Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Last week at the MTC!

Wow, Spencer only has one week left at the MTC! It has gone by fast. He got an online visa, which means his Visa is coming, but it isn't here yet.

So, he will be assigned to go somewhere in the States while he waits for his Visa to come and he gets to call us on Thursday to tell us where he will be going! We are very excited to talk to him, even though it is only for five minutes.  I will post his temporary destination when we find out.

Here is one of Spencer's experiences from last week:

Ok, so here's one of my cool experiences of this week. I was in TRC, where we get to teach real people, like volunteers that come. They're usually members. So this week Elder McNeil and I got an older sister missionary. We were to teach her about recieveing revelation through prayer. Now, with members it's different than with investigators, obviously. We wanted to help her stretch and really come closer to Christ. With investigators it's easier becuase you start off by commiting them to pray once, and then everday, and that kind of thing. Well, she's been a member her whole life (I think). She served a mission with her husband in Brazil (I think she works here at the MTC now, her name is Sister Hassard and she's actuallyy in Cam and jackie's ward!) Anyway, we weren't sure how exactly to help her in any way she couldn't already help herself. But we wanted to do a good job because TRC is the only chance we get to teach real people.
 
We shared a lot of scriptures with her. We had 40 min so we wanted to let her do most of the talking and really, really use the scriptures. We talked about how prayer brings down treasure from heaven, greater treasures than we can ever gain through wordly pursuits. She talked about how that had helped her with her son who isn't always 'on the straight and narrow'. We talked about the Brother of Jared and Enos. The Spirit was so strong the whole time we were there. She told us how she had been called as a Relief Society President in Brazil just a few weeks in to her mission. She did not know much Portuguese and knew that the Lord's help was required. She said prayer had helped her so much. She related to us a story about how her mission president had challenged her to prayer for an hour straight and how much of a blessing it had been. She said she's never done it before or since but it was a great experience.
 
We finished talking about how faith is necessary for prayer and how it can bring miracles into our lives. After I bore my testimony, and Elder McNeil was giving his, I felt the Spirit so strongly telling me to challenge her to pray for an hour again. Ha I was a little nervous. She had mentioned how she didn't really want to do it again because it was so hard. But, I listened and I challenged her to pray for an hour and pay attention to the feelings she had afterward. At first she kinda laughed it off and said that last time she had had her husbands help but I just looked into her eyes and promised her the Spirit she would feel, the blessings that would come, and how her relationship with God would improve. She was quiet for a moment and the Spirit just exploded in the room. She looked back at me and quietly said she would.
 
I was so happy!!! Just to see someone come closer to God. It really helped me realize that I am a missionary. I am a representative of Jesus Christ. When I follow the Spirit I'm doing exactly what Christ would do. I been givent the power and responsibility to bring other to Jesus Christ. The missionary purpose is to bring others unto Christ though faith repentance baptism recieving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. The key word is OTHERS. Not just investigators or non-members but every other living soul on this planet.
 
I have such a cool job!!! And I love it! but I have to get going, my time is about to run out. I love you so much. I'll talk to you on Thursday! 
 
Lot's of love,
 
Elder Spencer Hodson 

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