This letter should be a little more formal than last weeks. I actually have time to write it now! My apologies, again, for the shortness of the last one, I will do my best to make up for it :)
This week was really good. We had one of our investigators come to church! We were so happy! I have learned, this past week, about the importance of teaching people, not lessons. During our meeting with one of our investigators, we were following up on his Book of Mormon reading. He said he had not read it. We focused our visit primarily on the importance of reading the Book of Mormon. By asking him questions, we found out why he had not read it, what he was expecting for an answer, and how we could best help him. We met with him again, 3 days later, he read the first six chapters. Just powered through it. It was interesting, we were planning a lesson for him that morning and I had no idea what we would teach him, I had a stupor of thought. I turned to E. Holtz and said, "I will be honest, I have no idea what to teach him or have the lesson be on, what do you think we should do?". Holtz thought for a second, "Faith" he answers, "ok, we will teach on Faith". I prepared some scripture references and a basic lesson outline plan and it ended up being a great lesson. At the end of it, our investigator asked "why did you choose this topic?", "it was all this guy right here" I said, turning to Holtz. He explained that he just felt he needed this and how to help strengthen his faith. "It was exactly what I needed" he replied. I am very grateful we spread the gospel two by two. Although Holtz is a trainee, he is still a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So long as you do your part by being obedient and remaining worthy to recieve revelation through the spirit, everything else will fall into place. Heavenly Father is very aware of what is going on.
Mission is going great, absolutely loving it! At times, training can be a little stressful, but then I take a step back and remember where I was at that point in time and soon am humbled by that. We went on exchanges last week. E. Williams came into our area with me and Holtz went into the other companionships area. Williams is a total Yellow, so you can imagine how the exchange went. He talks all-the-time, not that I did not like or irriated me, I was just.....amazed. We had studies....well, TRIED to have studies, but he talked, literally, the whole time, even during personal study. I was trying to read Jesus the Christ, and I would stop reading and just watch him talk, thinking to myself, "how can he elaborate for so long on one thing?". It was such a fun exchange tho, I am not talking him down in anyway, I loved every second of it, we laughed so hard at times that our abs were killing us! We joked that, if we served together, by the end of the transfer, we would have six packs, cuz we laughed so hard. It was so much fun!
Thank you everyone for the letters and e-mails. I love you!!
Love,
Elder Hartman
Questions from Mom:
1. What did u have an interview about last week with sister Beesley for?
It was just to see how E. Holtz is doing, they are doing it with all trainees this transfer.
2. Anything new this week?
Ummmmmmm, I don't think so.....haha
3. How do u like training?
It is good, kinda stressful at times, mainly because I keep forgetting he does not know/have the little habits that you develop as a missionary.
4. what r u doing today for pday?
Running errands, having lunch with some other Elders, then playing basketball :)
5. How is your branch doing? Do u still go to both branches? Which do u like better? How big r they?
The wards are doing great. Yes, we go to both. I do not like one or the other better, I try not to play favorites :) YSA is pretty small, about 20 come every Sunday. Klatt is big, roughly 100 maybe come every Sunday?
6. Tell us a little about elder holtzs.
He has a girlfriend waiting for him at home. He likes video games. He is a huge White.
7. Did u clean up your desk yet? :)
Hahahaha..................no :)
8. How are you feeling physically? Mentally?
Doing great, tired a lot, but that is a normal missionary thing. I still get headaches every day, but medicine is wonderful :)
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