This week was difficult for me. I had my ups and downs, but faith prevailed and I was able to make good things out of my trials.
We didn't have any new investigators until Monday. Their names are, " катя" и "виталий".
Katya:
katya is an old investigator. The recordbook was lost for a year and a half so when the elders left the area, there was no one there to continue teaching her. She has some doubts, but was almost baptized. Right now she doesn't feel that God is answering her prayers and she is having trouble with that. Please pray that Elder R and I can be able to have the Spirit with us in order to touch her heart and be able to baptize her.
Vitalli:
Vitalli is a very stern man. He was introduced to the church and the missionaries by his friend Micheal. Vitalli has a wife and a little boy named, "Maxium". I love Vitalli, but it is hard for us to teach him about how important it is to pray to Heavenly Father. He doesn't distinguish the difference between praying on your knees with your own words and praying while reciting words out of a book. I am having trouble trying to convey that message, but that was my fault. I did not allow the Spirit time to come and touch his heart. I found out that one of my fears is that I don't like silence. I would much rather fill it with words trying to get my point across rather than letting the Spirit to take over. I was humbled by the Lord and I am working on improving on that aspect of my teaching abilities.
On Monday, I was trying to prepare the lesson for Vitalli with Elder R. and I wasn't able to retain anything from class or any of the phrases that I needed to learn. I was very stressed and this made me question my ability to teach effectively. I decided instead of trying to memorize it then when I was stressed, I would work it in the morning. We went to dinner and I sat next to Drew and he noticed something was wrong. after he had finished and I had finished the little that I was able to, he said, "Let's go." We got up and walked to dump our trays. He asked what was wrong and I didn't want to tell him that I was struggling with the language because when I look at his district, they all just speak in Russian. He told me not to lie to him and tell him what was up. I told him about the lesson and my struggles with not being able to memorize phrases. He told me that he was having the same issues. We talked for a little bit longer and he said things like, "You're a Hawkins, buck up and get the job done", "We never do the easy jobs, we are Hawkins, we do it the hard way." He was able to get me focused on what I had to do. I love having him in the MTC and for him being able to be so close to me. It truly was a blessing.
Yesterday after our appointment with Vitalli, Brother Parson( from Brigham City) our teacher had us break up into little groups and invite the investigator to be baptized. Elder R and I were the missionaries and one missionary form a split Comp.ship was the Investigator. Elder Phelps was supposed to decline the invitation to be baptized and have a reason for it. We asked if he wanted to be baptized and he declined saying that he had sins and he couldn't commit because he didn't feel worthy enough. This brought real tears to my eyes, but joy to my heart. The Atonement is for every one no matter how much sin we have or how guilty we feel. I love this gospel because of that. After a long, but peaceful silence, I said, "That's fine right now, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be baptized and made clean. He sat and pondered this for a while and then agreed to be baptized. I couldn't stop smiling. I love how you can make an average 'role- play" situation and turn it into something special. Although it was a mock situation, I could feel the power that the Holy Ghost has in the conversion of our investigators as well as our own personal conversion.
I have known that at anytime we don't teach lessons, we teach investigators for a while, but now that I have come the MTC, this has been cemented in my mind and in my heart, Everyday my love grows stronger for the language as well as for the people of Russia.
this is what happened this week and I am grateful for it.
I need peoples addressed if you want a letter from me. I need your mailing addresses. A really special thing is www.dearelder.com This is a mail service site that you can write to me or Drew on and we will get your letters the day you send them. Please use the site as well as hand written letters. I love them both. I cherish every letter that I get.
Here are some pictures of my happenings here in the Promise Land:
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