November 16, 2013 Provo MTC

Kumusta Pamilya Ko!

So, let me reply to some of your stuff first. I haven't been delayed since the Typhoon but there will definitely be a lot of service to do. I don't think I'll need more clothes but it's your call. 

I've been teaching my companions a little about energy work along with the oils. Elder Peterson and Elder Sefita are pretty interested. I think it's interesting that the Spirit can literally testify truths to individual cells in the body. Fiber of being, consuming of flesh... It says it many times in the scriptures.

So, Saturday night we got to teach a lesson to a member that was born in the Philippines. It was really fun. The language just keeps coming. Ha, but this was funny. The word for heart is "puso" and the word for cat is "pusa"... So lets just say that Elder Rogers told him that our message comes from the cat.

I am convinced I will be moving to Samoa when I get back. They love food. They have natural musicality. They're funny. I need to live there. They have this canned corn beef that they love eating and I got to try some the other night... Oh my heavens, best thing in the world. The new Samoan Elder Fa'asavalu is really awesome. He leads us all in A-Cappella numbers with all sorts of time signatures and stuff. He is the biggest teddy-bear. He puts cookies in his soda, explaining that we don't know what we're missing. And he is stronger than anything I've ever seen. Elder Rogers was talking about doing these pull-up things on the bunkbed, and when Elder Fa'asavalu tried it, the bunk came off the hinges. Haha, too much power. Then another Elder in the zone wanted to wrestle. Ha. This is how it went down. Elder Fa'asavalu didn't move at all, and places his hand on his back. The other Elder slammed to the floor so hard I thought he had died. So funny. 

Oh, whenever gym time lets out, all of the Samoans within the nearest square mile all of a sudden gather together and start doing war dances. It is so awesome to watch. There's been talk of a war with the Tongan Elders. Yes, I am Samoan loyalist. No Tonga for me. 

On Sunday afternoon, Bishop Cristofferson from my branch presidency was prompted to drive back to the MTC after priesthood and ask me if something was wrong. I looked at him confused, saying "Uh, I don't think anything specifically is wrong." He was a little embarrassed, but he had been stressing the importance of following spiritual promptings in leadership classes and Sacrament meeting. Later that night, I started feeling really off. I was having thoughts of shutting down, or running away... you know, crazy stuff like that. I felt really bad. Then, the next day at around 11:00, I got to teach some of the MTC guests. The MTC guests are extremely good actors that pretend like they know nothing about the church and egg you on to teach them. After I taught them, the Spirit was bursting within me about the Plan of Salvation and the love of God. On Tuesday, we had a devotional by L. Tom Perry, where he specifically mentioned miracles occurring in the Philippines. Afterward, Bishop Cristofferson was talking with me. He was saying: "I felt like something was wrong in your life. Not anything specific or moral, but just wrong. I felt like that for a while, but around 11:00 on Monday the feeling went away."

That man has the Spirit so strong... It is remarkable. His power of discernment is like nothing I've ever seen. 

I feel the Spirit within me so strong. My strengths here are brought on by the power of God. He is making me an instrument in his hands. 

Alright, until next week pamilya ko!

-Elder Kocherhans

P.S. I enjoy the company of chips and salty snacks when I have the munchies.