We had new elders come in yesterday to the MTC so I am slowly moving up the food chain. I am also getting my Pokemon today from one of our da senpai (the missionaries who are in the zone that have been in the MTC longer). Everyone gets a Pokemon sticker in the zone that relates to their personality and you evolve before you leave. I don't know much about Pokemon but it means I am growing up. I have already said my first prayer in Elder's Quorum in Japanese so I am getting the language more and more everyday.
This past Tuesday I was able to see my first apostle I have seen since I've been here in the MTC! Elder Cook and his wife came and gave a great devotional. I was able to sing in the choir as we sang Joseph Smith's First Prayer to him. It was so cool to all stand up as he entered and exited the room and see one of the Lord's special witnesses. The best part of the devotional was when he gave us an apostolic blessing that as we lose ourselves in the work that we, our families at home, and those we serve will be blessed by our missionary service.
In our classes this past week we have been learning about the fundamentals of teaching. At first I thought this would be really just like learning the language but it has been getting me closer to Christ and living his doctrine. One day we were discussing the role of the Holy Ghost in our lessons and our teacher had us role play as a missionary teaching a member who was concerned about getting baptized and had a hard time deciding whether or not to be baptized. We split off and I was assigned to teach the teacher and I was the missionary. He started off the role play by saying that he felt like he was being pushed to be baptized. I was trying to comfort him and answer any of his questions or help him with concerns but I just felt like I wasn't helping him. He finally said he didn't know if he wanted to meet with the missionaries anymore. When he said that, I didn't know how to answer, even as we had been speaking English for the whole discussion. I stood there in silence trying to think of something to say. A minute of what I thought was awkward silence past and I still didn't know what to say. Then it popped into my mind to tell him that I love him and that Christ loves him and that the missionaries and Christ are always there for them. The spirit then was so strong and I realized afterwards that those words I would have never really spoke but it was the Holy Ghost telling me to say them. Even though it was a role play, I could still feel the love that God had for me, Clark Kyodai and my future investigators. I finally understood the principle that we are nothing without the Spirit and that the Spirit is the one that converts people.
I have learned so much about teaching and the Spirit as well as the Savior and God's love for me and everyone. My testimony over the past week has been strengthened by practicing good teaching methods, such as receiving revelation through the Book of Mormon, as well as through the testimony of my teachers, leaders, devotional speakers and my fellow missionaries. The MTC is bringing me closer to Christ as I forget myself and get into the work by living his gospel for myself and continuing on the path to full and true conversion. I know that God loves me and all of his children (that includes you!!!) and that he has created a plan for them to get back to him. I am doing well and hope that everyone back at home is well. Until next week my friends!
Love, Elder Shawn Hall
You can send me a letter via dearelder.com (free while at the MTC) or at shawn.hall@myldsmail.net....would love to hear from you!!
If you are not familiar with dearelder, it is where you can send a letter to a missionary via this website and they will take the letter, print it out, and deliver it to the missionary the same day.
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