Sometimes I don´t know what to think. One of the councilors in the MTC presidency gave a talk right before we left about his time in paratrooper training. We told us how he had to do a series of jumps from the airplanes. His first experience he said was breathtaking. He described the scenery and how he felt as he fell and how he felt as he floated back down to earth and how he had a rough landing, but in all his thoughts about the beauty of the creations of God and how splendid it looked that by the time he got back to earth he was sad that it was all over, but was lifted by the thought that he still had 6 more jumps to do in his training. He told us that we will have times in the mission that we will be completely engulfed in the joy of seeing God´s miracles among his children and that sometimes we will feel like him when one part of the mission ends, but that another part would always start again. Well I´ve almost done my share of jumps. It is scary watching so many of the friends that I have made here jump back into the real world. I´ve seen missionaries that just look so scared to finish their missions. On wednesday my last transfer will start. I will still be here In La Ceiba, but I still don´t know what to think. I try to focus on the mission and for the most part I do pretty good...but then there´s President Viers always reminding me to start planning for what I´m going to do when I get home.
Ok enough baggie news.
This week was one of the hardest working weeks of the mission. Everyday we were out the door at least an hour earlier than the usual and we got back at 9 or a little after, becuase we had a lot of peole to contact after last weeks activity, and trying to train a and animate a lot of future missionaries that are leaving soon. This included leaving with them and divisions and studying with them Preach My Gospel. I have never realized how much being apparted as a missionary and going to MTC and having a little over 18 months of field experience would change the way I teach, but as I watched those pour young men do their very best at trying to explain gosple principles and remembering how I was when I tried to teach in Mission Prep, I finally realized that there is nothing like being called as a missionary. At the risk of sounds cocky, but giving all the credit to the calling, Elder Juarez and I have shown up quite a few cocky return missionaries here in this ward. They try to make up for the lack of the spirit by using what I call the Shotgun approach, which is where they say everything and anything that they feel might take the investigator´s attention. We usually let them squirm a little bit and then when the investigator looks more confused about whether or not Joseph Smith is a prophet as I am about what´s happening in the NBA playoffs (yes that´s a hint. What happened to the updates?;)), that is when we step in and in less then two hundred words we clear up their doubts and do clean up from the excess material that the return missionary said. I really have to say, I love shutting cocky people up...:) My mission prep teacher once told us that he is an ex mission president and a mission prep teacher but even so, he doesn´t try to explain much to non members without the missionaries present. It amazes me how much the Lord trusts young 19 and 20 years to teach his ever lasting gospel.
I testify of the truth of this gospel. It is the only one. The Book of Mormon is true. Joseph Smith was a prophet. But most importantly is that Jesus died and was resurrected for us and God is our loving heavenly father.
I love you all and wish you the best week ever!
Love,
Elder Neiswender
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