Hi!Time keeps slipping by me. We had a really fun week. There weren't any special meetings, no trainings to get ready for other than MLC tomorrow, so we put in our hours on the streets. Looking back, that probably wasn't the best idea, but it's great to just be outside and talking with everyone you see. there is statistically little success from street contacts, but I think it's one of the ways that God tests the faith of his missionaries, and it gives you a lot of opportunity to practice different ways to teach simple principles.
Working on teaching for understanding, we've been breaking down all of the words we street proselyte with, and teaching has almost just become a game of defining Gospel, Prophets, Prayer in terms they relate with and the response has been gratifying. The people we've met seems very satisfied when they end the conversation feeling like they've learned something constructive about their relationship to God. South Zone is a special challenge, there's not a lot of education here.
I don't know why this got my thinking and laughing the other night, but there was a really inquisitive 4-year-old waiting with us on the porch for his dad to open the door. We knocked on the door and he just started grilling us. "What is that thing on your neck?" It's my tie. "What do you do with it? Well, nothing really. "Well, why do you have it then?!" We looked at the ground sheepishly. He then moved on to our belts and so on. I don't know why I got such a kick out of him. I think he reminded me of the boy from the incredibles. Well what are you waiting for, huh? I don't know! something amazing to happen I guess!
On Friday, we were teaching a mom and her two twin sophomore age daughters. That lesson in particular stood out to me because as I was teaching about the Book of Mormon and I started to explain it in a way I'd never thought of before. As I was describing it to them I was thinking to myself, wow, I can't believe i'd never realized that before. I can't remember exactly what came out but it was something to this extent:
"You will love the book of Mormon. Only looking at the way it begins you will know it is the word of God for you in your life, now. It starts with a family much like yours who lived in Jerusalem, they had a good life before, but God asked them to pick up everything they knew behind and take a journey off into the wilderness. They didn't know what they were going to do, only that God had asked them to do it. The spirit of God guided them along their Journey and after many years their family was much bigger, much closer, and they'd found a land promised to them by God. By being baptized you too are being asked by God to pack up and leave what you know behind. you may be unsure that you don't know the way, but God by the power of his spirit will guide you toward a life filled with his rich blessings. With lots of faith and time your family will be stronger, they will be closer and you'll inherit God's richest promised blessing - eternal life."
The family spoke English so we passed them over to the english speaking elders and they said their next lesson went really well.
God lives. He knows and loves us.
I love you!
Stay Salty!
Elder Tyler Meidell
P.S. - We ate with the "Harold"'s 3 times in the past 8 days. I love this family. They are one of the strongest families I know in the church, and of course their son and I started our missions in San Antonio together. Every time we go over I think she knows she's a week closer to seeing Elder Harold and her excitement comes out in the quantity of food she prepares. We ate with them Saturday morning and Sunday evening, and that was basically all of the calories we needed to sustain ourselves. It's such good food.
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