This week at the mtc was better then the first few days, for one I didn't get anymore injuries, but gym is soooo boring now, it get to sit and watch everyone else have fun, and for two I kinda had a sense of what was going on, and it wasn't as overwhelming. It seems that once you get in to a groove here at the mtc, that this life just becomes normal and not sooo overwhelming.
But this week we got to listen to conferences and that was a pretty neet experience, it was way easier to concentrate there, then at home. The only problem was that the the auditorium was sooo packed and the seats were soo squished in together you had very little personal room. The hymn in the middle of a session was the best cause we got to stand. But other then that conference was good. I loved Elder Hollands talk during the priesthood session, he was so bold, and just layed it out there. He doesn't beat around the bush, he just gets straight to the point and makes sure that you get it. I especially loved President Eyrings talk during the priesthood session, how he said to not let our duties get us down. And not let our own personal flaws get us down, cause if we are willing to come to the Lord he will strengthen all of those weaknesses. It was very encouraging, because at the mtc it is very easy to start to see your own personal flaws, especially our spiritual flaws, and satan is quick to jump on you when your down. But if you have faith in the Lord he will strengthen you in every way. After the priesthood session I went back to the residence and layed in bed looking up scriptures about the Lord providing strength. And I found one I really really liked it was 2nd Samuel 22:31-35, it basically says that the Lord is a rock, and he is our God, and he can strengthen us in everything.
Anyway we taught our investigator Rani Bulos 4 more times this week, since our Tagalog stinks it took us 4 lessons to get through the 1st discussion. But we were able to teach him about the apostasy, Restoration and ang Aklat ni Mormon. We even were able to commit him to magbinyag (baptism!!) it was so awesome we felt the spirit so much, even though there is a huge language barrier. He started asking questions, he like why his magbinyag didn't count when he was a baby, and if we could teach his pamilya in the Philippines, we were able through much difficulty and a very unorthodox method able to tell him that Jesus set the perfect example by being baptized by immersion, and that ours should be like his if we want to truly follow Christ. He agreed with that. It was kind of funny though, later that day we had our first "Investigator Review" we found out that Rani actually spoke perfect english, has an american accent and served a mission and is now teaching somewhere here at the MTC. Oh well. But we also delved into how conversion comes. And I learned something very important, that the best way to convert someone isn't by becoming really really close to the investigator, thats good but not the way, what we want to do is give the investigator the knowledge and tools for him to come as close to Ama sa Langit (Heavenly Father) as possible. So God wants everyone to come as close to him as possible, and gain Buhay na walang hanggan (eternal life) but it it through us that he fufills that. So should we hold back in so great a work. Hindi (No) haha.
Something else that happened this week is, a elder in our district almost went home, because he was missing his family so much that he couldn't eat or sleep or focus. I don't blame him leaving everything behind for two years is hard. But ya he was going to go, and all of us started to cry, I don't know why, we all just didn't want him to go home, it would have really really put a hole in the district. We all wrote him encouraging letters and that told him that we loved him and that we were really sad that he was leaving. But GUESS WHAT! It turns our that he is staying, he went and talked to the Zone Leader, President Taylor, then he referred him to a mtc doctor and the doctor put him on these pills, that make him very....loopy...but its better then before. The only thing though is last night he pulled a prank on us by turning the alarm clocks on to go off at 3:30 and 4:30 am, and we woke up in the middle of the night. Then he took all of our name tages and was wearing them all in the morning. The worse part is that we cant retaliate...one because its not Christ like, but mostly because he is still struggleing and soo pulling pranks on him wouldn''t be the best thing we could do to help him.
Anyway...alam ko na ang Aklat ni Mormon is totoo, alam ko na si JesuChristo po tayo Manunubos, alam ko na si Joseph eSmith na totoo propeta. Ang ebanghelyo is totoo!!! The book of Mormon is true, Jesus Christ is our redeemer. Joseph Smith is a true prophet. The Gospel is True!!!!....sorry thats all I got I hindi po alam much right now. But I do have a testimony of Kaloob ng mga Wika. And can't to speak Tagalog fluently.
(p.s. use dear elder while im at the mtc, i can only email once a week but can write letters all week)
Ingat Kayo! Elder Ryan Santiago...thats james in tagalog.
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