Hey y'all it's Friday again, so today's email might be kinda long, as the end of the day comes near or when I have some free time I have sat and wrote what I learned and what not that day.
Siemens super exciting news, we had a someone from the quorum of the 12 come and speak to us this week!!
Friday: Today was an emotional day for my whole district, it was our first P-Day, so we really didn't know what we were doing today, we have been in classes all day everyday since we have been here and not having anywhere to be this morning was pretty hard on everyone. We had a three hour window with nothing to do but to sit and think, we all got homesick, especially seeing pictures of the little girls. When we got into class Brother Jones was kinda worried about all of us because no one was feeling like they could teach by the spirit, so we watch a talk that Elder Bednar gave at an MTC devotional a few years ago, it was an awesome video. It helped sooo much, it brought the spirit and I could feel it so strong. It was an amazing experience. It's been a crazy fun filled afternoon, we had lunch which honestly wasn't very good ( food is kinda terrible here🙈) after lunch we had class from 1:15-5:15 and then again after dinner from 6 till 9:30. It was such an amazing class, not only did we learn that the gospel makes the church what it is but my district became closer from what we had all been going through today. It turned out to be a great afternoon, and my testimony grew so much in such a short amount of time.
Saturday: Today has been pretty hard. We got to Class at 7:30 this morning and started off like we usually do, sing a hymn and pray. Sister Farnsworth started class with the restoration, that has been the focus of class yesterday and today. I just wasn't feeling like I could teach by the spirit like we had been so when it came time to role play and it was my turn to teach my companion, nothing and I mean nothing came to my head, I opened my mouth thinking if I need to say something, something will come out. Yet nothing did so I got frustrated with myself asking in prayer why? Why can I not think or say anything I need to? Yet nothing, so I got discouraged, when it came time to teach one of our investigators I still had no idea what I was going to say, so I told my companion you are taking the lead on the discussion today and I will pitch in when needed.(which was good because I had taken the lead in every other lesson) During the lesson I still felt nothing, I felt like I was empty, it was a horrible feeling, so as my district and I were talking sister Taylor turned to us all and say my boyfriend was told me that he knows he can't be clean his whole life, but he can be clean for today, so we turned it around, thinking that we can't do this for 18 months, but we can for today. It helped me a little bit, but as we are not even through half the day I am still feeling discouraged and keep asking myself what I am doing here. During personally study today before lunch I was looking through my scriptures and I opened up to D&C chapter 4, it's states,
"1 Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.
2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.
3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;
4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;
5 And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.
6 Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.
7 Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen."
This brought comfort to me knowing that if I didn't have faith, hope,charity and love to the glory of God I wouldn't be where I am. Also that I need to have faith in Christ that if I put my self into the work of the lord I will be blessed and will know and do the things I need to. During gym time today I was still feelin out of my normal self, while sister Taylor and I were walking around brother jones (teacher) started talking to us and was askin how stuff was going and I told him what had happened today so he told me a few things to do before class so I did them and felt nothing, so as my companion and I were sitting in the hall preparing for our lesson I couldn't think of anything, and he saw so he came over and was talking to me, and told me that he prayed about everything after we had left the gym area and he said that I just need to get through the day and that Heavenly Father is trying to teach me a lesson, he said that most of the time people don't feel like this till they get in the field and that I must need to know and realize what I am trying to be taught. So I'm thankful for him, and everything he has taught, showed, and helped me.
Sunday: Today has been great, sacrament was at 8 this morning and they don't tell you who is speaking so you are suppose to have a 3 minute talk prepared every Sunday, and today was my lucky day, I was asked to speak, the topic was on receiving the Holy Ghost. It was a great topic for me to study and ponder about, with the day I had yesterday. We have been in meeting all day and my district all wanted to go to chorus today so I ended up going..... I just sat there (🙈). Every Tuesday night there is an MTC devotional and the chorus will be singing and we will be having a special speaker, this devotional will be broadcasted to all other MTCS around the world. It will be an amazing experience. As I was talking to our branch presidency this morning I was talking to Brother Monson. Yes he is related to President Monson. He's is his nephew! Crazy right?! Other than that it's been a pretty great day!
Monday: today was an okay day, we got up and had class at 7:40 we were in there till 10:40 we had gym after that, it was a nice enough day that we could go to the field, so we went and played soccer! After lunch we had class again! ( that's all our life's are at this point). We weren't able to teach our Afternoon investigator since there wasn't enough time. So we started to prepare for our TRC investigator, which is a program that the MTC does that bring in actual investigators or members to portray an investigator. We don't know if they are a member or not. We after class which went alright we headed down to teach our investigator, come to find out he is out of town so we weren't able to teach, my companion and I were a little disappointed but all is good!!
Tuesday: This morning was our service project while being at the MTC. We cleaned one of the foreign classrooms, knowing that just simple things such as cleaning a classroom brings so much joy knowing that you can be in the device of God at all times. After the service project was class, our topic today was The Plan of Salvation. The object of this mornings class was to teach The Plan of Salvation in three minutes! It's a crazy experience to try and compress everything into such a short time! During personal study after class two elders came over and stared to talk to our companionship and one other. They are pretty cool, they leave for Las Vegas at 3:30 in the morning, one is from Alabama and the other is from Washington! It's great being able to know all of these people and to be able to interact with people from other places! Soooooo tonight for the devotional Elder Jeffery R Holland came and spoke! It was amazing!!
The one huge thing that he talked about what converting yourself unto the gospel before you try and convert your investigators! All in all it was an amazing devotional! It was prodcasted to 6 different MTC'S! I can't even express how funny elder holland is in person! Unfortunately we weren't aloud to take pictures so you will just have to trust me!! But sitting only a few rows back from him was an amazing experience! Wish everyone could have been here to listen to him!
Wednesday: Today has been a weird day! It's already been a week since I was dropped off at the MTC!! This morning in class we had the opportunity to teach our morning investigator about the plan of salvation! It was excellent! We had personal fitness time where we aren't aloud to go to the gym or outside to the field. Boring right?! So we ended up just chilling in the residence halls! Everyone in my room fell asleep so I ended up going into the other districts room! It was fun we talked and laughed! It was a much needed laugh! After lunch we had class again (like always) my companionship wasn't able to teach our afternoon investigator since there wasn't enough time. Which is probable good. I haven't been feeling all to well the past day or two. Last night I woke up with my arm killing. And this morning when I looked it's all bruised and swollen like crazy. So I'm not sure what that's all about but I can say that I found me new friend 😁 sister Taylor is Totally crazy! She falls all the time and is super accident prone just like me 🙈 after class was dinner, we went to the mail room after to de if there was any mail and I got my first mail today! Michelle and Pyper sent me a dozen cookies from cookie haven!! And grandma sent me a box full of candy!! Mmmmm I'm pretty sure all I have eaten while I have been here is junk. ( like always) when we got back to class we had to sit down with our companion and decided what we needed to change in our lessons, so we listened to our lesson from this morning and she said some stuff and I said some stuff and I'm pretty sure she didn't like what I had to say. Because now there is tension between us and it is NOT fun! After talking with her I started to feel like I was on Saturday, not good at all. This evening the thing that has been running through my mind is why am I where? If I can't handle my first companion then I won't make it through my mission. Tonight we have to teach our TRC investigator, so it will be interesting on how that goes with us not being on the same page for the lessons or anything else....
Thursday: so our TRC investigator Lesson went alright last night, we only had 15 minutes to get to know him and to share a message with him. It went good though! We have another 15 minute lesson with him tonight! Today we had infield orientation ALL day long. Sooooo boring! Didn't do much today, after dinner we had class so I'm sitting here, I wasn't feeling myself today and president lords our branch president is here tonight so I went and asked him if I could talk to him, I felt this was the best thing for me since I hadn't felt great this last week and my arm has kept me up the past few nights in pain. So we went in and I was telling him what was going on and I kept getting this feeling that I needed to ask for a blessing..... So I finally did and so after we got done talking he said I'm glad you asked for a blessing. So he gave me one. It was so comforting the words he said. I don't even know how to explain it. But this blessing is helping me already. Even with it only being 5 minutes. I'm soo GREATFUL for the priesthood authority and the blessing it brings. President lords has been a huge blessing. So hopefully I will be able to sleep tonight and not wake up in pain every hour. I'm pretty sure this is one of the only times I have cried while at the MTC and its cause of my arm. (Sorry family 😉) One thing that president lords said when we were talking is that since I am doing the lord work and am doing the things I am suppose to be, that satan is going to work extra hard even if that means keeping me awake at night with pain in my arm. But I'm grateful for everything! Oh p.s my TRC lesson was horrible tonight.
Oh also I will be flying out of SLC Tuesday morning!!!! And we won't get to Halifax until about midnight or later!
I miss you my wonderful family!!
