone of missionaries arrived! They are all awesome! My new companion, Elder Talento, is great! He is basically the human form of Aing from the Avatar the Last Air Bender TV show, he just has so much positive energy it is incredible! (and it was a little exhausting at first but we got on the same page after a day or so so it just awesome now). Everyone else in the zone is super cool as well and we are all getting along really well! Being zone leader isn't too hard, but it is just a little taxing because I'm always worrying about how everyone is doing and what more I can do to help them! They all had a bit of a rough week with the language but they're starting to settle into it so this week is going to be awesome!
Now to Easter Sunday. I was asked to speak in sacrament meeting on Sunday because I was the only missionary in the zone who wasn't brand new, and the talk had to be in Portuguese! My talk went really well! I'm going to talk about it later on in this email, but it was an awesome experience. After sacrament meeting we had Elder Dallan H Oaks speak in a special Easter Devotional (Elder Jung sang an INCREDIBLE special musical number at his request. The whole time I was sitting there thinking "I know him!") It was excellent! Very doctrine heavy, but still awesome! My favorite part from his talk was when he said that temples are a testimony in and of themselves of our belief and Faith in there being something more after this life. The rest of the day went as a normal Sunday usually goes, but we had an incredible devotional last night about how having questions about the gospel make us seekers, not doubters, and that questions are good and build faith.
Then after the awesome devotional, we went and watched a video (we do a lot of sitting in the mtc) of an incredible devotional with Elder David A Bednar last Christmas called "The Character of Christ". It was hands down the best talk I have ever seen a general authority give, and that is saying a LOT! I do not think they publish MTC devotionals like conference talks, but if they do, I would definatly encourage everyone to read it!
Finally, over the last week my testimony about the gift of tongues grew soo much! The language is still a challenge but I can see improvement. In the scriptures, Moroni teaches us about the gifts we can receive through the spirit, and in those gifts he specifically separates two of them:
1) Gift of enterpratation of tongues
2) Gift of languages
I find it so interesting how Moroni knew to make these two separate gifts, even though they could be mistaken for the same thing at times. When I first got to the MTC, I was incredibly blessed with the gift of enterpratation of tongues, because almost every class period, even though I had no idea how to speak Portuguese, I could understand almost all of what the teachers were saying. Now I feel I have definitly been blessed with the gift of languages. Taking my talk on Sunday in sacrament meeting as an example, I honestly cannot tell you what I said, even in English, because I don't know. I have noticed it in the last week of teaching here as well, that when I go to testify of Christ, the spirit takes control, and guides me to say exactly what needs to be said!
I know Jesus Christ lives. He is our savior. Jesus Christ came to this earth to teach, and to show us how much he loves us. He came to this Earth and suffered for us, and not only to give us the wonderful gift of repentance. Jesus Christ descended below all things so that he could personally understand EXACTLY what you are going through. He knows you, he knows your thoughts, and your feelings. Because of what he sacrificed, Jesus Christ knows exactly how to help you. What greater gift in this world could there possibly be than the ability to be forgiven by God, and supported by his son. I want to tell you all that I know that there is no greater gift.
I love you all and I hope everyone is doing simply excellent! I have tried to make sure I respond to all emails I receive, so if you haven't got a response from me, let me know!
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Elder Ferrell
No comments:
Post a Comment