August 7th, 2014

Dear Family,

 

Wow this week has gone by so fast it is crazy! Each day seems to be blending in together! This third week that I have been here at the CCM has been one of the most spiritual weeks I have had thus far. Since the last time I wrote, I went to Caral (the ancient city in Peru) taught numerous investigators, learned a ton of spanish, and finished half of El Libro de Mormon! It has amazed me how much I have been able to do as all the worldly things have been put aside.

 

Also this week, Elder Wadel from the 70 came and spoke to us which was so awesome! He taught us what our mission is, which is not to baptize, but convert! I think that hearing from him was really good for all of us missionaries, because our focus has changed to be completely on the temple instead of baptizing. You get to the temple through baptism and that is why the temple is the focus and goal!

 

So let me explain the whole investigator thing. As a companionship we get to go to a room where we have about 15 minutes to teach a role playing teacher. My companion and I have taught about 20 discussions, had 5 challenges, and 4 commitments to baptism! You could say that we are doing pretty good. I want to share with you an experience that I had with one of my investigators. This was about five days ago, and this is what my journal entry said.

 

So we first started off teaching Alberto tonight about the spirit world. We had two scriptures we wanted to share, but as we read the one scripture, I looked up at Alberto and saw that he wasn´t really listening. A prompting then came to me that we shouldn´t be sharing these scriptures and that he needed to hear why we were here on this Earth. I stopped my companion in the middle of the scripture and there was an awkward silence. I then asked Alberto why he thought he was here and he said he didn't know. This is when I bore testimony to him why we were here on this Earth, and that was to grow, progress, and become like our Savior Jesus Christ. As I bore testimony tears filled my eyes and I looked up and there were tears in Alberto´s eyes. I'm not sure if I said everything in Spanish correct, or even if any of what I was saying made sense, but I do know for a fact that the spirit was present and all of us in that room needed to hear what I had said.

 

I want all of you to know that no matter who you are, a member of the church, non member, or even a teacher role playing as an investigator, the spirit always testifys of truth! That is why it is so improtant to act on promptings! You can't do anything without the spirit, but you can do everything with the spirit!

 

I hope everything is well at home! I pray for all of you every night, and I want all of you to know that I love you!

 

I have one more journal entry I want to share with you,

 

We just watched a video about a man that was favored to win the 400 in the olympics. Half way into the race he felt a huge pain and couldn't run anymore. He was determined to finish the race, but he had a real hard time. A man ran past security to go help the man finish the race. That man was his father. He told his son, You don't have to finish and you don't have to do this, but he looked at his dad and said, No dad I do. He then went on and finsished the race by himself.
The entire time watching the video I couldn't stop thinking about the Savior and how he suffered and I can gaurantee you that Heavenly Father was there saying, son you don't have to do this, but he said, yes dad I do! I love my Savior and what he did for me! I love him for enacting the atonement that saves us all!

Love Elder Thorpe