We'll Bring the World His Truth

Hi there!!

I hope everyone is doing fantastic today! Things have been terrific here at the MTC.

One of the highlights this past week was during devotional. We have devotionals on Tuesdays and firesides on Sundays, and we always sing prelude hymns for 15 minutes before the program officially begins. This past week, we sang, "We'll Bring the World His Truth." When we all arose to sing the hymn, I was covered from head to toe in goosebumps. Instead of singing the chorus as usual--"We will be the Lord's missionaries"--we sang: "And we are NOW the Lord's missionaries to bring the world His truth." I get goosebumps even now, just thinking of it. 

The realization has hit me all too slowly that THIS is the most wonderful work in the world! We hear it every day from our teachers, from the General Authorities and the mission presidency, but it has started to manifest itself to me even more this past week. Some days it is hard to see the college kids driving by on their scooters or in their cars with the windows down, enjoying life and the lovely summertime.  I'm not going to lie, there have been moments when I long for things that I can't have right now--my music, my laptop, my friends and, of course, you. But I'm so grateful for the personal testimony I have that THIS is truly the Lord's work. 

THIS is EXACTLY where I am supposed to be right now, regardless of what I could be doing with my life at this moment. I am part of an army, much like the army of Helaman. I still get overcome with emotion when I look around me during such moments as when we sing, and see over 2,300 missionaries--mostly elders in dark suits and white shirts and ties--all striving for the same thing I am.

On that note, I have also come to the realization more and more that, as Reuben J. Clark said it so simply, "It's not where you serve, but HOW you serve." I say that mostly because I am frustrated with myself and with Mongolian! I knew it would be difficult, but I am not very patient with myself! 

There have been so many times when I talk to the Spanish-speaking missionaries or other Latin-based languages (not to mention the missionaries going stateside!!!) and am filled with envy! They sound so good! They are progressing quickly in the language! And I can actually convey what I want to say in English or Spanish! However, none of that matters when you realize your call is from the Lord. 

Ashley, it's like you told me, the scenery changes depending on where you serve your mission, but serving the Lord is theoretically the same no matter where the geographical location is. It just so happens that there are certain people whose lives will come into contact with my own, and that we are meant to cross paths for one reason or another. Already, I have such a testimony of that. My companion and I have our little differences, but she is an enormous blessing to me. I can already see how everything is so well designed because the Lord's hand is in everything. He knows all; He can truly see the end from the beginning. By the way, that is an excellent talk I have been pondering about for a week now. It's Pres. Uchtdorf's talk from Apr. 2006, I think: "See the End from the Beginning." I strongly suggest reading it again! Also, read Abraham 2:8, I think. He cites it in the talk, so if I'm wrong, read that.

Since pondering that talk and re-reading it, I am reminded that I need to turn to the Lord in all things--in ALL things. He ultimately knows the paths that we should take, and how we may best be instruments in His hands. We need to recognize that He has our best interests at heart, and that all things shall be for our experience (D&C 122), even if it's not what we want. As President Gottfredson so wisely said at my seminary graduation, and as Pres. Uchtdorf reminds us, we must turn our lives over to the Lord, for He will make more of us than we could EVER make of ourselves. I LOVE that!

Well, there is so much more I want to share, but I'll take a break to share some funny cultural stuff I've learned this week, lest I end once again on a not-so-missionary-like note like last week. Sorry about that.

Sister Marta was telling us about some traditions in Mongolian culture. We asked about how they celebrate marriage. She told us about how, NOT that long ago (Sister Marta was still in high school when they did this!!), there was a tradition that when a guy and girl were dating, the boyfriend would actually KIDNAP his girlfriend to get engaged! YES. TRUTH. 

It might not sound all that shocking, but just picture it!! You're walking down the street. You're going out for ice cream or whatever. Suddenly this car pulls up, you're thrown into it, and you're taken to your boyfriend's house and not allowed to leave until his parents talk to your parents, and next thing you know you're getting married. That wouldn't be too bad if you actually loved the guy.

However, Sister Marta told us about her cousin who was head-over-heels for this girl, but she just DIDN"T like him. He kept asking her out, etc., and she just wouldn't have it. She liked someone else. Well, he kidnapped her, and her parents didn't really know that she didn't like him, so they consented to the marriage!!! OH MY GOSH!! If you ever did that to me, Mom and Dad, I would die.

Anyway, she cried her eyes out for days and finally the guy's parents found it in the depths of their souls to let her go, and she got to go home and not marry the guy. CRAZY. Sister Marta said that Mongolians were a little more "traditional" out in the country, where her cousins lived, than in the city (Ulaanbaatar).  So whenever she would go visit her cousins in the country, her mom wouldn't let her go anywhere by herself, lest she get kidnapped by some small-town boy.  That isn't so much a tradition anymore, but seriously, can you imagine?!! Trent, had you been a Mongolian, you would've had to kidnap Ashley. I'm just saying...

It sounds more and more like such traditions in Mongolia are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Even though they have maintained a surprisingly high level of their cultural past for so long (they ARE landlocked) and still live in gers [yurts] and have such a strong pride in their culture and their heritage, I think things are changing drastically these days with the spread of globalism. Anyway I won't go off into some social science tangent, since that probably isn't that interesting, but I am very curious to see how things are when I get there--how modernism is affecting Mongolia.

On a more spiritual note, we got to watch a talk from Elder Bednar when he came to speak at the MTC just a month before I got here. He said the most frequently asked question from members of the Church all around the world is "How do I know when it's the Spirit or when it's just me?"

His answer may surprise you, as he warned it might: it doesn't matter. 

Yes, he said it doesn't matter! I wish I could share with you the story he went into, but I'll tell you the message: most of the time when we have promptings from the Spirit, we are not aware that they are spiritual promptings. A random thought to hold the door open for someone, to leave an extra tip for the waiter, to smile at a stranger, to pay for the person behind us at the toll booth, etc. We may never know the effects, but more often than not, random thoughts like that are, in fact, spiritual impressions!

So, take the challenge I am taking, starting this afternoon, to write down every random thought that pops into your head that would move you to action. Such as: "I should call so-and-so. I should make a sandwich for Dad. I should compliment him or her." WRITE IT DOWN! Then, act on it. And then go back and record the results. Some may have turned out to be promptings. Some might not have. But when we show the Lord that we take impressions from the Spirit seriously, He will trust us with more. Then can we become instruments in His hands; then do we prove to the Lord that He can trust us!

Keep reading the scriptures and Jesus the Christ. Thank you for the letters (they don't make me homesick!). I love you so much. This gospel is true!!!

Love,

Kristen/Sister Staib/Staib Eckch