MTC Week 6

Hello!
This week has been good!  I have seen my Spanish improving when I am practicing teaching to the Elders and our investigators so it is making me feel better.  I have found words that I can use that can basically help me say most of the things I need to.  Also everyone here speaks slower than normal so I know it will be a just a tad different out in the field, but I am still so grateful I get to learn this language! I  wanted some extra tips on teaching and so I asked one of the extra teachers to meet with me during class and I was able to meet with her twice this week, and she was able to help explain some of her teaching ideas, and her thought process and let me bounce my ideas off of her.  It was so helpful!!! She helped me understand a lot better, it helped just to hear some ideas from an Hermana and just practice teaching to her a little bit on some lessons that I haven't taught as much.  It really was what I needed this week, and she gave me some good tips I have been able to use with the two Elders I teach with.  I have learned a lot of helpful things this week at the devotional, firesides, teaching investigators.  We learned about how the Book of Mormon is such a powerful converter- how lots of investigators don't really know how to understand or study the book of Mormon in a way that will be helpful for them, and help them grow closer to Christ.  That is our job as missionaries and members- to ask if we can read WITH them, answer their questions, apply it to their life, and show them how we have applied specific verses to our life.  The speaker said that it is so important that they have a strong testimony of the book of Mormon in the process of conversion, and this is a way to to it.  We practiced this with one of our investigators, and we were able to explain what was going on and explain that the scriptures were for him! They are for us and no matter what stage of life we are in or what we are going through- they apply in someway.  Elder Bednar gave us good advice in the movie we watched on his Christmas Fireside- he said if you start reading the Book of Mormon with a question, with a specific lesson, or attribute you want to develop from reading, you will be able to find SO much about what you are studying for in every page.  Some of the Elders are doing this and he was showing me his copy and how full of lines it was, and comments ( he just bought one of the paperback copies at the bookstore) and he said he was learning so much about charity and how he can better develop it in his life. Today I got one and I am going to do the same thing- I don't know what my question will be but I will let you know :)Workshop was really good this week- we get to teach for 15 minutes in English, and this week and Elder and I helped an investigator overcome her doubts about the book of Mormon.  It was one of the coolest teaching experiences I had because the Elder and I just went back and forth and helped testify of each others comments, and give personal experiences and scriptures and just apply what we were saying to the investigators life! It was so smoothly and we felt the spirit so much. It just made me want to continue to grasp Spanish better so that I won't be ask focused on trying to remember the right word to say, but be able to just allow the lesson to flow- which I know will come with time, and I can really feel getting better as I practice teaching in Spanish.  I am still having a great time with the Hermanas and the Elders- we have a lot of fun at meal times, and the Elders still provide great comic relief- they are getting me to loosen up a little bit- which is much needed, I really have not been as stressed out here on my mission as I was at school, which is a huge blessing- I have realized that just take things slow and when you rush around always worrying about things you can't enjoy what is around you! (Mormon Messages- with the little girl on the swing, I think it is "moments that matter most"....haha it is our districts favorite one). My companion is one of the most calm, easy going people I know and so she is so great for me too, we have fun and just laugh at what each other say, and have a lot of fun chatting on the elliptical- we all LOVE gym time here- it is great.  Things are going great here, I have about 2 1/2 weeks left and I am starting to get really excited!! I can't believe it is almost here, and I am excited to get out into the field to have a trainer that will help me apply all that I am learning, and teach me even more. The MTC has gone pretty fast- I think I am mostly excited to get out of a stuffy room and be able to walk and bike around all over Alabama!! I hope everyone is doing well and has a great next week- I know I say that every week but I mean it!  I love you all!!!
 Hermana Coleman