Week 2: Provo MTC

Hello again!

I can safely say that the MTC is growing on me. It's definitely a process though!

Our zone was made up of three districts when I arrived, but now we're down to two. They all left for South America-- some Elders actually left to Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was a tough couple of days because we spent all day, every day with them. These are the people I mentioned in my last letter that gave me the sweet Captain America sticker. One other tradition they had was to give each newbie a "spirit animal" name. The zone leader receives a paper with pictures and information of new missionaries coming into the zone about a week in advance, and that is when he and his companions give them a name. Elder Kidd is "Master Moose of the Centar Trolls", Elder Plumb is "Rhihorn the Destroyer", and I am "Chief Chinchilla." haha :)

The language is coming along! My grammar is pretty rough, but my listening ability is always getting better and I'm so grateful for that.

We still have two mock investigators, but instead of Eduardo we now have Chava. A pattern I keep noticing during lessons is that the Book of Mormon is the answer to any worthy question. Our biggest tools are the Spirit and the Book of Mormon, as mentioned in Preach My Gospel, but I didn't realize how true this was until I began teaching. We kept getting stuck in the downward spiral of trying to answer each question or concern that an investigator has, when in reality our calling is to direct them to Christ through the Book of Mormon and the Spirit. It is essential to never rely on intelligence, no matter how clever we think we are.  

Serving a mission has taught me that we shouldn't worry so often about what we're going to receive from working hard. As Elder Bednar says: "It's not about you (talking about missionary work). Get over yourself." We might feel like we always know what we need, and forget that someone knows us better than ourselves. These two scriptures work perfectly together: 

Jacob 4:10

Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.

D&C 88:6

He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth;

Christ descended below all things for a reason. He didn't suffer the pains of the world to be admired, he wants us to rely on him! I know that as we willingly give up our hearts to Heavenly Father, He will bless us in ways that we don't even know we need.

Mucho Amor,

Elder Andrew Burns (Chief Chinchilla)