Hello all!
This past week has gone by much faster than the first three days. Now that we are into our normal routine it's much smoother.. Plus the long hours of class and study aren't as much of a shock anymore.. haha. I have had a lot of questions regarding what we do on Sundays. For those who asked, and for those who didn't, I will give you an idea! Fast Sundays here are a little different than they are at home. We have one hour of Sacrament meeting where we had the chance to bear our testimonies. It was really fun to be able to hear the Elders in our Branch who have been here for almost 8 weeks stand up and bear their testimonies in fluent Portugues! I also really enjoyed the fact that I could understand everything they say, but I believe that still that is only just me in my class.. Those Elders all got reassigned yesterday to Florida, some Sisters got reassigned to Chicago and one is going to Alabama. Aka, I could really go anywhere once my 8 weeks here are up!
After Sacrament meeting we had a two hour long mission conference with the mission presidency and their wives speaking. It was very inspiring! I thought back how General and Stake conference are all two hours long as well, but here at the MTC it seems like 2 hours go by much faster (probably because we do almost everything in 2 to 3 hour long blocks). After the conference we had some more classes, had dinner, and we had the chance to watch some church movies. Point one for The Testaments! Thoroughly enjoyable to watch it in a room with literally hundreds of Elders. Their sense of humor are, shall we say... endearing? haha
Other than Sunday, we have devotionals and meetings all the time. Tuesday night was an Elder Gaverret of the 70, he and his wife spoke. They're from Brazil and it was great to hear him counsel us on what we need to focus on in missionary work.. The knowledge that we have a God in Heaven that loves us. That he has a plan for us. That he made this Earth so that we could learn and so that we could all return to him. Very inspiring!
My District. I don't know if using the word 'love' just quite expresses my feelings towards them. My district leader's name is Elder Manon. He's a big and tall black convert who enjoys breaking into gospel songs with me at random times (Attitude Check?!). The other Brazil Elders are Elder Kubeja and Elder Daley. They both are quite funny and endearing. Then there are the four Elders going to Mozambique, Elder Hoffmann, Elder Barlow, Elder Paxman, and Elder Johnson (each quirky and hilarious in their own way). The other sisters are Sister Adamson, Sister Wulhford, and Sister Magelby. I don't know if I have ever been in a situation of people where we can both laugh so much while also feeling the spirit, reading the scriptures, teaching the gospel, or attempting to speak Portugues all at the same time! We are also a very musical bunch (which we discovered while singing hymns) and it is our goal to practice a hymn to sing at a Mission Conference in a couple of weeks. We are pretty good! Numerous times while we sing other classes or people walking by our room will peek their heads in to listen. :)
During our study time I have become kind of like the third teacher. I will go up to the board and write out sentences or teach verb conjugations to the Elders and Sisters still in the room that want to practice. I even have one of the Elders telling me that he is going to start writing out sentences to give me so that I can check and correct him on them! We eat basically all of our meals together as a district and we all get along splendidly! It's fantastic!
My room mates and I get along fantastically as well! Sister Christensen, Sister Haygood, Sister Taylor, and Sister Holmes. We are always chatting and singing and telling great uplifting stories whenever we are together (basically only from 9:30-10:15 at night). Last night we played a miniature game of Ninja Assassins (which Sister Boyer taught us). Yes. It was just as amazing as it sounds! Thank you for asking!! Sister Christensen and I are Portugues buddies. She tries to speak in it all the time and I try to with her as well. I help her with grammar and explaining how the language fits together and she helps me with vocab! Perfect!
We also taught the first discussion in Portugues TWICE this week. It was a little intense because Sister Boyer doesn't understand the language as fast as I can and she also doesn't speak it as fast either (She hasn't had a language before other than a smidge of German), but she's doing great for only having been here a littler over a week. I was actually surprised myself that I was able to hold up a 30 min lesson in Portugues by myself with very little breaks in the conversation! The only way I can explain it is "Gift of Tongues." Seriously. I am so blessed to be able to understand and to be able to speak so much of this language so quickly.
Thank you so much for all of your support! I love the DearElders--keep them coming! :D If there is anything else you want to know, please advise me and I will be sure to either address it in my next email or maybe even a beautifully hand written card!
OH! By the way!! If you want me to get your DearElder ON the day that you send it, you have to send it before NOON. If you send it after noon I will not get it until the next evening. I can only write and respond on Fridays (my P-Day, after I go to the temple.. which was great fun!), so if you want to hear from my quickly, you have to send it by noon on Thursday.. Otherwise, I'll get back to you as soon as I can!
MUCH LOVE!
Sister Reising
PS. ROMANS 10:15: "And how shall they preach except them be sent? as it is written, How BEAUTIFUL are the FEET of THEM that PREACH the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!!"
SEE PEOPLE! MY FEET ARE BEAUTIFUL!! hehehehe much love.
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