February 25,
2016
Holy cow,
week two! I was basically born in this MTC I feel like. But hey no complaints
because I am STILL LOVING IT! Yes I am definitely that nerd who is overly
optimistic and perky that the other sisters kind of want to hit me but, I think
I'll just keep on smiling dahil sa (because) it's good for the soul. Tagalog
language is definitely a weird mix of Espanol and all things Asian pero I am
having so much fun with it. You get thrown into teaching lessons the third day
you're here, but you learn so fast that you can actually teach people the
gospel in a foreign language! Our first fake investigator accepted baptism so
WOOT WOOT for my kasama and I :) The schedule is still the same almost every
day so I try to find things to make each day different and exciting. Whether it
is turning studying into Jeopardy games where the consequence for a wrong
answer is pushups, or finding ways to translate pop songs into Tagalog, we have
good time. This week's devotional was from Rosemary M. Wixom (for all of those
lacking in their knowledge of general authorities 1- She is the Primary General
President and 2- Pagsisi. (repent) just kidding, I didn't know who she was
either) She was an incredible speaker though! Choir and devotionals are the
BEST. Gym time is also a definite favorite. We run with flash cards and
everyone in my district yells "Kaya Ninyo!!" ("you can do
it") every time we pass each other. One new thing this week is my kasama
and I aren't alone in our room anymore! Last night we got two new sisters, one
from Spain and one from Guatemala, and one sister in the middle of the night
from Mongolia. They are so so cute and I just love them already. I got to Host
yesterday (bring new sister missionaries in) and that was the highlight of my
week for sure. That is just such an exciting/terrifying/awesome day and I got
to be a part of it for 3 sisters.
You know you're in the MTC when...
A very
alarming deep voice comes over the intercom that sounds like they are
announcing the end of the world when really they are just making all the
sister's aware that "There is a male worker. I repeat MALE worker coming
into the vicinity. Make sure you are covering every inch of your body and stay
locked in your rooms." Okay they don't really say that but that is the
just of it. So I guess it is basically the end of the world. I mean it's a male
for crying out loud. Ano mga iyon?? (What are those??)
Missionaries
laugh too...
So funny
story. You have a key to get into your room at night. And there's no other way
to get into your room, which makes sense, cause we have keys. PERO (but) my
kasama and I both decided to leave our keys in the room and go party in another
room that had food and we got locked out. We found out we had to go all the way
across the MTC to the front desk and get a temporary key. Not too bad, definite
1st world problem, but the catch is we were already ready for bed. I had no
shoes on, in my ugly PJ's, and no glasses. My roommate was wearing her pizza.
Yes she has a onzie that is literally cheese and pepperoni, she looks
delicious. So Sister Pizza and her blind mouse ran in the cold to the front
desk to get a new key, all along the way getting "nice pizza" and
stares but hey we made their night! AND we got to make it again 20 minutes
later when yes, we did indeed lock ourselves out. Again. That was a good night
:)
Spiritual
Thought...
One of the
coolest things about being here in the MTC is the Spirit. It is so unbelievably
strong. My kasama and I were teaching the district meeting lesson on Enduring
to the End this Sunday and I got to experience one of those "I heard a
voice say this" karanasan (experience). We read the scripture Alma
37:44-46. I asked the group to replace the word "easy" with
"simple" and "simplicity". I encourage you all to do the
same. It tells us to not become slothful because of the easiness of the way,
but in sa palagay ko (in my opinion) life is not easy. God's purpose and his
plan is extremely simple though. Have faith in Christ and His atonement, repent
of your mistakes, be baptized by immersion under proper authority from God, and
pitiis hanggang wakas (endure to the end). That is very simple. But we must be
continually working our best at keeping these covenants daily and centering our
lives on Christ. That is not always easy amidst the trials and obstacles God
allows to be placed in our path! And even when are being obedient and doing all
the right things, He may still test you. We shared a video of a woman who was
the perfect example of trials. A Mormon message called "The Refiner's Fire"
is about a woman who loses every member of her family to cancer. If you haven't
seen it, watch it. If you have, watch it again. Around the middle/end, they
show the hammer pounding the metal, clearly forming it into something else but
through a lot of force. It switches from the hammer to the woman sharing her
story back and forth. As I was standing on the side, I heard "Pause the
video." That wasn't in our plan for the lesson so I was like
"um..no". Then the next time the hammer came on the screen I heard it
again "pause the video now." At this point I am thinking, my kasama
will be like what the heck are you doing and also I had no idea what I was
supposed to explain. I couldn't shake the feeling though I walked over to the
computer, paused the video, and turned towards the class. I just opened my
mouth. I just opened my mouth and hoped the Holy Ghost would fill it. I then
asked the class to think who else endured the pounding of a hammer? Who else
suffered through trials that mentally, spiritually, and physically wounded Him?
Who else thought for a moment they would not be able to endure, but found
strength in his Father in heaven and continued on his course? And what became
of His sacrifice? What beautiful thing did the hammer and the refiner's fire shape
him into? Then I continued the video.
I ask you all
to watch that video and pause it at the same place and think these things for
yourself. Those words were not my own, and they are not just for the elders and
sisters in my classroom. We all need to remember the incredible challenge our
Savior endured for us and the incredible, immeasurable blessings we have
received from it. How lucky we are to endure trials. How lucky we are to
experience the tiniest fraction of the suffering our Savior did for us. Alam ko
po na (I know that) as we endure each trial, stage of life, year, week, day,
hour, and endure with faith, patience and cheerfulness (Mosiah 24:15) we will
not only experience blessings and growth in our life, but also better the lives
of all those around us.
Mahal
Kita,
Sista Walters
We have two more roommates. I love them all...
You get to run into the neatest people on temple walks, like my old FHE group from BYU!
