News from the MTC #4

Hey everyone!

Things are going totally awesome here in the MTC, at least for the most part... We got another teaching experience last Friday where we tried teaching in a threesome setting. That had its own kind of problems! But it went great and we felt the spirit.

Saturday was LONG... as usual... lots of class and such. We did go to the Referral center and took calls. It was Saturday morning and the church played the Finding Faith in Christ commercial and we got a bunch of people calling in. One woman called in, and I found out that she is a staunch Christian, who always had good experience doing community service with the Mormons. She called in because she just wanted another video about Jesus, whom she loved and decorates her house with. After talking with her for 20 minutes, not only did she get the video, but a Book of Mormon, Testaments, and a pair of missionaries to deliver it! I felt so good about her I hope the missionaries in her area can teach her about the gospel.

Sunday was cool! We had none other than Sheri L. Dew (former counselor in the General Relief Society presidency and the president of Deseret Book) come for a fireside! She gave a great talk about influence and how we can influence those around us... whether we want to or not. She ended her talk by showing signs that were placed outside of other churches. One of which said, "Don't pray about the Book of Mormon! That's how they get you!!!"

LOL

Okay, Monday.... lots of fun.... studying in the classroom till your eyes start to bleed is LOADS of fun!

Tuesday was Devotional Day! In the morning we had a Large Group meeting about using the Book of Mormon and getting our investigators to pray about it. Then later that evening we had a devotional from an excellent speaker, where he came and talked to us about sacrifice. He gave one story about a man who loved to play the Violin. He loved it so much he got a job as a member of an orchestra. Then, he was asked to serve a mission. He went to his mother, a widowed farmer, and told her about the financial requirements of the mission. They had very little money, and his mother told him that the family had one thing they could sell that would get enough money to pay for the mission.

The violin.

The boy wrote in his journal a few weeks later, "I pulled out my violin and began to play. I played all day, playing every song I loved several times. When the evening came and the desire to play waned, I cleaned off the violin and put it gently into its case. Tomorrow, I leave for my mission."

He then taught us about sacrifices and how sacrifice is to give up something good for something better. That same boy, many years later, wrote in his journal.

"The greatest decision I ever made in my life is to give up something I dearly loved to the god I loved even more."

That hit me really hard and I knew that that is why I left you guys. That is why we all leave our families, lives, girlfriends, and everything we love to do to serve the lord.

Whew, that was a great experience.

Wednesday: Class... ALL DAY! No breaks except dinner.... oy vey.

So that’s the week this week.

AND NOW FOR THE NEWS BROADCAST!

I found out I might be leaving next week! My mission president in FLA called my teacher asking if we would be ready to go ASAP, as in next week.... I should find out in the next few days... I’ll keep you informed.

Easter is around the corner. Letters and cards are forthcoming. Sorry if they don’t arrive on time, the earliest I’m allowed to send them is tonight/tomorrow morning.... but oh well.

Hope you guys are doing great! Send me some mail, keep me informed. I like to know what’s going on in the outside world!

Love you all,

Elder Jared Tritsch