Hey y'all!
¿Como están?
We got our travel plans
yesterday!!!! We leave the MTC at 7:30am July 15th to the SLC airport. We need
to switch planes at Dallas, TX and in Santiago, Chile and we'll all arrive at
2:55pm July 16th. That will be a lot of time on an airplane O.o
There are 14 people total who are
going to the Chile Osorno Mission next week (8 from our district and 6 from
some other part of the MTC). Super stoked! We're finally getting to the field!
One more week (plus a day or two).
What else is there to say.... Oh!
Dad asked about Independence Day. We had a special 4th of July program where we
sang hymns, heard a short talk, and watched 17 Miracles (a movie about Mormon
pioneers). I had already seen it before, but I feel like I got a lot more out
of it this time. The people in the Willie/Martin Handcart Companies were not
perfect. They made mistakes and had different strengths and weaknesses, but God
delivers. God will always give us the things we need when we are faithful,
obedient, do our absolute best, and we ask prayerfully. Many of the
pioneers died, and there were times of doubt, but the Lord was watching them at
every moment.
Every Sunday night at the MTC, they
show Mormon movies and talks from general authorities in various locations on
campus. I think 17 Miracles is my favorite of them. It's a bit more shocking in
the way they portray things, but it feels the most true to life and shows how
God delivers even though He may push us to our limits. It's also just a
better made movie. I also like "Joseph Smith: Prophet of the
Restoration." It does a wonderful job of weaving in principles and
doctrines of the gospel while also being well made and entertaining.
After we watched 17 Miracles, we got
to stay up and watch the fireworks. :D The MTC provided ice cream for everyone
and the stadium at BYU provided the fireworks. :D Lots of fun!
Hmmm... what else... I feel like
there's so much I could say, but the little experiences would probably seem
insignificant. It's difficult to do justice in explaining all my experiences,
so I just end up talking about what I can.
I mentioned before the picture of
the Army of Helaman. The MTC has lots of original art like that. I really like
the pictures here. Many of them are photos taken from missions. There's one
with an elder holding an umbrella that was completely destroyed (presumably by
wind). That will probably happen in Chile :)
There's also a picture of a baptism
being done in a hole they had to cut in ice outside. The ice looked very thick
and very cold, but that sure is a cool way to be baptized.
One of the most interesting pictures
is of a baptism in Africa. They're in a muddy looking river and there's a big
crowd on the bank of the river. There are several people in white to be
baptized and more than one were being baptized at the same time. Lined up on
very edge of the river are five men with spears, machetes, and axes. They are
spaced out and watching the river. I wish I had someone to ask about the
picture, but I think they were being prepared for crocidiles (I think I spelled
that wrong....)! It's amazing how much courage these people have to be baptized
in these circumstances. It shows how much faith they have and how much they
understand the importance of baptism.
That reminds me of something. One of
the best things we learn how to do here at the MTC is to really listen to
people and ask inspired questions. Missionary work is not effective unless you
understand people. That includes your companion, the local leaders, the people
being taught, members of the ward, everyone! A person is like an iceberg, where
you can really only see the tip. You need to be willing to swim down to where
THEY are and find THEIR needs to really help people. You can't just preach
doctrine or it seems irrelevant and impersonal. You can't assume what is going
to be under the iceberg, but you need to find what's there continually.
For example, I heard an experience
where the missionaries invited someone in South America to be baptized. When
the she declined, the missionaries could have easily jumped the gun and
started talking about the importance of baptism and assume she needed more
faith or understanding. However, the Missionaries asked questions instead.
Inspired questions are often very simple, and in this case, it was just
"What do you think is keeping you from wanting to be baptized." It
turns out, she couldn't swim and was just afraid about going underwater. If the
missionaries had jumped the gun and started preaching doctrine, they would have
missed the mark. The purpose of a missionary is to "invite others to come
unto Christ", not just to preach and teach the gospel. It's all
about individuals and what THEY need.
I hope that came across clearly and
I hope I'm giving you a better idea on what I do here at the MTC. There's still
a week left and I intend to make it the best week yet!
I love you all! I love getting
letters and I love hearing about your lives :)
Elder Connor Christopherson
