Nearing the End and a Bit of Discouragement about Teaching

Note from Mom- I left out several logistical items. Eric is a bit discouraged about the teaching. I figured he would become harder on himself as he gets closer to going to Florida. Any letters of encouragement would be helpful in this last week and a half. He leaves on August 24th, so he will get letters in the MTC through dearelder.com up until the 23rd. 

E-mail from Thursday August 12th

Love, Mom

I haven't gotten my travel plans for the day I leave yet. I will tell you when I know. Elder Caldwell did though. It so happens that he leaving a week early, so I will be in a three sum with Elder Loder and Elder Terry for the whole week, and while we are teaching.

The language is going very well. I have been progressing a lot with it.

I don't feel very good about the teaching. I try to teach, but I just stumble on my words, and I am so worried about teaching it right that I feel like I am not putting my heart into it. I don't feel that what I say will make a difference to anyone. I am trying really hard. However, I still have many times when I am trying to study and I get distracted by the things going on around me. I am not very good at managing my time. I seem to be far less focused during my studies here than I was at home. I made a goal to go off into another room, but then I get caught up listening to a conversation that other Elders are carrying on. I also get tired so easily, even though I am going to bed on time. I have been thinking about these things a lot this week, especially since I only have two weeks left. The teachers said that what we do in the MTC will be the foundation that determines how the rest of our time in the mission turns out. I don't like that, especially since I am still having a hard time with focusing and with being organized. I have been doing several good things, but I feel like I could have done so much more. I have been feeling very discouraged because of this.

We also taught Fre' Jean as a progressive investigator. He read the first four chapters of 1st Nephi and stopped because he didn't think that God would tell Nephi to kill Laban. He made the arguement that God loves even wicked people and that he wouldn't ever kill them, or do anything bad like that. It is true that he loves them, but I wanted to show that God still would ask Nephi to do that, So I looked up examples in the Bible of times when God asked the Israelites to kill a whole nation. I told Fre' Jean that I was going to use that for our next lesson, after we had finished the appointment, but he said that I was going about it the wrong way. He said that I wasn't completely understanding the concern of the investigator, and that I should have mentioned to the investigator what happens after death, so that they don't think it is an unmerciful thing that God would kill wicked people, since the will live after this life and since God can then send people in the spirit world to preach the Gospel to the wicked. I felt so horrible after that. I was trying so hard to make it right, but I ended up taking an intelectual approach to it instead of resolving the basis of the concern.

I only have a few seconds. Things are going pretty well despite my discouragement. I must go.

Bye! I love you!

Love,

Elder Seamons