So, my sister, Tori left the MTC (Missionary Training Center) yesterday for her mission in the Philippines. We are so proud of her. She has studied CRAZY hard these last 8+ weeks at the MTC, and I know she's heading out prepared. She is going to be one amazing missionary.
Oh and good news for everyone who ACTUALLY writes her...Dearelder.com will deliver letters (via the pouch) for FREE to Tori!!!!! That means all you have to do is type up your letter and send it off through them and they will mail it to her free of charge.
Here's how you do it.
1. go to www.dearelder.com ( I have a link here on my blog)
2. Click on "write a letter" tab near the top of the page.
3. Scroll down to the "Philippines Tacloban" mission.
4. Click "write a missionary"
5. Fill in your information where it asks you to
6.Then above the part that says "Philippines Tacloban Mission" fill in Tori's Information
7. Her information is: Sister Victoria Blonquist
8. Fill in your email address (you do this so they can send you confirmation that the letter was sent)
9. Scroll down and type your letter in the space provided.
10. When your down scroll down and press "send letter".
REMEMBER!!! THEY SEND THE LETTER FOR FREE SO WRITE SOON AND WRITE OFTEN!!!!!!!
Also, packages can be sent for a cheaper postage rate through the "pouch" as well. Check that out through www.dearelder.com as well!!!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Sister Blonquist's FINAL MTC LETTER!!!!
Kamusta mo! Wow what an exciting, unbelievable week it has been here. I LEAVE THE MTC IN 5 DAYS. I AM NOT READY (PER USUAL).
First, URS CAN YOU order me another micro fiber towel from the missionary mall here in provo? I think you can order them online and get them directly shipped here. THAT WOULD ROCK.
ALSO, katie and kiera. everyone in my district has the same mailbox number--315. you should put something in there for everyone if yo uwannaaaaaa. you're awesome.
WEll, my companion, sister farnworth found out last week that her twin sister is pregnant so she will be an aunt! Told her it is the best thing everrr.. Speaking of my neices and nephews, do they remember aunt To-to??? I miss them and love them and pray for them each individually every single night. Please let them know. Also, tell them to choose the right, do their hwk, read their scriptures, and laugh lots.
Happy Belated bday to my mossy mags! She is 22 and went skydiving, finally!!! YEAH.
On Sunday we had a fireside by the Jarmens. But, we had a special musical number by 4 elders singing, Abide with Me, accepella. INCREDIBLE. They had an intense key change and they nailed it. Wow, the spirit was so so strong.
Last Thursday our task and lesson went well. A sister that just got off her mission LAST WEEK came in and was the fake investigator! She went to our mission and she was awesomeeeee. She speaks both waraywaray and cebuano and we loved talking to her about everything. It got us extremely excited for our lives in the philippines that is soon approaching.
This week is stressful. There IS NO TIME this week. at . all. I don't know when i am going to pack.
Mags, we do laundry at 6am, but i think our assigned time is 7:30. No, we don't have to wake up at 4:45.
In just about an hour or so my companions and I have to go train about 100-200 new missionaries on 'how to begin teaching'.....ummm, if you read this you should pray for us, cause we are a bit nervous. thanks.
Today I went to the temple for the last time for 16 months. But it was an epic event. I was at the temple from 11am-3:30pm. Our district leader, Elder Chastain, was the only member in his family until today! We were able to do the work for his grandma and grandpa. This is what it's all about. Bringing families together. He just kept saying, ''i'm not alone anymore!" It was such a powerful experience. I was able to do the endowment work for his grandma. YEAH! :)
There are have been so many beautiful, spiritual experiences here these past 9 weeks in teh MTC. I love this place so much. I have grown and I have been amazed at the growth in my companions and my elders. We are a family, and like Elder Akina says, family comes first. IT's been a remarkable experience and one that will always be tender to my heart. I know am looking forward to the part two of this great adventure and work in the Philippines. I am completely lost with the language, and know that this will be one of the epic struggles of this mission for me. I do feel your prayers and the power from them, so please please palihog, never ever stop. I know that God lives and that Jesus is our Savior. Every moment of every day that is in my thoughts and heart and brings a smile to my face. This life is such an opportunity for us and I can't believe how great it is.
I want you all to know that I am working hard. I had a glimpse of how hard this mission is going to be for me in the next 16 months last night. I know I am giong to love it with all of my heart, but I also saw my weaknesses and my 'worst self' as I reflected and poured out my heart to Heavenly Father. . . but, I also saw hope in what I could be and how this mission will be a 'refiner's fire.' It is a time to know your worst self and become your best self. To move forward with this work and to move forward with the plan heavenly father has for me. I always knew that my path would be unique and the desires of my heart would be able to come true. Heavenly Father continues to bless me immenesly everyday.
Right now I am in Alma in the book of mormon. I plan to finish the book of mormon by the time I step foot in the Philippines.....lots to read, but it will happen, no worries. I am learning so much for the book of mormon and being able to visualize the stories like never before. I know that as we read the book of mormon we will understand it to the level of understanding we need to, but that promise only works if we read it....SO try it. :)
Last night our devotional was from brother and sister robbins.
She spoke a lot on having faith and not fear. I leved that she told us that 'you can do hard things because you love the lord, or you love your companion, or you love your mission president, or you love your parents..." Things are supposed to be hard; we can do it.
It was nice to hear because most of the time...about 99%, I am extremely pumped to go to the Philippines! I can't even believe how awesome my life is! But there are some times (its happened 2x) for 30 seconds I get really scared....and then I just get over it. Anyways, it was nice to hear that again.
Be not afraid. ONLY BELIEVE .
Her husband spoke on the power of the book of mormon: and it was powerful! He also spoke on testimony and conversion. A lot of our testimonies come slowly over the years and deepen..."line upon line...here a little there a little." But they come. Move forward with the faith that you have and let the Lord love you and bless you with a deeper understanding and deeper faith.
Oh wow, I love my life. I still laugh daily here and love the people I am priviledged to have in my life. I am learning so much and struggling with the language, but that too is a learning opportunity! I can't wait to write you a letter from the Philippines. :) I bet you can't either.
I leave Monday, MArch 29th. Our flight leaves at 7:30pm from SLC. I fly to LAX arriving 9...leave for the philippines at 12:10. This means parents ill probably be calling you around 11:30 or 12 your time. (sorry urs I know you work early). If the rest of the family wants to be in on the call thats cool, or not, whatevs. I still need to get a calling card for that. I am the travel leader for our group so if i don't call at 11:30 its cause i'm trying to get everyone situated ,etc.
WEll, here's my testimony :)
Nasayud ko nga ang dios mao sa atong langitnong amahan ug nahigugma siay nato.
nasayud ko nga si jesukristo mao sa atong manaluluwas. Namatay siya para sa atong sala. Natubos siya ug namatay sa atong mg sala. Natunos ug namatay siya atong mga sala. Pinaagi sa pag-ula nga makapuyo mi uban sa dios usab!
Kiera--my long purple dress. please send that to me asap. please or have urs and noel do that asap. pleaseeeeeeee.
nat--i love you. thank you for telling me all about your life and dc!
mags--you are the best. happy belated bday!
katie wilk-great letter and thanks for the girls scout cookies!
aaron--i love you and pray for you and work stuff.
kerry--thank you so much for your letters. they mean the world to me.
jarrett--did you get my letter???????????????????? someone text him asap and ask him. then write me. :)
our last task/lesson is tomorrow . please pray for me. i need it.
I truly love you all and I truly pray for you all. Seriously. My knees hurt these days, but its a good pain.
God lives and he loves you!
Have a great day and week!
Love ,
sister B!
First, URS CAN YOU order me another micro fiber towel from the missionary mall here in provo? I think you can order them online and get them directly shipped here. THAT WOULD ROCK.
ALSO, katie and kiera. everyone in my district has the same mailbox number--315. you should put something in there for everyone if yo uwannaaaaaa. you're awesome.
WEll, my companion, sister farnworth found out last week that her twin sister is pregnant so she will be an aunt! Told her it is the best thing everrr.. Speaking of my neices and nephews, do they remember aunt To-to??? I miss them and love them and pray for them each individually every single night. Please let them know. Also, tell them to choose the right, do their hwk, read their scriptures, and laugh lots.
Happy Belated bday to my mossy mags! She is 22 and went skydiving, finally!!! YEAH.
On Sunday we had a fireside by the Jarmens. But, we had a special musical number by 4 elders singing, Abide with Me, accepella. INCREDIBLE. They had an intense key change and they nailed it. Wow, the spirit was so so strong.
Last Thursday our task and lesson went well. A sister that just got off her mission LAST WEEK came in and was the fake investigator! She went to our mission and she was awesomeeeee. She speaks both waraywaray and cebuano and we loved talking to her about everything. It got us extremely excited for our lives in the philippines that is soon approaching.
This week is stressful. There IS NO TIME this week. at . all. I don't know when i am going to pack.
Mags, we do laundry at 6am, but i think our assigned time is 7:30. No, we don't have to wake up at 4:45.
In just about an hour or so my companions and I have to go train about 100-200 new missionaries on 'how to begin teaching'.....ummm, if you read this you should pray for us, cause we are a bit nervous. thanks.
Today I went to the temple for the last time for 16 months. But it was an epic event. I was at the temple from 11am-3:30pm. Our district leader, Elder Chastain, was the only member in his family until today! We were able to do the work for his grandma and grandpa. This is what it's all about. Bringing families together. He just kept saying, ''i'm not alone anymore!" It was such a powerful experience. I was able to do the endowment work for his grandma. YEAH! :)
There are have been so many beautiful, spiritual experiences here these past 9 weeks in teh MTC. I love this place so much. I have grown and I have been amazed at the growth in my companions and my elders. We are a family, and like Elder Akina says, family comes first. IT's been a remarkable experience and one that will always be tender to my heart. I know am looking forward to the part two of this great adventure and work in the Philippines. I am completely lost with the language, and know that this will be one of the epic struggles of this mission for me. I do feel your prayers and the power from them, so please please palihog, never ever stop. I know that God lives and that Jesus is our Savior. Every moment of every day that is in my thoughts and heart and brings a smile to my face. This life is such an opportunity for us and I can't believe how great it is.
I want you all to know that I am working hard. I had a glimpse of how hard this mission is going to be for me in the next 16 months last night. I know I am giong to love it with all of my heart, but I also saw my weaknesses and my 'worst self' as I reflected and poured out my heart to Heavenly Father. . . but, I also saw hope in what I could be and how this mission will be a 'refiner's fire.' It is a time to know your worst self and become your best self. To move forward with this work and to move forward with the plan heavenly father has for me. I always knew that my path would be unique and the desires of my heart would be able to come true. Heavenly Father continues to bless me immenesly everyday.
Right now I am in Alma in the book of mormon. I plan to finish the book of mormon by the time I step foot in the Philippines.....lots to read, but it will happen, no worries. I am learning so much for the book of mormon and being able to visualize the stories like never before. I know that as we read the book of mormon we will understand it to the level of understanding we need to, but that promise only works if we read it....SO try it. :)
Last night our devotional was from brother and sister robbins.
She spoke a lot on having faith and not fear. I leved that she told us that 'you can do hard things because you love the lord, or you love your companion, or you love your mission president, or you love your parents..." Things are supposed to be hard; we can do it.
It was nice to hear because most of the time...about 99%, I am extremely pumped to go to the Philippines! I can't even believe how awesome my life is! But there are some times (its happened 2x) for 30 seconds I get really scared....and then I just get over it. Anyways, it was nice to hear that again.
Be not afraid. ONLY BELIEVE .
Her husband spoke on the power of the book of mormon: and it was powerful! He also spoke on testimony and conversion. A lot of our testimonies come slowly over the years and deepen..."line upon line...here a little there a little." But they come. Move forward with the faith that you have and let the Lord love you and bless you with a deeper understanding and deeper faith.
Oh wow, I love my life. I still laugh daily here and love the people I am priviledged to have in my life. I am learning so much and struggling with the language, but that too is a learning opportunity! I can't wait to write you a letter from the Philippines. :) I bet you can't either.
I leave Monday, MArch 29th. Our flight leaves at 7:30pm from SLC. I fly to LAX arriving 9...leave for the philippines at 12:10. This means parents ill probably be calling you around 11:30 or 12 your time. (sorry urs I know you work early). If the rest of the family wants to be in on the call thats cool, or not, whatevs. I still need to get a calling card for that. I am the travel leader for our group so if i don't call at 11:30 its cause i'm trying to get everyone situated ,etc.
WEll, here's my testimony :)
Nasayud ko nga ang dios mao sa atong langitnong amahan ug nahigugma siay nato.
nasayud ko nga si jesukristo mao sa atong manaluluwas. Namatay siya para sa atong sala. Natubos siya ug namatay sa atong mg sala. Natunos ug namatay siya atong mga sala. Pinaagi sa pag-ula nga makapuyo mi uban sa dios usab!
Kiera--my long purple dress. please send that to me asap. please or have urs and noel do that asap. pleaseeeeeeee.
nat--i love you. thank you for telling me all about your life and dc!
mags--you are the best. happy belated bday!
katie wilk-great letter and thanks for the girls scout cookies!
aaron--i love you and pray for you and work stuff.
kerry--thank you so much for your letters. they mean the world to me.
jarrett--did you get my letter???????????????????? someone text him asap and ask him. then write me. :)
our last task/lesson is tomorrow . please pray for me. i need it.
I truly love you all and I truly pray for you all. Seriously. My knees hurt these days, but its a good pain.
God lives and he loves you!
Have a great day and week!
Love ,
sister B!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Letter #7 March 18, 2010
***I have put the last few weeks of letter up on the blog, so keep scrolling down! I was having problems with blogger, go figure, so it is up now and ready to read!! *Katie*
kamusta mo sa pamilia ug mga higala,
How is everyone doing?!!? Life in the MTC is wonderful, per usual. It's been a fast week and going faster. I leave in a little over a WEEK!!! WHAT?!?! UNSA!?
Well, I am picking up more vocab daily, though not near enough to do anything productive--like speak a foreign language. But all is well, no worries. The new cebuanos got here last wednesday and there are 6 elders and 1 sister. Wow, i do not know how to write in english anymore. Also, i have gotten a few comments about my spelling issues on these emails...its NOT me, its the stress of time and the keyboards here are messed up. Promise mags.
Last weeks task was extremely difficult. WE had a muslim investigator, which would be fine, if we had prepared our cebuano lesson for someone who didn't believe in Jesus Christ.....so we did not follow our lesson plan or what we studied and we had to come up with whatever we could. It . was. hard. WE did okay. I did bad. We have another task tomorrow and i am worried about it. We have spent a lot of our time with the new district and helping them and our lesson is not ready. STressful.
In other news, MARIE BATES CAME INTO THE MTC TODAY! I was walking up to the temple and saw her and her parents and we ran to eachother (adorable) and it was so great to see her! She is going to love it here.
This week has been awesome. Our district has really stepped up and is working hard.
Sunday was a great day. I learned a lot about dispensations and what was brought by each prophet. It is pretty profound. Richard Heaton spoke for our sunday night fireside. I love it when he talks to us. He is the admistrator/man in charge of the MTC and he is hilarious and way nice. He talked all about investigators and actually chose 4 elders from the audience who had recently converted within the last 1.5 years. I learned so much and was so interested in their stories. Elder Chastain (our DL) is a convert and it will be TWO YEARS on MARCH 29th!!!! (which is the day we are supposed to fly out!) Pretty exciting. One thing Brother Heaton said that I really enjoyed was, " This work is the greatest mircale on the planet. And you have a front row seat." WE also sang "To bring the world his truth" and the words were changed to "we are now the Lord's missionaries".... It was a great fireside.
On Tuesday we FINALLY had an apostle come speak to us!!! Elder Quentin L. COok. His wife too! She said a few things I really enjoyed. She told us to look at all the Christlike attributes in PMG and then find a church hymn that corresponds with each one. That way when we get in hard situations we can sing the words of that hymn and gain strength. Great idea, Sister cook. Example: Obediance; I'll go where you want me to go Faith: I believe in Christ/ I know that my redeemer lives Patience: Be still my soul
THe choir sang, " Behold the wounds in jesus hands."
Elder Cook spoke directly by the spirit and it was powerful. He taught us how crucial it was to teach by the power of the Holy Ghost b/c it will be like an echo from the pre-existence to those we are teaching as well as bear witness of the truth. He spoke a lot about D and C 112 and being humble and purifying our hearst first and then being able to go out and teach. But what I loved most was that he ended his talk by giving us a blessing..right from the pulpit. And it was powerful. You could hear missionaries throughout the room just crying. THe spirit was so strong and the love from a special witness of our savior was remarkable. He blessed us that we would come to understand that this mission is exactly where we need to be and where the Lord wants us to be. He blessed us to know that this mission will bless our children and grandchilden and that we might understand that it will bless us alll of our days. He blessed us with the righteous desires of our hearts. That as we worked hard the blessings of the kingdom would pour down upon us. It was so needed. There are some sisters that I have stewardship over that really needed that and it was so powerful. I am so grateful that Jesus Christs gospel is on the earth and that there are apostles that know God but also know us and know how to serve us and be that example and special witness of our savior. He also mentioned, " I may not be as capable as I would like but I can be his witness. I can testify of him. ......." I liked that and as missionaries we related well to that. I may not be the smartest or the most capable and I may be the worst at this language, but I can live my life righteously and with exact obedience so the spirit can be with me....so the spirit will help me...so i can testify to God's children in Cebuano (and WARAYWARAY) in 1.5 weeks. He also said, " Christ knows the unfairness of life and he can advocate for us. . ."
Anyways, it was a great devotional and one that we all needed and appreciated so much. God lives and Jesus is our Savior. We can live and be happy and enjoy our lives and be ourselves with the knowledge of our God and Savior. Our talk topic this week was "humility" and I learned a lot from that topic. I realized that God wants us to be ourselves of course, because our personalitites are unique and necessary especially for the people we are going to teach--but there is a part of our personalities that God knows that sometiems we don't see / know because of our pride. Heavenly Father loves us and as we humble ourselves he can teach us and mold us into our best selves : best teacher, best spouse, best parent, best child, best worker, etc. He knows what we are capable of, even though we are often stuck in our "natural man" ways and weaknesses. Mosiah 4:11-12 is incredible. REad it if you can. Verse 12 tells us that God wants to give us even more, he wants us to grow and gain knowledge. He has so much he wants to give us....but we don't even recognize b/c of our "natural man." SO, I challenge all of you (and myself) to let God teach us this week so that we might gain that knowledge and find that part of our personalities that He knows and we have never before recognized.
I love you all.
The gospel of jesukristo is on the earth. The true, fullness has been restored. Thank you for your prayers and support. It is so needed.
Katie/ Kiera--I got word that my blog has not been update for 3 weeks?? That must be wrong because i write home weekly!
Katie--elder fisher is from hawaii and gets discouraged easily...you could send soemthing for him specifically. that would be cool. and my comps. or my whole district. i love them all the same. seriously. I MISS YOUR family. send pics. thanks for writing me!
Kerry-- i just love you so much! Thanks for all you do.
Marilee--great letter this week! Tell me more about your mission experiences please! you crack me up. thanks for the prayers.
aaron, andru, jarrett-you could write me if you want. Aaron thanks for writing me last week.
zach--i'll send you a letter answering your questions.
Love you alll!!!
love,
sister b!
kamusta mo sa pamilia ug mga higala,
How is everyone doing?!!? Life in the MTC is wonderful, per usual. It's been a fast week and going faster. I leave in a little over a WEEK!!! WHAT?!?! UNSA!?
Well, I am picking up more vocab daily, though not near enough to do anything productive--like speak a foreign language. But all is well, no worries. The new cebuanos got here last wednesday and there are 6 elders and 1 sister. Wow, i do not know how to write in english anymore. Also, i have gotten a few comments about my spelling issues on these emails...its NOT me, its the stress of time and the keyboards here are messed up. Promise mags.
Last weeks task was extremely difficult. WE had a muslim investigator, which would be fine, if we had prepared our cebuano lesson for someone who didn't believe in Jesus Christ.....so we did not follow our lesson plan or what we studied and we had to come up with whatever we could. It . was. hard. WE did okay. I did bad. We have another task tomorrow and i am worried about it. We have spent a lot of our time with the new district and helping them and our lesson is not ready. STressful.
In other news, MARIE BATES CAME INTO THE MTC TODAY! I was walking up to the temple and saw her and her parents and we ran to eachother (adorable) and it was so great to see her! She is going to love it here.
This week has been awesome. Our district has really stepped up and is working hard.
Sunday was a great day. I learned a lot about dispensations and what was brought by each prophet. It is pretty profound. Richard Heaton spoke for our sunday night fireside. I love it when he talks to us. He is the admistrator/man in charge of the MTC and he is hilarious and way nice. He talked all about investigators and actually chose 4 elders from the audience who had recently converted within the last 1.5 years. I learned so much and was so interested in their stories. Elder Chastain (our DL) is a convert and it will be TWO YEARS on MARCH 29th!!!! (which is the day we are supposed to fly out!) Pretty exciting. One thing Brother Heaton said that I really enjoyed was, " This work is the greatest mircale on the planet. And you have a front row seat." WE also sang "To bring the world his truth" and the words were changed to "we are now the Lord's missionaries".... It was a great fireside.
On Tuesday we FINALLY had an apostle come speak to us!!! Elder Quentin L. COok. His wife too! She said a few things I really enjoyed. She told us to look at all the Christlike attributes in PMG and then find a church hymn that corresponds with each one. That way when we get in hard situations we can sing the words of that hymn and gain strength. Great idea, Sister cook. Example: Obediance; I'll go where you want me to go Faith: I believe in Christ/ I know that my redeemer lives Patience: Be still my soul
THe choir sang, " Behold the wounds in jesus hands."
Elder Cook spoke directly by the spirit and it was powerful. He taught us how crucial it was to teach by the power of the Holy Ghost b/c it will be like an echo from the pre-existence to those we are teaching as well as bear witness of the truth. He spoke a lot about D and C 112 and being humble and purifying our hearst first and then being able to go out and teach. But what I loved most was that he ended his talk by giving us a blessing..right from the pulpit. And it was powerful. You could hear missionaries throughout the room just crying. THe spirit was so strong and the love from a special witness of our savior was remarkable. He blessed us that we would come to understand that this mission is exactly where we need to be and where the Lord wants us to be. He blessed us to know that this mission will bless our children and grandchilden and that we might understand that it will bless us alll of our days. He blessed us with the righteous desires of our hearts. That as we worked hard the blessings of the kingdom would pour down upon us. It was so needed. There are some sisters that I have stewardship over that really needed that and it was so powerful. I am so grateful that Jesus Christs gospel is on the earth and that there are apostles that know God but also know us and know how to serve us and be that example and special witness of our savior. He also mentioned, " I may not be as capable as I would like but I can be his witness. I can testify of him. ......." I liked that and as missionaries we related well to that. I may not be the smartest or the most capable and I may be the worst at this language, but I can live my life righteously and with exact obedience so the spirit can be with me....so the spirit will help me...so i can testify to God's children in Cebuano (and WARAYWARAY) in 1.5 weeks. He also said, " Christ knows the unfairness of life and he can advocate for us. . ."
Anyways, it was a great devotional and one that we all needed and appreciated so much. God lives and Jesus is our Savior. We can live and be happy and enjoy our lives and be ourselves with the knowledge of our God and Savior. Our talk topic this week was "humility" and I learned a lot from that topic. I realized that God wants us to be ourselves of course, because our personalitites are unique and necessary especially for the people we are going to teach--but there is a part of our personalities that God knows that sometiems we don't see / know because of our pride. Heavenly Father loves us and as we humble ourselves he can teach us and mold us into our best selves : best teacher, best spouse, best parent, best child, best worker, etc. He knows what we are capable of, even though we are often stuck in our "natural man" ways and weaknesses. Mosiah 4:11-12 is incredible. REad it if you can. Verse 12 tells us that God wants to give us even more, he wants us to grow and gain knowledge. He has so much he wants to give us....but we don't even recognize b/c of our "natural man." SO, I challenge all of you (and myself) to let God teach us this week so that we might gain that knowledge and find that part of our personalities that He knows and we have never before recognized.
I love you all.
The gospel of jesukristo is on the earth. The true, fullness has been restored. Thank you for your prayers and support. It is so needed.
Katie/ Kiera--I got word that my blog has not been update for 3 weeks?? That must be wrong because i write home weekly!
Katie--elder fisher is from hawaii and gets discouraged easily...you could send soemthing for him specifically. that would be cool. and my comps. or my whole district. i love them all the same. seriously. I MISS YOUR family. send pics. thanks for writing me!
Kerry-- i just love you so much! Thanks for all you do.
Marilee--great letter this week! Tell me more about your mission experiences please! you crack me up. thanks for the prayers.
aaron, andru, jarrett-you could write me if you want. Aaron thanks for writing me last week.
zach--i'll send you a letter answering your questions.
Love you alll!!!
love,
sister b!
Letter #6 March 11 2010
Kamusta Mo !
A couple things:
URS--do you know the song "o Lord my redeemer" and can you find me a copy of it...in my range..that i could sing? I gave a lesson on the atonement on sunday and elder akina asked me when if i was going to sing before we leave and if i could sing that song...so i said if i could get a copy of it and it was approved i would ... so, its up to you URS. :)
I neeed the LOUKS address asap! Elder Louk left me a package to mail home to them and he didn't leave me their address. could you get that asap?! thanks.
Cyndi Blotter! Thanks so much for the dear elder! It was wonderful to hear from you!! Tell brittany i miss her and she should write me!
My Biancs got her mission call to SLC TEMPLE SQUARE! Let me just say that that is incredible! PERFECT place for her! Since being in the MTC I have now realized how incredible that mission is. Seriously, all the missionaries have so much respect and love for that mission slash we are a bit jealous. I told my district and all the elders were like, "She is so lucky! " SO shout out to my biancs. She reports on May 26th. :)
Emily Gillespie--will some of my africa friends let me know if she is okay? I know all the missionaries in Chile are accounted for, but could someone look at her blog and tell me what is going on!??! thankssss.
Ellie hall--SO great to get your letter! I will write you soon. Loved hearing the great updates on your exciting life! Sounds like summer will be a blast. I saw alex in the temple today. :)
Tell becca to write me puhleeeze.
Katie--glad you are reading 2 nephi 9! Its amazing!
Kiera--oh benson would be a star. thanks for your talk, i really enjoyed it.
Well, sa pamiliya ug sa mga higala,
this week has been amazing. We have had incredible experiences together as a district and I have learned a lot. I think I just want to make a list of things/phrases that have helped my testimony grown this week and have helped deepend my gospel understanding.
We had a large group meeting last week: Write down the miracles of your week. Write down what you are praying for. Reflect on your week and see how the lord is shaping you and answering your prayers.
Brother Bishop taught us:
Be temperate. WE must be temperate, stable and sure and consistant every single day because the world is unstable and unsure. WE must be sure and know how to move forward in this battle. Also, "do not try to change truth to fit your weaknesses." BE humble... why do we often defend our weakness???? Change you to fit truths...
Brother Latimer:
Agency--choosing to do as much as you can in your abili9ty and Heavenly Father will make up what you can't.... we have to do everything possible. and we can. We can do hard things...
Chile Earthquake: Sister smith (mtc president wife) told us that the mission president's wife down there woke up in the middle of the night two weeks before the earthquake and new there would be an earthquake. they then proceeded to prepare all the missionaries and went to each apt in the mission and prayed over their homes, etc. cool eh?
President smith said " selective obedience is not obedience at all."
"Don't miss out on those appointments the Lord has arranged for you that are not in your planner (or schedule, or to do list.)"
Discussion in class about sins vs weakness vs infirmities:
How the atonement works:
sins--forgiveness
Weaknesses--Strength
Infirmities--Mercy
That is a very simplistic visual of what an hour and half conversation was. It was a really neat discussion.
Different day:
ZIN.
Numbers 20: 1, 6, 10, 11, 12,13......The lord told moses and aaron to get water a certain way...they kindaaaaaaa were obedient. not really. they exaggerated things and did it their own way.... so we now have a saying..if you are not ZINNING (strict obedience) you are SINNING.
Last night bruce c. hafen came and talked about Testimonies. Testimonies are not just a feeling. they come from 1. Reason 2. Feeling 3. Experiences.
It is a process, not just an event.
How true that is! Over several experiences of my life I have come to recognize the strength and power from a loving heavenly father. I continue to see this each day and my testimony is deepening to a new level. Its remarkable.
Last TASK on thursday was hard. It was all in Cebuano. Thank you so much for your prayers. It started out tought. It was hard. And uncomfortable at first. But we got moving and I answered some questions in a fluent consistent couple of sentences...SAWEET. Also, can you BELIEVE that i leave in three weeks?!?! I can't .
I learned a lot this week and felt a lot of love from my Heavenly Father. My whole district bore their testimony on Sunday. It was a great opportunity to fast and bear testimony of the things i know to be true. I am loving life here and doing well. The language is a constant struggle and I am not sure what to do with myself and that. But I'm not giving up.
ALso, i thought you all might be happy to know I learned my favorite word.
NAgsingut =I 'm sweaty.
:) Some things never change.
The gospel is true and has been restored. The lord is waiting for us to come unto him and know him. The atonement is real. I mentioned earlier that i taught the sunday school lesson on the atonement. It was great to spend time studying that. I woke up at 4:52 on sunday to study for that lesson and it was worth every minute of sleep lost. I read in Jesus the Christ about the atonement and in the new gospel principles lesson book ...so, read that if you get a chance this week. It was really powerful and helpful.
Nasayud Ko nga ang dios mao ang akong amahan sa langit. nasayud Ko niining. Nahigugma ko sa Dios ug ni Jesukristo. Nasayud ko nga ang dios pahiuli sa iyang ebanghelyo pinaagi ni joseph smith. nag-ampo ko ug ang dios nagtubag sa akong pag-ampo.
I love goign to the temple every week. Its an amazing experiences .
Also, patience is crucial. PMG teaches us this, and I know it is true. I know that Satan is real and knows our weaknesses and will try and trick us consistently. WE must be temperate and stable and consistent. We have to be diligent in this!
And the quote of the week for me, "Shall we not go on in so great a cause!?"
i love you all. I know this was more scattered than normal. I have some elders going crazy and being loud behind me...per usual.
Heavenly Father takes care of his children. Don't forget that. :)
love,
Sister B.
A couple things:
URS--do you know the song "o Lord my redeemer" and can you find me a copy of it...in my range..that i could sing? I gave a lesson on the atonement on sunday and elder akina asked me when if i was going to sing before we leave and if i could sing that song...so i said if i could get a copy of it and it was approved i would ... so, its up to you URS. :)
I neeed the LOUKS address asap! Elder Louk left me a package to mail home to them and he didn't leave me their address. could you get that asap?! thanks.
Cyndi Blotter! Thanks so much for the dear elder! It was wonderful to hear from you!! Tell brittany i miss her and she should write me!
My Biancs got her mission call to SLC TEMPLE SQUARE! Let me just say that that is incredible! PERFECT place for her! Since being in the MTC I have now realized how incredible that mission is. Seriously, all the missionaries have so much respect and love for that mission slash we are a bit jealous. I told my district and all the elders were like, "She is so lucky! " SO shout out to my biancs. She reports on May 26th. :)
Emily Gillespie--will some of my africa friends let me know if she is okay? I know all the missionaries in Chile are accounted for, but could someone look at her blog and tell me what is going on!??! thankssss.
Ellie hall--SO great to get your letter! I will write you soon. Loved hearing the great updates on your exciting life! Sounds like summer will be a blast. I saw alex in the temple today. :)
Tell becca to write me puhleeeze.
Katie--glad you are reading 2 nephi 9! Its amazing!
Kiera--oh benson would be a star. thanks for your talk, i really enjoyed it.
Well, sa pamiliya ug sa mga higala,
this week has been amazing. We have had incredible experiences together as a district and I have learned a lot. I think I just want to make a list of things/phrases that have helped my testimony grown this week and have helped deepend my gospel understanding.
We had a large group meeting last week: Write down the miracles of your week. Write down what you are praying for. Reflect on your week and see how the lord is shaping you and answering your prayers.
Brother Bishop taught us:
Be temperate. WE must be temperate, stable and sure and consistant every single day because the world is unstable and unsure. WE must be sure and know how to move forward in this battle. Also, "do not try to change truth to fit your weaknesses." BE humble... why do we often defend our weakness???? Change you to fit truths...
Brother Latimer:
Agency--choosing to do as much as you can in your abili9ty and Heavenly Father will make up what you can't.... we have to do everything possible. and we can. We can do hard things...
Chile Earthquake: Sister smith (mtc president wife) told us that the mission president's wife down there woke up in the middle of the night two weeks before the earthquake and new there would be an earthquake. they then proceeded to prepare all the missionaries and went to each apt in the mission and prayed over their homes, etc. cool eh?
President smith said " selective obedience is not obedience at all."
"Don't miss out on those appointments the Lord has arranged for you that are not in your planner (or schedule, or to do list.)"
Discussion in class about sins vs weakness vs infirmities:
How the atonement works:
sins--forgiveness
Weaknesses--Strength
Infirmities--Mercy
That is a very simplistic visual of what an hour and half conversation was. It was a really neat discussion.
Different day:
ZIN.
Numbers 20: 1, 6, 10, 11, 12,13......The lord told moses and aaron to get water a certain way...they kindaaaaaaa were obedient. not really. they exaggerated things and did it their own way.... so we now have a saying..if you are not ZINNING (strict obedience) you are SINNING.
Last night bruce c. hafen came and talked about Testimonies. Testimonies are not just a feeling. they come from 1. Reason 2. Feeling 3. Experiences.
It is a process, not just an event.
How true that is! Over several experiences of my life I have come to recognize the strength and power from a loving heavenly father. I continue to see this each day and my testimony is deepening to a new level. Its remarkable.
Last TASK on thursday was hard. It was all in Cebuano. Thank you so much for your prayers. It started out tought. It was hard. And uncomfortable at first. But we got moving and I answered some questions in a fluent consistent couple of sentences...SAWEET. Also, can you BELIEVE that i leave in three weeks?!?! I can't .
I learned a lot this week and felt a lot of love from my Heavenly Father. My whole district bore their testimony on Sunday. It was a great opportunity to fast and bear testimony of the things i know to be true. I am loving life here and doing well. The language is a constant struggle and I am not sure what to do with myself and that. But I'm not giving up.
ALso, i thought you all might be happy to know I learned my favorite word.
NAgsingut =I 'm sweaty.
:) Some things never change.
The gospel is true and has been restored. The lord is waiting for us to come unto him and know him. The atonement is real. I mentioned earlier that i taught the sunday school lesson on the atonement. It was great to spend time studying that. I woke up at 4:52 on sunday to study for that lesson and it was worth every minute of sleep lost. I read in Jesus the Christ about the atonement and in the new gospel principles lesson book ...so, read that if you get a chance this week. It was really powerful and helpful.
Nasayud Ko nga ang dios mao ang akong amahan sa langit. nasayud Ko niining. Nahigugma ko sa Dios ug ni Jesukristo. Nasayud ko nga ang dios pahiuli sa iyang ebanghelyo pinaagi ni joseph smith. nag-ampo ko ug ang dios nagtubag sa akong pag-ampo.
I love goign to the temple every week. Its an amazing experiences .
Also, patience is crucial. PMG teaches us this, and I know it is true. I know that Satan is real and knows our weaknesses and will try and trick us consistently. WE must be temperate and stable and consistent. We have to be diligent in this!
And the quote of the week for me, "Shall we not go on in so great a cause!?"
i love you all. I know this was more scattered than normal. I have some elders going crazy and being loud behind me...per usual.
Heavenly Father takes care of his children. Don't forget that. :)
love,
Sister B.
Letter #5 March 3, 2010
Okay, the MTC is having major struggles with emails. I have tried to email numerous times today and my comp can't even get on. To say we are frustrated is an understatement. ANywayssss, kamusta mo!?
>
> How is life fam and friends??
>
> PDAY is zooming by , per usual and life is wonderful here.
>
> A quick rundown of my life here:
>
> Last week we had our 'task' in the trc. It was a lot of fun and we did well. Our lesson turned out wonderfully. I learned about following the spirit as I teach to the needs of the 'investigator'.
>
> Friday we planned, i think. REally, its difficult to remember days here. BUT saturday was epic.
>
> It was our first "Field DAY!" As in, we did everything we would do if we were actually in the field already. So we did personal study/comp study in our rooms and language and planned out who we were teaching and what to teach,etc.
>
> We taught 8 lessons and did contacting and proselyting. It was hard. A good glimpse of whats to come that is for sure.
>
> I'll be honest..our first couple lessons went really well. We were working well as a companionship and learning great things. The lesson was on the Plan of Salvation/ Word of Wisdom. I loved teaching those lessons. Then we had some lessons on the Restoration which we hadn't taught as a companionship for 3 weeks and it was a little rough. I could not figure out what was going on but I did not do a great job. It just didn't run as smoothly. I was acutally really frustrated with my self. Then we had some of the elders in our district teach us (chastain and tenney) and they did an incredible job. Seriously, I couldn't even believe how strong the spirit was and how guided they were as they taught us. I loved it. But afterwards we were supposed to teach them the same lesson and i was nervous and frustrated cause I just had not been doing well. So i asked my comps if we could pray and I said it...We then had an incredible lesson. Seriously. Talk about being humbled and turning to the Lord completely. I don't know what was up with me, but when I prayed for us we had the spirit again...i had the spirit again, and it was awesome. NINDOT KAAYO NA!
>
> Well, Sunday was another great sabbath day. I took a nap. WHO KNEW WE COULD TAKE A NAP HERE? I didn't know.. haha. but we are allowed to on sundays if you have time and don't walk go on the temple walk. Anyways, didn't sleep too long, don't worry cause we had lots to do!
>
> We had Brother Allen c ome and speak to us Sunday night. I loved his talk! He let the elders take off their suit coats and the room lit up with all their white shirts. He told us about the olympics a bit--cannada getting the gold in hockey--related it to the gospel of course and how each of us can earn the gold. cheesy, but it actually wasn't somehow when he was speaking. He talked a lot about dignity, companionship, following the spirit, and inviting the spirit --a member of the godhead--to be in this work with us. He also had us alllll memorize 2 nephi 33 :15-- I MUST OBEY. amen.
>
> It was a great discussion where he had us stand and sit all throughout it. Anyways, I liked him a lot.
>
> Monday was one of the funniest days at the MTC. I DO NOT know what the elders ate, but they were allll on something. Seriously, my entire district was dying of laughter all day long. My teacher too. We had to leave the classroom and go to the CR more than once. It was ridiculous. We learned things too of course, but we are all having a hilarious time here. Loved it.
>
> Also, I am truly finding out why missionaries are so weird when they come home. We all make jokes based on gospel principles ALL the time and we truly and honestly find them hilarous. So dumb, but awesome too. In the middle of the lesson on the restoration I said "So, Adam was a prophet..." (Elder tenney, pretending investigator) " First, one that we know..." Yes, primary song reference... we all busted out laughing..
>
> LAST night we had Bishop Edgley speak to us. HE was great. I referred to his mission as some of the most spiritual experiences of his life.. and "the greatest days" He then told us to make them our greatest days...in everything. He also said "stay on the mark and don't walk away." He said we were entitled to be discouraged...but only for 2 minutes! then we have to pull our self together and push ahead. He taught a powerful lesson on not discounting who we taught. He talked about how he didn't feel like his mission was very successful, but as years went by he was contacted by some people he had taught lessons to. And those lessons led to years later baptisms, and happiness, and generations of members of the church. Lessons are not just lessons...the lead to great success and can be very powerful.
>
> In class we did an activity whwere we found our favorite scripture and explained it to our comp. Then we had to find a scripture that we felt applied to the person we were teaching/comp. The thought process was different and the spirit was different and we did so. I learned a lot about what my comp thought were my needs....she was right on the ball. and vise versa. It was really powerful. My teacher said he had a set of scriptures just for the investigators he taught out in the field. He has them all marked up from finding the scriptures that applied to those people's needs. i think I am going to do that. it was a really wonderful experience. I loved it.
>
> This week is our first lesson completely in cebuano. I'll be honest. I don't feel like I am where I need to be with the language. I also don't feel like there is the sufficient amount of time for me to study the language the way i learn things. Its tough. I am trying hard daily but still not to where I need to be. More than any other week, we need your prayers. We have to teach the entire restoration lesson in Cebuano and do a task in cebuano. thats an hour of speaking this language. wow. grabbii shaw.
>
> Anyways, my companions are wonderful. My district is incredible. The other Cantos (our buds) left on monday. One of them is Elder Fogt--his older brother Chris Fogt is in the olympics--bobsled i think. cool, eh? He's missing his brother in the olympics! Well, the church is true, indeed.
>
> The spirit has been really strong this week and definitely guiding my life here. I appreciate your prayers and support so much. Thank you with all of my heart. Last night after the fireside our district reviewed what we learned . WE also all went around the room and talked about why we were here, how we are doing, etc. It's incredible how much I love these people. On sunday i prepared a talk on charity and i read how when we strive to develop that christlike attribute the lord will bless us with the ability to love more. To literally increase the ability to love. I know that is true. I felt that in africa and fiji, and i feel it now every day. I feel protected and loved here from the people i am surrounded by and from all of you. The gospel of Jesus Christ is on the earth. The lord wants to know us and wants to help us. I know he is there. A good chapter to read this week for all of you is 2 Nephi 9. Also Mosiah 4.
>
> Josh--yes, send me the rest of the talk by elder oaks
> Mags--thank you for writing me lots! i'll try and get a letter to you
> Katie--love you and your kids. livi so smart!
> Jarrett-what is your address??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! i have a letter for you. do you have a letter for me? if not you should write one ! :)
> urs--got your letter and the nylons--work great. thanks!
> dad--thank you for the letter, bishop talk, optimism stuff, and quotes and memory card! WHAT a great idea you have! I will for sure record my testimony and a message and send it home to put on the blog. you all will go nuts at this language slash i still can't speak it....
> kerry--thank you so much for writing me. i wrote you a legit letter....coming soon
> kiera--hows cali!? how's ben? can you send me a picture / pictures of the last weekend at home with everyone from YOUR camera!? my pics didn't turn out great.
>
> i love you all. sorry its so jumbled more than normal today! it was stressful emailing...
>
>
> nasayud ko nga dios naghigugma nato. pagampo ninyo ang dios!
>
> love,
> sister b
>
> How is life fam and friends??
>
> PDAY is zooming by , per usual and life is wonderful here.
>
> A quick rundown of my life here:
>
> Last week we had our 'task' in the trc. It was a lot of fun and we did well. Our lesson turned out wonderfully. I learned about following the spirit as I teach to the needs of the 'investigator'.
>
> Friday we planned, i think. REally, its difficult to remember days here. BUT saturday was epic.
>
> It was our first "Field DAY!" As in, we did everything we would do if we were actually in the field already. So we did personal study/comp study in our rooms and language and planned out who we were teaching and what to teach,etc.
>
> We taught 8 lessons and did contacting and proselyting. It was hard. A good glimpse of whats to come that is for sure.
>
> I'll be honest..our first couple lessons went really well. We were working well as a companionship and learning great things. The lesson was on the Plan of Salvation/ Word of Wisdom. I loved teaching those lessons. Then we had some lessons on the Restoration which we hadn't taught as a companionship for 3 weeks and it was a little rough. I could not figure out what was going on but I did not do a great job. It just didn't run as smoothly. I was acutally really frustrated with my self. Then we had some of the elders in our district teach us (chastain and tenney) and they did an incredible job. Seriously, I couldn't even believe how strong the spirit was and how guided they were as they taught us. I loved it. But afterwards we were supposed to teach them the same lesson and i was nervous and frustrated cause I just had not been doing well. So i asked my comps if we could pray and I said it...We then had an incredible lesson. Seriously. Talk about being humbled and turning to the Lord completely. I don't know what was up with me, but when I prayed for us we had the spirit again...i had the spirit again, and it was awesome. NINDOT KAAYO NA!
>
> Well, Sunday was another great sabbath day. I took a nap. WHO KNEW WE COULD TAKE A NAP HERE? I didn't know.. haha. but we are allowed to on sundays if you have time and don't walk go on the temple walk. Anyways, didn't sleep too long, don't worry cause we had lots to do!
>
> We had Brother Allen c ome and speak to us Sunday night. I loved his talk! He let the elders take off their suit coats and the room lit up with all their white shirts. He told us about the olympics a bit--cannada getting the gold in hockey--related it to the gospel of course and how each of us can earn the gold. cheesy, but it actually wasn't somehow when he was speaking. He talked a lot about dignity, companionship, following the spirit, and inviting the spirit --a member of the godhead--to be in this work with us. He also had us alllll memorize 2 nephi 33 :15-- I MUST OBEY. amen.
>
> It was a great discussion where he had us stand and sit all throughout it. Anyways, I liked him a lot.
>
> Monday was one of the funniest days at the MTC. I DO NOT know what the elders ate, but they were allll on something. Seriously, my entire district was dying of laughter all day long. My teacher too. We had to leave the classroom and go to the CR more than once. It was ridiculous. We learned things too of course, but we are all having a hilarious time here. Loved it.
>
> Also, I am truly finding out why missionaries are so weird when they come home. We all make jokes based on gospel principles ALL the time and we truly and honestly find them hilarous. So dumb, but awesome too. In the middle of the lesson on the restoration I said "So, Adam was a prophet..." (Elder tenney, pretending investigator) " First, one that we know..." Yes, primary song reference... we all busted out laughing..
>
> LAST night we had Bishop Edgley speak to us. HE was great. I referred to his mission as some of the most spiritual experiences of his life.. and "the greatest days" He then told us to make them our greatest days...in everything. He also said "stay on the mark and don't walk away." He said we were entitled to be discouraged...but only for 2 minutes! then we have to pull our self together and push ahead. He taught a powerful lesson on not discounting who we taught. He talked about how he didn't feel like his mission was very successful, but as years went by he was contacted by some people he had taught lessons to. And those lessons led to years later baptisms, and happiness, and generations of members of the church. Lessons are not just lessons...the lead to great success and can be very powerful.
>
> In class we did an activity whwere we found our favorite scripture and explained it to our comp. Then we had to find a scripture that we felt applied to the person we were teaching/comp. The thought process was different and the spirit was different and we did so. I learned a lot about what my comp thought were my needs....she was right on the ball. and vise versa. It was really powerful. My teacher said he had a set of scriptures just for the investigators he taught out in the field. He has them all marked up from finding the scriptures that applied to those people's needs. i think I am going to do that. it was a really wonderful experience. I loved it.
>
> This week is our first lesson completely in cebuano. I'll be honest. I don't feel like I am where I need to be with the language. I also don't feel like there is the sufficient amount of time for me to study the language the way i learn things. Its tough. I am trying hard daily but still not to where I need to be. More than any other week, we need your prayers. We have to teach the entire restoration lesson in Cebuano and do a task in cebuano. thats an hour of speaking this language. wow. grabbii shaw.
>
> Anyways, my companions are wonderful. My district is incredible. The other Cantos (our buds) left on monday. One of them is Elder Fogt--his older brother Chris Fogt is in the olympics--bobsled i think. cool, eh? He's missing his brother in the olympics! Well, the church is true, indeed.
>
> The spirit has been really strong this week and definitely guiding my life here. I appreciate your prayers and support so much. Thank you with all of my heart. Last night after the fireside our district reviewed what we learned . WE also all went around the room and talked about why we were here, how we are doing, etc. It's incredible how much I love these people. On sunday i prepared a talk on charity and i read how when we strive to develop that christlike attribute the lord will bless us with the ability to love more. To literally increase the ability to love. I know that is true. I felt that in africa and fiji, and i feel it now every day. I feel protected and loved here from the people i am surrounded by and from all of you. The gospel of Jesus Christ is on the earth. The lord wants to know us and wants to help us. I know he is there. A good chapter to read this week for all of you is 2 Nephi 9. Also Mosiah 4.
>
> Josh--yes, send me the rest of the talk by elder oaks
> Mags--thank you for writing me lots! i'll try and get a letter to you
> Katie--love you and your kids. livi so smart!
> Jarrett-what is your address??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! i have a letter for you. do you have a letter for me? if not you should write one ! :)
> urs--got your letter and the nylons--work great. thanks!
> dad--thank you for the letter, bishop talk, optimism stuff, and quotes and memory card! WHAT a great idea you have! I will for sure record my testimony and a message and send it home to put on the blog. you all will go nuts at this language slash i still can't speak it....
> kerry--thank you so much for writing me. i wrote you a legit letter....coming soon
> kiera--hows cali!? how's ben? can you send me a picture / pictures of the last weekend at home with everyone from YOUR camera!? my pics didn't turn out great.
>
> i love you all. sorry its so jumbled more than normal today! it was stressful emailing...
>
>
> nasayud ko nga dios naghigugma nato. pagampo ninyo ang dios!
>
> love,
> sister b