Week #5: MTC August 11, 2016 - August 17, 2016

This week, we taught our first nonmembers from China. Every Saturday, we usually have a TRC meeting, where we teach two 20 minute lessons to members who have volunteered to be taught a lesson. Since they are educated about the gospel, it's been pretty easy to share a nice scripture and thought. This week, however, there was a dad and daughter who volunteered, are nonmembers, and don't speak very good English. They had arrived last Tuesday, and the daughter is studying as an exchange student for the next two years. We figure she is staying with a host family here in Provo, and they must be members to have told them about volunteering with TRC. When we got in there, they thought they were teaching us Chinese, rather than us teaching them about the Gospel. The father spoke less English than the daughter, and would talk to us through her, rather than at us. After every sentence, they would stop us to teach us the correct way to say it and pronunciation. It was very difficult and we ended up taking the full 40 minutes with them. To say the least, it did not instill confidence in going out into the field. At least it's a good story to tell now, and a good lesson to learn.

At devotional, it was so very exciting to meet a tripanionship of sister missionaries learning English. One is from Brazil, and two of them are directly from China (Shanghai and Guangzhou). They're all serving in the Provo, Utah mission, and their English was very good. Then again, it must be if that is the only way you can speak to your companion...Anyway, this week for devotional, Sister Oscarson (The Young Woman General President) came to speak. Her talk was very inspirational. She talked about Sarah, the wife of Abraham, having Ishmael at an age past her prime of motherhood. Having Ishmael would be difficult, but not impossible. She shared Genesis 18:14 which reads, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" The rest of the talk was about humbling ourselves before the Lord "for in his strength, I can do all things" (Alma 26: 12). Sometimes, life seems to be very challenging, and almost unbearable. However, we all still find hope to continue. Sometimes, it's easy to be caught up in what we are doing, and how we will overcome our struggle. Use that root of hope, of faith, to rely on the Lord, that He WILL help you. I invite you to pray and ask for His strength to help you through whatever you are struggling with right now. Remember, is anything to hard for the Lord?