3/24/2016
What a week. Time just keeps getting faster and faster! If it wasn't for me taking notes throughout the week I would be telling you that I have nothing to say. But boy do I have stuff to say! hahha With Easter coming up and new districts coming in, as well as our older district leaving, its been an intense week. I kept going back to my family's motto: "Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust!" Honestly that pixie dust (the spirit and Heavenly Father's guidance) is what gets me through some days and it is the most amazing thing to lean so heavily upon the Lord.
So funny Tagalog mishaps this week!! I've got two great ones! In a lesson I tried to say 'God loves you' but accidentally said "gosh, I love you!" My mga kasama (muh-n-gah cass-am-ah =companions, plural) and the investigator (our teacher Brother Warnick) tried so hard not to laugh, and I didn't realize what I had said wrong until my mga kasama explained it to me! I was so embarrassed! But it was OK, because Sister Rosser accidentally called 'Jose' 'Ernesto' which is the name Brother Warnick had gone by as our last investigator! I also accidentally said goodnight instead of you're welcome!
Showers are still fun, as this week we all became Celine Dion. We were all trying to sing "and iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii will always lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvve yoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooou!!!" and we all sounded like a bunch of skinned cats in an automated rocking chair factory. It was awesome.
For all you worry warts- In Alma 57:21 God promises to bless those who follow with strict obedience with protection and guidance. In the Scriptures these young men fight in a war and, because of their great faith, not one life was lost! So I will be OK!
Speaking of OK.... My Kasamahan (kah-sama-hahn =companionship) was asked to be the new Sister Training Leaders! So, in essence, each class is called a District and in each District there is the District Leader. There are several Districts in a Zone and there are two Zone Leaders chosen from all the combined Districts and then there are the Sister Training Leaders. So District Leaders look over their District and report to the Zone Leader who reports the goings on of the whole Zone to the mission president. Sister training leaders take care of all the girls in the Zone, so we are basically like Zone Leaders, just for the girls. I hope that makes sense...
MOM PLEASE CHECK MY SPELLING FOR KAITIBATI
Well this last Wednesday we got two new districts, with six new girls total! Half of them are from Kiribati with English being their second language and Tagalog being their third! It's daunting but I hope that they feel welcome and that they know that although the MTC is hard it is soooo worth it.
"Why do you get so cold when you're old? I'm fatter than ever, yet the wind blows right through me!!" -Howl's Moving Castle This quote sadly speaks so true to me. I gained four pounds just in the first week here at the MTC and I'm constantly cold. You may be thinking 'well Mikella, you're such a stick anyways i'm sure its no big deal!' Thank you for thinking so, but it it driving me crazy nonetheless. It may have to do with my eating habbits here at the MTC...
Or it may be the fact that I eat three meals a day and sit on my butt in language class the rest. Thankfully we do have gym, and that is so fun but it is not enough apparently! Ha ha ha!
Did you know that Ewoks speak Tagalog? Its true! When They are looking at Princess Leah they say "Magundang syia" (Mung- ga-dung sh-ya) which means "She is pretty" or "She is beautiful." So fun fact, I'm speaking ewok. Some other fun Tagalog trivia is that 'Library,' when literally translated, means 'book place' or the 'place of books.' Then the word Pagbabayad-sala (pug-ba-buy-yad- sal-lah) which means Atonement literally means 'He has paid for our sins in advance.'
Recently I have noticed that my ability to speak Tagalog was stagnating. I could study as hard as I wanted, but would never really take anything in; at least not for long term. I was able to talk with my wonderful teacher, Sister Marcucci, and was able to realize that I was doubting myself, and the Lord's ability- or willingness- to work miracles in my life. I can believe that God can reorder time and universes but was unsure if He would help and guide me, If I was worthy to even be here. Needless to say it was a rough day for me. But then I read in Alma 14 where Alma and his companion are imprisoned and he prays for the very walls to fall down- and they do! That great miracle came to pass because the Lord was able to work through Alma by his faith. For through faith we can do all things. So long as we trust in the lord, even if we must go to Him and ask if it is the right way to go (Brother of Jared) then He will be able to not only work through our faith, but we will know that we are working according to His plan.
I also got a blessing this week from my District Leader, Elder Lowry.
He is an amazing missionary and he's always got a joke on hand. (After this picture was taken he accidentally walked into a wall) Ha ha. It was the first blessing he had ever given, and although he was apprehensive about it after he had blessed myself and one of my companions he kept saying over and over, "that wasn't me, that was Him!" The marvelous thing about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is that we have these pathways to hear from our loving Heavenly Father, be it through prayer, scripture reading, receiving a patriarchal blessing, or priesthood blessings. The Lord want's to communicate with us and we can and we should! Make prayer a priority. If you haven't prayed in a while, do so now. If you have I ask you to ensure that you are truly pouring your heart out to him and allowing Him time to communicate with you! Its a phone call, people! You don't just talk and talk and talk and then hang up! Wait and Listen, and when you listen act!!
I was in a lesson earlier this week an dI kept having the impression to say something to our investigator. I didn't want to as in lessons you are supposed to talk in all Tagalog- which I cant do just yet... But this impression kept coming to me and I finally thought "I cant!" I all but shouted at the spirit and the next instant the prompting left and my companion said what I had been prompted to say- and she didn't say it perfectly either, but she tried! That's the difference! The Lord told Moses that He would put the words into his mouth and He will. We just need to show faith in him and in ourselves to accomplish His work.
As I may have said before, this is the hardest thing I have ever done. It is also the most gratifying and the most awe-inspiring thing I have done. But that does not mean we are serious all the time! We laugh as we teach, we laugh as we make mistakes, we laugh as we do personal study and we laugh as we share and enjoy our mail.
Thank you so much to all who sent me Dear Elders, cookies, tea and love. You brighten my day!
As an example there is a whiteboard outside our classroom in the hallway, and for almost a week we had the lumbalumba ng Diyos (lum-bah-lum-bah means Dolphin) in all its glory portrayed. It's just a super fun word to say, lumbalumba...
Well my time is up and I love you all!! Keep the Easter season in your heart year round, and you will be blessed.
Sister Eldredge
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