The Continual Grind (MTC 6)

 (Elder Cummings)

This week has been a blast! This was Week 7, so we oldies in the MTC only have about 2 weeks left.

When I have time I'm teaching my good friend, Ryan(previously known as Elder Fagergren) a piano arrangement of "Be Still My Soul" while he waits to be set apart and go into the field. We're making good progress, it's coming along nicely. Speaking of music my companion Elder Liang continues to amaze us when he played a musical number for our class one day and totally destroyed it on the cello. It was an amazing arrangement, amazingly played.

This week I tried to go at least one day without speaking English, only speaking Mandarin. Those who have seen me or talked to me this week are probably like "you did!?!" because it's just that hard. Especially when you're at home with family and you know very little Mandarin. I did really well one day until my second class where I kind of gave up without meaning to, it was late and it takes a lot of effort. Nevertheless, I can repent and try again. I will get it sometime before MTC ends. Even if it means I basically don't say anything one day, as long as it's Mandarin I'm good.

In one of our classes we were left without a teacher after he was unexpectedly preoccupied when it was time for our calls to start. So we started another zoom call and just started going over grammar and sentences and then did a GSR(Gospel Study Review) where we talked and bore our testimonies on prophets and apostles. It was awesome actually, I thought we were pretty productive, I don't know what those in my district think.

This week during one of our classes we discussed spiritual gifts. It was an amazing discussion. We read this verse from Moroni 10:

"8 And again, I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit them."

I don't think God made us like we make cookies. You put all the ingredients together, throw some chocolate chips, and mix it up and whatnot(I don't really know how to make cookies). When you take the dough and form the cookies, some cookies have more chocolate chips that others, some are bigger than others. God didn't throw a bunch of spiritual strengths and gifts into a big bowl, stir it nice and evenly till all the weaknesses and personalities looked pretty evenly spread throughout the "dough", and then guesstimate how many are in each person when he grabs a handful. No. He made us each individually. He gave us our spiritual strengths and gifts fully knowing that we would need them and that others would need them. He gave us our weaknesses so we would have to rely on Him, Christ, and Christ's Atonement. He knows us perfectly, and knows what we're capable of, even if we can't see it ourselves. We should "deny not the gifts of God" in ourselves. We are children of a Loving Heavenly Father who created us with love and meaning and care. What's great is that unlike after cookies are made they're stuck with the number of chocolate chips they have, we don't have to be content with the chocolate chips WE have. We can obtain more spiritual gifts and be strengthened through repentance and Christ's Atonement. Through our trust and devotion and effort to Christ, He will "make weak things become strong unto them"(Ether 12:27). I know that spiritual thought was all over the place but I believe it is true. If the analogy didn't make sense, think about it, go make some cookies, and think about it again. Christ is our Savior, He is the Living Son of the Living God, and because of Him, we can be made better and do better. In His name, Jesus Christ, Amen

Photos!

1. A nice healthy meal at home MTC...

1.       2. This week's view...it just gets better and better!

2.       3. Apparently Glasses Friday is a thing in our district, I had to grab some(those aren't finger guns, it's how Chinese people count 7 on their hands(for week 7 of MTC), they count to 10 with one hand using ASL looking stuff, pretty coooool)