So this week was great. Yup, every day still feels like a week and a week hasn't seemed like a day yet. But it's in a good way, because I'm learning a ton and definitely really happy.
For the record, we've started getting along with the Elders better, but I still wouldn't say SUPER well. There are definitely times when we feel like friends, but it seems like every other district is so close and we're not. But anyway, the Hermana-Elder relationship has definitely shaped up. There are some funny Elders. We laugh A LOT. I can't remember if I wrote about this last week, but my companion, Hermana Nielson, has a very similar sense of humor to me in some ways and we laugh HYSTERICALLY pretty frequently. The other girls in our district, Hermanas Steiner and Kimball, said they've laughed more in the past two weeks than probably in the month or two before they came to the MTC. They love us.
Also, some really hilarious things have happened. So, one of our teachers, Hermano Ammons, is kind of a nerd in some ways. Also, he's married. And sometimes really sarcastic with us. Admittedly, I'm pretty sassy. In class and always. Anyway, on Thursdays he teaches us starting at 11:15 and ending at 2:30, and during that time we go to lunch. I was curious about if he was going to eat in the cafeteria, because I know teachers are allowed to, or if he had another plan for the 45 minutes that we'd be at lunch. So, I asked, en espanol of course, "Are you going to eat lunch in the cafeteria?" Apparently he thought I was trying to ask him to eat lunch with me or something because he got really uncomfortable and was just like "Maybe..." I didn't really notice and just thought he was being weird until later that night Hermana Nielson explained it from her point of view. Hilarious. So embarrassing. Now we always joke about how Hermano Ammons probably thinks I have a crush on him. So awkward.
Also, another time this week we were playing a game in class with Hermana Decena. We have eight desks around two walls of this tiny room (wherein we spend ALL of our time, by the way) so they are pretty close together. It was a race to the board type game, and it was my turn, so I tried to stand up to take my turn. Unfortunately, in the three inches of space between my desk and my companion's, where my foot had to go so I could stand up, the strap of my bag was perfectly positioned so I inserted my foot into it, and then tripped as I tried to get out of the desk. I was SERIOUSLY in danger of flashing the whole room of Elders and Hermanas, so I twisted and tried to keep my skirt down and land on the ground as appropriately as possible. I'm pretty sure no one saw anything, but everyone laughed SO hard, and then tried to make me feel better by commenting on how "gracefully" I fell. It was compared both to ballet and a basketball fall. Pretty sure it was just ridiculous. Also, I always bring up hilarious things by saying "Remember when...?" and one of the Elders has taken it upon himself to start saying to me very frequently, "Remember when you fell?" Apparently it's still hilarious because everyone still laughs. Whatever. I feel good about my decision, considering the circumstances. So, those are the funny stories of the week.
Now for the spiritual stuff. I feel like I'm growing SO much every day here. I talked to Hermana Decena about it this week, and I told her that before I never really felt like I was working on my testimony, but now that's basically all I do. And it comes so easily in this environment, the desire to work on my testimony, to study and pray and be edified. I had a really cool experience the other day when I was reading my patriarchal blessing where I just felt the Spirit guiding me, and realized that I never took the time before to be silent, to ponder, to study for long periods of time without distractions, in order to feel the Spirit. If I don't learn ANYTHING else on my mission, if I don't teach or baptize or reactivate a single person, it will be worth it that I came on my mission just to learn how to use the guidance of the Spirit in my life. That has been such a huge blessing.
Tuesday nights are General Authority devotionals in the MTC, and tonight I'm singing in the choir, like Dad suggested. Luckily H. Nielson is a really good singer and has been in a million choirs, so she's helping me not feel like an idiot. The guy teaching us the song on Sunday night was hilarious. I'll let you know how it goes.
Also, will you send me a picture of Milo? I miss him. How is he doing? Does he miss me? Does he look for me? Is he huge? Also, Kriste mentioned that all you do in the MTC is roleplay. She was right. But so far I haven't minded it, it's cool to still be able to teach with the Spirit even when it's to someone who already has the gospel. I like teaching because it gives me a chance to feel the Spirit guiding me. That's the best.
For the record, we've started getting along with the Elders better, but I still wouldn't say SUPER well. There are definitely times when we feel like friends, but it seems like every other district is so close and we're not. But anyway, the Hermana-Elder relationship has definitely shaped up. There are some funny Elders. We laugh A LOT. I can't remember if I wrote about this last week, but my companion, Hermana Nielson, has a very similar sense of humor to me in some ways and we laugh HYSTERICALLY pretty frequently. The other girls in our district, Hermanas Steiner and Kimball, said they've laughed more in the past two weeks than probably in the month or two before they came to the MTC. They love us.
Also, some really hilarious things have happened. So, one of our teachers, Hermano Ammons, is kind of a nerd in some ways. Also, he's married. And sometimes really sarcastic with us. Admittedly, I'm pretty sassy. In class and always. Anyway, on Thursdays he teaches us starting at 11:15 and ending at 2:30, and during that time we go to lunch. I was curious about if he was going to eat in the cafeteria, because I know teachers are allowed to, or if he had another plan for the 45 minutes that we'd be at lunch. So, I asked, en espanol of course, "Are you going to eat lunch in the cafeteria?" Apparently he thought I was trying to ask him to eat lunch with me or something because he got really uncomfortable and was just like "Maybe..." I didn't really notice and just thought he was being weird until later that night Hermana Nielson explained it from her point of view. Hilarious. So embarrassing. Now we always joke about how Hermano Ammons probably thinks I have a crush on him. So awkward.
Also, another time this week we were playing a game in class with Hermana Decena. We have eight desks around two walls of this tiny room (wherein we spend ALL of our time, by the way) so they are pretty close together. It was a race to the board type game, and it was my turn, so I tried to stand up to take my turn. Unfortunately, in the three inches of space between my desk and my companion's, where my foot had to go so I could stand up, the strap of my bag was perfectly positioned so I inserted my foot into it, and then tripped as I tried to get out of the desk. I was SERIOUSLY in danger of flashing the whole room of Elders and Hermanas, so I twisted and tried to keep my skirt down and land on the ground as appropriately as possible. I'm pretty sure no one saw anything, but everyone laughed SO hard, and then tried to make me feel better by commenting on how "gracefully" I fell. It was compared both to ballet and a basketball fall. Pretty sure it was just ridiculous. Also, I always bring up hilarious things by saying "Remember when...?" and one of the Elders has taken it upon himself to start saying to me very frequently, "Remember when you fell?" Apparently it's still hilarious because everyone still laughs. Whatever. I feel good about my decision, considering the circumstances. So, those are the funny stories of the week.
Now for the spiritual stuff. I feel like I'm growing SO much every day here. I talked to Hermana Decena about it this week, and I told her that before I never really felt like I was working on my testimony, but now that's basically all I do. And it comes so easily in this environment, the desire to work on my testimony, to study and pray and be edified. I had a really cool experience the other day when I was reading my patriarchal blessing where I just felt the Spirit guiding me, and realized that I never took the time before to be silent, to ponder, to study for long periods of time without distractions, in order to feel the Spirit. If I don't learn ANYTHING else on my mission, if I don't teach or baptize or reactivate a single person, it will be worth it that I came on my mission just to learn how to use the guidance of the Spirit in my life. That has been such a huge blessing.
Tuesday nights are General Authority devotionals in the MTC, and tonight I'm singing in the choir, like Dad suggested. Luckily H. Nielson is a really good singer and has been in a million choirs, so she's helping me not feel like an idiot. The guy teaching us the song on Sunday night was hilarious. I'll let you know how it goes.
Also, will you send me a picture of Milo? I miss him. How is he doing? Does he miss me? Does he look for me? Is he huge? Also, Kriste mentioned that all you do in the MTC is roleplay. She was right. But so far I haven't minded it, it's cool to still be able to teach with the Spirit even when it's to someone who already has the gospel. I like teaching because it gives me a chance to feel the Spirit guiding me. That's the best.
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