Wow! What another crazy crazy week that has come and flown by like a storm in Hurricane. It seems like just yesterday that I was writing another letter and email to all my family and friends. Things are going great here in the MTC(as usual). The language is still going good. I guess still the only trouble I have is remembering words. I guess I should have payed better attention in high school spanish when memorizing words like mariposa (butterfly) hehehe No, but I really have come to love spanish. The only really frustrating thing is when I can't remember a specific word that I wanna use. One thing that has been awesome with me in learning the language is that you really have to learn to dumb it down. I mean not dumb it down but make it simpler. Not only for your sake but for the sake of your investigator. One thing I have realized is that your going to be teaching people who have never even heard about multiple things that are taught about in the 1,2,3, lessons. Its all so natural for us because we have been growing up with it our whole lives. One challenge I have for you is try actually teaching about prophets and dispensations and apostacy to a person who has no idea what a prohpet is or what a dispensation is or an apostacy. Its really helped me in getting to know more actual history and doctrine of the church and I have only come to love it even more every time I learn something new.
This week I got released from the Zone leader position. Sad I know, but its ok; they just wanted some other elders to get into the leadership positions and get the experience but I'm glad I still got released because now I can really focus on the language and preparing for the people of Paraguay. Its awesome because everynight I always pray that the people of Paraguay will be prepared to hear my message. And I begin to feel that somewhere in another country there is a person who is going to feel the spirit from my message and have a desire to be baptized. There are people out there right now that the Lord has been preparing for years to hear the gospel and all I need to do is go and clap on their doorstep (this is what they do instead of ringing doorbells because most homes don't have front doors) and give them what they have been looking for.
Lessons have all gone super well this week. Except for one day when my brain was just not in the lesson or in the Spanish. I just finally started laughing and my companion and the teacher just looked at me and gave me the crazy eye. The teacher gave us a break and let us come back. It was funny but I'm sure glad it didn't happen with a real investigator. Elder Varney and I have 3 investigators with baptism dates and 2 are very very close. Its great to see how teaching different investigators allow you to change your teaching styles to best fit the situation at hand. We have really done well I think but I'm glad I made the mistakes I have made because they have helped me to grow and rely not in myself but in the Lord and his power to do all things.
This week as I have been reflecting on the spiritual experiences I have had, I can't help but reflect to the song "I believe in Christ". Elder Marple and I usually are always humming or singing hymns in spanish and it can be quite a fun experience especially when we get to make up our own words because we forget what the spanish words say. But in english whenever we sing that song, in a devotional and in class; I always have a great feeling of love and peace come over me. I will share some of the lyrics with you, hopefully I don't slaughter them. "I BELIEVE IN CHRIST".... Oh baby you better believe I do. I can't wait to get others to have the same faith I do in the capabilities of our savior and all that he does for us. "SO COME WHAT MAY".... These lyrics just get me reflecting on the trials I have not only had here in the mtc but every time in my life when I have felt so insignificant to all my trials and problems. There was always someone who knew my feelings and my sorrows. Someone who knew me. "AND THOUGH I STRIVE THROUGH GRIEF AND PAIN, HIS VOICE IS HEARD YE SHALL OBTAIN."...... This is my favorite part of the song, when it becomes all large and grand. Its because through the love of God and Jesus Christ, through our faith no matter what we strive to accomplish through grief and pain. When we have faith that through the power of God we can accomplish all things, His voice shall ring out in our whole soul and body, that ye shall obtain.
Another song that has really got me reflecting on how blessed I am, is the song off the Prince of Egypt when all the people of Moses are leaving Egypt and they are saying...
"There can be miracles if you believe, though hope is frail, its hard to kill,
Who knows what miracles you can acheive, when you believe, somehow you will, you will when you believe."
The Lord has brought to pass so many miracles in our day. He parted a whole red sea. Just take a minute and image what it must have been like to see that. Can you see the power of God in the faith that Moses had to save his people. We can all have that faith. We live in miracles now though. Just the blessing of having the opportunity to live here in a country where we can serve our God with all our heart might, mind and strenght is a miracle that some people have not yet come to see in other countries. The blessing that we all have to go out every day and to have the spirit with us and to lead and guide is our daily activities. That is a miracle. The whole gospel of Jesus Christ is a church and gospel of miracles. We don't have to do some grand act of power to have completed a miracle. We only need to simply live our lives that way we know we should.
I know that the Lord is in our lives and that without him we are nothing. We have all been placed in this time for a reason. Some have figured out that specific reasons and others have not. Its all part of the plan and everything happens for a reason. I know that my Savior loves me. He suffered undescribable agony that none of us will ever be able to experience and never have to experience thanks that the love of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the way to God. We all have problems and trials but we can be free, because of the knowledge that we have been blessed to have. I know that through the Savior Jesus Christ we can all have love for our fellow man. And as we try to possess charity, the pure love of Christ, towards all people we will find blessings beyond compare. I love you all and am thankful for your support in love and knowledge in the gospel. You all have the talents and gifts needed to bring people unto Christ with the same love and gifts that he used to bring all people unto him. I wish you all the love of the Lord to be with you and your families this day and for always. There can never be enough love. We all have those times when we need love the most, but those are the times when we should be giving others all the love that we posess. I want you all to know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ. He has given us the path, the way, and the leaders, all we have to do is lose our pride and give everything we have to him, and surrender our will to the Lord. I can promise you that as you turn your heart from pride and that as you make your will the will of Lord, you will have happiness beyond compare in your life as I am only now beginning to understand as I lose myself in the work. I hope that if you have read this that you have a desire to turn towards God and his plan for you. I truly love you all as I love my Lord and am thankful for your love and support. I wish you all the best of luck in all things
Yo amo mi familia mucho, para siempre
-Elder Beatty
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