It Was a Curve Ball I Was Not Expecting One Bit

Tyler's letters just keep getting better. The following was written on September 30th:

I really love the RC because you get to talk to real people about real concerns kind of like field work but in the MTC or Missionary Training Compound, I mean Center. I am up to 9 referrals there on calls on 4 on the chat.

Every Friday we have an appointment at the TEC to do a lesson with a volunteer pretending to be an investigator. We practiced last week so we could check on his commitments. We got there and right as we started he asked in Spanish, "What's the difference between a Catholic and a Mormon baptism?" Well, we tried the best we could to answer for 15 minutes. Eventually, I just told him some scriptures and hoped he could teach himself using them. It was a curve ball I was not expecting one bit.

Me and my comp have had an investigator that we've been teaching over the phone but on Saturday we turned her over to the local missionaries.

On Sunday, I got to watch Legacy and had forgotten how good the movie was. My companion is practicing a version of "I Know that My Redeemer Lives" on the piano right now so our Zone Leader, Elder Starky, can try out for Sunday's musical number. Also, check out the song, "I Heard Him Come" -AMAZING!

Yesterday I had 3 cool experiences in the RC. The first I was able to teach the first half to lesson 2 to a guy that grew up LDS. Unfortunately, he is now an Atheist. We talked about the atonement and then he went back to the subject of the creation. He and I talked about an hour and it was a good conversation. He believes something started the beginning but he doesn't quite know what. I testified of God but he just wasn't sure. He was a nice guy though.

The next was a lady I talked to. She wanted to know about baptism which I answered and that lead into a discussion about prophets. We had a good conversation about them. Then I asked her if she'd want to know if there was a prophet on the earth today. She said that she would. I invited her to watch General Conference so she could know if we have a prophet on Earth today. I was able to bear my testimony that we have a living prophet.

The last was a call back because he had requested a "Finding Faith in Christ" DVD. He said he hadn't had a chance to watch it because he had just received it the previous day. I asked him if he had any questions and he asked if Joseph Smith was really a prophet then why wasn't he in the Bible. I explained about the apostacy and the restoration. He thought the days of needing a prophet had ended. In the end, he told me I could call him back once he watched the DVD so I am going to. He seemed a little argumentative but I didn't give in and I didn't get defensive.

It seems like I am being blessed. I feel that I have accomplished more on certain skills I have been working on in these past 4 weeks than I had in the previous 5 years. I know this is because I know have more than ever the Lord's help in accomplishing things and skills I not only need in my mission but also in my life.

Something Elder Holland said when he was here a few weeks ago hit me hard. He said that we are not serving to go home to the real world. This IS the real world and you will never be more near the real world than when you are on you mission.

Love,
Elder Tyler Holden