Alright, so it's been a super awesome week. On Tuesday, Elder Richard G Scott came to talk and it was so awesome. He spoke abput the companionship of the holy ghost and how important it is to missionary work and to life. It was also really cool because he had the main points of his talk written out and printed up for everyone in order to limit the notes we'd be taking to just our spiritual impressions. Then he bestowed an apostolic blessing upon all of us that we would all have the confidence in and through the Spirit to be bold representatives of jesus Christ, that we would all be blessed with the gift of tongues as we study and pray, and that we'll be able to retain the things we learn on our mission, not only the language but all of the spiritual lessons as well. He then closed by bearing testimony, not as Elder Scott, but as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ that "Jesus Christ lives. He is a personage of perfect love. He is our redeemer. He is our intermediary with the father. I love Him. I solemnly declare that He lives. I know that He lives because I know Him."
The most amazing part was the number of elders who still couldn't maintain their reverence during a meeting like that. We got in trouble because a bunch of missionaries were taking pictures during the meeting. Anyways, it was awesome. Then it snowed. Pretty much the best day ever.
Also, my whole district got changed up because of people leaving early and moving to other MTCs, so now i have a new companion named Elder Jones, though i still room with Elder Flake too.
Elder Jones and I decided to take on the toughest challenge the MTC has to offer. Daniel Limon. He's a guy who works here as an investigator. there are a bunch of teachers you can practice teaching with, and they'll help you and give you feedback, but he's basically real. As soon as he steps onto MTC campus he's in character as himself before the he got baptized. He was also a difficult convert who took some very effective, dedicated missionaries and a whole ton of the spirit to get to church. So yeah, he doesn't even break character talking to other teachers. He speaks Spanish and English. Now we have one or two appointments a week with him until we leave. We spoke with him yesterday, us and him fluctuating between Spanish and English the whole time.
It was actually really cool. We were outside his "apartment" waiting and praying and getting ready, when he walked by, and asked us if we were Mormons. We said yes and he let us walk with him to his door, where he told us he had about five minutes until some friends were coming over. It was funny because we left then just went right back because we were the "friends" and he just didn't realize, but he didn't even miss a beat... Anyways, we started ten minutes early and ended up going fifteen minutes over our time and never got past telling him that God is our loving heavenly father. Long story short, we spent the whole time testifying and getting to know him, and we read a little from the scriptures, and the Spirit was super strong the whole time, but he wouldn't agree that we were literally children of God because he said that brings God down, and wouldn't agree to pray because he tried once five years ago when his mom and brother died, to get one more chance to see them, and didn't feel he recieved an answer, or that God really cares about little, insignificant people. i told him that we were the answer to his prayer, and that that was our message, that we can be with our families again, forever, and that God loves each one of us individually and personally. he said it sounded nice, but he couldn't believe it. he'd seen no evidence of it hiimself, and that we were five years too late, he no longer has thae hope. he said we could come back, but he won't pray because all that's done is hurt him. So yeah. it was intense. anyways, that's basically all my time. Oh, also, my name means "Son of Lightning." The armenian elders told me.
Tell grandma and grandpa thanks so much for the cookies and tie, they were super super nice :) and thanks for the pictures you sent. I also still need addresses. so yeah. everything is going well.
Elder Katzakian
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