Aug 16, 2013 The Love of God

Olá meus amigos!

 

Tudo bem? Eu estou amando a CTM! A missão é dificil trabalho mas ela é muito aterrador. Okay that's enough Portuguese for now, the real thing to say is HOLY WOW! I've been a misionary for 10 days now and it feels like I just got here yesterday. So much has happened I don't know where to begin. Well for starters I should say who my very first companion is. His name is Elder McKinlay and he is most recently from Omaha but he grew up in Chicago and Louisville. He is a pretty sweet companion too, we are bonding well and we teach well together. Speaking of teaching, on my third day here we had to teach a lesson! Ahh it was so nerve racking because we could only speak in Portuguese! Não falando inglés, somente português! That's pretty much how everything works here at the MTC. The quickest way to fluency is to speak it all the time. I've gotten to the point where I can pray, bear testimony and hold basic (muito muito básico) conversations in portuguese.

 

Speaking of learning, I have learned so much in just a week it is amazing. I have learned more about myself and who I am, as well as more about the gospel than any point in my life. The first few days here was a very trying time for me. When I got here I was instantly humbled. I felt that all I needed to do here was learn a language and that was it. Boy was I wrong! I was shown that before I can bring others to the knowledge of the restored gospel I have to be truly converted to it myself. One of the biggest things stressed here at the MTC is that you have to feel and tech by the Spirit or you will not be successful in bringing people to Christ. This was difficult for me. I had never really had a huge spiritual moment I felt when I knew the gospel and he church were true. I felt that I didn't have the faith necessary to be successful. So Thursday evening I was on my knees and I prayed to my Heavenly Father harder than I have ever done in my life. I begged to know that there truly is a God, and that I could feel the spirit touch my heart. In my moment of desperation when I felt that the spirit would not confirm to me the truth of the message that I claim to be true, I remembered something about how I feel the spirit in  my life. The Holy Ghost touches our lives differently, it is not the same for everyone. I had been basing my spiritual experiences on someone elses way of feeling the spirit. for some, it is a gentle feeling inside your heart, or a peaceful feeling. For me the spirit clears my mind, and everything will just make sense to me. As soon as I remembered this, my mind became instantly clear, and I no longer had a doubt of the existence of God. I felt the love of a Father in Heaven come upon me so much that I literally started to shake as I was kneeling in prayer. From that experience, as well as many other witnesses this week and in my life, I can say this: I know that God lives. I know that he is our Heavenly Father who loves us far beyond our human comprehension of the feeling. I know that his son, Jesus Christ, truly is our Savior and the Savior if this world. I know that by coming unto him we can experience more joy and happiness than we could ever imagine on our own. He has restored his gospel on the earth today, and I know without a doubt that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints contains the fullness of the Gospel of Christ. He is real. He lived on this earth, was crucified, and was resurrected. I know that he loves us so much that anyone who will humble themselves before him will find peace in this life. I know that the Holy Ghost, who confirms all truth in our souls, will confirm the truth of this through sincere prayer and a desire to know the truth.

 

Well everyone that is all the time I have for today. Seriously, send me your love through emails and letters. It keeps me going everyday, you don't even realize how much it makes my day.

 

Tchau tchau!

 

Elder Dimmick