Learning the language

First things first, mail is amazing. You can use the free service at DearElder.com while I am in the MTc or you can write me directly. I enjoy getting mail and wish I got more. If you write me, I promise I write back that week. So please write.

This week has been long and short and good and bad and basically a normal week at the mtc. We shifted into our full French teaching at the TRC and it went pretty well. We had to order food from a cafe for our language activity, and with help from our "investigator", we did pretty well. Then we taught a lesson from the book of mormon, 1 nephi 7, which went pretty well too. Finally, we taught the entire first lesson in french. I felt it went really good and we were able to communicate well with her. The next day though, we had a lesson with a native french lady. I felt the lesson went really well. The week before we contacted her and left a little message and left her a book of mormon. Usually when we forget to bring one, we give her ours and then at the end take it back pretending she has one. She decided not to play a long. So when I went to take it back, she got sad about it. Big mistake, so I bought her one for the next week. I had a section i wanted her to read and was ready for it. We gave the first lesson and at the end I offered her the book. She said no, (we think atleast she said no) and that was that. We were out of time so i couldn't explain why she needed to book, but next week I will hit her hard with it, not with the book but the knowledge that she needs it.

We are learning a lot of French and our teachers aren't supposed to even talk to us in english anymore, which is hard sometimes when trying to get a point across. But it works. Most of us can converse basically with eachother in french and with the teachers. But sometimes we can't comprehend.

Another great story...Yesterday, we were going to practice the first lesson with our teacher. And the first thing we do is contacting so we can know how to apply the lesson to his life. So he randomly selects...me and elder horne. Okay, I thought, we got this, contacting is pretty easy and i can usually ask good questions to get a first lesson ready. So we get up to the door and knock and he opens with a look of "oh...it's the missionaries...great" Elder Horne introduces us and Frere Emery comments how he doesnt really care for missionaries. So I ask if he believes in god (usually everyones first question since it is the main point of the 1st lesson) He replies "no, I am educated, I don't believe in god" and this is where it got "fun". I retort "Well, I am educated too, but I belive" trying to imply you can be learned and a believer. Ya, bad move. It made him retort back and we had a nice bit of contention. He continued that church is bad and that we go and knock on doors and annoy people when we could be off in africa helping the people who need help. I try to nicely say how yes we do come knock on doors but we also donate money to help people in africa and places like Haiti. It did not turn out well. All it did was let him know that churches do some good. And we ended the conact after 10 minutes of discussion with basically a door slam. He let another group try and they did a lot better than me. But oh well, we learn by doing it wrong. So it was a good story for me to have now. yay stories.

I'm also working with an Elder Rock during gym. Well more he is working with me. He is going to try to get me into shape and hopefully it works. He is a great guy and I love talking with him. He's from chicago and is a big choir/broadway/musical guy. So we talk about lots of different stuff every day. It is just lots of fun.

We had a very great Devotional this last tuesday. We were singing prelude and the director gets up before the second song and says "We don't normally stand for the songs of Zion (I thought he was going to announce the spirit of God and would want us all to stand at this point), but if it so happens that an apostle walks in, we stand in respect". At this point we knew we were going to have an apostle come and give the devotional. The director had to hush us twice because we were so excited. So then it happened. We were halfway through the last prelude song and the doors open and in walks the MTC presidency along with Elder Cook. Needless to say, (though I'll say it anyway) everyone stood up and even though Elder Cook motioned for us to sit twice, we stood till he sat down. It was a really great talk about how to be effective missionaries. He used Doctrine and Covenents 112 as the topic. And statted off by telling us it was President Hinckley's favorite section. He shared some verses near the end of the section and talked about how it applied to us. Us being Emmissaries of Jesus Christ and our need to feed the flock. He then gave 3 points on how to be effective. The first was Teach with the power of the Holy Ghost. He related a story that the church polled recent converts and investigators and asked what they remembered the missionaries taught them. The most common things were the first vision and the plan of salvation. Elder Cook credited to an echo from the pre-existence, and the holy ghost bearing witness of these two things. Basically telling us that we need to teach with the holy ghost if we want to be a success. The second point was Think Deeply about chapter 11 of Preach My Gospel, the section about extedning commitments. Elder Cook said that commitments is how we call people to repentence and is a chance for the investigator to have an opportunity to change. The third point is Live so that the Holy Ghost can inspire you and them. This was a major point for me and I am glad I am living so that he can inspire me. He also shared that out of the apostles, Elder Holland him were ther only two to ever serve as missionary companions. Elder Cook closed by bearing testimony of the Savior and giving us a blessing. The blessing was directed towards the feelings of inadequecy on our mission. And that it is part of a mission but can be put behind us. It was really amazing and when Elder Cook left the room everyone stood and just watched him leave. And no one moved, besides to wave goodbye, until he was out and the door closed. It was really amazing and I am glad we got to have an Apostle come talk to us.

It's amazing how much a testimony grows in this place. I feel so on fire and ready to serve. But not just the French, I want my friends to know I know this is true. To know how amazing this gospel and church is and how true it is. I would really challenge anyone reading this to pick up a book of mormon, read the introduction, 3 Nephi 11-26 (it's near the end and is an amazing story of christ visiting the American continent and teaching the ancestors of the native americans), and just the whole book. If you don't want to meet with missionaries, ask me or anyone member friend questions or concerns you have. I know that this church offers nothing but a way to be happy for ever and ever. It truly is amazing. I really wish that everyone could feel the happiness this gospel brings. It is just amazing.

Anyway, I'm on my soapbox. I love you all and hope that you enjoy reading about my week, even though it isn't that amazing. Thank you for all your love and support.
Love,
Elder sanborn