HELLO!!!
Well, school is back in!! At BYU, anyway. I knew it was already back in for the kids. But I could feel it on Monday morning when I woke up--the air had a different feeling, like it was just about to be Fall. It had the feeling that it did every morning when I'd walk to the bus stop as a kid, or in the dorms my freshman year at BYU, when I would walk up that big hill to campus.
Before I consciously remembered it was the first day of school at BYU, I just knew it! I could feel it! That means that many of my friends are back in Provo, just on the other side of that little MTC fence.
That means any day now I’ll hear the voice over the loudspeaker coming from LaVell Edwards stadium, calling out the all-too-familiar names of the football players, hearing the cannons go off, the fight song, and the crowd cheering!
It hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be, though, knowing that most of my friends are back and that the outside world is going on without me. It's just weird that normal things are still going on and I’m not a part of them. I am sure that anyone who's been on a mission knows that feeling. I’m sure it'll be totally exacerbated once I’m in Mongolia, with no real links to news, politics, etc. in America or even in the West at all! I’m looking forward to it.
Well, the Malagasi elders (the ones going to Madagascar, speaking Malagasi) finally figured out why it is that during their first week here they all thought I was familiar. They got here the same week I did, but they're leaving sooner--they have 9 weeks here. We're way good friends with them. Anyway, they decided it's because I look like a generic Wii person.
Perfect.
My reply was that my Mii (isn't that what you call yourself on the Wii?) looks absolutely nothing like me, to which they responded that I must not have done a very good job at picking my features. Oh well. Now we all know why it is that everyone says I'm familiar or that they know me. Glad I got that one figured out.
This has been an interesting week. We got a new teacher, Bro. Mortenson, which I can't remember if I mentioned last week. He's great. We're getting another new teacher sometime before we leave (THREE WEEKS TO GO!!! Well, depending on when we get our visas. But THREE WEEEEEEEEEEEEKS!! HOLY COW!), and my comp and I actually got to teach him at the Teaching Resource Center last week. I think his name is Bro. Marguetts, or however he spells it.
As I said, my comp and I actually got to teach Bro. Marguetts last week in he TRC. That's where we have fake RM investigators who speak Mongolian and we teach them the lessons.
Anyway, he was a really nice investigator (he just got home about 3 weeks ago), but at the end of the lesson he said, "Do you know I was laughing at you at the beginning of the lesson?" I said no. Of course not! I couldn't understand most of what he was saying in response to our questions, so I was used to messing up and being laughed at.
He said, "You tried to ask me 'Have you ever had to forgive someone?' But instead, you said 'Have you ever had to BURY someone?!'" He had responded in the affirmative (I think?!) since he knew what I was trying to say, and I’d continued on with bearing my testimony about forgiveness and how we need to forgive so that we can also be forgiven. NICE ONE.
Starting on Monday, we are required to speak Mongolian for the last two weeks of our time here. That will be very interesting, seeing as how I know little more than how to teach the discussions in Mongolian, and tell you what color your shirt is. That's it, honestly. So it'll be interesting, but what's even MORE interesting is the fact that we are actually GOING to Mongolia in t-minus 20 days!!!
I think I'd forgotten that the MTC is not, in fact, my mission; that there is actually a world out there; that I am not going to be able to get away with sub-par Mongolian speaking skills anymore; that we are actually going to have to TEACH people and understand them!! I am so ridiculously excited though, and even though the language, culture, etc. all seem a little overwhelming, I could leave tomorrow and be fine with that! However, since we have 3 more weeks, I'm grateful we have more preparation time. The MTC is good, and I can't WAIT for Mongolia! : )
Random fact: Mongolians were the first to use biological warfare.
Apparently, during the Black Plague they would take the bodies of the dead who were infected with the plague and fling their bodies over the walls of cities to the people inside. The people would either flee, or get sick and die.
Sick, huh? I thought Matthew and Michael would appreciate that one. Oh, the Mongols. Gotta love ‘em.
More MTC happenings: The Indonesian districts left on Monday—19 elders and 2 sisters. They are in our branch, and their classrooms are right next to ours, so we are really good friends with all of them. Sister Ellison and I were especially close with the Indonesian sisters. I love them so dearly; I know we are going to be lifelong friends.
Anyway they left for Indonesia and Singapore (I only recently realized that four of them were called to Indonesia, but the rest were learning Indonesian in preparation to speak Malay. Thought you'd find that interesting, Dad). When we had to say goodbye to the sisters on Monday afternoon I totally broke down crying. I guess I hadn't thought that I'd have to say more goodbyes; I felt like the goodbyes were over already! But life is full of change; my mission will be full of change and full of goodbyes.
All we can really do is to be grateful for the people the Lord puts in our path; grateful for the experiences we are privileged to enjoy, and to look ahead while cherishing our memories and friendships. It's not easy for me, but I'm learning!! I have a feeling I’m going to learn a lot more about that here in the mission.
The other day, Bro. Mortenson asked us to think of an experience that has really bolstered our testimonies that we could share with our investigators; experiences that have strengthened our testimonies about a specific principle like tithing, prayer, eternal families, scripture study, etc.
Brother Mortenson put it so beautifully. He said, "As you think of an experience and write it down, I know that it will become a spiritual arrow in your quiver as a missionary and throughout your life."
As I pondered about what kinds of experiences I could share with future investigators, my mind was filled with different experiences throughout my life that have so immensely blessed me and strengthened my testimony about different aspects of the gospel. I thought long and hard, and ended up writing down several experiences from the past several years. Not only did I have personal experiences, but I thought of others' experiences and testimonies that have strengthened mine--many of them coming from you and your lives. I was so grateful that I’ve been so blessed with such experiences.
I would encourage you to write down such experiences that have strengthened you; tender mercies to keep as arrows in your spiritual quiver.
Thanks to everyone for writing me. Dad, thanks for the talks, I love them. Maybe next time a copy printed off from the computer would be better; I love DearElder but the format is harder to follow...it might be more convenient to just read them from you. Thanks so much!
I LOVE YOU! The gospel is true!
Love,
Kristen
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