I feel kind of old, especially since I've seen a lot of people leave since I've been here. It's weird to think that I'd be leaving right now if the new rules were in place, if I was only here for six weeks total, and I'm glad that change won't affect me. I need all the time I can get to prepared. But the biggest thing I've learned this week is the best way to get better at something is to do it. In most of the lessons I've taught, I've stayed pretty quiet and let my companion do most of the talking because I didn't know how to say the things I wanted to say. It's affected the quality of the lessons more than just a couple of times - she's a great missionary, but I know there are things I need to contribute. This week, I just made it a goal to start talking, even if I don't know how I'm going to get the words out. I have learned A LOT of Spanish in 6 weeks - the fact that I can have a 20 minute conversation with someone in Spanish - and understand them for the most part - blows my mind. I know I'll get my feet kicked out from underneath me when I get to the field and won't understand anything again, but it gives me faith that I'll be able to be an effective missionary even when speaking in Spanish.
A few things happened this week, but I'm having a hard time recollecting everything right now. I was lucky enough to snag one of the coveted computers in the laundry room (the only computers we can use when not in missionary attire) but that means I didn't prepare what I was going to say. Everything has been good here though. Sometimes every week feels the same, but we had five different substitute teachers this weekend because one of my teachers was out of town and the other one was sick. It was a really interesting experience. We didn't get to teach as much, but we learned a lot because they all taught us differently. We focused mostly on how to teach to the needs of our investigators and that helped a lot. Once you know what they need, the lesson just seems to flow and you know what they need to hear. It's amazing how I've felt the Spirit guide our lessons in the past few days when I really tried focusing on it.
We had another "celebrity" at Relief Society this week. Ann Dibbs, the 2nd counselor in the Young Women's General Relief Society Presidency, came and spoke to us. She spoke for over an hour, so our second etiquette lesson was cancelled this week. Thank heaven. She shared a really great message about being virtuous, and then asked for any questions we had about her dad - Thomas S. Monson. She cleared up the misconception that he dyes his hair - it's still naturally brown. So that was a fun fact to learn about the Prophet. It was really cool to hear her stories about the lessons he taught her growing up.
And then at last night's devotional, Larry Echo Hawk of the Quorum of the Seventy spoke to us. So, since Conference, we've had 5 speakers that also spoke in Conference: Elder Bednar, Elder Shayne Bowen, the Relief Society President (I can't remember her name for the life of me right now), Sister Ann Dibbs and Elder Larry Echo Hawk. It's cool seeing all of them outside of Conference. I loved their talks in Conference, but their talks to us at the MTC are so much more personal. Usually those talks are about HOW we can be good missionaries; Elder Echo Hawk's talk reminded me of WHY we should be good missionaries since he shared his conversion story, and how his conversion changed his entire life. He is a descendant of the Native Americans and his life wasn't going anywhere. Because the missionaries knocked on his door, his family was baptized. Then, his Priest's Quorum Leader wanted to help him, and decided to help him train for football. He went through a lot of other experiences along the way, but his hard work paid off and he became a first-generation college student because he received a football scholarship to BYU, where he played all four years despite his size. He owes everything to the missionaries because they got the ball rolling so he was able to change his whole life. He went to law school, taught law at BYU, was attorney general in Idaho, and worked in the federal government regarding Native American relations. All of his kids have gone to college, and some of them have served missions too. My dad sent me a thought this past week about Alma the Younger and how he became a great leader after being converted to the Lord, and asked me to think about potential of the people I teach to become great leaders if they are truly converted. I think I said this last week, but I'm so excited for that opportunity to change lives, and see how changing one life really can contribute to the changing of the world.
Also - I lost one of my skirts somehow this week. Not really sure how that happened. But it was my mom's least favorite - and by that, I mean she hated it - so she'll probably be happy about that.
It's finally cold here - I woke up to a little snow this morning and put on a sweater for the first time. But most of the MTC is covered so it's not bothering me too much. And I'll miss the worst of winter here and completely SKIP winter next year so I can't really complain.
And.....I think that's it. EXCEPT.....Sunday morning. The fire alarm went off in our building at 6am Sunday morning. I had just woken up but I was still lying in bed. We all jumped up and ran outside. There wasn't a fire - they think it went off because of some dust on the sensor. Even though it was clear, we had to wait for a technician to come and check it out. So....we literally sat outside for an hour. They had opened up the gym, but it was warm enough outside so me, Hermana Johnson, Hermana Riter and Hermana Ivey just laid outside on the cement. A few other sisters that we knew from another zone joined us when the sisters inside the gym started singing hymns like "There is Sunshine in my Soul". I'm just glad I wasn't in there for that. I don't know what it is about Sunday mornings - they just always have to start out bad apparently. But they turn out pretty good.
And this Sunday, I'm accompanying an elder in my branch for "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief". We tried out to perform at one of the devotionals on Thursday morning but we hadn't heard back yet. And then, at this Sunday's fireside, an elder sang the EXACT same song. So....I wish they had just told us that we didn't have a shot because someone else was about to perform the same song. I'm also accompanying an elder in my district with another musical number and we're trying out either tomorrow or next Thursday. It's been nice playing the piano again - I haven't had much time here to do so, but I've played more here than I have in the past few years.
So, that's that. Love you all!
