Hey everybody!
I'm still alive and kicking here in Iowa City. We had a great week and are really
started to see the work hasten. Unfortunately, we cant get ahold of our
investigator Scott, but we are meeting and starting to teaching a ton of
Hispanics here! Thats what we like cause we get to use our Spanish and it
actually feels like we are out of America for a little bit haha The Valdez
family in our ward are ward missionaries and they are totally on board. They
introduced us to their friend named Aide and we had a sweet lesson with her,
applying this new teaching method we were trained on by the Director of
Training at the MTC. It is basically that you dont focus on teaching the
doctrine, but you focus on teaching them how they can learn the doctrine for
themselves. So we give an overview of the lessons, invite them to study it,
then come back and ask them what questions they have and it works out great
because we help them help themselves. Teaching this way, they learn from the
Holy Ghost on their own and the Spirit teaches them those things that they need
most in their lives :)
So we did this with Aide and it is sweet! She has studied with almost
every other Church except ours. She has a ton of questions and could never find
all of the answers. Well we went over the Restoration with her and the Book of
Mormon and she came to Church yesterday with the Valdez! I love teaching someone who is
thirsty for more. Also, we are seeing great things come from helping the
families in our ward to establish family mission plans with goals on how to
share the gospel. It is fun to see them get excited as we help them reach their
goals.
Some things I learned this week: 1) Faith in Jesus Christ inspires
humility. When we are full of faith, then we realize our need to rely on Him
and not on ourselves. I've seen this time and time again. 2) I learned that the
moment we grow the most character or make the biggest decisions in our life in
on our own or as Pres. McKay says "in the silent chambers of our
hearts." We are all individuals and have our own personality and
beliefs. The way we influence others the most is when we give them tools and
show them how to use them, then let them go with that and figure it out on
their own. Truly, we cant expect them to reach their full potential of happiness
without them working, learning, and sacrificing for it. So lets look for
opportunities to teach people how to fish and not just give them a fish here
and there. That way, they learn how to feed themselves and increase in ability,
stature and happiness. Thats what the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about! I
know that He lived, died for us, and was raised again the third day. The gospel
is the plan that allows us to make it back, but we must LIVE the plan for
ourselves: Faith, Repentance, Baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost,
and remaining true to following Christ the rest of our lives :) Make it a great
week and remember to love your friends and your enemies.
Love,
Elder McGinn
No comments:
Post a Comment