Hey Friends and Family!
It's crazy to think that this is my last day in the US for roughly 2 years! It's like moving to the Caribbean all over, but this time I don't have my family to go with me! I'm kind of nervous and scared, but I'm also really excited! We listened to a talk Elder Holland gave at the MTC in 2000 and he said some pretty amazing things. I want my mission experience to mean everything to me, and I know if I 'm obedient and serve with all I can give, it will be exactly that. He also said there is nothing more important that we could be doing, period, and that really struck me as well. When you think of the hundreds of things a 19 year old man could do, none of them are more important (unless it's taking care of your family or something like that I suppose.) A quote from somebody comes to my mind "I never promised it'd be easy, but it will be worth it." Life in the MTC isn't easy, and the field will be even harder, but it will be worth it.
Things with my companion have remained as a roller coaster. The great thing about roller coasters though, they eventually will go up and then back down. Last week Elder Bennion and I were teaching our progressive investigator (our teacher with the personality of someone he taught on his mission) and it was incredible! My companion and I had a small argument and didn't talk for 30 minutes, and then we had to teach Frank (the progressive investigator.) After the first 2 minutes, nothing we said dame from our lesson plan. Everything was guided by the Spirit. It was just a role play, but in the MTC we call them "real plays." We invited Frank to pray, right at that moment, to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet, if the Book of Mormon is true, and that the things we were teaching him are true. We knelt down with our teacher in a role play, with the rest of our district watching behind a one way mirror.
The Spirit of God WILL manifest the truth of all things. Always, period. In that classroom, kneeling down, "Frank" offered a prayer to our Heavenly Father. During the prayer I didn't feel a single thing. Neither did Frank, but after the prayer, I was filled by the Holy Ghost. I received a witness that these things are true, and so did Frank. It's not a role play, it's a real play. Frank received the same answer, I know because I asked Frank. My teacher, Hermano Sparks didn't lie. He really did feel the Holy Ghost witness to him that these things are true. It was incredible! Even if you already know, I challenge you to pray to God, the Eternal Father, with real intent, to know that the Book of Mormon is true and I promise you that you will receive an answer.
I love you all and I'm excited for this work! Love, Elder Andrew LaPray
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