Notes from the field 12/28

Excerpt from her last letter, and she wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

1. Manhattan Temple! We went the Saturday before Christmas. It was awesome to get out of New Jersey, even though it doesn't really look any different in NY. The city is just as bustling and crazy as I remember it, and it was COLD. The buildings create insane wind currents. But it's just as everyone says. The instant you're inside the Temple------silence. We walked in and out a couple times to hear the effect. Yes. We're dweebs. It's a beautiful temple. Definitely near the top of my list.

2. Jonathan. One of our investigators, and one of the most unique people I've ever met. He works with computers as some sort of analyst...I don't understand what he's saying when he describes what he does. But he studied philosophy in college because he finds it interesting, and he definitely looks at everything from a philosophical standpoint. He is a challenge to teach, but more fun to teach than anyone else. He takes notes on our lessons, reads all the assignments we give him and more, and always has a list of questions waiting for us at our next appointment. Once we quoted a scripture from the Book of Mormon and he said, "Isn't that in 2 Nephi 2?"..............jaw drop.

I thought at first that he would never really internalize anything we were teaching him because he questions everything so much, and he looks at everything very factually. But as we have taught him I have come to realize that no one can read the Book of Mormon as much as he does, no one can study it the way he does, and not change, not come to know that it's true. When we began teaching him he would not pray, and now he frequently volunteers to, and the last time he prayed he was so sincere, and he closed in the name of Jesus Christ (he had not done that before). He is definitely progressing, but Sister Picard and I have had to really think outside the box when preparing lesson plans for him. We really took a gamble last time and gave him a PDF copy of Preach My Gospel on a disc, so that he can see where we're going with the lessons and understand why we teach him the way we do. Who knows, when we meet next he might instruct us on how to teach better!