August 2, 2013

"Final Stretch"

Hey family!!!

So this week has been one of the coolest weeks of my life!! Thank you for all your packages and letters! It means so much that you guys care enough to do that! Before I get going, I hate saying this but don't send anymore things to the MTC for me or the mission home in Texas for a couple reasons. 1 is that I am leaving Tuesday morning and I wont be able to get mail that day. And the reason for Texas is that i may not be staying at the Mission Home. So if you want to send letters, I will be able to give you my real address when i get there. But still send packages to the Mission home, Preferably.

Me and my companion are getting a long great. We have had the opportunity to teach people that were acting as investigators. When we started teaching our first couple lessons, we kinda struggeled. But lately, we have been killing it! We are starting to teach better with the Spirit and we have been able to talk about the same during the lessons. Even though I hate sitting in a classroom listening to someone talk, it has been worth it.

So this week like I said was amazing! On Sunday, we watched a previous talk that Elder Bednar gave on the Character of Christ. He gave it as a MTC devotional on Christmas Day in 2011 for anyone that wants to look it up. I highly recommend it. Later that night, I was able to give my first priesthood blessing to one of my Elders. It was probably one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. The spirit was so strong in that room giving it that it was almost over whelming.

Monday we had a lot of classes that day. Our teachers are Brother Holt, who was converted to the church 4 years ago and served a mission in San Antonio, Texas, and Sister Thomas who served in the San Diego, mission spanish speaking. We have two classes a day and the switch off teaching each class. Monday I was also able to give another blessing to an Elder in our district. However, these past couple days, this guy has been acting as though he is better than all of us. Like telling us what to do, and where to be. Kinda sounds like the District leaders job to do that right? But whatever. It was still a good blessing.

Tuesday we only had one class period. We then had a member of the quorum of the Seventy come. His last name is Rodgers, but I missed the first name. He talked to us about mission work and how to incorporate Preach my Gospel into that. He was a really good speaker. I would share my notes with you, but i have limited time on the computer and i left the notes in the dorms. Oops. But just know that it helped me realize how important it is to know the Doctrine before teaching it. Because when you teach people, they have questions and you have to do your very best to answer those questions. Later that night though I got a blessing, and I heard exactly what I needed to hear. It was so cool!

Wednesday and Thursday were just a blurr. We did this thing called In-Field Orientation. So basically we walked around to different classes and they taught us how to set good goals, how to plan days correctly, how to use members in the field, and other things like that. And the best part was every teacher was a Return Missionary!! Well they all are here. But they put on a little skit at the end and just showed how a day would go. It got me excited to get out there!

So just to wrap things up, I was so happy that I was able to come to the MTC before Texas. It has really changed my view of how mission work was to be done. I imagined it so differently and now I know how to go and teach properly. Thank you everyone for your support! I love you all! Ill expect a couple letters or emails while im in Texas!

Elder O'Brien