Dear Freunden und Familie,
Well hey there everybody! I hope you all enjoyed your holiday as much as I did mine. Christmas here at the MTC was splendid. :) But! We'll get to that....
So! This last week was probably one of the best weeks ever. It was just so..spiritually edifying. Go figure? Anywho! My companion and I got 2 new investigators. Steve, and Manuel. (They really are teachers portraying people that they taught on their missions...) Anywho! We had an excellent lesson with Manuel. We really thought and prayed about our message, and how we could best make it relevant for his life. He is 17 and loves to ski, so I came up with a little skiing metaphor for him. So we went in, taught him, in German of course, and just as we were about to walk out the door our teacher (Manuel) said "Ok, Bruder Pyper and I hardly ever break from character because It makes these less realistic, but can I just be Bruder McCracken for just a minute? Sisters, that lesson was beautiful. The spirit was so strong, I could cry. Chapter one in PMG is all about letting people feel your love, and tonight, Manuel felt that. Keep up the good work." It was SO good to hear. Now if only we could have some more success with Steve....
Anywho! I had quite a humbling experience this week. There was a Deutscher in our zone that came the transfer before us newbies, and she was...well she was always so grumpy. Mostly we tried not to cross her path and wrote her off as one of "those sisters that gives Sisters a bad reputation." Well, this last Sunday, we found out that her dad was diagnosed with cancer shortly after she entered the MTC. She hadn't told anybody except her companion. It was a truly humbling reminder of how we should never judge others. No matter what is happening on the outside, there is no way we can know what's going on on the inside. It's up to us to love them either way. So! It was a little bit of a slap in the face, but it was a lesson I'm sure will serve me well for the rest of my mission.
Mmk while we're talking about people in my Zone...there is an elder in my district from Canada. His parents migrated to Canada from Ireland when their house was blown up in civil war. He is a member of the Canadian military. Last year, on Christmas, he was on a mission to help eliminate a french gang that was terrorizing Quebec. His squadron was misinformed on the number of their enemy. They were ambushed. His best friend died in his arms. He was the only one of the 30+ men on the mission to survive. He was 18 years old. And now he's here, preparing to wage a war against Satan. Elders like him are another reminder that: everyone has a story. We don't know what it is. But no matter how hard you think your life is, or how much you think you've suffered, someone else has suffered more. And of course there is the ultimate example of suffering found in Jesus Christ, our Savior. Never give up. Never get discouraged. Keep your chin up, and fight for what's good and right.
Oh! On a happier note..I was commended on my German this last week by an other couple who speak German. Woo! One thing is for sure: it has all come from the Lord.
Mmk! Christmas! Yay! Christmas truly was amazing. On Sunday morning, all 2120 missionaries gathered in a massive sacrament meeting, where David A. Bednar came and spoke to us for an hour. It was incredible. The most inspirational address I've ever heard. He was stern, but full of love. My spirit was truly edified. I'm afraid summarizing his talk could never do it justice...and I've currently lost my notebook in which I...took notes...but! His main points were
1. Missionary work is never about the missionary. It should never involve the word "I". We are here to serve others. "And as you lose yourself in the service of others, you will find yourself. But only because you're not looking."
2. There is a difference between having a testimony, and being converted to the Lord. He plead with all of us that we might "begin a life long journey to learn of Christ. Not about Christ, but OF Christ. Having a testimony is vital, but we become disciples of Christ as we become fully converted to him.
3. Christ lived his life turning outward. Meaning, whenever he was placed in a difficult situation, He turned to those around Him, to make sure THEY were comforted. Whereas many of us, in moments to such trial, would turn inward, in selfishness. We receive Christ in our countenances as we turn outward, instead of inward. Always.
Annnnnd I don't remember all of the rest I wanted to share without my notes.
sad. I'll add it on next week...if I remember...
Anywho! I love you all. This Christmas was certainly one to be remembered. The MTC just gets better as you go. I can't wait to see how my remaining 6 weeks here unfold. I feel I've grown so much already. Any yet I still have a LONG ways to go. But! I'm working on it. One day at at time.
I love you all! Have a lovely New Years! And be sure to take advantage of goal setting. Look back on 2011 and see what it is you could have done better. And then, do it! Ok well it's not that easy..but...you get the point:)
Beloved Friends and family, there is nothing better than serving the Lord. Of that I can testify.
Love,
Sister Bice
No comments:
Post a Comment