MTC - Semana Siete, Jan. 5, 2010

Prospero año familia!

Mom- thanks so much for your e-mails and keeping me updated. That is so tragic with Jim Hashimoto- I can't imagine how Brett must be feeling. It definitely puts life into perspective and helps me appreciate that my challenges and struggles have been so minor. And mom, don't let Dad badger you about e-mailing me, you can e-mail me as much as you want. :) You might as well take advantage of it while you can while I'm here in the MTC. I really won´t have a lot of time to read e-mails in the field if you want me to be able to write you e-mails.

I do need one thing from you- I MUST have that immunization information. All I need you to do is call Hillcrest and ask for whether of not I got my second MMR shot, and if yes what date I did, and then I need you to e-mail me what you find out as soon as possible- like tomorrow. They won't let me get any of the immunizations I need until we get that figured out. Thanks mom!

James, it was really good to hear from you. I probably won't be able to write you back until next week, but I really appreciated hearing from you and am so glad that you are doing well and everything is working out with school. Mom said that you were going to have to quit everything, but it sounds like you got it figured out.

Angela and Bob, how are you doing? I haven't heard from you in forever. I really want to know what Nativity soap character i would have been Bob. And Angela, how's the singles ward? I want to hear your dating stories and what you are deciding to do with work and your life.

This week was so great for me. I auditioned on Thursday to do a musical number. It was a duet with another elder in my zone to "I Need Thee Every Hour," and they had us sing this past Sunday in mission conference in front of the whole MTC. It went really well- I really feel like the Lord has blessed me and helped me develop more confidence in my musical talents while I've been here, because I didn't even feel nervous to sing. I feel like I am truly learning, growing, and improving in all aspects of my life here. I don't understand how people learn all of these things about life, dealing with people, the gospel, themselves, and so much more without this experience in their life.

My companionship did really well with spanish this past week too. We tried really hard and were so dedicated, and we were able to speak completely in spanish up until about Thursday. Still that is a pretty incredible accomplishment though, and I feel like my spanish is coming along really well. I've noticed that the MTC is really hard for some missionaries just because you don't really feel the reward of all your hard work and efforts here, but I know that I am going to be so well prepared for my mission and be able to work so much more effectively when i do get out in the field just because I have been able to focus and practice and get everything I can out of this experience.

I am getting really excited to get out into the field though. I watched a devotional given by Elder Holland here in 2006 and it was so motivational and inspiring. He talked about how this is the greatest work on earth- we have to power and the authority to act in the name of God and we need to use that power to "astonish" people, like the story of the missionaries in Mosiah 27. That is another things, my love of and appreciation for the scriptures has grown so much. It is also really neat reading them in spanish and getting different things out of them from it.

Well, i love you all so much. :) Have a good week!

- Hermana Dansie