Well, based upon what the title of the e-mail states...no, I shall tell this story in chronological order.
So, on Sunday we had a very inspirational fireside from the President of the MTC, Gordon D. Brown about 9/11. We watched the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's performance for that day, and we felt the Spirit very strongly afterwards. President Brown told us how we live in a world of secret combinations, Gaddianton Robbers if you will. I know that that statement is true beyond all doubt, and that these secret combinations will be a very serious problem for us in the future.
On Monday, we got new investigators. The first one is Benjamin. He seemed like a great guy, but Elder Mcrae and I weren't able to get in the door because Benjamin didn't have time; he had to go and pick up his kids from school. So, we set an appointment for Wednesday. The second investigator we received is Sara. She is a great girl, but is also an incredibly tough investigator. She doesn't believe in God, and religion isn't important to her. It was also a sort of awkward contact, because she was in the park. So, we had to just kind of walk up to her and say something along the lines of: "Hey Sara! It's been a long time since we've seen you! How are you? Where is your husband? And your mom?" Elder Mcrae and I also had very little time because all of the other companionships had already gone before us. So, it was a great learning experience for Elder Mcrae and I.
On Tuesday Elder Mcrae and I taught Sara again. Once again, an incredibly tough lesson. She just has no core beliefs in anything, and so I have to struggle to teach her that she needs God and Jesus Christ in her life in order to bless her and her new, young family. One of the hardest parts of the lessons is that she won't let us pray at the start or end of lessons. So, to begin, Elder Mcrae and I decided to just offer a prayer amongst ourselves, and I ended up talking pretty loud during it so that Sara could hear what I said. Especially the part where I said "Please pour out your Spirit upon Sara...” I think that the lesson went well, considering that it was the first one, but at the end I wasn't quite feeling the Spirit as much as I would have liked. And, so, I whipped out my Spanish hymnbook and told Elder Mcrae we were going to sing Soy Un Hijo de Dios (or I am a Child of God in translation). I felt the Spirit much stronger after that, and I think that Sara did as well. She also seemed a little surprised that we would come into her house to teach her and then just suddenly burst into song, but oh well. She even stayed put when we asked if we could offer a prayer! I can surely testify that the Spirit can work mighty miracles if we have It with us.
Later that night, we had a devotional by Elder M. Russell Ballard. I was honored to have the privilege to sing in the choir for that devotional. We sang Jesus Once of Humble Birth, and I felt the Spirit so great at that time. Elder Ballard mainly gave us a lot of advice for when we enter the mission field, like how we should be becoming Preach My Gospel missionaries, keep the gospel we teach simple, exhort as much faith as possible in Jesus Christ, keep heaven close to our missions and it will be close, keep our Area Book organized, and something we would be proud to show the Savior. And the list goes on. But, one of my favorite parts of the talk was when he explained just how much we are talked of and prayed for by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He also painted a very vivid and visual picture of what the 4th floor of the Salt Lake Temple looked like, which I shall cherish for quite some time.
But, his most powerful part of his talk was his testimony, which I thought very akin to what we will experience in the field. His testimony was so simple, but once he spoke the words: "I would like to testify and invoke a blessing upon all of you..." the Spirit just flooded the room and could not be contained. It was quite awe-inspiring, and I was a little dumbstruck listening to those words.
Yesterday (Wednesday), and this is where the title comes into play, Elder Skousen and I were moved up to the intermediate Spanish area. It is considered a mission transfer from the Beginning Spanish Area to the Intermediate Spanish Area. We have a new district, zone, branch presidency, residence hall...everything! We were also made companions, which is nice to still have a companion from my old district. I will miss Elder Mcrae and our old district, however. But, this move up really tests one's faith, because you really have to rely fully on the Lord to help you and provide the Gift of Tongues for you. There is a lot more Spanish flying around in this class, but it will be good for me to stretch me and cause me to grow. I have great teachers and a great new district in my class, so I am not too worried about the switch.
So yes, progress! I love the MTC, there is such a great atmosphere here and the Spirit is always so strong. I love this work, and I love serving the Lord!
- Elder Tinkham
