Hello everyone! It's P-Day again, and I can hardly believe it. The timer's ticking, so I'm gonna try to fit all I can into this, but again I'm sorry if it seems scattered.
Time is seriously warped here. Before I came, I heard that "days seem like weeks, and weeks seem like days," and it's totally competely true! I feel like I just got here, but at the same time I can hardly remember what it was like to NOT be here.
I don't know if I said this last time, but I arrived at the MTC the day AFTER Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came and spoke. I was of course quite disappointed, because I knew (based on experienced MTC missionaries' testimonies) that another Apostle wouldn't speak anytime soon. Usually it's once every month or two. To my great surprise, this last Tuesday (6 days after I arrived), who should come speak but Elder Dallin H. Oaks (also an Apostle)!! It was thrilling to sit in the big gym with almost 2,000 other missionaries, hearing the words of a living apostle of Jesus Christ.
I'll quickly mention a few highlights of his talk. First, and almost the most powerful to me, he opened his talk by saying "I salute you as servents of the Lord Jesus Christ." The power of his words resounded in my heart and soul. He then told us some numbers. There were currently 1157 elders at the MTC, and 324 sisters. That makes me...I dunno, do the math. A minority. :-)
Another thing he talked about was the sacred responsibility of missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I summarized this in my notebook: "My goal as a missionary, in a small measure at least, is to do for the people of Brazil what the Savior did for me."
It was a powerful experience. I'm so grateful to have prophets and apostles on the earth today.
Another thing I wanted to explain was why I put "Tongans" in the beginning of my post last time. I was in the big MTC laundry room as I wrote (like I am right now) and there was a throng of happy, jolly, bouncing, LOUD Tongans doing their laundry at the same time as me. They were all skipping around joyfully in the freedom of their lava-lavas, yelling and laughing louder than anyone I've ever heard. It was distracting and amusing.
My companions and I are doing well. We've had a little bit of tension at times--it's hard to be in a threesome--but all of us are learning a lot about ourselves, about patience, and about humility. It's good practice for marriage...but I can tell you I'm very glad marriage only involves TWO people, not three.
My district is so awesome. They're all growing on me, despite their goofy 19-year-old-boy-ness. We have a broad range of personality types represented amongst the ten of us, from social, football-loving dudes to a elder who makes his own swords and read theoretical physics books for fun (and I'm not kidding or exaggerating about that one). We all like each other for the most part, and they are kind and gentlemanly to us three sisters.
One last thing. Although I'm learning more about the language every day, I didn't feel anywhere near ready for what we got on Friday--our first "progressing investigator." He is actually one of our teachers, but the teacher becomes someone he knew or taught from his mission, so his acting is very realistic. He becomes a different person...including being Brazilian. We had to go find him in a "park." tell him who we were, ask him if he was interested in learning about Jesus Christ, and schedule a time the next day we woulc come to his house. Then the next we actually had to try to teach him about the Gospel--all in Portuguese!! AHHHH I don't feel ready for this, but I'm learning so so so much and stretching a ton.
My weaknesses are all out on the table for me and everyone else to see, all the time, so things can be tough--but I'm growing more than I ever have in my life. I'm so grateful for all of you and for all your support.
THANK YOU SO MUCH to those who have sent letters or DearElders!! At the end of a long day, if my district leader hands me a DearElder print out, I save it until the end of the night right before bed. Reading those is one of the best part of any day.
I love you all, and am so grateful for your examples to me. The Church of Jesus Christ is true, and it makes people happy. That's what life is all about.
Take care of yourselves, all.
Eu amo voces!
Sister Anne Petty
No comments:
Post a Comment