Hi Mom and Dad!
I am sorry that I am writing this so late. We went to the temple for the first time yesterday. It was a great experience. Elder Caldwell and I were planning on doing it after temple time and before dinner/class, but there was a shortage of temple workers for some reason, so it took us a half an hour or more to get into the celestial room at the end of our endowment session. So it is before a large group meeting and after lunch, so we went and got permission to use e-mail now. The Large group meeting is at 1:25. I sent home my camera card yesterday in one of the padded envelopes. I sent a key that tells who is in some of the pictures, since some of them are of some of the Samoans, who are now gone.
Our district is getting along very well. We are all very good friends. They all work hard, but they are not as serious as I am, so I get impatient or irritated. I have been working on being more tolerant of other people's sense of humor. Elder Caldwell is a jokester and teases all the time. I am not that way at all, so it bugs me. He says that he needs to be more sensitive to other people, since he teases his siblings all of the time, and they don't always like it either since they are more like me. But he is a great companion apart from that.
We did 14 contacts this week. We also taught a whole lesson at the TRC in Creole for the first time. It went very well! At least, compared to what I was expecting. We used all the scriptures in Creole. We have to use a French Bible because the church hasn't made a LDS version of the Bible because of Copyright issues, so they can do the LDS version with the footnotes. That is fine, because most Haitians can read and speak French. We learned food vocabulary this week. The scenario was that we had been transferred and there was an investigator in our new area that had previously been taught by the missionaries. They felt prompted to invite the missionaries over to their restaurant and feed us for free. We ordered, then we shared a spiritual thought out of the Book of Mormon. Then we asked them if we could have a return visit to teach them. So we thought them the first lesson again. Elder Caldwell got flustered a few times because he didn't know what to say in Creole. I was there to help him. I am glad that he was there for me too, because I get on tangents and I don't always do what I need to. But I am there to balance Elder Caldwell too, because he just flies through the lesson, instead of always taking time to relate the message to the investigator. We need to work on balancing teaching the person, and making sure we teach them what they need to know. We are also working on teaching to the investigator's needs better.
I haven't seen Elder Kaleb Christensen yet. Half the MTC consists of Spanish Elders, so I don't think the probability is high that I will ever see him. I also just went to go visit President Brown to say hi and to talk to him about him being related to Great Grandma Geisler and him being your Bishop so many years ago.
The gym floor is closed the rest of the time for putting in the bleachers, but there is a track above to jog on. However, we have been going to the field to play Frisbee. I have gotten a lot better at Frisbee since I first got here. I am not as scared about being hit in the head with it any more. I have been able to catch many more too!
I would like you to send the Creole-English picture dictionary. That has some very useful vocabulary, which I can study in the field, so that I can know how to talk about everyday things in the language. There is one in the classroom, which is very useful, but I would like to have one while I am in the field.
I am sorry it takes so long for me to send my written letter. It might take longer since I had two and a half hours less yesterday. I will probably have to make it shorter, because I am so busy, and I end up using a ton of MDT time for writing, instead of studying. I need more time to study definitely, and writing has been a little bit of a distraction, so I will have to start writing less.
I have to go now. Bye, I love you! Continue to write me.
Love,
Elder Seamons
Friday, July 30, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Frustrations of Disorganization, and You Reap What You Sow
Snail mail letter received July 27, 2010
Hi Family and Friends!
We have MDT right now. It is Monday, but I think it is much easier to write little by little each day than to go back and remember what was going on and how I felt back in the time when the event was occurring. The MTC is a rocky ride. I have had a lot of discouraging moments still. The hardest part is planning for me. There are so many goals for me, our companionship, and for the district. Plus I have to balance between language study and gospel study in my personal time. Plus there are so many notes to study from, and so many places that I have written goals that I lose track. I have realized that I am so disorganized. It feels like a disease. It makes it very hard for me to study productively. It is very difficult to organize my tasks in a concise way. We have talked about planning in the MTC a lot. I discovered that for me, it is best to simplify my plans. I think I am taking on too many things at once. I should have a simple, yet specific plan. I should have an overall study plan that can fit on one paper and not worry about anything else. I have also had language study challenges. The language is not the problem. Finding a productive study method is. At school, we always had vocabulary lists that were small and that were all related words. But now, I don’t have set lists. I have to think about what words will be the most beneficial for me to learn. When I write notes for firesides, I write every word shared. I need to cut down and write only the most important things, like in the small plates of Nephi.
. . . . . . . . .
Hi. It is Thursday again. Trying to do it little by little didn’t work for me. As I said before, we spoke with a real Haitian at the TRC. Because of his accent, it was so hard to understand. He was very nice though. As an investigator, he was confused by certain things that we tried to explain that I thought were clear. We didn’t use any LDS vocabulary that would be confusing to someone else. We talked about grace and works and how both are necessary, but he didn’t get that either. I didn’t feel we did that well. I have had a harder time with Fre’ Jean and Alexander as investigators more than the other investigators we have had. It might just be that they are both from a different culture and have a different way of thinking about things. They both acted as themselves before they joined the church. Fre’ Jean is also a convert. He joined the LDS church 10 years ago and came back from a mission 5 years ago. His brother is also a member. He was a bishop in Haiti when Fre’ Jean was around 15 years old. Fre’ Jean is 27 and single. His brother and his sister and their families live in Fort Lauderdale now. He has at least 1 brother and 1 sister. He might have more than that. Fre’ Jean said that his missionaries in that area [I assume this means the ones he teaches in the MTC]usually go to meet him [his brother]. He tells Fre’ Jean how they are doing.
His sister is not a member though. The thing that is keeping her from becoming a member is the word of wisdom. She thinks that since God created certain substances, such as alcohol, tobacco, and other things, that people should be able to partake of them, or else He would not have created them. There is a drink that Fre’ Jean told us about called Kremas that is really tasty, but it has alcohol in it. For Haitians, it is important to them and they all drink it. Fre’ Jean used to have it at home .They doesn’t consider it an alcoholic drink, because it is mostly nonalcoholic. However, it has 15% alcohol in it. He says that this is crucial to mention to investigators.
The thing that Fre’ Jean’s sister doesn’t understand is that things can be used for good for or evil. She understands that Jesus Christ created no evil thing. What she doesn’t understand is that our heavenly father prescribed the use of all things by giving us commandments. For instance, God created our bodies and our sexual urges, which aren’t evil, but they can be misused. That is something that most of the world doesn’t completely understand. God’s gift of agency, or the ability to chose, doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want without getting the consequences or our actions. If that were the case, then the good actions would not receive God’s blessing either. There needs to be opposition. It is a blessing that we have these commandments. Then we reap the rewards for keeping His commandments. In Galatians 6:7 it says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: For whatsoever a man sowest, that shall he also reap.”
We can procrastinate doing something and enjoy doing less work, but then the consequences of not doing something you should have done earlier will get back to you. You can't avoid the consequences forever. In the Book of Mormon, which is scripture that we use, along with the Bible describes this so well. In ancient America, long after Jesus Christ visited his people there, there was a prophet named Mormon, who compiled the records of all the people, which later became known as the Book of Mormon. The people in the land, the people of Nephi, began to be wicked again and lived lives of sin. Because of this, God stopped protecting them from the Lamanites, who were their enemies. Robbers would steal from them their riches and possessions, which God allowed to happen because of their unrighteousness. The people were mourning and felt sorrow, which caused Mormon to rejoice because he thought they were sorry for what they did. His response to that in Mormon 2:13 is very interesting. “But behold, this my joy was vain, for their sorrowing was not unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; But it was rather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in their sin.” The Nephites wanted to do things that would bring immediate satisfaction without getting the backlash of their actions.
There are many times in our lives when you will see people not working hard, breaking the rules, and not keeping God’s commandments. They might look like they are having an easy time. They will look happy. Even more, you might be doing good working hard, but you may have struggles, and not even see what good your efforts are doing. However, the blessings won't always come immediately. They take time to fully bloom. If it were not so, that would rob faith, which we must have to rely on God. That is what we are expected to do; walk by faith rather than by sight. In Psalms 37:7-9, it says, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. (8) Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. (9) For evil doers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.”
The consequences of your actions will always catch you, so do good and work hard. The only way to gain eternal happiness and joy is by following the example of Jesus Christ. Anything other than that is temporary satisfaction, which cannot be called happiness at all. I challenge you all to read all of chapter 37 in Psalms. It is a great chapter. I read the verses surrounding verses 7-9 and it has wonderful teaching. Read it as a family together. Remember to keep on pressing forward and to never give up, even when you don't see the light at the end of the tunnel, or any immediate blessings for your efforts.
The Samoan elders are gone now. It is very strange. I will miss them. They were weird, but they were very nice. I got to know a few of them. I taught a few of them for zone teaching. The new missionaries came in today. We have a Tongan district, a district going to Spokane, Washington, and another going to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [We moved here from the Pittsburgh area]
We had a whole bunch of Spanish elders move into our hallway. We used to be the only ones in our hallway. It was nice and quiet. It is fun to have a new change though.
We had a district goal to contact seven people. We got to talk to the people briefly and then bore our testimony. We didn't have to, but we had one of us speak in Creole and the other person translate. When I spoke, Elder Caldwell didn't understand some of the phrases and words that I used. There is a purple book that we got at the MTC that I used to learn religious words and terms. He said that he wants to look at that book more often so that he can preach in Creole better.
I have learned how to say so much in my prayers now. I had an interview with Fre’ Nelson tonight (it is now night time, and I am trying to finish this letter.) He complimented me and said that he didn't pick up any incorrect grammar in my prayer. I felt good about that. Even though I am doing well compared to other people, that is not my purpose. I am supposed to do my best. I have a long way to go before I am fluent, but that will come with time, study, time in the field, talking to natives, and faith. Faith is the most important thing. I need to just keep studying, even when I feel that I am learning at a slow pace, and especially when it feels hopeless. Many of us have felt that way these last 4 weeks, but we are learning so much for just a month. I have felt the gift of tongues working in my life here. But that gift is in comprehending what I study and what I practice. The gift of tongue requires effort too.
On Sunday, we had a really good fireside by Richard Heaton, who is a former quorum of the seventy. He talked about the conversion process and how it has little to do with the missionaries. It is not so much what we say but how the investigator feels. We need to teach persuasively, and we need to prepare, but the spirit converts people, not the missionaries. The biggest steps in conversion are when investigators accept commitments to pray, and read the Book of Mormon, and them actually keeping the commitments. We just need to help them see the significance of the commitments. The musical number was “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” Elder major, our district leader, played the cello, and Elder Hill, a Figian Elder in our zone, played the piano and Elder Sontag, a Spanish missionary, sang. Elder Sontag has one of the best voices I have ever heard. He is amazing! It was a very good arrangement.
I could go on forever about the amount of things that have been going on in the MTC. I can't remember half of it because there is so much.
It is still hard for me to teach and explain the doctrine. I just need to remember to speak from the heart and to teach simply. I get so caught up on teaching the doctrine in the correct order that I don’t always speak from my heart. I often teach such complex things. I need to simplify it for the people who will be hearing this message that I have been called to preach. I know that the spirit will help me teach and that I will get the help I need, even if it takes time. I know that God watches out for us; just work with diligence and pray for guidance of the spirit. Forget about worrying about yourself and help others. And most importantly, remember the atonement of Jesus Christ, which gives you that change of heart and helps you become the person you were always meant to be.
I love you all. I appreciate the letters I have received. I need all of the encouragement that I can get. It is still difficult and there are hard moments every day. Thank you so much!
Love,
Elder Seamons
Hi Family and Friends!
We have MDT right now. It is Monday, but I think it is much easier to write little by little each day than to go back and remember what was going on and how I felt back in the time when the event was occurring. The MTC is a rocky ride. I have had a lot of discouraging moments still. The hardest part is planning for me. There are so many goals for me, our companionship, and for the district. Plus I have to balance between language study and gospel study in my personal time. Plus there are so many notes to study from, and so many places that I have written goals that I lose track. I have realized that I am so disorganized. It feels like a disease. It makes it very hard for me to study productively. It is very difficult to organize my tasks in a concise way. We have talked about planning in the MTC a lot. I discovered that for me, it is best to simplify my plans. I think I am taking on too many things at once. I should have a simple, yet specific plan. I should have an overall study plan that can fit on one paper and not worry about anything else. I have also had language study challenges. The language is not the problem. Finding a productive study method is. At school, we always had vocabulary lists that were small and that were all related words. But now, I don’t have set lists. I have to think about what words will be the most beneficial for me to learn. When I write notes for firesides, I write every word shared. I need to cut down and write only the most important things, like in the small plates of Nephi.
. . . . . . . . .
Hi. It is Thursday again. Trying to do it little by little didn’t work for me. As I said before, we spoke with a real Haitian at the TRC. Because of his accent, it was so hard to understand. He was very nice though. As an investigator, he was confused by certain things that we tried to explain that I thought were clear. We didn’t use any LDS vocabulary that would be confusing to someone else. We talked about grace and works and how both are necessary, but he didn’t get that either. I didn’t feel we did that well. I have had a harder time with Fre’ Jean and Alexander as investigators more than the other investigators we have had. It might just be that they are both from a different culture and have a different way of thinking about things. They both acted as themselves before they joined the church. Fre’ Jean is also a convert. He joined the LDS church 10 years ago and came back from a mission 5 years ago. His brother is also a member. He was a bishop in Haiti when Fre’ Jean was around 15 years old. Fre’ Jean is 27 and single. His brother and his sister and their families live in Fort Lauderdale now. He has at least 1 brother and 1 sister. He might have more than that. Fre’ Jean said that his missionaries in that area [I assume this means the ones he teaches in the MTC]usually go to meet him [his brother]. He tells Fre’ Jean how they are doing.
His sister is not a member though. The thing that is keeping her from becoming a member is the word of wisdom. She thinks that since God created certain substances, such as alcohol, tobacco, and other things, that people should be able to partake of them, or else He would not have created them. There is a drink that Fre’ Jean told us about called Kremas that is really tasty, but it has alcohol in it. For Haitians, it is important to them and they all drink it. Fre’ Jean used to have it at home .They doesn’t consider it an alcoholic drink, because it is mostly nonalcoholic. However, it has 15% alcohol in it. He says that this is crucial to mention to investigators.
The thing that Fre’ Jean’s sister doesn’t understand is that things can be used for good for or evil. She understands that Jesus Christ created no evil thing. What she doesn’t understand is that our heavenly father prescribed the use of all things by giving us commandments. For instance, God created our bodies and our sexual urges, which aren’t evil, but they can be misused. That is something that most of the world doesn’t completely understand. God’s gift of agency, or the ability to chose, doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want without getting the consequences or our actions. If that were the case, then the good actions would not receive God’s blessing either. There needs to be opposition. It is a blessing that we have these commandments. Then we reap the rewards for keeping His commandments. In Galatians 6:7 it says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: For whatsoever a man sowest, that shall he also reap.”
We can procrastinate doing something and enjoy doing less work, but then the consequences of not doing something you should have done earlier will get back to you. You can't avoid the consequences forever. In the Book of Mormon, which is scripture that we use, along with the Bible describes this so well. In ancient America, long after Jesus Christ visited his people there, there was a prophet named Mormon, who compiled the records of all the people, which later became known as the Book of Mormon. The people in the land, the people of Nephi, began to be wicked again and lived lives of sin. Because of this, God stopped protecting them from the Lamanites, who were their enemies. Robbers would steal from them their riches and possessions, which God allowed to happen because of their unrighteousness. The people were mourning and felt sorrow, which caused Mormon to rejoice because he thought they were sorry for what they did. His response to that in Mormon 2:13 is very interesting. “But behold, this my joy was vain, for their sorrowing was not unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; But it was rather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in their sin.” The Nephites wanted to do things that would bring immediate satisfaction without getting the backlash of their actions.
There are many times in our lives when you will see people not working hard, breaking the rules, and not keeping God’s commandments. They might look like they are having an easy time. They will look happy. Even more, you might be doing good working hard, but you may have struggles, and not even see what good your efforts are doing. However, the blessings won't always come immediately. They take time to fully bloom. If it were not so, that would rob faith, which we must have to rely on God. That is what we are expected to do; walk by faith rather than by sight. In Psalms 37:7-9, it says, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. (8) Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. (9) For evil doers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.”
The consequences of your actions will always catch you, so do good and work hard. The only way to gain eternal happiness and joy is by following the example of Jesus Christ. Anything other than that is temporary satisfaction, which cannot be called happiness at all. I challenge you all to read all of chapter 37 in Psalms. It is a great chapter. I read the verses surrounding verses 7-9 and it has wonderful teaching. Read it as a family together. Remember to keep on pressing forward and to never give up, even when you don't see the light at the end of the tunnel, or any immediate blessings for your efforts.
The Samoan elders are gone now. It is very strange. I will miss them. They were weird, but they were very nice. I got to know a few of them. I taught a few of them for zone teaching. The new missionaries came in today. We have a Tongan district, a district going to Spokane, Washington, and another going to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [We moved here from the Pittsburgh area]
We had a whole bunch of Spanish elders move into our hallway. We used to be the only ones in our hallway. It was nice and quiet. It is fun to have a new change though.
We had a district goal to contact seven people. We got to talk to the people briefly and then bore our testimony. We didn't have to, but we had one of us speak in Creole and the other person translate. When I spoke, Elder Caldwell didn't understand some of the phrases and words that I used. There is a purple book that we got at the MTC that I used to learn religious words and terms. He said that he wants to look at that book more often so that he can preach in Creole better.
I have learned how to say so much in my prayers now. I had an interview with Fre’ Nelson tonight (it is now night time, and I am trying to finish this letter.) He complimented me and said that he didn't pick up any incorrect grammar in my prayer. I felt good about that. Even though I am doing well compared to other people, that is not my purpose. I am supposed to do my best. I have a long way to go before I am fluent, but that will come with time, study, time in the field, talking to natives, and faith. Faith is the most important thing. I need to just keep studying, even when I feel that I am learning at a slow pace, and especially when it feels hopeless. Many of us have felt that way these last 4 weeks, but we are learning so much for just a month. I have felt the gift of tongues working in my life here. But that gift is in comprehending what I study and what I practice. The gift of tongue requires effort too.
On Sunday, we had a really good fireside by Richard Heaton, who is a former quorum of the seventy. He talked about the conversion process and how it has little to do with the missionaries. It is not so much what we say but how the investigator feels. We need to teach persuasively, and we need to prepare, but the spirit converts people, not the missionaries. The biggest steps in conversion are when investigators accept commitments to pray, and read the Book of Mormon, and them actually keeping the commitments. We just need to help them see the significance of the commitments. The musical number was “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” Elder major, our district leader, played the cello, and Elder Hill, a Figian Elder in our zone, played the piano and Elder Sontag, a Spanish missionary, sang. Elder Sontag has one of the best voices I have ever heard. He is amazing! It was a very good arrangement.
I could go on forever about the amount of things that have been going on in the MTC. I can't remember half of it because there is so much.
It is still hard for me to teach and explain the doctrine. I just need to remember to speak from the heart and to teach simply. I get so caught up on teaching the doctrine in the correct order that I don’t always speak from my heart. I often teach such complex things. I need to simplify it for the people who will be hearing this message that I have been called to preach. I know that the spirit will help me teach and that I will get the help I need, even if it takes time. I know that God watches out for us; just work with diligence and pray for guidance of the spirit. Forget about worrying about yourself and help others. And most importantly, remember the atonement of Jesus Christ, which gives you that change of heart and helps you become the person you were always meant to be.
I love you all. I appreciate the letters I have received. I need all of the encouragement that I can get. It is still difficult and there are hard moments every day. Thank you so much!
Love,
Elder Seamons
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The Challenges of the TRC
E-mail sent today
Hi Mom and Dad!
We got the cupcakes and everyone loved them! Thank you so much! I have enjoyed getting all of the things you have sent. Everyone in the district is telling me how loved I am and they thought it was awesome that you sent the district the cupcakes to share.
This is the last week that we could go to the TRC and teach in English. We had to do our introduction and getting to know the person, but we have to do the whole first and second lesson in Creole. I am going to have to work so hard to be able to do that. I don't think any of us are quite ready. This week in the TRC, we "helped someone move out", and learned vocabulary for different furniture and appliances in Haitian Creole. We also talked to him about the Word of Wisdom or keeping our bodies healthy, since he had a smoking problem. We did that in the language too. We had an investigator that was originally from Haiti. He was baptized a few years back. He is in Fre Jean's ward right now. His name is alexander. He spoke a very French dialect of Creole, but it was mostly the same. He said Mesi Boukou (which is more french) instead of Mesi anpil. I got so discouraged after we finished at the TRC. I had a hard time understanding what he was saying because of his accent. So did Elder Caldwell, except that he didn't worry about it. Alexander was even hard to understand in English, so we didn't answer his questions to what he needed because we didn't completely understand what he was saying. What we could say in creole was correct, but we couldn't understand everything he told us. I realized then that I have a long was to go before I will be able to preach the gospel effectively in creole or English. I felt very uncomfortable because of how I was struggling.
I hate to imagine what everyone else is going to experience when we actually get out into the mission area in 4 1/2 weeks. Elder Fenley is struggling a lot with the language. He has been trying so hard, but he can hardly say anything. He was supposed to give the panse espirityel (spiritual thought) yesterday morning, which is supposed to be in creole. He got up and after several seconds said, "I don't know how I am going to do this, but somehow, the Lord will provide a way." and then he sat down. He has had a rough time too. He has had the great faith to just keep trying at it, even though it feels hopeless for him.
I will write more in my written letter. There are only 30 seconds left. Tell friends to write!!!! bye!
Love, Elder Seamons
Hi Mom and Dad!
We got the cupcakes and everyone loved them! Thank you so much! I have enjoyed getting all of the things you have sent. Everyone in the district is telling me how loved I am and they thought it was awesome that you sent the district the cupcakes to share.
This is the last week that we could go to the TRC and teach in English. We had to do our introduction and getting to know the person, but we have to do the whole first and second lesson in Creole. I am going to have to work so hard to be able to do that. I don't think any of us are quite ready. This week in the TRC, we "helped someone move out", and learned vocabulary for different furniture and appliances in Haitian Creole. We also talked to him about the Word of Wisdom or keeping our bodies healthy, since he had a smoking problem. We did that in the language too. We had an investigator that was originally from Haiti. He was baptized a few years back. He is in Fre Jean's ward right now. His name is alexander. He spoke a very French dialect of Creole, but it was mostly the same. He said Mesi Boukou (which is more french) instead of Mesi anpil. I got so discouraged after we finished at the TRC. I had a hard time understanding what he was saying because of his accent. So did Elder Caldwell, except that he didn't worry about it. Alexander was even hard to understand in English, so we didn't answer his questions to what he needed because we didn't completely understand what he was saying. What we could say in creole was correct, but we couldn't understand everything he told us. I realized then that I have a long was to go before I will be able to preach the gospel effectively in creole or English. I felt very uncomfortable because of how I was struggling.
I hate to imagine what everyone else is going to experience when we actually get out into the mission area in 4 1/2 weeks. Elder Fenley is struggling a lot with the language. He has been trying so hard, but he can hardly say anything. He was supposed to give the panse espirityel (spiritual thought) yesterday morning, which is supposed to be in creole. He got up and after several seconds said, "I don't know how I am going to do this, but somehow, the Lord will provide a way." and then he sat down. He has had a rough time too. He has had the great faith to just keep trying at it, even though it feels hopeless for him.
I will write more in my written letter. There are only 30 seconds left. Tell friends to write!!!! bye!
Love, Elder Seamons
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The Epistle of Elder Seamons on Talking to Others and the Amazing Post Fireside Discussion plus Pictures
Snail mail Sent July 16, 2010
Dear family and friends,
Hello again! I just completed my third week here. I realize that in a week and a half we will be half way done. I have learned so much here at the MTC! I have been learning a lot about the language. We know how to contact people on the street, converse with them about what they do for school and work, make an appointment, commit them to read a scripture, pray, or come to church with us, follow up with them to say if they kept their commitment, and I can bear my testimony and pray. Fre Jean had us walk around the MTC until we found a table. Then he called on different people from the district to bear their testimonies in Kreyol [I assume that is the Haitian spelling of Creole] and to answer our questions as investigators. Each person was up there for at least five minutes. Fre Jean asked really hard questions [that someone might ask us.]. We could have answered them in English easily, but with the little vocabulary that we know, it was difficult. Some of the questions were:
“Komon ou konnen ke Jozef smit se yon pwofrt?” How do you know that Joseph Smith was a prophet?”
“Poukisa mwen ka konnen ke liv Momon an vre?’ How can I know that the Book of Mormon is true?
I didn’t get to go up. I think he was trying to get the people who didn’t feel as comfortable with the language. In between testimonies, we talked with our companions as investigators and got each others’ address so that we could stop by and teach them. He told us the first week here that contacting people will become second nature by the time we leave the MTC.
In firesides and devotionals, they continually stress that we can’t teach people about Jesus Christ and His church if we don’t go out and talk to anyone. Finding people to teach is a crucial skill. I go out of my way to talk to people all of the time now. It feels weird and I was so worried about people thinking why in the world I would go and talk to them, but there is no reason to think that. We are all children of God. We don’t feel strange about conversing with our earthly siblings. In the same way, we don’t need to feel strange about getting to know our heavenly siblings. When you are by yourself or are in line next to a stranger, you should talk to them. You can do it in a way that is not awkward but meaningful. You can make someone’s entire day b doing that. I have been by people who didn’t miss a chance to talk to people and they are so interesting and wonderful. I have made friends who I only spent two minutes talking to, but who will always have a place in my heart. I may not even remember them, but they etched a permanent engraving on my heart, and helped me become more like Jesus Christ. There is a scripture in the Book of Mormon which says that we are all brethren and that we ought not to hurt one another.(Alma 23:3 "and that they might be convinced that they were all brethren, and that they ought not to murder, nor to plunder, nor to steal, nor to commit adultery, nor to commit any manner of wickedness. ") I can’t remember the reference though. I think it is in Alma. I looked in the index but I failed to find it.
There is so much turmoil in the world, because people don’t take time to understand one another. The only way to establish love and peace among individuals and cultures is to show Christ’s love and interest to others, especially those strangers that are next to us who we don’t even take a second to stop and talk to. It is not only our great pleasure to be able to shore up our lives and interest with other people, but also our duty. When done in the right way, we can make people’s lives and days so much better. It doesn’t mean sharing religion at all. It just means to be friends with the people around you. I have met so many interesting people with so many different talents throughout my life and especially at the MTC. If people would work to pull down the social barriers between the people around them, the world would be infinitely better.
We see the people next to us and think they are so different and that they have a different personality that we could never get along with. That is wrong. All good people can become close and love each others’ differences. There were people at school who were nice, but that I didn’t like because they were sarcastic, had a weird sense of humor, and were too silly, or because they were socially awkward or unaware. But if they are good, loving people, I can still have a wonderful relationship. Even if they aren’t good, loving people, I should love them anyway and see the good in them. In the book of 4th Nephi in the Book of Mormon, after Jesus Christ visits the inhabitants of ancient America, the Nephites, everyone is united and there is no enmity or hatred among any of the people in the land. The Lamanites and the Nephites who were two separate people who had enmity between each other, became united and they were no longer called by their names. In 4th Nephi 1:15-17 it says, “and it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people. And there were no envyings, nor tumults, no whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God. There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.” That is a powerful part of the Book of Mormon. I love that book! I know that it contains true principals and that the events described in it actually took place. It is God’s word along with the Bible. In the Bible, when Christ talks to his disciples in John 10:16. It says, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” Those people are the people in ancient America, who Christ visited after his resurrection. He gave his gospel not only to the Jews, but to his other followers in the world. I love both of those books. I knew the records that they contain are true.
Going back to what I was saying about reaching out to strangers and talking to them, I extend a challenge to everyone who read or will ever read this letter to talk to other people whenever you get the chance. As a representative of Jesus Christ who has the authority to preach the gospel, I promise that you will find more happiness than you could ever imagine, and that special experiences will await those who accept this challenge. You will have the ability to change lives and influence people for good, even if you don’t realize until way after the fact, or if you never see the people that you encounter again.
Wow! I have so much to say about what has happened this week and about what I have learned and I am already on page 10. That is not good. I don’t even know if I will have time to write everything I want to. I will just do my best, and that will be sufficient.
The Samoan district in our branch will be leaving this week. It will be strange with them gone. They are so loud around 9:40-10:10 time (night). The first week they were here, they would get an empty trash can, play a rhythm on it and have a dance off in the hallway. Their classroom is just next door to ours in the building we have class in too. They sing more in their language than we do. It depends on the teacher you have. However, there is a Tongan district that will come in next Wednesday. The Haitians and the Fijians will be the more experienced missionaries in the branch. Elder Afsasa from the Samoan district, who also has a brother in the same district, said that we are very mellow compared to the last group of Haitianaries that they had. We still joke around and are a little rowdy at times, but the Samoans are crazy compared to us. Our district is doing great. I heard that some of the companionships in the Samoan district had contention in the beginning of their MTC time. I heard that the previous Fijian group had missionaries who got in an argument with their companions and ran off and just walked around the MTC campus after curfew. One ran all the way to BYU campus before they came back. The missionaries spent a lot time looking for them.
There are a lot of native Samoans in the Samoan district. Most of them are not Caucasian. Their culture really comes out. They are so funny. They are definitely different than what I am used to. There was a time when a Samoan missionary walked into someone else’s room and they got into a fight and were punching and wrestling. They were really mad. The other missionaries broke it up, and within a few minutes they were best buddies again. That is just part of their culture. That is how they deal with their frustrations sometimes. But they are very awesome people though!
Elder Terry drew a picture of what he might have looked like in the premortal life. It was very well drawn. He draws funny pictures all of the time. He also drew a diagram of the plan of Salvation. I have many of his pictures on the memory card of my camera.
On Wednesday, we went to the TRC, the place where we go to practice introducing ourselves and setting up an appointment with a person playing as an investigator. We contacted someone named Andy. He went to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on his mission too. He was posing as a Catholic. We did another situation with him two weeks ago in the TRC. Afterwards, he told us that our Kreyol was so much better than the last time we taught him. We “contacted” Andy on a “bus” and we challenged him to read 3 Nephi 11 in the Book of Mormon. We did pretty well. I didn’t introduce the baptismal commitment very well though. I need to get better at that. We have learned so much in the language in the past 3 weeks! Fre Jean thinks we’re not making enough progress. Elder Terry is kind of irritated with him. Elder Terry was giving the Panse eseirityel (the spiritual thought) and he asked Fre jean if he was saying things correctly and Fre Jean just stared at him and wanted him to do it on his own without even correcting him. Fre Jean kind of drives me crazy sometimes. He has such high expectations and does so much that we can hardly keep up. He is an extremely good teacher though! I have learned so much from him. I don’t feel that he is as understanding though. I can relate better to Fre Nelson, who is 21 and got off the mission in March. He is extremely mature for his age though. I love both of them though! I couldn’t have gotten through the MTC this far without them.
On Sunday, we had a fireside where Jenny Oaks Baker, the daughter of Dallin H. Oaks, came and spoke to us. She is a famous violinist, and has played with dozens of groups and in famous places. She has played with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra .She has played at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall and a ton of other places. I would tell you more, but left the notebook that I used to take notes in the classroom last night. She had her nephew accompany her on the piano while she played the violin. She told a spiritual experience and then played a song. She used that pattern the whole time. She is an amazing woman with so many good insights and experiences. She started playing the violin at 4 years old and she is now one of the most renowned violinists in the country. She has several albums that have sold tons. Look her up. Elder Caldwell and I sat right behind the front row on the left side directly behind the piano. Elder Oaks came to see his daughter and grandson play. His grandson was standing in front of us and Elder Oaks came over, put his arm around him, and gave him a seat next to the rest of his family. It was such a good fireside!
On Tuesday, we had a fireside with Ronald T. Halverson. He is such a good speaker! His wife was also wonderful. I don’t have my notes with me right now though. Afterwards we had a meeting with the district where we told what our favorite parts of the fireside and what our insights were. We normally would have a branch presidency member with us, but we didn’t. It was just us. Elder Rybin wasn’t there because he was sick and Elder Major hit his head very hard against the wall while he was making his bed and he had a migraine headache. It is amazing that it all happened that way. We had a very powerful spiritual experience. We wouldn’t have shared all of the things we did if they had been there because Elder Rybin, as awesome as he is, is sometimes sarcastic, and we probably wouldn’t have been able to have had that experience. Elder Fenely took charge, which never happens, and he told us that he was thinking about D & C 11:21. It talks about how we must obtain the word of God before we can preach the word. He felt like he didn’t know it very well, even though he did before. He told us of his struggles in the MTC and everyone opened up and told of their struggles. After that experience, I realize that it is a miracle that we were all put in the same district, and that we all made it to the field. Everyone has to struggle to get where we are. Elder Terry made really good comments. As silly as he is, he is one of the most spiritual people I have ever met at our age. He said that when we are in our lowest valley, we just need to go a tiny bit further and around the corner will be the Savior there to rescue us. The rest is too sacred and personal for me to share, but it was a wonderful experience. If Elder Major was there, Elder Fenely wouldn’t have been in charge and wouldn’t have gotten up and told us how he felt. We had an amazing spiritual experience. I realized that everyone felt so inadequate. The Savior knows the end from the beginning, so he brought us all together. I wouldn’t still be here if it weren’t for them lifting me up.
Our district is very good! They are really goofy, and do so many silly things on a daily basis that I can’t even tell you half of the stories. There is so much to do in the MTC that I can’t keep up with it all. I can barely write in my journal. If worse comes to worse, this will be a great missionary history. Like someone said during our post devotional testimony meeting, “I just have to try my best and God will have to do everything else because I can’t do it all.” Actually, the missionaries are weak. We get our strength from God. 19 year old Elders couldn’t do this without help. What the church has accomplished is almost impossible, unless God is really in this work. And he is. Jesus Christ lives and he changes lives today! He knows all of his people, and he has a perfect knowledge of how to help us. Those are my final words in this letter. My purpose on this mission which I was called to serve is to invite people to come to Christ. These letters would be pointless if I didn’t do that. Christ has changed my life. I have felt his power lifting me up throughout my entire life in every aspect- school, drumline, dance, language, my friendships, my family , and in my spiritual welfare. I would have failed miserably without him. But I haven’t, so I know he lives. He is always there; you just need to know where to find him.
I love you so much. I will write you next week! Bye!
Love, Elder Seamons
Dear family and friends,
Hello again! I just completed my third week here. I realize that in a week and a half we will be half way done. I have learned so much here at the MTC! I have been learning a lot about the language. We know how to contact people on the street, converse with them about what they do for school and work, make an appointment, commit them to read a scripture, pray, or come to church with us, follow up with them to say if they kept their commitment, and I can bear my testimony and pray. Fre Jean had us walk around the MTC until we found a table. Then he called on different people from the district to bear their testimonies in Kreyol [I assume that is the Haitian spelling of Creole] and to answer our questions as investigators. Each person was up there for at least five minutes. Fre Jean asked really hard questions [that someone might ask us.]. We could have answered them in English easily, but with the little vocabulary that we know, it was difficult. Some of the questions were:
“Komon ou konnen ke Jozef smit se yon pwofrt?” How do you know that Joseph Smith was a prophet?”
“Poukisa mwen ka konnen ke liv Momon an vre?’ How can I know that the Book of Mormon is true?
I didn’t get to go up. I think he was trying to get the people who didn’t feel as comfortable with the language. In between testimonies, we talked with our companions as investigators and got each others’ address so that we could stop by and teach them. He told us the first week here that contacting people will become second nature by the time we leave the MTC.
In firesides and devotionals, they continually stress that we can’t teach people about Jesus Christ and His church if we don’t go out and talk to anyone. Finding people to teach is a crucial skill. I go out of my way to talk to people all of the time now. It feels weird and I was so worried about people thinking why in the world I would go and talk to them, but there is no reason to think that. We are all children of God. We don’t feel strange about conversing with our earthly siblings. In the same way, we don’t need to feel strange about getting to know our heavenly siblings. When you are by yourself or are in line next to a stranger, you should talk to them. You can do it in a way that is not awkward but meaningful. You can make someone’s entire day b doing that. I have been by people who didn’t miss a chance to talk to people and they are so interesting and wonderful. I have made friends who I only spent two minutes talking to, but who will always have a place in my heart. I may not even remember them, but they etched a permanent engraving on my heart, and helped me become more like Jesus Christ. There is a scripture in the Book of Mormon which says that we are all brethren and that we ought not to hurt one another.(Alma 23:3 "and that they might be convinced that they were all brethren, and that they ought not to murder, nor to plunder, nor to steal, nor to commit adultery, nor to commit any manner of wickedness. ") I can’t remember the reference though. I think it is in Alma. I looked in the index but I failed to find it.
There is so much turmoil in the world, because people don’t take time to understand one another. The only way to establish love and peace among individuals and cultures is to show Christ’s love and interest to others, especially those strangers that are next to us who we don’t even take a second to stop and talk to. It is not only our great pleasure to be able to shore up our lives and interest with other people, but also our duty. When done in the right way, we can make people’s lives and days so much better. It doesn’t mean sharing religion at all. It just means to be friends with the people around you. I have met so many interesting people with so many different talents throughout my life and especially at the MTC. If people would work to pull down the social barriers between the people around them, the world would be infinitely better.
We see the people next to us and think they are so different and that they have a different personality that we could never get along with. That is wrong. All good people can become close and love each others’ differences. There were people at school who were nice, but that I didn’t like because they were sarcastic, had a weird sense of humor, and were too silly, or because they were socially awkward or unaware. But if they are good, loving people, I can still have a wonderful relationship. Even if they aren’t good, loving people, I should love them anyway and see the good in them. In the book of 4th Nephi in the Book of Mormon, after Jesus Christ visits the inhabitants of ancient America, the Nephites, everyone is united and there is no enmity or hatred among any of the people in the land. The Lamanites and the Nephites who were two separate people who had enmity between each other, became united and they were no longer called by their names. In 4th Nephi 1:15-17 it says, “and it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people. And there were no envyings, nor tumults, no whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God. There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.” That is a powerful part of the Book of Mormon. I love that book! I know that it contains true principals and that the events described in it actually took place. It is God’s word along with the Bible. In the Bible, when Christ talks to his disciples in John 10:16. It says, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” Those people are the people in ancient America, who Christ visited after his resurrection. He gave his gospel not only to the Jews, but to his other followers in the world. I love both of those books. I knew the records that they contain are true.
Going back to what I was saying about reaching out to strangers and talking to them, I extend a challenge to everyone who read or will ever read this letter to talk to other people whenever you get the chance. As a representative of Jesus Christ who has the authority to preach the gospel, I promise that you will find more happiness than you could ever imagine, and that special experiences will await those who accept this challenge. You will have the ability to change lives and influence people for good, even if you don’t realize until way after the fact, or if you never see the people that you encounter again.
Wow! I have so much to say about what has happened this week and about what I have learned and I am already on page 10. That is not good. I don’t even know if I will have time to write everything I want to. I will just do my best, and that will be sufficient.
The Samoan district in our branch will be leaving this week. It will be strange with them gone. They are so loud around 9:40-10:10 time (night). The first week they were here, they would get an empty trash can, play a rhythm on it and have a dance off in the hallway. Their classroom is just next door to ours in the building we have class in too. They sing more in their language than we do. It depends on the teacher you have. However, there is a Tongan district that will come in next Wednesday. The Haitians and the Fijians will be the more experienced missionaries in the branch. Elder Afsasa from the Samoan district, who also has a brother in the same district, said that we are very mellow compared to the last group of Haitianaries that they had. We still joke around and are a little rowdy at times, but the Samoans are crazy compared to us. Our district is doing great. I heard that some of the companionships in the Samoan district had contention in the beginning of their MTC time. I heard that the previous Fijian group had missionaries who got in an argument with their companions and ran off and just walked around the MTC campus after curfew. One ran all the way to BYU campus before they came back. The missionaries spent a lot time looking for them.
There are a lot of native Samoans in the Samoan district. Most of them are not Caucasian. Their culture really comes out. They are so funny. They are definitely different than what I am used to. There was a time when a Samoan missionary walked into someone else’s room and they got into a fight and were punching and wrestling. They were really mad. The other missionaries broke it up, and within a few minutes they were best buddies again. That is just part of their culture. That is how they deal with their frustrations sometimes. But they are very awesome people though!
Elder Terry drew a picture of what he might have looked like in the premortal life. It was very well drawn. He draws funny pictures all of the time. He also drew a diagram of the plan of Salvation. I have many of his pictures on the memory card of my camera.
On Wednesday, we went to the TRC, the place where we go to practice introducing ourselves and setting up an appointment with a person playing as an investigator. We contacted someone named Andy. He went to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on his mission too. He was posing as a Catholic. We did another situation with him two weeks ago in the TRC. Afterwards, he told us that our Kreyol was so much better than the last time we taught him. We “contacted” Andy on a “bus” and we challenged him to read 3 Nephi 11 in the Book of Mormon. We did pretty well. I didn’t introduce the baptismal commitment very well though. I need to get better at that. We have learned so much in the language in the past 3 weeks! Fre Jean thinks we’re not making enough progress. Elder Terry is kind of irritated with him. Elder Terry was giving the Panse eseirityel (the spiritual thought) and he asked Fre jean if he was saying things correctly and Fre Jean just stared at him and wanted him to do it on his own without even correcting him. Fre Jean kind of drives me crazy sometimes. He has such high expectations and does so much that we can hardly keep up. He is an extremely good teacher though! I have learned so much from him. I don’t feel that he is as understanding though. I can relate better to Fre Nelson, who is 21 and got off the mission in March. He is extremely mature for his age though. I love both of them though! I couldn’t have gotten through the MTC this far without them.
On Sunday, we had a fireside where Jenny Oaks Baker, the daughter of Dallin H. Oaks, came and spoke to us. She is a famous violinist, and has played with dozens of groups and in famous places. She has played with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra .She has played at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall and a ton of other places. I would tell you more, but left the notebook that I used to take notes in the classroom last night. She had her nephew accompany her on the piano while she played the violin. She told a spiritual experience and then played a song. She used that pattern the whole time. She is an amazing woman with so many good insights and experiences. She started playing the violin at 4 years old and she is now one of the most renowned violinists in the country. She has several albums that have sold tons. Look her up. Elder Caldwell and I sat right behind the front row on the left side directly behind the piano. Elder Oaks came to see his daughter and grandson play. His grandson was standing in front of us and Elder Oaks came over, put his arm around him, and gave him a seat next to the rest of his family. It was such a good fireside!
On Tuesday, we had a fireside with Ronald T. Halverson. He is such a good speaker! His wife was also wonderful. I don’t have my notes with me right now though. Afterwards we had a meeting with the district where we told what our favorite parts of the fireside and what our insights were. We normally would have a branch presidency member with us, but we didn’t. It was just us. Elder Rybin wasn’t there because he was sick and Elder Major hit his head very hard against the wall while he was making his bed and he had a migraine headache. It is amazing that it all happened that way. We had a very powerful spiritual experience. We wouldn’t have shared all of the things we did if they had been there because Elder Rybin, as awesome as he is, is sometimes sarcastic, and we probably wouldn’t have been able to have had that experience. Elder Fenely took charge, which never happens, and he told us that he was thinking about D & C 11:21. It talks about how we must obtain the word of God before we can preach the word. He felt like he didn’t know it very well, even though he did before. He told us of his struggles in the MTC and everyone opened up and told of their struggles. After that experience, I realize that it is a miracle that we were all put in the same district, and that we all made it to the field. Everyone has to struggle to get where we are. Elder Terry made really good comments. As silly as he is, he is one of the most spiritual people I have ever met at our age. He said that when we are in our lowest valley, we just need to go a tiny bit further and around the corner will be the Savior there to rescue us. The rest is too sacred and personal for me to share, but it was a wonderful experience. If Elder Major was there, Elder Fenely wouldn’t have been in charge and wouldn’t have gotten up and told us how he felt. We had an amazing spiritual experience. I realized that everyone felt so inadequate. The Savior knows the end from the beginning, so he brought us all together. I wouldn’t still be here if it weren’t for them lifting me up.
Our district is very good! They are really goofy, and do so many silly things on a daily basis that I can’t even tell you half of the stories. There is so much to do in the MTC that I can’t keep up with it all. I can barely write in my journal. If worse comes to worse, this will be a great missionary history. Like someone said during our post devotional testimony meeting, “I just have to try my best and God will have to do everything else because I can’t do it all.” Actually, the missionaries are weak. We get our strength from God. 19 year old Elders couldn’t do this without help. What the church has accomplished is almost impossible, unless God is really in this work. And he is. Jesus Christ lives and he changes lives today! He knows all of his people, and he has a perfect knowledge of how to help us. Those are my final words in this letter. My purpose on this mission which I was called to serve is to invite people to come to Christ. These letters would be pointless if I didn’t do that. Christ has changed my life. I have felt his power lifting me up throughout my entire life in every aspect- school, drumline, dance, language, my friendships, my family , and in my spiritual welfare. I would have failed miserably without him. But I haven’t, so I know he lives. He is always there; you just need to know where to find him.
I love you so much. I will write you next week! Bye!
Love, Elder Seamons
Elder Seamons in front of the Provo Temple
Elder Caldwell and Elder Seamons, companions
6 of the 8 from Elder Seamons' District- The only two I am sure about
are Elder Loder, the blond guy on the left and Elder Terry, the one between Elder Loder and Eric. Eric's companion must be taking the picture and I am not sure where the 8th guy is.
Fre Nelson, one of the MTC teachers
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Thanks and Jumbo Marshmallows
e-mail July 15, 2010
I am having a great P-day! I am sorry that I took so long to write. I decided to do it later today when I had my church clothes on so that I could write in the Computer Lab in 7M, which is the building where we have class. I have already written 13 pages of a letter to you guys. I have more to say, and the mail has already come for the last time tonight, so I don't think you will get it for a day or so. My room doesn't seem to be as cold as it was before. Plus I am wearing socks at night. I haven't had any problems with that in the last few days. I am doing well. P-days go so fast though. I can't believe that it is almost over already.
Hi Aunt Laurie! I have been getting your packages. And I got Grandma's too! Thank you so much. I have really enjoyed the snacks and the cards that came with them. I haven't been writing to anyone else apart from the general letter that goes to everyone because I am so busy with studying and all of the other things that are going on in the MTC.
Thank you everyone who has written me so far! It is so nice to get letters of encouragement. I wouldn't have made it through the first week here if I hadn't been getting letters. I have seen so many people that I know at the MTC. I have seen at least twenty five to thirty people from my graduating class from Lone Peak High school. Plus I saw Sister Werner and Elder Moony who were both in my Chinese class at college. I also saw Elder Helvey and Elder Dressman, who were both from my graduating class and just got into the MTC yesterday. I have had so much support. The rest of the district is amazed at how many letters I have been getting. Many of their families and friends didn't write them for a while. I think that Heavenly Father knew how badly I needed support because I have received so much encouragement and have so many great people surrounding me here. He didn't want me to quit on him, so he gave me the strength and support to make it through. I hope to continue hearing from people. Thank you again.
Our district is so funny. Elder Loder got a bag of Jumbo marshmallows the other day, which are triple the size of a normal marshmallow. We put it in the microwave downstairs and it got huge! I also got a basketball hoop, which we hung up on the door. I was the first person to use it. I didn't let anyone else shoot until I made the first basket. Others then shot with it, and they got a jumbo marshmallow and tried to get that through the hoop. Then Elder Fenley started throwing it at Elder Loder, and they were chucking the marshmallow at each other. (This was two nights ago.) Elder Fenley was chasing Elder Loder down the hall and Elder loder fell and he continued throwing it at them. About a minute later, Brother Muir, from the branch presidency, came to check up on us. Luckily those guys had stopped before he came. That would have been really awkward if Brother Muir had seen that. Brother Muir gave us Article of Faith cards that were written in Haitian. It was so nice of him. They were so cool!
My new teacher is Fre Nelson. He got off of his mission in March. He went to Florida, Fort Lauderdale as well. He is very nice. I talked with him in Haitian for MDT time, while others were in the computer lab working on language stuff. He said that I was really good and that most missionaries would be lucky to get to the point I am in my language speaking ability now by the time the leave the MTC. I still have so much to learn though. It doesn't come as naturally as it should, and I need a larger vocabulary. Do Ether 12:27 as my scripture. I have so many favorite scriptures that I can't really think of one that I would like. But that has been one that I have liked for a while. I only have one minute left to write. I have a lot more in my other letter. It will be a long one. I am only half way through it
I love you so much! Bye!
Elder Seamons
I am having a great P-day! I am sorry that I took so long to write. I decided to do it later today when I had my church clothes on so that I could write in the Computer Lab in 7M, which is the building where we have class. I have already written 13 pages of a letter to you guys. I have more to say, and the mail has already come for the last time tonight, so I don't think you will get it for a day or so. My room doesn't seem to be as cold as it was before. Plus I am wearing socks at night. I haven't had any problems with that in the last few days. I am doing well. P-days go so fast though. I can't believe that it is almost over already.
Hi Aunt Laurie! I have been getting your packages. And I got Grandma's too! Thank you so much. I have really enjoyed the snacks and the cards that came with them. I haven't been writing to anyone else apart from the general letter that goes to everyone because I am so busy with studying and all of the other things that are going on in the MTC.
Thank you everyone who has written me so far! It is so nice to get letters of encouragement. I wouldn't have made it through the first week here if I hadn't been getting letters. I have seen so many people that I know at the MTC. I have seen at least twenty five to thirty people from my graduating class from Lone Peak High school. Plus I saw Sister Werner and Elder Moony who were both in my Chinese class at college. I also saw Elder Helvey and Elder Dressman, who were both from my graduating class and just got into the MTC yesterday. I have had so much support. The rest of the district is amazed at how many letters I have been getting. Many of their families and friends didn't write them for a while. I think that Heavenly Father knew how badly I needed support because I have received so much encouragement and have so many great people surrounding me here. He didn't want me to quit on him, so he gave me the strength and support to make it through. I hope to continue hearing from people. Thank you again.
Our district is so funny. Elder Loder got a bag of Jumbo marshmallows the other day, which are triple the size of a normal marshmallow. We put it in the microwave downstairs and it got huge! I also got a basketball hoop, which we hung up on the door. I was the first person to use it. I didn't let anyone else shoot until I made the first basket. Others then shot with it, and they got a jumbo marshmallow and tried to get that through the hoop. Then Elder Fenley started throwing it at Elder Loder, and they were chucking the marshmallow at each other. (This was two nights ago.) Elder Fenley was chasing Elder Loder down the hall and Elder loder fell and he continued throwing it at them. About a minute later, Brother Muir, from the branch presidency, came to check up on us. Luckily those guys had stopped before he came. That would have been really awkward if Brother Muir had seen that. Brother Muir gave us Article of Faith cards that were written in Haitian. It was so nice of him. They were so cool!
My new teacher is Fre Nelson. He got off of his mission in March. He went to Florida, Fort Lauderdale as well. He is very nice. I talked with him in Haitian for MDT time, while others were in the computer lab working on language stuff. He said that I was really good and that most missionaries would be lucky to get to the point I am in my language speaking ability now by the time the leave the MTC. I still have so much to learn though. It doesn't come as naturally as it should, and I need a larger vocabulary. Do Ether 12:27 as my scripture. I have so many favorite scriptures that I can't really think of one that I would like. But that has been one that I have liked for a while. I only have one minute left to write. I have a lot more in my other letter. It will be a long one. I am only half way through it
I love you so much! Bye!
Elder Seamons
Monday, July 12, 2010
The Bertassos, the Prompting and Elder Hale, Running and the Atonement, and Bear Boy
Snail mail letter sent July 9, 2010
Dear Family and Friends,
It has been two weeks since I arrived at the MTC. The first week went by so slowly. This week went by so much faster. A lot has happened!
One missionary, Elder Fuluvaka, who was a missionary from the Haitian group, said that time doesn’t matter here. In a way, that is true. Daily time matters a lot, but every day feels exactly the same. I can’t remember what day I did what. I realize I need to take a small note pad with me everywhere.
On Sunday, we had mission conference. The MTC presidency members and their wives spoke. There are very good devotionals in the MTC! They happen on a weekly basis.
Sister Bertasso talked about gifts of the spirit. You need to discover what gifts you have received from the Holy Ghost. Some of them are kindness, discerning the needs of others around you, the gift of tongues (not speaking a language without doing anything, but an increased capacity to learn a language). You may not always feel like you have it, because God wants us to struggle so that we can learn and grow, but we do have it. God is willing to give you anything that is according to his will, which we ask for in sincerity and faith. We don’t always feel like God answers our prayers, but he does. We are just expecting the wrong answer. We may also be praying for the wrong thing or something which God won’t give us at the time. There are so many things he is willing to give us. We just need to pray for inspiration and spiritual guidance to know what to pray for. (D & C 46:30)
I know I have received spiritual gifts in my life. I prayed for the gift of tongues when I was a junior in high school before the school year started, and I was blessed. Throughout my life, I have had a ton of struggles. I know that God lives and that Jesus Christ is my savior just by the fact that I am here at the MTC and I am doing as well as I am.
Brother Bertasso talked about teaching by the spirit. He said that the spirit can guide our teaching by putting thoughts and ideas into our head, even though they may feel like our own thoughts. Using the scriptures is also a powerful teaching tool, especially the Book of Mormon. I have used scriptures and have ended up confusing people more, but the spirit can help you know what scriptures to use as you practice. Just pray for the spirit, study the scriptures and PMG (Preach My gospel) and have faith. You will mess up a lot before you become a good teacher.
[Note from Mom- Update- The Bertassos Eric speaks of were people we knew in Pittsburgh. I think Eric was only 9 years old when we moved away from there, so he doesn't remember but I will see if I can get him to answer that question in his letter tomorrow. Kathy Bertasso says she can't believe Eric is that old.]
I have noticed that the best teaching moments we have had, Elder Caldwell and I, were when we used a verse, and then testified, speaking from the heart. Don’t ever be afraid of doing that. I stumble over my words, and I am not very good at showing the message, but when I told how I felt, the words felt so much more powerful, even if they weren’t always perfectly placed.
I have a notebook with all of my MTC devotionals/fireside notes in it, which will be a more specific record about what I was taught at the MTC.
I have been trying my best to talk to missionaries who I am sitting next to before a devotional. I have gone out of my way to talk to other missionaries. I have seen so many people I already know here too. I saw Elder Ogden, a friend of mine from when I was 9-12 years old. He moved down to Richfield, Utah after our 6th grade year together. I miss hanging out with him. I have so many memories of him and Elder Spear (a friend from my home stake who left the MTC on Monday for New York, New York South mission). I will always cherish those memories.
Hi Kendall! I am glad that you got your mission call, Spanish Speaking. You will be a great missionary. There are so many great resources at the MTC. There is no better place or circumstances in the world for learning languages. The FBI has come to the MTC and tried to figure out how missionaries learn so quickly, but they couldn’t. The Lord places people in very awkward, uncomfortable situations. I know. He has done that with me. At the MTC, I have felt hopelessly downtrodden and weak. I have been pushed to my limits here. To be a good missionary, you have to realize the full extent of your weakness compared to God. We are very weak. But we are worth everything in His eyes. He won’t suffer those who go unto him and love him to fail.
I saw my mission president’s son here at the MTC while exiting the gym after the mission conference meeting we had. It is a cool story. I was thinking about what the speaker said about missionaries. They have to be missionaries, not only to those who aren’t members of our church, but also to other members, and to other missionaries. We need to be loving and talk to everyone. I have the desire to share everything I have with people, but I am afraid to get out of my comfort zone and be friendly and share my testimony. I saw a missionary in a tan suit next to me as we were exiting from the meeting. I had the feeling that I should talk to him. At first, I thought it would be random and out of the blue, but I decided to talk to him anyway. His name was Elder Janes. I told him that I was going to Florida, Fort Lauderdale- Haitian Creole speaking. He looked excited and said, “No way! My companion is the son of your mission president and wife.” He then pointed back a little way down the line, where Elder Hale was. They were both going to El Salvador, Spanish speaking. I talked to him. I told him that I knew the Halsteds, who are in our ward (Barry Halsted was best friends with my mission president, President Hale). He says hi (to the Halsteds). I was so glad to have the opportunity to talk to him. That happened because I listened to the feeling I had to say hi and talk to him. Heavenly Father is starting to get me to recognize promptings. I have heard so many talks about spiritual promptings. When I was set apart as a missionary, my stake president said that I would be led by the spirit on my mission, which feeling I hadn’t previously experienced. I hope with all my heart that I will be led by the spirit, and that I will know to recognize a prompting when I need to in order to find people.
I love gym time! The gym was closed for the first few days of me being at the MTC because of all of the new mission presidents being in orientation meetings. Because of that, half of the cafeteria was closed off, so the lines were huge. But now that area is a lot less congested. There is so much space now. I love the MTC food! There aren’t quite as many choices as the Canon Center at BYU, but it is good. They have ice cream from the BYU creamery on Wednesdays and Sundays. I don’t drink anything other than water, though. I have two cups of water for every meal. I used to be a lot more dehydrated. I can tell the difference now. I also have a salad every meal, which I didn’t do before. I want to eat better than I have in the past.
I am currently sitting in 11M, which is the building where the immunizations are done. My companion, Elder Caldwell, is getting a hepatitis A shot, because his mom didn’t have a record of him ever getting it. I am sitting behind a group of Chinese missionaries and in front of a group of Spanish missionaries, who are all waiting in a room for their companions to get shots or finish showing people their records. I understand what words they are practicing. [Eric has spoken Spanish for 8 years and Chinese for 2 years]
Anyway, I was going to tell you about gym time. You are only allowed to go during your scheduled times, so we don’t have gym on p-day. I would exercise, but there is so much to do. It takes me forever to do laundry, write and sleep and take a nap. I have noticed that taking naps doesn’t help me here at the MTC. I think so much about everything that I have to do, and about the dreaded moment when my nap will be over, that I end up laying awake thinking about it for a long time. I need to just to work, no matter how tired I am. I have noticed that when I am focused on something else, that I am not tired anymore after a while.
So for gym time, you can go either to the gym in the building 19M where devotionals, priesthood meetings, and firesides are also held or you can go to the field. We have been going over to the gym lately. They have four square, which you have to wait in line for, basketball, which only the first six people to get a shot in a line of people get to play, since there are so many people. There are about 100 in the gym at any time- maybe more. I am not sure. Then there is volleyball, which there is a rotation for too. I have gone up to the floor where there is a track. 10 laps is a mile. I have run 10 laps for 2-3 different days. Then I ran one and a half miles yesterday, this time with Elder Smith, who is Elder Major’s companion (our district leader). My mouth was so dry and the veins in my neck were throbbing. I could hear it inside my head. I was so tired. I will do it again on Friday. I hope to get to a 3 mile run by the end of my MTC time. I also do 30 sit ups a day. I moved it to 35 yesterday. I barely had the strength to finish. I have also been doing 15 pushups a day, making sure that I touch my nose to the ground. I did pull-ups for a day or so. There is a pull up bar in our hallway in the residence, so I had it as a goal to do five a day. I need to add that into my goals too. I will do that at night when we get back from the class room.
The exertion of it is so tiring. Thinking that I will do that again the next day and be that tired is a scary thought. I have felt that way so much in the past two weeks. I don’t like teaching because it is so difficult for me. The language is the easy part for me. I have to teach and there is no end in sight for that. I think of the atonement every time I run. It is very tiring, and it feels like it will never end. But Christ felt so much more pain than I ever have. He was uncomfortable in every way possible. Yet he didn’t quit. Anyone else would have. The love he had for us and the image of our faces in his mind was the only thing keeping him going. He needed us and our encouragement to complete that task. I hope that I can be that loving some day.
I am reasonably happy here now, though I still get distraught over my poor planning skills, which is a big deal in the mission. I also have difficulty being very effective in personal study. It also takes me forever to get ready and to prepare myself for the day. I am adjusting and I am doing decently, but I still am focused on myself a lot. I am worried about whether I will succeed as a teacher. I love being with people, and I want to treat them well, but I get impatient if I have to wait for Elder Caldwell if he is eating after I am finished, and I get jealous when people are doing better at something. I want my happiness to be based on others, not on myself.
I want to have the love of a parent- of my parents. My parents have worked tirelessly to help me and to support my family. That is possibly just as hard as a mission in many ways. You have so many things to do in the daily schedule that it is nearly impossible to keep up. I have been physically exhausted out here at times. But I need to remember that no matter how tired my parents are, they will push forward and forget about that in order to help my brother, my sister, and I. That is what I want to feel. I have been holding the door often for people, complimenting people on things I think they did well, and other things. I do them, but then I feel that I do them because I want to be righteous, not always because I love those around me. I think my district is awesome, but I feel that I am still more concerned for my welfare. I read Moroni 7:48,
“Wherefore my beloved brethren, Pray unto the Father with all energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his son, Jesus Christ….”
I pray that he will bless me for my efforts. He has never failed me before, and he won’t fail me now.
It is around 7 pm. Our other teacher, Fre Nelson was supposed to be teaching us, but he was in a meeting for 45 minutes, so we had MDT (missionary directed time). P-day ends at 6:15 when class begins. Elder Caldwell and I just finished doing a teaching appointment with Pita (Brother Payne). He said that he read the Book of Mormon, but that he didn’t understand it. We went through a passage in the introduction and gave Moroni’s promise to read. In a previous lesson, he told us that he was already baptized in the Catholic Church. We told him that it was great that he believed in Jesus Christ and in being baptized, but that it wasn’t valid because it wasn’t done with God’s authority. I have learned a lot about teaching these past two weeks. It is good to tell and testify, especially when it is done with sincerity. But you also need to ask them questions about why something would be important to them. A teaching appointment should be more like a guided conversation, with you asking questions that will help them understand. You should not teach the lesson, you should teach the person. That is what our Haitian teacher, Fre Jean said. You shouldn’t teach just to get through the material. You should get someone to understand. That is much more important. Preach My Gospel, which is a guide to help people teach the doctrine of Jesus Christ more effectively; it is meant to be flexible. It is just a tool yet a very powerful one. God wants his children to understand the message and do something about it, not just hear it. In the first vision in Spanish and Haitian Creole, it literally is translated as “listen to him” instead of “hear him”. (hear him in English, referring to Jesus Christ). We need to listen to the message and pay attention, not just be in the room hearing something. Hearing is passive. Listening is active. That is one of the wonderful insights that other languages can give you in understanding life and especially the gospel.
Right now, Elder Terry is drawing cartoons on the board. He is a very good artist, and he wants to make that his profession. I can’t remember what specifically he wants to do with that. He has a character named Bear Boy, which is him in a bear suit with a superman cape. He also draws things that we ask him to draw. All of this stuff is during MDT (missionary directed time). During our district meeting after mission conference on Sunday, we had one of our goals that we would not lose focus during our personal/companionship study time. Elder Major (our district leader) put Elder Terry in charge of being accountable for keeping us focused and making sure we are on task, since he is one of the main instigators of our tangents and diversions. I just realized that Fre Nelson isn’t in the classroom because he is interviewing members of our district, not because he is in a meeting. I thought that our district members were not here because they were teaching Brother Payne a lesson.
There is something very funny that just happened. For background information, there is this spray brand called “Glade” that Fre Jean uses in the classroom. Elder Terry and Elder Fenley have gotten into the habit of spraying it all of the time. I am so sick of that smell already and it has only been two weeks. Elder Loder decided to get that spray (the scent is country garden) for our apartment. It is a strong scent. Anyway, Elder Loder was spraying it under Elder Smith’s arm pit, but he accidentally missed and sprayed it in his face a little. Elder Smith was coughing and laughing at the same time. Elder Loder felt bad, but was laughing too. They get so distracted sometimes, but I love my district. They are all really good missionaries! Elder Major is awesome. He is always making sure that everyone is on time, and he comes up with great spiritual language activities to help us come together as a district. We have been reading the Book of Mormon after lunch in Creole, as a group. We go around in a circle. Each person reads a verse in English and then a verse in Haitian Creole. We read 1 Nephi chapters 1-3 together. I am learning so much Creole.
[Note from Mom- Eric has always had some entertaining friends, so I am so glad for Elder Terry and the others who lighten things up for him. You spend so much concentrated time studying that you would go crazy without something lighter to think about.]
I just got out of an interview with Fre Nelson [new teacher]. He got here on Tuesday. He just returned from a vacation in Florida. He went to Florida, Fort Lauderdale-Haitian Creole speaking for his mission. He visited places and people from his mission and he also saw President and Sister Hale again. He said that he was blown out of the water by how well we spoke Creole after two weeks. He is excited to have our district. It is a good district!
I have so much more to say, but this is good enough for now.
This has been an amazing experience. I can feel your prayers and the power of my calling. I know that Jesus Christ watches out for us and that the message I am called to teach is true. I wouldn’t still be here if it wasn’t. I have felt the power of the gospel in my life. I have many rough days ahead of me, and I will probably cry a lot by the time my mission is over, but I know that He will help me and get me though this, and help me find the people who need Jesus Christ in their lives. He did not send me here to fail, and he won’t let that happen.
I need to plan with Elder Caldwell for tomorrow. I will write to you next week. Bye!
Love,
Elder Seamons
Dear Family and Friends,
It has been two weeks since I arrived at the MTC. The first week went by so slowly. This week went by so much faster. A lot has happened!
One missionary, Elder Fuluvaka, who was a missionary from the Haitian group, said that time doesn’t matter here. In a way, that is true. Daily time matters a lot, but every day feels exactly the same. I can’t remember what day I did what. I realize I need to take a small note pad with me everywhere.
On Sunday, we had mission conference. The MTC presidency members and their wives spoke. There are very good devotionals in the MTC! They happen on a weekly basis.
Sister Bertasso talked about gifts of the spirit. You need to discover what gifts you have received from the Holy Ghost. Some of them are kindness, discerning the needs of others around you, the gift of tongues (not speaking a language without doing anything, but an increased capacity to learn a language). You may not always feel like you have it, because God wants us to struggle so that we can learn and grow, but we do have it. God is willing to give you anything that is according to his will, which we ask for in sincerity and faith. We don’t always feel like God answers our prayers, but he does. We are just expecting the wrong answer. We may also be praying for the wrong thing or something which God won’t give us at the time. There are so many things he is willing to give us. We just need to pray for inspiration and spiritual guidance to know what to pray for. (D & C 46:30)
I know I have received spiritual gifts in my life. I prayed for the gift of tongues when I was a junior in high school before the school year started, and I was blessed. Throughout my life, I have had a ton of struggles. I know that God lives and that Jesus Christ is my savior just by the fact that I am here at the MTC and I am doing as well as I am.
Brother Bertasso talked about teaching by the spirit. He said that the spirit can guide our teaching by putting thoughts and ideas into our head, even though they may feel like our own thoughts. Using the scriptures is also a powerful teaching tool, especially the Book of Mormon. I have used scriptures and have ended up confusing people more, but the spirit can help you know what scriptures to use as you practice. Just pray for the spirit, study the scriptures and PMG (Preach My gospel) and have faith. You will mess up a lot before you become a good teacher.
[Note from Mom- Update- The Bertassos Eric speaks of were people we knew in Pittsburgh. I think Eric was only 9 years old when we moved away from there, so he doesn't remember but I will see if I can get him to answer that question in his letter tomorrow. Kathy Bertasso says she can't believe Eric is that old.]
I have noticed that the best teaching moments we have had, Elder Caldwell and I, were when we used a verse, and then testified, speaking from the heart. Don’t ever be afraid of doing that. I stumble over my words, and I am not very good at showing the message, but when I told how I felt, the words felt so much more powerful, even if they weren’t always perfectly placed.
I have a notebook with all of my MTC devotionals/fireside notes in it, which will be a more specific record about what I was taught at the MTC.
I have been trying my best to talk to missionaries who I am sitting next to before a devotional. I have gone out of my way to talk to other missionaries. I have seen so many people I already know here too. I saw Elder Ogden, a friend of mine from when I was 9-12 years old. He moved down to Richfield, Utah after our 6th grade year together. I miss hanging out with him. I have so many memories of him and Elder Spear (a friend from my home stake who left the MTC on Monday for New York, New York South mission). I will always cherish those memories.
Hi Kendall! I am glad that you got your mission call, Spanish Speaking. You will be a great missionary. There are so many great resources at the MTC. There is no better place or circumstances in the world for learning languages. The FBI has come to the MTC and tried to figure out how missionaries learn so quickly, but they couldn’t. The Lord places people in very awkward, uncomfortable situations. I know. He has done that with me. At the MTC, I have felt hopelessly downtrodden and weak. I have been pushed to my limits here. To be a good missionary, you have to realize the full extent of your weakness compared to God. We are very weak. But we are worth everything in His eyes. He won’t suffer those who go unto him and love him to fail.
I saw my mission president’s son here at the MTC while exiting the gym after the mission conference meeting we had. It is a cool story. I was thinking about what the speaker said about missionaries. They have to be missionaries, not only to those who aren’t members of our church, but also to other members, and to other missionaries. We need to be loving and talk to everyone. I have the desire to share everything I have with people, but I am afraid to get out of my comfort zone and be friendly and share my testimony. I saw a missionary in a tan suit next to me as we were exiting from the meeting. I had the feeling that I should talk to him. At first, I thought it would be random and out of the blue, but I decided to talk to him anyway. His name was Elder Janes. I told him that I was going to Florida, Fort Lauderdale- Haitian Creole speaking. He looked excited and said, “No way! My companion is the son of your mission president and wife.” He then pointed back a little way down the line, where Elder Hale was. They were both going to El Salvador, Spanish speaking. I talked to him. I told him that I knew the Halsteds, who are in our ward (Barry Halsted was best friends with my mission president, President Hale). He says hi (to the Halsteds). I was so glad to have the opportunity to talk to him. That happened because I listened to the feeling I had to say hi and talk to him. Heavenly Father is starting to get me to recognize promptings. I have heard so many talks about spiritual promptings. When I was set apart as a missionary, my stake president said that I would be led by the spirit on my mission, which feeling I hadn’t previously experienced. I hope with all my heart that I will be led by the spirit, and that I will know to recognize a prompting when I need to in order to find people.
I love gym time! The gym was closed for the first few days of me being at the MTC because of all of the new mission presidents being in orientation meetings. Because of that, half of the cafeteria was closed off, so the lines were huge. But now that area is a lot less congested. There is so much space now. I love the MTC food! There aren’t quite as many choices as the Canon Center at BYU, but it is good. They have ice cream from the BYU creamery on Wednesdays and Sundays. I don’t drink anything other than water, though. I have two cups of water for every meal. I used to be a lot more dehydrated. I can tell the difference now. I also have a salad every meal, which I didn’t do before. I want to eat better than I have in the past.
I am currently sitting in 11M, which is the building where the immunizations are done. My companion, Elder Caldwell, is getting a hepatitis A shot, because his mom didn’t have a record of him ever getting it. I am sitting behind a group of Chinese missionaries and in front of a group of Spanish missionaries, who are all waiting in a room for their companions to get shots or finish showing people their records. I understand what words they are practicing. [Eric has spoken Spanish for 8 years and Chinese for 2 years]
Anyway, I was going to tell you about gym time. You are only allowed to go during your scheduled times, so we don’t have gym on p-day. I would exercise, but there is so much to do. It takes me forever to do laundry, write and sleep and take a nap. I have noticed that taking naps doesn’t help me here at the MTC. I think so much about everything that I have to do, and about the dreaded moment when my nap will be over, that I end up laying awake thinking about it for a long time. I need to just to work, no matter how tired I am. I have noticed that when I am focused on something else, that I am not tired anymore after a while.
So for gym time, you can go either to the gym in the building 19M where devotionals, priesthood meetings, and firesides are also held or you can go to the field. We have been going over to the gym lately. They have four square, which you have to wait in line for, basketball, which only the first six people to get a shot in a line of people get to play, since there are so many people. There are about 100 in the gym at any time- maybe more. I am not sure. Then there is volleyball, which there is a rotation for too. I have gone up to the floor where there is a track. 10 laps is a mile. I have run 10 laps for 2-3 different days. Then I ran one and a half miles yesterday, this time with Elder Smith, who is Elder Major’s companion (our district leader). My mouth was so dry and the veins in my neck were throbbing. I could hear it inside my head. I was so tired. I will do it again on Friday. I hope to get to a 3 mile run by the end of my MTC time. I also do 30 sit ups a day. I moved it to 35 yesterday. I barely had the strength to finish. I have also been doing 15 pushups a day, making sure that I touch my nose to the ground. I did pull-ups for a day or so. There is a pull up bar in our hallway in the residence, so I had it as a goal to do five a day. I need to add that into my goals too. I will do that at night when we get back from the class room.
The exertion of it is so tiring. Thinking that I will do that again the next day and be that tired is a scary thought. I have felt that way so much in the past two weeks. I don’t like teaching because it is so difficult for me. The language is the easy part for me. I have to teach and there is no end in sight for that. I think of the atonement every time I run. It is very tiring, and it feels like it will never end. But Christ felt so much more pain than I ever have. He was uncomfortable in every way possible. Yet he didn’t quit. Anyone else would have. The love he had for us and the image of our faces in his mind was the only thing keeping him going. He needed us and our encouragement to complete that task. I hope that I can be that loving some day.
I am reasonably happy here now, though I still get distraught over my poor planning skills, which is a big deal in the mission. I also have difficulty being very effective in personal study. It also takes me forever to get ready and to prepare myself for the day. I am adjusting and I am doing decently, but I still am focused on myself a lot. I am worried about whether I will succeed as a teacher. I love being with people, and I want to treat them well, but I get impatient if I have to wait for Elder Caldwell if he is eating after I am finished, and I get jealous when people are doing better at something. I want my happiness to be based on others, not on myself.
I want to have the love of a parent- of my parents. My parents have worked tirelessly to help me and to support my family. That is possibly just as hard as a mission in many ways. You have so many things to do in the daily schedule that it is nearly impossible to keep up. I have been physically exhausted out here at times. But I need to remember that no matter how tired my parents are, they will push forward and forget about that in order to help my brother, my sister, and I. That is what I want to feel. I have been holding the door often for people, complimenting people on things I think they did well, and other things. I do them, but then I feel that I do them because I want to be righteous, not always because I love those around me. I think my district is awesome, but I feel that I am still more concerned for my welfare. I read Moroni 7:48,
“Wherefore my beloved brethren, Pray unto the Father with all energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his son, Jesus Christ….”
I pray that he will bless me for my efforts. He has never failed me before, and he won’t fail me now.
It is around 7 pm. Our other teacher, Fre Nelson was supposed to be teaching us, but he was in a meeting for 45 minutes, so we had MDT (missionary directed time). P-day ends at 6:15 when class begins. Elder Caldwell and I just finished doing a teaching appointment with Pita (Brother Payne). He said that he read the Book of Mormon, but that he didn’t understand it. We went through a passage in the introduction and gave Moroni’s promise to read. In a previous lesson, he told us that he was already baptized in the Catholic Church. We told him that it was great that he believed in Jesus Christ and in being baptized, but that it wasn’t valid because it wasn’t done with God’s authority. I have learned a lot about teaching these past two weeks. It is good to tell and testify, especially when it is done with sincerity. But you also need to ask them questions about why something would be important to them. A teaching appointment should be more like a guided conversation, with you asking questions that will help them understand. You should not teach the lesson, you should teach the person. That is what our Haitian teacher, Fre Jean said. You shouldn’t teach just to get through the material. You should get someone to understand. That is much more important. Preach My Gospel, which is a guide to help people teach the doctrine of Jesus Christ more effectively; it is meant to be flexible. It is just a tool yet a very powerful one. God wants his children to understand the message and do something about it, not just hear it. In the first vision in Spanish and Haitian Creole, it literally is translated as “listen to him” instead of “hear him”. (hear him in English, referring to Jesus Christ). We need to listen to the message and pay attention, not just be in the room hearing something. Hearing is passive. Listening is active. That is one of the wonderful insights that other languages can give you in understanding life and especially the gospel.
Right now, Elder Terry is drawing cartoons on the board. He is a very good artist, and he wants to make that his profession. I can’t remember what specifically he wants to do with that. He has a character named Bear Boy, which is him in a bear suit with a superman cape. He also draws things that we ask him to draw. All of this stuff is during MDT (missionary directed time). During our district meeting after mission conference on Sunday, we had one of our goals that we would not lose focus during our personal/companionship study time. Elder Major (our district leader) put Elder Terry in charge of being accountable for keeping us focused and making sure we are on task, since he is one of the main instigators of our tangents and diversions. I just realized that Fre Nelson isn’t in the classroom because he is interviewing members of our district, not because he is in a meeting. I thought that our district members were not here because they were teaching Brother Payne a lesson.
There is something very funny that just happened. For background information, there is this spray brand called “Glade” that Fre Jean uses in the classroom. Elder Terry and Elder Fenley have gotten into the habit of spraying it all of the time. I am so sick of that smell already and it has only been two weeks. Elder Loder decided to get that spray (the scent is country garden) for our apartment. It is a strong scent. Anyway, Elder Loder was spraying it under Elder Smith’s arm pit, but he accidentally missed and sprayed it in his face a little. Elder Smith was coughing and laughing at the same time. Elder Loder felt bad, but was laughing too. They get so distracted sometimes, but I love my district. They are all really good missionaries! Elder Major is awesome. He is always making sure that everyone is on time, and he comes up with great spiritual language activities to help us come together as a district. We have been reading the Book of Mormon after lunch in Creole, as a group. We go around in a circle. Each person reads a verse in English and then a verse in Haitian Creole. We read 1 Nephi chapters 1-3 together. I am learning so much Creole.
[Note from Mom- Eric has always had some entertaining friends, so I am so glad for Elder Terry and the others who lighten things up for him. You spend so much concentrated time studying that you would go crazy without something lighter to think about.]
I just got out of an interview with Fre Nelson [new teacher]. He got here on Tuesday. He just returned from a vacation in Florida. He went to Florida, Fort Lauderdale-Haitian Creole speaking for his mission. He visited places and people from his mission and he also saw President and Sister Hale again. He said that he was blown out of the water by how well we spoke Creole after two weeks. He is excited to have our district. It is a good district!
I have so much more to say, but this is good enough for now.
This has been an amazing experience. I can feel your prayers and the power of my calling. I know that Jesus Christ watches out for us and that the message I am called to teach is true. I wouldn’t still be here if it wasn’t. I have felt the power of the gospel in my life. I have many rough days ahead of me, and I will probably cry a lot by the time my mission is over, but I know that He will help me and get me though this, and help me find the people who need Jesus Christ in their lives. He did not send me here to fail, and he won’t let that happen.
I need to plan with Elder Caldwell for tomorrow. I will write to you next week. Bye!
Love,
Elder Seamons
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Elder Seamons Live- a video of him yesterday
One of our neighbors works in the missionary department. He was down at the MTC on business yesterday and said hi to Elder Seamons, just to check how he was doing. He took a quick video on his cell phone. You can tell Eric is nervous being on camera, but he looks good.
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