MTC: Week Two

Hello everyone!!! One week sure does fly by fast.  It feels like yesterday that I was sending the first e-mail!  I'm doing well, but I'm pretty sure I'm getting a kink in my neck because of the beds we sleep on. This week was more of the same:  lots of studying and class time, but it's been very awesome learning how I can share the gospel with everyone.  Also, much to my surprise, I've actually gained two pounds while I've been here!!!!  Instead of being 135, I'm now 137.  It’s not much of an improvement, but it's the most weight I've ever gained in 2 weeks!!!  Last week I told you that I was teaching TRC investigators, which are real people that we teach the Gospel.  My companion and I have had new people this week, which has resulted in the best experience that I've had in the MTC so far.

This the story of one investigator that I taught, whose name is Travis.  Travis finished two years of college in California and moved out here to Utah, to live with his aunt and uncle.  When he was playing football in high school, some of his teammates were Mormon and asked him to look into our church. He didn't accept the invitation until he came here and saw all of the church buildings.  He decided he might as well see what our religion is all about.  That's where my companion and I come in.  When we first taught him, he told us that he has looked into other religions and was having a hard time believing that he could have a personal relationship with Heavenly Father.  We spent the majority of the first meeting sharing scriptures and asking him to pray.  The spirit was strong and I immediately knew that me and my companion were teaching a real investigator of the church.  The next day we followed up with him and asked him if he had prayed and received an answer to his question.  He said that he had prayed, but didn't feel like he got anything from it.  We taught him some of the ways that he may feel like he is receiving an answer, as well going over the scriptures that we read together.  We bore our testimonies to him that if he prayed next time with real intent, he would get the answer he was looking for.  Yesterday was our last time teaching him and what we heard from him filled my companion and I with the spirit of love and gratitude.  He said this time when he prayed, he was really wanting to know if his God in Heaven loved him and if He was really there.  Travis explained that when he finished his prayer, he felt an overwhelming feeling that he couldn't describe and he felt like he received his answer.  My companion and I were absolutely blown away that he was able to have this amazing experience.  We were able to finish our lesson with him that day and we also went over the plan of salvation, because he felt like he didn't have a purpose in life.

I'm so grateful for my experience with Travis.  Through teaching him, I've felt the love that Heavenly Father has for His children and how much He wants them to return to Him.  I'm sad that I'm not going to be able to continue teaching Travis and I pray that other missionaries teaching him will bring him to the gospel.  Even though I'm not perfect and I make mistakes, I know that I don't have to be a perfect missionary, just a progressing one.  The next time I write to you, I will be in Pittsburgh!  Any letters or packages that you wish to send me, please send them to my mission home or I won't receive them.   I know this was a long post, but I hope that by reading about my experience with Travis, you will feel the same way that I do.  God be with you till we meet again!