Friday, February 22, 2013

The Pranks Begin . . . along with the Spiritual

Hola familia!

So we just barely got back from a temple session, it was super great! I always love going to the temple on P-days. I look forward to it every week. Every...  the 2 weeks I've been here. Ha ha, I feel like I've been in here for forever, but at the same time it feels like I just got in yesterday. It's kind of a weird feeling. This week has been a little more crazy than last week because now we are teaching 3 progressing investigators instead of just 1. So it's harder to keep track of and harder to remember exactly what we need to teach each person. But it's really good practice and I'm sure it's nothing to what being in the field would be like. The Spanish is coming along a little better but it's still frustrating that I can't say everything I want to say in lessons and I have to say things in a completely different way just because of my limited vocabulary. But I've already learned more about Spanish in 2 weeks than I did in all 5 years I took it in school. So it's cool to be able to say a lot of things I couldn't before, but with the lessons I know I would be able to say exactly what I wanted to in English, I just can't say it in Spanish! But I'm trying not to get too bothered because I know it will come to me eventually. I think I probably mentioned this last week but all my prayers are in Spanish now, and I memorized the first vision in Spanish also. So that's kinda cool! I know most of the doctrine and gospel words now, it's just working on grammar and having the language come to me quicker. It's always a really humbling experience to come out of a lesson and talk about all of the things that we could have done better because we go in with an idea of how it should go, and we get too caught up in the doctrine and principles we wanted to teach that we forget to focus more on the person instead of the lesson. Love the people. That's the biggest theme that is being taught here. We need to learn the fundamentals of teaching and learn how to speak the language, but at the end of the day the most important thing for us as missionaries, and even just for people in general, is to love them unconditionally. To do our best to try to understand people and love them for who they are and try to help them become as happy as possible in the best way that we can. My teacher Hermano Pacheco is getting married next week so he taught us for the last time last night. Which was actually really sad! He's one of the coolest guys ever and he was so open and honest and had an incredible perspective about everything. I have like 4 pages in my notebook just from writing down profound things that he said. But his emphasis the entire time he taught us was to love people. Everyone has an underlying desire to be loved and to love in return. And true happiness comes from service and loving and being loved. And that's what the gospel is all about. It all comes down to that simple truth, the whole purpose of the gospel is for us to become as happy as possible. And that's why it's so amazing.
So I've had some really powerful experiences this week while discussing these things and learning these things that I feel like have brought me so much closer to Christ and had so much more love and understanding for all of the people in my life. And that love that we feel for other people stems from the love of Christ. And we love Him because He loved us first, and so he died for us so that we can become happier than we ever could on our own. And in order to truly understand this happiness that we can have, we need to feel Christ's love and recognize that everything that He did was for us, and if we have faith in that then we will understand of our infinite worth. I was talking with a couple guys in my district last night and we were talking about what Hermano Pacheco was talking about, and the thing that i have come to realize here is that it really is true that everyone wants to be loved. And no matter what point we are at in our life, we can feel the love of Christ, even when we have done everything to not deserve it. Christ is always there to help us. I was reading this week about the story when Jesus is walking on the water and Peter comes out and he falls into the water, and Christ IMMEDIATELY reached out his hand to help him. Christ is there waiting to help us, he puts us through trials to build us and make us stronger, but if we seek him out and seek for his help and love He will be there to give us peace and help us become better. And that's why I can't wait to be in Mexico to tell that to others and bring others closer to Christ so that they can become happier and stronger people. Because we are important to everyone but ourself. If i could emphasize one thing that I've really learned, it's that you can never underestimate the effect you can have on people. And that you should never turn down a chance to serve someone else.

So on a less serious note, the MTC is soooo much fun! on top of all the spiritual experiences and life lessons I'm learning, there's soooo many fun people here. So some of the crazy things that happened this week, I think I mentioned this last week but we have a Nerf basketball hoop in our room that we play with every night and we have so many people from our hall come in wanting to play PIG and stuff. So that's really fun. someone thought it would be funny to turn off all the lights in the bathroom and showers when everyone was in there so instead of going out to turn on the light again, everyone just showered in complete pitch darkness. So that was cool... not. Haha, there's so many pranks here. You're always on your toes. Last night the sisters in our district went to the bathroom after the end of class and so we turned off all the lights and stood against the back wall making creepy faces and as soon as they opened the door and turned on the light we all screamed. Haha, their reaction was priceless. Also, someone hid an alarm clock in the room next to us and set it to go off at like 3 in the morning and so I didn't hear the alarm go off but I just woke up to the Elder screaming "WHERE IS IT?!?!?" Haha, people are always messing with each other. But it's all harmless pranks. It's still really fun though. I can't even tell you guys enough how much I love my district. It's crazy to think I've only known them 2 and a half weeks and we're already all best friends. I have never laughed so much before in my life. They're all sooooo much fun.

Also, the MTC is growing like CRAZY! It's like a zoo in here. We had to move in another bed to our room this week so we have 6 beds in a 4 person room. Luckily no one has moved in yet but I have a feeling we will have some new Elders this week. So we'll have 6 Elders in a room with 4 desk spaces, and 4 closets... so that'll be interesting. And, I heard a meteor hit Russia?!?! what the heck! that's crazy! all the exciting stuff would happen as soon as i get in here. Haha, please send me updates with the crazy stuff like that in the world that are going on.

Megan!!! It's crazy that you're already home! I feel like you just left yesterday! But your letter this week actually really helped a lot and thanks for the great example you set in serving a mission:) I hope you can carry the things you learned from the mission with you even at home.
Also... I tried to email Taylor last week but apparently there's a different Taylor with the same exact name but he's serving in Slovenia... haha. So if someone could send me his real e-mail address that would be great!!

So all in all I'm loving it here. I definitely do get a little homesick every now and then and I miss everyone so much! But I'm super happy here and I'm learning soooo much! And anyone who has any doubt about serving a mission... throw it out the window. There's nothing better that you could be doing. It gives you so much purpose and fulfillment, and there's nothing else like it. Imagine how much you loved EFY, and multiply it by... 6! Haha, and that's how the MTC is. But really, I just want to be in Mexico already! I wish I had more time to write this but I will be writing a bunch of letters today so you guys will hear more from me soon. I love you all!!! And i miss you! Keep me updated with your lives. Don't forget about me! Write me! And, I promise I will be sending pictures soon!

Love,
Elder Bird

1 comment:

  1. Sooo good to hear how you are learning and growing so much. I love your testimony of the gospel and of Christ. We think of you often and we love you :-)

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