Sister Brittany Fors
Arizona Mesa Mission
6265 N. 82nd St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85250
Hi Family!
Well, a crazy whirlwind week full of ups and downs...what else would you expect coming from me? Haha :) So this title has been something that was running through my mind like 24/7 at the beginning of this week...I'll explain why in a bit.
So sorry to make you wait an extra day, as visitor's center training has started, we had pday a day late. But I leave this Tuesday morning! Woooo! I'm so excited, and I'm pretty nervous too. But I think it'll be great. Tomorrow I go to temple square to get my visitor's center experience, and I'm really excited.
So, a blow-by-blow in true Fors family fashion...
Friday we had in-field training, which was a day full of everything we need to know other than teaching. So we learned everything about finding, planning, goal setting, working with members, all in just one day. It was incredible, I learned so much in just that one day. It was really helpful, and made me realize just how hard missionary work is going to be...a little overwhelming, but it'll be good. Mom and dad, the missionaries from "The District" were some of our teachers, hahaha...celebrities! So it was great, they had like iPads and everything, the church is stepping. it. up.
Saturday was a day of class and whatnot. We volunteered at the TRC as investigators. As an advanced district, they normally need us when they're short investigators. So we actually didn't get to teach investigators at all last week, which was kind of a bummer, but it's good to volunteer too.
Sunday was an incredible day. I really felt like I learned so much, and not just by study, but by faith. We watched music and the spoken word, had a great fireside, and watched a training video w/ elder holland about teaching with the spirit. I just took notes and notes and notes all day. I learned so much.
Sunday to Tuesday were some of the happiest days on my mission thus far. Hence the title "My Heart is Full". I just felt so happy and joyful all the time. I felt like I felt the Spirit all of the time, just because I'm surrounded by so much truth. Literally, there were nights when I couldn't fall asleep at night because I couldn't stop thinking about how happy I was. It was great. I just feel like I've really learned what it means to learn by the Spirit, I feel like I understand how much this Gospel and Church has blessed my life, and I just think about how much more joyful I'll be when I go and share this happiness with others for the next 18 months. It's such a great feeling.
So on Monday night we had a final testimony meeting as a district, as half of us left Tuesday morning, half left Wednesday, and Hma Lamb and I are still here for VC training. I cried, but I mostly just felt so happy. I don't think I've expressed to you guys enough how much i Love my district. Especially the elders, they were probably the ones in my distric that I got along the best with, and they were just like brothers to me. Every one of my district has an incredible story. One guy had an offer to play pro b-ball in Europe, then two of his best friends died, and it made him start thinking about a mission. Now, he's going to be an INCREDIBLE missionary. That's just one of many, many stories...they're incredible people. Anyways, so we had our final testimony meeting, and it was so happy.
Then Tuesday was just half of us left, me, Hma Lamb, and 2 elders. WE did a really cool activity where we searched in the book of mormon for answers to "questions of the soul". I loved it, the Book of Mormon has answers for everything. We also watched Elder Holland's famous talk, "The Miracle of the Mission"...which was SO good. I love that he tells us that sometimes "the good people" have to suffer too, and he feels like it's because that is just one more way we can follow Christ as his disciples. So good. So we then had a devotional which was so good. Then we had a district devo review, but it was just 5 of us :( That was the hardest night, the 2 elders that I had to say goodbye to then were my favorites, if i'm allowed to say that.
So wednesday we woke up and it was just hma lamb and I, starting VC training. That was a rough day...I surprisingly missed my district a LOT. And it's just scary, because I know that I will grow to love people on my mission even more than I can imagine, and it's scary to think that there's a loooot more really hard goodbyes to come. But I guess that's all part of the plan. Anyways, so in VC training, it's me, Hma Lamb, and 2 girls going to the Laie VC. We were all feeling pretty abandoned, and one of the girls doesn't speak hardly any english and was having a really really hard time. So all in all it was a strange day...everyone was having a hard time, I found out a friend was getting sent home for health resons, all these things. It was quite a contrast from a few days earlier. BUT I LOVEEE the visitors center training. I can't imagine being called anywhere else now. I love that its both members and nonmembers, and that its just having discussions with people, and invitiing them to continue that religious discussion after they leave the center. So we do a lot of roleplaying and practicing. We do things like asking questions, getting to know people, doing referrals, working and teachign with pictures, all of that. One of my favorite activities we've done has been these scriptures that our teacher gave us: D&C 19:20-24, 3 Nephi 17:1-10, John 4:1-30, Alma 18:20-23, 2 Nephi 26:33. Read those and see how they relate to what we do at visitor's centers! I loved it...VC in the scriptures!
So Thursday (yesterday), we continued doing class and stuff. I tried to help out a lot the girl who doesn't speak English, she was having a really hard time with the language barrier. We also did a practice tour in the TRC, which was good...Hma Lamb and I are trying to kind of re-find our niche in the context of short tours.
So these past couple days have consisted of lots of learning. I'm definitely having to learn patience, humility, trust of the Lord and of my companion, everything. The MTC is life lessons on fast forward. But one thing I've learned is that it just all comes back to the Spirit. The Spirit of God is a real, real thing...and that's ultimately what helps me feel better here when there are challenging times. There are SO MANY things that I learn each day that I would love to share with you, but I think I just hope that you guys will all go out and learn for yourselves. There are answers to every problem....not just a missionary's problems. So that is my thought of the week. Thank you so much for all of your letters and packages and dear elder's and everything. You never know how much it can make a bad day go better :)Love you all! Next time you hear from me, I'll be in MESAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!
Love,
Hermana Fors
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