December 1, 2010

December 1, 2010 - Week 3 of Transfer 7

Hi Ma and Pa!
Sounds like you guys had a good trip, I completely forgot you were in Florida this past week. I met quite a few people this past week with ties to Florida, weird. Mom! You killed it golfing, an 83! How? That is nuts, I'm proud... How intense is Thanksgiving here!? Ohh man people wouldn't let us go unless we ate! We had a huge stake breakfast then four dinners throughout the rest of the day. It hurt. I gained 10 lbs that day and lost in the next day. Its grouse I know but people get so offended you don't eat. Please don't force missionaries to eat. I was able to go visit the Roosendaals and the Ulrich's. Felt like going home. I will probably go to Roosendaals on Christmas for a little bit.

So my exchange last Wednesday night with Elder Brand (assistant) was unreal. He is a missionary I respect and look up to in the mission. We taught a couple lessons that night and man do I love teaching with someone who has the same style as I. I hate when Elders say OK you teach this principle, I teach this one. NO! Every minute there should be a transition between missionaries, a question asked, a scriptures shared or a testimony born! When you yield to your companion and both add in you don't hinder the spirit and allow the inspired thoughts/scriptures/questions to be shared. Elder Brand and I had a good conversation about teaching. The only reason I teach people is to get them to feel something. That feeling awakens a desire and that desire builds to action! This past week I studied David M. McConkie's talk from this past General Conference. This paragraph spoke to me and I wrote it down in the front of my Book of Mormon.

"The role of the teacher is “to help individuals take responsibility for learning the gospel—to awaken in them the desire to study, understand, and live the gospel.” This means that as teachers we should not focus so much on our performance as on how we help others learn and live the gospel."

When teaching I think what do THEY need right now to feel the spirit. Not how am I going to transition into our lesson plan. The key is to LISTEN and to truly listen. Its hard and something always to work on. Not thinking of whats next, what question, what scripture. But just listening then allowing the spirit to tell you what to do, once they are done. My thought for the week!

So we cover the University 7th Stake and man is it unreal! We spoke in one of the wards this past week, it's so nice being able to be with/teach people you can relate too. We go to the Taylorsville Institute building alot to find. Play some pool/ping pong with some guys not of our faith then set up a lesson! lol it works though. There are some many people attending Institute classes who aren't LDS its prime. Exams are this upcoming week for all of them so it's a little hard but we just need some time and we will be doing unreal. We are setting up a table near the food courts of the SLCC in Taylorsville this coming Tuesday, we will see what happens. Ohh! Also! So I'm at the Institute on Friday and I see a picture of Bro. and Sis. Forysth, totally forgot about them! Well it turns out he is the in the Stake Presidency of our stake! So cool, Sunday was the first time seeing him and that was at the Stake High council meeting. I have seen him quite a few times since, we are going to set up a dinner soon. So he is one of the main teachers over there and I guess we have permission to attend some of the institute classes if we can find the ones with the people attending who aren't of our faith. So Sisters had this stake prior and they just weren't doing anything with it because they were to shy but we are ready to go. It's such a blessing to cover this Stake. (young single adult stake)

So on Sunday we got a referral for this guy named Sid. He has been here for three months and came here for school from South Korea. Well during Sacrament meetings we left the Institute to go follow up on this referral. Sid comes to the door and peeks through the glass, waves and walks away with look on his face, "I'm not interested, go away." We sat there for a few seconds just thinking... this sucks. We were about to walk away then I decided to give it my last shot and knocked with some attitude. The knock said, "you come back here". Well he did and starred through the glass again then cracked open the door and asked us what we wanted. We were able to explain who we were and eventually get inside! We shared a short message and asked him to say a prayer before he left. His prayer was unreal and so sincere. He was speaking directly to God. I love the prayer of a child or a investigator. So simple and brief, the way it should be. He told us the reason he came to school in Utah is because of the LDS standards and view on family. He's 19 years old! I love being a missionary, you really learn alot about people and learn to understand how they feel and where they are. We are all raised differently and are in completely different places in life.

That is the main part of my week. We have some fun things coming up in December for the mission. A couple general authorities coming. One on December 17th and another on January 1st. I know who they are too! But can't say sorry. This week Dan Bay one of our investigators is getting married on Saturday and baptized on Sunday. Also Donavin Thompson from my old area is getting baptized on Saturday, way excited. He is the 6'8" Jamaican. On friday we have a 6 hour Zone Council! Aghhh! Basically like a ward council but for the affairs of the mission. Should be fun. Later that night President Miller is coming out for the night with Elder Dick and I to basically see how we teach. A little scary but should be a good experience.

Love you guys,
Your son Elder Pizzey!