Week: 2

Date: Sat, Jul 13, 2013 at 10:10 AM
Subject: PROVO MTC: Week 2

"So I totally just realized that I left out a few things from my first week. I was in such a rush to write everything! My first day at the MTC, I was called as the Senior companion to my mga kasama (companions). YAY haha

 

 

Sunday: Today we all fasted our breakfast and lunch. As soon as we woke up, we headed straight to class to study. Our District President came into pull me and my kasamas out for personal interviews. My interview with President is something that I will think about everyday. He asked me to look at the empty chair next to me and to picture me sitting there, after the end of my mission. 18months later. He told me to describe one thing about Sister Tatiana Escobar after her mission. I looked at the empty chair and felt a warm sensation in my chest. I said, "She loved the people before she met them"....and yes, I started to cry...but so did President. Other things were discussed, but President told me to never hesitate to ask him for guidance and love. I love the man! hahaha Before sacrament meeting, we all headed to another room for our Mission conference. It was pretty cool. A room filled with missionaries who are taking notes, singing and snoring because of how tired they are. During the conference, I accidentally sat right underneathe the Air Con...totally accidental. So throughout the first half of the conference...I WAS SUPER COLD and began to fall asleep. So I a prayer and asked Heavenly Father that I may be able to feel the warmth of the Holy Ghost as I paid attention to the conference and that I would have energy and not fall asleep. Literally 10sec later, I was not cold anymore. I thought the AC was turned off, but I looked at the button on the well and it said it was on HIGH. WOW <3. By the way, I saw Jason Ah Sue at the conference, but he didn't see me because he was a few rows ahead. SOMEONE PLEASE TELL AMANDA AH SUE <3. During out testimony meeting...the strength of the Spirit was so incredible. As people bore their testimonies in Taglish, you could just feel the realness of their words because they came from the heart, by the Spirit. I was asked to give the closing prayer, so I did it in Tagalog. I might have missed a few grammar words, but I felt calm and everyone knew what I was saying. It felt great. My zone leaders told me I did a pretty good job. AFterwards, we all participated in SUNDAY WALK, which mean that you can either walk around the temple or just around the MTC...of course we all went to the TEMPLE! haha. And guess who I ran into??? ELDER WINSLOW!!!! Thank goodness because he actually left to Bulgaria two days later. We finally took a picture together. All of our districts took some pretty awesome pictures. I'll have my momma post them on facebook (: Dinnertime was pretty sweet. Everyone's trays were filled...pretty high. I also saw Sister Blickenstaff! So we took a picture (: After dinner, we had a hilarious devotional given by Brother and Sister Durrant. I would go into detail, but I have not time haha. They basically committed us to be BOLD-sincere-quiet and to make covenants-keep covenants-keep commandments. BUSY BUSY SUNDAY.

 

Monday: Today was a little depressing. we taught out third lesson to Danilo, but we didn't prepare very well. I didn't feel the Spirit at all. Even though, we said what we wanted to say...there was no Spirit. The lesson could have been way better. Personal Study, for me, was even harder. I couldn't focus at all. My kasamas and I thought about studying three different topics for our next lesson...but it didn't feel right because the lesson would not have any unity. We were making things too complicated. In class, Guro mansfield reminded us of Brigham Young's conversion story. He was visited by two missionaries when he was younger. One missionary decorated his lesson with big words and the other missionary simply bore his testimony from his heart. He paid more attention to the missionary who bore his testimony. it gave my kasamas and I a lot to think about. Even if my testimony is the only thing I know how to say in Tagalog, it might be all the investigator needs in order for them to find out the truth for themselves. I also remembered what Elder Bednar had said, " Everything in the conversion process must happen to you before it happens to the people you teach." GYM time: I ran two miles (: Okay...almost two miles. I needed one more lap xD.

 

Tuesday: Today was so much better than yesterday. In class, we received direction  on the simplicity of the Doctrine of Christ, which helped us a lot with our fourth lesson. My kasamas and I felt confident enough, by the Spirit, to challenge Danilo to be baptized....and he said yes!!!! Even though the situation is simulated, the promptings of the Holy Ghost are so real! For language study, my kasamas and I were in charge of a Tagalog-learning game. So we played jeopardy. The elders got mad at us so many times, it was great (: We also had a sweet devotional today. We all headed to the Marriot Center and the gymnasium is huge!!!!! We were talked to by Brother and Sister Kendrick. It was extremely powerful.

 

Wednesday: YAY!!! I have officially been at the MTC for one full week (: Today was our "last appointment" with Danilo before he becomes our advanced teacher. I did not feel the Spirit at all during this lesson. Gahh, things will be better (:

Today, we also found out that Brother Masnfield will also be one of our investigators.....it is going to be so hard and awkward because he knows how much my kasamas and I laugh. Plus, Ever since I arrived at the MTC, Brother Mansfield totally caps on me in class. He knows that I know more Tagalog than my District, so he will direct funny comments to me in tagalog, about me, because he knows I can understand -____-. it's okay, because I make fun of him ALL THE TIME!!!!!! Overall, today was just me and brother Mansfield making fun of each other...and of course, creating more goals.

 

Thursday....we learned about TAGALOG GRAMMAR. kill me now please. We also met Danilo: aka Brother Calder, for the first time as our advance teacher. HE IS WAY PRO. Today I was reminded, that I have been called to serve in the Tagalog because Heavenly Father knows that I am capable of speaking the language, from my heart, by the Spirit.

 

Friday: This morning, we practiced on our kasamas for investigator-teaching practice. We learned how to simplify our lessons down to 2min. It was intense. We also did that with Brother Mansfield. In gym...wait for it....I RAN THREE MILES!!!!!!! wooo!!! And then I began to cry everytime I sat down or walked up/down the stairs xD

 

Of course I have plenty of other things, but I just have no time. I absolutely love my kasamas and my whole district. The Gospel is so true.

 

By the way DearElder.com is another way for people to write to me. It prints out the letter people write to me and sends it to my District group. SO...just incase you didn't want to hand-write anything to me, you can totally go to DearElder.com. All you need is my mission = Quezon City Philippines and my mission code (incase it asks) is PHI-QUE..unit 56. MAKE SURE IT IS QUEZON CITY, not quezon city north.

 

I LOVE YOU ALL."