Brother Mann
And just like that we are as of tommorow a month in. It's absolutely wild to think I started July 1st and tommorow will be litterally August 1st like what in the world! The time on the mission I have always been told is wack. But my goodness who knew it was THIS wack!
Anyways though, WHAT a week! I will begin by testifying that the Lord teaches Line upon Line that is how we works, drop upon drop, brick upon brick. Because no I did not see any angels this week, no moroni aperances in my bedroom and YET I have never been more converted to the church, more commited to the lord, more certain in priesthood power, and more firey about this work, then I am right now. I wish that I could see you face to face just so you could see how serious I am about this. This Church is true. Jesus Christ is the Savior. Joesph Smith is a prophet.
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday here was a bit eery all of the Latinos were gone so it was basically 20 americans, 2 tongans and a south afircan and our two districts just wandering alone in the MTC. This place really is not huge and I love it. I love the intamicy and the fact you just get to know everyone. I really am going to miss it.
Sunday was one of the most just hands down spirtiual days of my life. I got called on again to give a talk in Spanish in Sacrament Meeting and what was so powerful about this experience was that beforehand I had planned that if I was called on to give a talk (because basically they just get up at the beginning of sacrament and just announce who of the Elders or Hermanas is giving talks without letting them know in advance) that I would just have a scripture ready, and share a message about baptism as guided by the Spirit.. in SPANISH mind you. And so I got called on as the last speaker, and to the greatest extent that I ever have in my life I relied on the Lord and trusted in the Gift of Tounges. And what an experience. I simply without even fear really or much stuttering just got up and bore testimony of the power of baptism and how the covenants we make is essential to our salvation. A 5-6 minute talk without notes or anything! It was a moving and spirtual experience that has changed my perspective on trusting in the spirit and having faith in the Lord.
This week we also had alot of fun. Everyday was just amazing! My companion Elder Mogashoah has now been deemed the King of the Minimarket because he managed to spend all 30 of his soles in one day, and Elder Vainoka from Tonga in our district thinks it is absolutely hilarious and it has gotten so bad that if Elder Vainoka simply looks at Elder M
ogashoah he just starts laughing and it is hilarious! My golly those two are trouble!
We also started our full spanish immersion this week. As a part of which our Spanish teacher would put us in a "jail" on the whiteboard, sorta like getting your name written on the board in elementry school, and you would have to give 3 new spanish words for every time your spoke in english. Unfortuantely, I was not very good at this game haha and so one of the times Elder Parra from our district spoke in English I told him he was a fool (in English) and so we both proceeded to get put in jail, and then she proceeded to write a little infinity sign next to our names haha. No redemption for us I guess.
Our companion Elder Mogashaoh loves to call the Elders "Brotha Mann" whenever we do something dumb haha and we've all grown attached to the phrase haha.
Finally, I want to share a bit about the Power of Prayer. Something I do not think I have ever before fully appreciated is the POWER that prayer can bring into your life. These last couple of weeks I have not only studied, but had some of the most moving prayers of my life! I testify that Prayer is not only an ordinary church habit, but is perhaps the best and most direct way to heaven. Prayer accesses the power of heaven like no other form of Worship. I beg you to consider three such examples that I have studied this week that tesitfy how powerful prayer really is.
First, consider the power of prayer in life of Alma the Younger as recorded in Alma Chapter 36 of the Book of Mormon. "And, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death. 19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more."
Prayer is the avenue of repentance and as a result the joy that comes from the Atonement of Christ.
Second, consider the Beloved Joseph Smith. His prayer and cry to God not only conquered Satan himself, but also ushered in the dispensation of the fullness of times. One of the greatest miracles this world has ever known, preformed by a simple act of fervent prayer. Real prayer. Deep prayer. Sincere prayer.
Finally, consider the Savior of World. In a prayer, Jesus Christ took upon himself our punishment for sin, and atoned for the sins of the world. The Atonement of Christ was preformed in Prayer.
Now consider if you will, would God preform these mighty miracles be it for an individual lile Alma the Younger, for a dispensation through Joseph Smith, or for all of humanity itself through Jesus Christ if there was not a POWER in prayer that we cannot fully understand. My invitation is to Pray in Fsitb today, aloud, with intent, and to make your prayers more sincere. Spend more time with the Lord. Render an account of your day, the blessings you recieved, the struggles you had, the sins you need forgivness for, and the joys you've experienced. Prayer can and will change your life. Prioritize it. Your communication with God through the merits of Jesus Christ, while being guided by the Spirit has the potential to enact miracles into your life I promise. And I testify of these things with the authority and power as a set apart missionary of Jesus Christ, and I day these things in the name of Jesus Christ, the most perfect of all m
Missionaries. Amen.
Heres the link to the google photos!
Love you all! Feel free to Email!
Elder Ralphs
(1) My Insane Google Translate Screen Time
(2) Temple
(3) Eter!!
(4) Christ!!!
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