Tornados passin' by

That French food looks way good, family!  Thanks for the pictures!  Thanks so much for the barrage of Dear Elders last night, it made life worth fighting for.  Also, thank you to mom and Grandpa and Grandma Lasson for the pants... They have been life savers.  Congratulations to Austin on getting called to South Korea!  That's the coolest.  He's going to be an awesome missionary.  Good luck to Gavin, who will be getting his mission call this week.  I know that wherever he gets assigned to serve will be inspired.

 

This week has been full of more radical learning experiences.  No prophet last week, but every time someone gets up on the pulpit at the MTC, the message they deliver is always inspired.  It has been New Mission President Seminar all this week, so general authorities have been coming and going.  I haven't seen any, personally, but President Roney loves to tell us all about them.  Us Lyoners got to chat with President and Sister Roney when they came in last week.  There are 11 of us, and we all sat in a room together and talked about how we're going to the greatest mission in the world, etc. etc.  President Roney is such a good man and he will make an awesome leader of that mission.  I look forward to the experiences.  So apparently, our group of 11 will be replacing a large group of 25 missionaries, so they'll have to close up the work in some spots and focus it where it is going to be needed.  So, chances are that us freshies are going to be thrown into the fire right from the "get-go" ;).  Should be epic.

 

So a little about the past week.  Elder Wilson and I have been more unified in our lessons and have been planning our lesson around commitments that we want to extend.  We've learned a lot about how to teach the Gospel together.  We had a really cool experience teaching one lesson.  We had planned a lesson about the Book of Mormon, etc. and we felt really prepared.  Then we get in there and started talking to Ben, after the opening prayer the Spirit directed us in a different direction that we had planned.  We talked to him about learning to recognize the Spirit and how we can receive an answer that the Book of Mormon is true if we just ask God for it.  I then felt prompted to promise that if he would get on his knees right there and then that he would receive an answer (yes, i realize that it's all just for pretend, but it still felt pretty cool).  Elder Wilson and I taught him how to pray and we got on our knees.  After the prayer, we remained on our knees and the Spirit was ultra strong.  I asked the investigator how he felt, then explained how what he was feeling was an answer from God.  It was a really neat experience.  We also had our first practice with contacting! That was fun.  We would take turns acting the part of missionary/investigator and do a little scene.  This was in English, just so that we could get a feel for it.  We'll be doing it in French this week.

 

One thing that I really like about the MTC is that there are so many cool people with different backgrounds, different perspectives, and different stories. One of my favorite things to do is just to CONVERSE!   Every meal time I'll try to get to know someone new.  I've met a bunch of really cool people from a lot of different places in the world, England, France, Brazil, Domican Republic, Utah, etc.  So many of them are so enthusiastic with their position in this work.  Some people come here with little or no English experience and leave more than prepared to teach the gospel in it.  I was talking to an Elder from Bordeaux, France (in my mission) and was amazed to find that in just 3 weeks had learned enough English to be able to hold a conversation with me in English.  And then we tried having one in French and it was a STRUGGLE.  A lot of people inspire me.  The language is coming, though.  I believe

 

I just wanted to quickly tell you something that I learned this week before the computer screams at me.  I've learned that the only way anyone is going to be converted unto the Lord is if they put forth the effort.  We, as missionaries, are here to aid them and to teach them what the Lord expects of them, and, hopefully, through the Spirit to convey the truth and the love contained in the message.  But in the end it is all up to them to decide.  It is up to them to be sincere in their relationship with their Father who has given them everything and who is willing to give them so much more.  I testify of the converting power of the Book of Mormon. Read it and found out for yourself if it's TRUE!

 

I love you family.  I love you so much.

 

Amour,

Elder Kunzler

 

P.S.  Just found out L. Tom Perry is speaking tonight... RADICAL!

PPS.  I'll be in San Fran on Thursday, doin' Visa stuff.  Just thought you should know.  I'm gonna get an In N Out Burger.  Jealous?