MTC - week 3

Hello everybody!

I hope all is going well for you. This past week has gone by FAST. The first week to week and a half I was like holy cow how am I going to last 9 weeks here in the MTC? But as we've gotten settled in and have really started focusing on the work, it's been flying by. I talked in my last couple emails about how we had been teaching a guy named Manuel and we found out he was actually a teacher pretending to be an investigator. Well now he is one of our teachers! His real name is Brother Andy Perez. It's been extremely helpful, because since we've all taught him, he knows what things we need to work on and how we can improve. We've started teaching both of our teachers now (Brother Perez and Sister Larsen). They pretend to be investigators that they taught on their missions. So we usually teach one of them each day and the rest of our day is filled with studying!

This week our focus has been on "teaching people, not lessons." We've been taught that one of the biggest keys to being a successful missionary is to apply what you are teaching to your investigator. In order for someone to want to accept Jesus Christ and His gospel they need to see why it is personally relevant for them. Each investigator has specific needs, concerns, struggles and desires. So, as our teachers have been pretending to be investigators, we've tried to find out more about them and what it is that they need most. Then as we build a closer relationship with the investigator we try to apply our lessons to them specifically and how it can help them in whatever their individual needs are. It is extremely difficult! Especially in spanish. But it seems to be working and our teaching is rapidly improving.

ELDER PARRISH'S TESTIMONY IN ESPANOL:

Yo se´ que la Iglesia de Jesucristo es verdadero con todo mi corazo´n.Yo se´ que tenemos una profeta hoy, Thomas S. Monson. Y que Thomas S. Monson recibe revalaccio´n a directo la Iglesia.Yo se´ que Jesucristo es nuestro Salvador. E´l es el Redentor del mundo. Estoy muy agradecido por E´l. Y yo se´ que por medio de Jesucristo y Su Evangelio, podemos volver a vivir con Dios y nuestras familias para siempre.Yo se´ que por medio de Jose´ Smith, el verdadera Iglesia fue restaurado en la tierra otra vez. Y yo se´ que El Libro de Mormon es la palabra de Dios. Al leer, sentiremos el Espi´ritu Santo. Estoy agradecido por el Don del Espi´ritu Santo. Estoy agradecido por oracion. Oracion me ayuda a ser diligente y me ayuda a tener fe. Yo se´ que Dios es nuestro amoroso Padre Celestial. Y yo se´ que el plan de Dios es el Plan de Felizidad.Estoy muy agradecido por la oportunidad a ser un misionero de Jesucristo. Este es un bendicion grande. Yo encanto´ este evangelio!En el nombre de Jesucristo, amen.

THE TRANSLATION:

I know that the church of Jesus Christ is true with all my heart. I know we have a prophet today, Thomas S. Monson and that Thomas S. Monson receives revelation to direct the Church. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. He is the redeemer of the world. I am very grateful for Him.
And I know that through Jesus Christ and his gospel we can return to live with God and our families forever. I know that through Joseph Smith, the true Church was restored on the earth again. And I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. When you read, you will feel the Holy Spirit. I am grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost. I am grateful for prayer. Prayer helps me be diligent and helps me have faith. I know God is our loving Heavenly Father. And I know that God’s plan is the plan of happiness. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary of Jesus Christ. This is a great blessing. I love this gospel. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

The grammar and spelling are terrible, but it's from the heart! :)

Love, Elder Parrish