MTC Week 4

Hola, Everyone!

This week has been good. All of your letters really made my week. It's so nice to know I have people at home thinking about me and praying for me. I love hearing about everything you have going on and the things you're learning. It helps me feel a little more connected with you all; like you're all here and I get to talk to you like I used to. Keep them coming and I'll do my best to reply back to you.

Spanish is coming along well. Our district has a goal to only speak Spanish during lunch. Some days are better than others. It's difficult, but not as difficult as I imagined it being. I have been very blessed. Hermana Pullan and I had an incredible lesson with Kevin yesterday. We could feel the Holy Ghost so strongly and I feel like he really wants to know more. I feel like he feels he needs it, whereas before it was all just new and interesting information. I was able to share my testimony and tell him how Jesus Christ has blessed me. I bore testimony of the Atonement of the Savior and how I know God answers prayers. He asked me how I know these things and I was able to tell him how God has told me they were true by the power of His Spirit. It was absolutely incredible. He said he believes that God is his loving Father. Before he wasn't sure if there even was a God or that we needed one. He keeps his commitments and has been praying. We didn't know if he would ever get this far considering his background (Buddhist), but I guess that's how it all works. If we have faith and do our part, God will take care of the rest. We aren't able to convert anyone, only the Spirit can do that. I know God knows each of us, what our needs are, and how to have them taken care of. I also know he often uses someone else to do so. He has done that in my life and He is using me to bless the lives of others. It's times like this that makes missionary work so worth it.

They stress so much here that we need to teach people, not lessons. We are "fishers of men" and God has prepared so many of His children to receive the fulness of His Gospel. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to share it with them. Even though the people we teach here are mock investigators, the Spirit is real. Our teachers are portraying actual people and we are helping them receive the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's amazing how much you grow, learn, and accomplish in a "fake" lesson.

There are a lot of rules for us to follow as missionaries, but I've come to know that the Lord will prepare a way for us to accomplish everything He asks us to do. In our devotional on Tuesday, we were able to hear from a memer of the Seventy - Elder Clarke. He talked about how each of us must follow the "commandments" in the missionary handbook. If we don't, how can we expect those we teach to keep the commandments we give them from God. The handbook is inspired and the things we are asked to do are a million times easier than what we ask investigators to do. We ask them to change their whole lifestyle in some cases. It made me want to be a better missionary and keep my covenants more willingly.

I love you all so much! Thank you for all of your prayers and support. I really feel them.

Hermana Erin Litster