FIRST OFF HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! it sounds like you have quite the day planned and i'm sad I missing it. The first thing I did this morning was sing to you in spanish! I hope you received my letter! I hope today is better than all the birthdays you've had previously! I love you!:)
Hey my beautiful family! How are you this fine second to last P-DAY!! seriously though how are you? stephen, I hear you quick your job. summer time steve huh, sounds like a hoot. And Richard Tammy and Graham, I loved the pics of the Flight over, Graham apparently isn't happy with you cutting his hair off and he is getting revenge by taking back tammy's. Welcome to the great wonderful state of Utah! pull up a chair and stay awhile, it's nice and warm here. You see us "Foreign Missionaries" here at the mtc are more prepared for the field than the english speakers. Our study buildings and dorms are very different. Its a running joke, in the "real world" we'd consider ourselves 3rd world countries compared to them. We work by fan only considering our AC is out in the building. It gets nice and sweaty in the room with no windows and ventilation. But don't fret, I love feeling at home. See the family is at home sweating without a swamp, i'm sweating here, it's like we are connected. They're only here for a week and a half so this place switches up quite frequently. This week we had over 900 leave, almost 1/3 of the mtc. Today we get about the same amount. In and out just like that. The district two above me left and I wanted to cry (oh wait I did) We got new Branch presidents this week. The Cosgraves left for there own mission in Uganda. I adore the new ones just as much, he is a major scriptorian. and was a member of the 70 for about 5 years. He has the biggest and most welcoming laugh, and really cares about our work and progress. All the Hermanas above me are not out, some to texas, mexico, and chile. I already miss them so much. I got up at 2:00 this morning to see one off, we went outside and there was a very large line waiting to get on the bus and head out. man oh man it made it real for me, my time here is almost up! I haven't received my travel plans I should know if i'm getting reassigned tomorrow or Friday and than the actual call will be the beginning of next week. however I talked to some sisters going to Argentina and their visas didn't arrive, so I kindof expect to go state side (WHICH MAKES ME SO EXCITED!!) I don't know about you guys back home, but serving a mini mission would be sweet. If anything I've learned it doesn't matter where you go, it's the people you're serving. I honestly can believe that and if I end up serving a salt lake city mission, I will be just as content. Although I'm hoping for someplace I've never been before. Particularly the southern or eastern states. We will see... I cannot wait to find out.
This week has been one of the longest that's for sure. Full of many frustrations, as well as giggles. Spanish is... coming along. But really what I've learned the most is the beautiful language we can all speak. NO matter the origin. Body language. So maybe I can't communicate with my "investigators" very well but I can get a gist of how they're feeling through their expressions and gestures. This has helped me on numerous occasions this week. Thank goodness for that! I'm also learning a lesson on patience here at the mtc. Mainly with myself, I've also been focusing on my spiritual gifts and receiving personal revelation with God. I found this awesome quote:
"If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to pray for the fit that will make us perfect... no man ought to say "oh, I cannot help this; it is my nature." he is not justified in it, for the reason that God has promised to give strength to correct these things, and to give gifts that will eradicate them. He gives these gifts, and bestows them upon those who seek after them, in order that they may be a perfect people upon the face of the earth."
two scriptures I've known since... what seminary? have evolved in my mind into two completely different meanings while being here at the CCM, 1) I show unto them their weakness, then I will make weak things become strong 2) Faith without works is dead. It's been quite the experience to take knowledge I've known for my whole life and make it personal to me. See how it applies in My life, and how It becomes so much more meaningful. I love personal study. I am currently diving into D&C and soaking it up. Preach my gospel also is a killer book to study from. Everyday I see myself more and more converted, and discovering what I truly believe and questioning my doubts (and trying to find answers through the tons of resources I have available). Speaking of which a story just came to mind; on our "temple walk" last Sunday to take pictures, two protesters were our side of the gates. Witch huge crosses, "Preaching" to us about what we do and don't believe, where we wrong, and how we will be damned. Hey it was kind of like a glimpse into my future field experience. It was super interesting. I wondered, out of all the Lds members of the world you really are going to try to change the minds of elders and sisters who have literally dedicated their entire lives to the church(gospel of Jesus Christ). Either way I smiled and waved at them, letting them know we're happy:) OPPOSITION IN ALL THINGS. even a short little walk to the beautiful house of the Lord.
If this weren't "efy" feeling enough our teacher this week made us line up in a straight line, fold our arms and walk around campus while reciting Spanish verbs. but don't worry I enjoyed it, I'm great at being a kid. I even busted out in my own version of "Jesucristo quiere por un sol BEAM!" I thought I was creative... to bad I don't know beam in spanish.... That's my favorite game, my companion enjoys it too. See you take an english song and put the spanish words you know in it. Like "it's the circle of life" for example. It's great. We sing while applying our spanish. :) And this morning we had the joyous occasion of cleaning urinals in of course the english building. So while we were cleaning we sang. Since it has to be missionary appropriate we had to input our own words (to the tune of tangled. If you don't know it ask Caleb, or Jake and Rachel they know it too) "6 a.m. the usual morning line up, hit the alarm approximately 8 timessssss, scrub the toilet until it's nice and clean. but now it's only like 7:15. and then we study some scriptures, or maybe two or three, We've got so many spanish books to read in our gallery.... tell me when will our mission begin..." That's just a rough Idea, but you get the picture. Scrub a dub dubbin is just only fun when you have some tunes.
Oh funny story about cleaning this morning. So I'm in the boys bathroom cleaning the toilets in the stall right, and my companion leaves for a second. So I'm just in their singing and The next thing I know I realize someone is in there with me... uhhhhh it's an elder. the whole time all I can think is pleeeease don't use the urinal... well luckily he didn't but he did plop down right in the stall next to me.... I snuck out of that bathroom so quickly. Awko Taco. haha But it made for an adventure. what i really should have done was ask him how he was doing. Like us females would. haha love Cleaning boys bathrooms.
This week was a fabulous week for packages! Donuts from the Little squirts (that includes you Rachel) my companion got cupcakes so you can imagine the fiesta in our room that night, the Heart burn was worth it, and an unexpected one for Sorella alley. Hmmmmm or should I say bubbus? haha Thanks for them, they really brighten my day, and somehow you manage to plan them perfectly at my lowest moments. I'm feeling down and I get a package, it's like little miracles every time!!!
Since I've been here for "SOOO" long I was given a calling..... drum roll please..... pause for effect.... Music coordinating sister. Naturally, it fits me right. When your spanish singing sounds like a fluent angel ;) I'm big cheese now.
This week I also had two epiphany's: (STEPHEN NO JUDGING)
1). Adios means "to God"..... MIND BLOWN. now that I realize that I love saying goodbye. It was so much more meaning. Why it took me so long to figure that out I do not know.
2.) There is no direct translation for the word "Can" in spanish. for the past few weeks i've been trying to figure out how to say it it. you "can't." haha instead you use a more formal way in spanish or Poder. which means "able to." uh hello, as my friend gru says from descipible me "LIGHT BULB." my teacher looked at me and just laughed. Little moments like this make my life. When the dots actually connect, it turns out to be a great day.
Spiritual Devotionals for the week:
We had three really great ones, the best part of the mtc is we have lds celebrities everyweek encouraging us to be the best we can be. This week, Carole Mikita (Ksl news), Richard Heaton (works with international mtcs), and president Hinckley's Son (Richard). Some great quotes;
1) "earthly age matters less than our spirtitual age" aka I shouldn't worry that i'm too young to be out here teaching.
2) "spiritual gifts are endless in number and infinite in variety"
3) "Thee lift me and I'll lift thee, and we'll ascend together"
4) "warm the hands of our investigators with the fire of our faith." (something close to that)
5) dazzle them with the brilliance of the gospel.
TO wrap things up, as my time draws closer the end here I realize I have so much more to learn. You spiritually grow extremely fast here. These next few weeks will probably feel very long but before you know it I'll be stepping out until the field that is ready to harvest. Thank you for your love and stories! I miss you and I hate to admit it but dad your letter "yogi" the bear made me tear up. It was a great story. And mom thank you for yours as well!!
LOVE YOU LOTS!!!
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| My MTC family. Love them all so much |
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