Hello one and all!
So, I left you all hanging on the travel plans dealio. We are scheduled to leave on Tuesday the 30 around 8 in the morning. Somewhere in there.
So, in the few days that we have been apart, I have been busy. On Tuesday, we had our devotional givan by Per G. Malm, who spoke in conference this past october. (PS, the huge bizzard that was supposed to shut down the city didn't happen. You could say we got a dusting but that would be stretching it...) Anyway, he was very enjoyable and spoke of us missionaries being those that guide those who can't see into the darkness. We need to find those that are ready and testify quickly of the restoration, which is what makes us unique. Look at everyone with the right eyes. They said yes once (to the plan), they will say it again when ready.
Wednesday we started our visitors center training. It has been difficult the past 9 weeks knowing about how the what is in Preach My Gospel applies to the VC. Now that we have teachers, it's all coming together. We have learned how to used media (picutres, statues, paintings, movies) to related doctrines of the Gospel to people. We are getting pretty good at asking for (and getting) referrals, which we will have the opportunity to call on Monday. So if you have anyone in mind that would benefit from having the Gospel in their life, I would love to help you help them bring the gospel into their life...
Our teachers are Sister Murphy (served in the Idaho Falls temple VC) and Sister Mitzger (served in Nauvoo). They are amazing and determined. They only have a week (or in our case, 5 days) to teach us what we need to know to jump start us into our various VC. There are 9 people in our class, 4 Mesa bound and 5 Hawaii bound (3 Japanese, 1 Tagalog and 1 english). At the end of the first day, Sister Murphy shared something Elder Bednar shared with the VC sisters in St. George. He said that when the Missionary Committee gathers to give out the calls, they pick the VC sisters first. They look at the pictures and determine with just a little personal information who is to go to a VC. He said that the VC sisters have a testimony of the Savior and his Atonement and Ministiry. He said that their testimony is more apparent in their faces and are special. So...
Yesterday, as you all know, was Thanksgiving. I hope you all had a wonderful time. I am writing this now, imagining the Christmas tree and other things going up and Christmas music playing in the background. I know you are all having a fun time together. Yesterday, we had our beginning devotional with our 5th apostle: Elder Jeffery R. Holland. Indeed, he and all of his family came to spend an hour and a half with us. After hearing the 13 grandchildren sing (pretty darn cute kids if you ask me), Elder Holland spoke on three things.
First: Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost know us individually by our first name (he recommended studying the significance of names...) and that we are before his eyes (D&C 38: 1-2,7-8).
Second: We need to have a special compassion on the poor. It is how we retain a remission of our sins (since then, I've heard that that has been added to the church handbook of instructions and is therefore very important...this requires further study)
Third: God offered His son and He did it alone. He spoke for quite a while on this (and the others) but this was very special to him. He shared many things with us but I liked how he talked about how Christ had to do the most important act for the world alone. But he knew that through the disappointment of everyone leaving him, his father wouldn't. But God couldn't do anything for Him. (John 8:29). Elder Holland said that we would feel the fires of hell if we crucify Him again. So, pretty important.
Afterward, we had something that passed as a Thanksgiving dinner but it was fun with our elders and so you really couldn't ask for much more in the MTC.
We had a humanitarian project, and made backpack kits (33400 of them) for people who are less fortunate. We counted out pieces of fabric for the kits. so much fun, especially when you have 4 people counting one pile of fabric.
We had a presentation of a testimony of the Book of Mormon and then a closing fireside with Pres. Smith and testimony of some of the missionaries here. It was a fun day.
So yeah, I love you all, enjoy your time together and keep doing good!
Love, Emily
I just love Emily's letters! she's the best.
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