Hola todas las personas en el mundo!
The MTC is such an experience! This week I was reflecting on all the things we have learned here thus far.
We have learned (from the District that left this past Tuesday - which included Elder Farr) that doing the tower challenge with blueberry muffin tops is a very bad idea and should not be attempted.
We have learned that there are many ways to open a banana. I have personally seen 5 different ways.
We have learned that opening an apple no longer requires a knife or teeth. You can split them open with your hands! or, my favorite, with your head and a table! Thanks for the demonstration, Elder Doolhoff!
We have learned that if you really want to speak at the microphone during a devotional, you have to be persistent and never give up. Thank you Elder Gerber for teaching us that you might have to sit on the stairs to get there first.
We have learned that Spanish is not English and that even though we feel like we are learning things in a strange order (phrases before the alphabet, etc.), it is actually inspired and helps us build on what we are supposed to be teaching investigators. Also, Subjunctive is hard. We just started it. Just remember: If you have JEDI, you need subjunctive.
We have learned that you can learn from Devotional Speakers even if they aren't in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. This week Elder Don R. Clarke of the Seventy came and spoke to us. It was so great, and not just because he quoted (from memory) "The Touch of the Master's Hand" poem. He also said:
-We can feel the loving arms of the Savior by being obedient. Write what you are going to be on your heart, then it can never be changed. (We were told to write how we were going to be obedient no matter what other missionaries do, but you can make it more applicable to your non-full-time-missionary lives.)
-Diligence is required to receive help/comfort from the Lord. Do all that you can do, press forward, keep the commandments, honor your covenants, do what's right and then the Lord will guide your path, tell you what to say, comfort, and protect you.
(The last part of that might have been from an Elder Bednar talk we watched during class. Good stuff none the less.)
During our Devotional Review, many great additional statements were made by the missionaries in my district, but my favorite was "Be doers, not Try-babies." Don't just try to be good or be obedient; BE good and obedient.
We have learned that external motivations are most productive in getting us to speak Spanish, even if the motivating factor is "Los Puntos" that don't really exist. It's a game where everything's made up and the points don't matter! But we abide by them anyway. 3 points if we speak Spanish all the time, 1 if we only use it a little, calculated 3 times a day. Out of the possible 9 points a day, my best day was 6 so far, but we're working on it. Speaking Spanish is hard, especially when you don't know very many words.
I have learned that I love being here despite the fact that I miss you all! Yes, even you random person who stumbled upon my blog one day! But at the same time, it is really nice to be away from the world and not have to worry about anything other than our investigators and learning and being better prepared to meet their needs. It is so wonderful! Plus, today Hermana Magnusson took our cold hard-boiled eggs and made deviled eggs for us! It seriously made my whole day and it was only 7:45 am! It is the little things that matter most. Any little change makes a world of difference when everyday seems like every other day and you can't remember what day is what because you are always studying.
No importa! Esta Bien! Estoy muy agradecida por todos las bendiciones en mi vida, and I hope you are too!
Love from the safe land of learning new things,
Hermana Anna Sheffield
P.S. If you would like me to expound on any of those stories, write to me! I would love to write and tell you all about it!.
P.P.S. Our roommates are leaving on Monday! I will miss them! We leave in 2 1/2 weeks! Ah!
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