Another enjoyable week gone by for me. Things are going at just the right speed it seems, not too fast that I wish things lasted longer and not too slow that I feel like things take too long. Every week has been better and better I feel as well, I learn more about how to be a missionary and my surroundings become more familiar. I begin every week with enthusiasm and it persists quite well as small miracles and blessings line up every day. I'm trying to think of examples right now to illustrate and back up these feelings. I'm guessing it sounds sort of vague and maybe unlike me. My thoughts are just vague I suppose, especially at a time like this where I'm trying to collect what has made up my week. It's really fun to hear from home, once a week is perfect to get the essentials. It's a nice perspective I have here of home.
There's so much that happens every week for me! I had to get out my planner to remind myself. We've been meeting more good potentials, we taught two first lessons this week. The first was a lady that has over the past few years has developed a strong spiritual sense. She said until a few years ago she realized she had been trying the wrong sources for happiness and ever since she's sought to feel God's love through various methods. She's a very nice lady. She recieved the restoration lesson quite well, but she had some concerns basically I think that she already has found her way of being happy and having truth. She doesn't have a huge amount of traditional religious background, she's of developed a sort of new age-ish spirituality that definitely involves the feeling and sharing the love of God, but other than that is not super Christ centered. I've seen this sort of thing a few times now. It does definitely seem to bring forth good fruits, but it typically also doesn't lean people towards traditional prayer and scripture study. However, she did say that she will try this out with her feelings. She has a restoration pamphlet. We'll see if she's really accessing and willing to trust the source of truth, God.
The other first lesson we taught was with a man who has had a rough past, but has fought his way out of it for the most part and has learned a lot in the process. He also has the pamphlet and is very interested in feeling it out for himself, plus he wants to meet with us again this week. He is similar to the other lady though, especially in the fact that they are both quite strongly apposed to joining a church. This is common. I think people have just had too many negative experiences with organized religion and the confusion it can cause with the fulness of the gospel absent. They therefore come to decide that there is no true church and that you don't need to be a member of any church. I don't know what's more difficult to defuse, that or people who've joined a church and now have their minds closed. Either way, the Spirit is key.
I'm realizing some things here about what being a true follower of Christ and searcher of the truth means. Simply being a member of the church does not qualify. Even behaving like a member of the church isn't everything. There is so much personal responsibility we have as members to really gain a testimony of the gospel, because one day your beliefs will be tested. Also, the gospel is very simple. I've realized that by trying to teach it. I've tried to describe things and most of the time, my answer comes out way to complicated. I've seen this in lessons but more often during conversations with my companion about the gospel and how to serve or even just determine an investigator's needs. Or in trying to answer gospel related questions. I've realized that what I'm lacking is spiritual knowledge. Spiritual knowledge is understanding that comes through the spirit to us as we study and ponder with desires to learn of the gospel with a willingness to live God's way. He will show us his way when we are ready to accept it and act on it. Most of the time, I try to do things my way. When I give up on the and seek for his way, everything works and feels right.
Anyways, along with simplicity, my companion recently has been studying "the Donaldson Papers". He provides a lot of very convincing and exciting insights and procedures for missionary with. One of them is thirty minute lessons. For the first lesson you get ten minutes to begin with explaining what you as missionaries are going to do (how to begin teaching in preach my gospel), a mere ten minutes to teach the entire restoration (he shows you how to teach simply and powerfully; the simpler the more powerful), and then ten minutes to teach them how to pray. It's really genius, simple, and perfectly sound.
I've probably been writing way too much in these letters, but I suppose as long as I recognize that, I'll learn to refine my thoughts and write more effectively. It's so great, missions can really teach you more about how to be successful that anything else in so many ways.
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