Last email from the CCM--Week 5

Hola!

Wow, I only have a few more days left in the CCM! It's been crazy, but super awesome. I'll just start with a bang: On Friday, I had one of the most powerful spiritual experiences of my life. During the afternoon, we had a lesson with Nesha, and going in, I just thought, "I got a bad feeling about this." We asked how she was doing and she said: "Bad."  I'm thinking "oh no....here it comes." Nesha started by saying that she didn't want to take our lessons anymore, that she had read anti-Mormon stuff online, and that she had felt lied to. She was pretty mad at us. Then, we tried to bear our testimonies and explain that not everything on the internet is true. She wasn't having it. She started Bible-bashing with us, saying that in the Bible it says that no man can see God, but Joseph Smith did. I countered with Exodus 33:11, “ And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.” It kinda went back and forth, and I got this impression: she can say what she wants, but she can't deny an answer from the Holy Ghost. I felt the spirit in my entire body, it was so powerful. I said, "Nesha, if you pray right now, right now, RIGHT NOW, you will receive an answer from God. I have faith that if you pray right now with real intent, that the Holy Ghost will testify to you that the things we have taught you are true. Pray. Right. Now. And you will receive a testimony." She looked stunned. She got down on her knees, and as she started to pray, I prayed to myself, "Please just let her feel the spirit right now. Come on, help me out." As she got up, we asked how she felt and she said, "I feel so much different." It was a crazy powerful experience. Afterwards, Hermana A said, "When I prayed, it was not as Nesha, I prayed as Hermana A, and that answer that I just received re-strengthened my own testimony." Wow.

On Saturday, we had TRC, and we taught A (one of the gardeners here), and J, another member. It went well. With A, we talked about enduring to the end. J told us about how her Dad was not a member, and we invited her to pray for her father every day, and to keep sharing the gospel with him. She started to tear up a bit as we made promises to her about her family. It was pretty good.

During Sunday/Monday I got to impart of my wisdom before leaving the CCM. On Sunday, I taught district meeting (pretty much Sunday school). We read Alma 30, and talked about what evidences we have in our lives that God does exist. It actually went pretty darn well. Then, during Sacrament meeting, I was called up to give a talk! I spoke about the Holy Ghost and shared an experience that I had in college with the Holy Ghost. It was good. The rest of Sunday was pretty good too. We had a class with Pres. Rubacavla (The 1st counselor in the MTC presidency). He gave a good lesson on the difference between testimony and conversion. Then, we had a devotional with Shawn Cates, the director of the CCM. It was way good. He talked about what things have we given up (to go on a mission) by choice , and what things have we given up because we had too. He asked: What are you still holding on to that's holding you back? He talked about how we need to "Stay on target" (yes, referencing Star Wars) and that we need to "Remember Lot's wife" who looked back at Sodom and Gomorrah.  Later, our video was "Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration" and it was awesome! Rumor is they might let us watch “Meet the Mormons” this week (yes!).

Anyways, back to imparting of wisdom...So, on Monday night I taught our zone during FHE. A couple of weeks ago, I was studying and I got the impression that I needed to share something with our zone. So, I asked and after two weeks, here I was teaching FHE. I started by asking a few of them what their motivation was for being on a mission. All missionary motivations are "A" motivations. Some are Awesome. Some are Average. Some are Awful. But, I wanted to teach about a different "A" motivation: the Atonement. I had demonstration where I had an elder do ten push-ups so that another person could have a cookie. It was a representation of the Atonement. Every time he did ten push-ups, I gave another person a cookie. As I started to go around the room, he was getting gassed. People started to ask if they could do it for him or help him, to which the answer was, "No." Some people didn't really even want the cookie. There were so many lessons in this. Our Savior atoned for us (doing a lot more than just push-ups) so that we could have a "cookie" (eternal life). We may wish that we could help the Savior, but he did it alone. Even if we don't want the cookie, the Savior paid the price anyway. I said that the Atonement is the greatest motivation for missionary work. When we have felt the power of the atonement, we realize that others need to feel the same joy that we feel. We see God's children as He sees them, and we are filled with charity. I gave three examples of those who had felt the Atoning power and had gone on to preach the gospel: Enos, Paul, and the Sons of Mosiah (you can go study those on your own :) It was such a powerful meeting, and the spirit touched the hearts of all those who were there. It was great.

On Tuesday we had a devotional that was broadcast from Provo. Elder Dallin H. Oaks talked to us about having the Holy Ghost, the Sacrament, and the plan of Salvation. It was good.

On Wednesday, we had our last lesson with Adrían. We taught him a simple version of the plan of Salvation. It went really well. I felt the peace of the spirit, and he told us that our lessons had helped him and his wife come closer together. It was also cool because we were FINALLY able to commit him to being baptized. He had been reluctant before, because his wife didn't want him to join the church, but we finally did it. Also on Wednesday, I got to see my roommate from BYU, Josh S! He just got here yesterday. It was so good to see him.

Anyways, the CCM is awesome. I'm sad I have to leave, but I'm ready to get out there and start helping real investigators. My Spanish still needs some work, but it's coming along. Hope you all have an awesome week!

Love,
Elder Mitchell