To the best family in the world:
How is everyone? I am so sorry the election turned out like it did! What a bummer! We decided in class that the MTC is the weirdest place on earth. When something big happens like the election or the hurricane, you feel so disconnect from the world. There are no newspaper racks, no cell phones ("I mean I am flipping the light switch on and off and nothing is happening" inside joke with Daddy) and no internet use beyond lds.org. SO yesterday morning I heard some girls in the hall ask the cleaning lady who won and could tell based on their reaction it wasn't good news. I went out into the hall to confirm. However, the Domans did tell me on Tuesday night that Romney won NC so we should be proud of that.
This week has probably been the toughest week in the MTC. I have loved it but it has been difficult. Last Thursday after P-day was over we taught a lesson with an "investigator" named Christian. It was a door contact and we asked him to read a chapter in the book of Mormon. He told us that he can't read well and my companion felt the spirit tell her to tell him that if he would read the Book of Mormon he would start to read better and he would want to read. I felt inspired to follow that up by saying that Natalie had a hard time learning to read but with the help of the Book of Mormon she was able to learn. Unfortunately this didn't go over so well and he got offended. Hermano Miller (our teacher who is also Christian) later said "Don't tell me I can learn to read better, I don't want to read better." It really upset both me and my companion because we both felt like we had followed the spirit and we ended up offending him. It was the first time I have felt really frustrated since coming here. As we walked back to our room I just felt really discouraged and I was thinking about how much I wished I could talk to Mama or see her and have her tell me it was all going to be okay. I was walking up the stairs and I turned around and there was Sister Doman who is the closest thing I have to a mom here (don't worry Mama she has nothing on you) and I just started crying. I knew that Heavenly Father sent her to visit us because He knew I needed it. I knew at that moment that He loved me and cared about the work I am trying to learn how to do. It was such a tender mercy.
Sunday I fasted to be able to learn spanish better. We had testimony meeting and I kept feeling like I should bare my testimony but I didn't want to because I knew it would have to be in spanish. I felt like Heavenly Father needed to know that I was willing to step out of my comfort zone if He was going to help me with my spanish so I got up and bore my testimony. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! Another miracle!
Tuesday Elder Craig Zwick and his wife spoke to us. It was the best talk I have heard since I came to the MTC. Elder Zwick talked about becoming a better disciple of Jesus Christ. He said discipleship is continuous, unconditional, compassionate and submissive. He told a couple of stories that I loved so I thought I would share them with you all.
First he said that they have a son, Scott, who has a disability. Years ago he lived in a group home with other boys with physical disabilities. One day a new boy moved into the home and the boy had no toes, making it very difficult and painful for him to walk. Scott could sense this pain and so every night for four months he did something for the boy, not to be seen by men but because he loved the boy. He would get a bucket of warm water and wash the boy's feet. I am not a feet person (Kaili, my favorite bed buddy can attest to this) but I thought this story was so sweet. What an example of service!
Second he told us that when he was serving in Brazil (I believe as mission president) Elder Neil A. Maxwell and his wife came to visit. Unbeknownst to Elder Zwick, Elder Maxwell had been diagnosed with Leukemia earlier that week and this was the last trip he would take before returning home for Chemo treatments. After a long plane ride and having not slept in two nights, it was requested that he travel across town to give a blessing to a young boy dying of Leukemia. Elder Maxwell's response was "I would be honored." On the way to the hospital they encountered really bad weather but they arrived at the hospital to find the little 9 year old boy in the arms of his 14 year old sister. Elder Maxwell asked him if he would like a blessing and then gently removed his oxygen mask to hear his response. The little boy said yes. Elder Maxwell reassured him in the blessing that life is eternal and that he had accomplished much in his life. He told him the Lord had a work for him to do in the coming days. After concluding the blessing Elder Maxwell asked the boy if he could do anything else for him. The little boy then said "Yes, can you sing I am a Child of God?" So there in a small hospital room in Brazil an apostle of God, who was dying himself, sang "I am a Child of God" to a dying 9 year old boy. The little boy died later that day and Elder Maxwell arranged to push his travel plans back to attend the funeral. I was so touched by this story and I think it epitomizes what discipleship is all about.
Elder Zwick's wife gave an amazing talk as well. She said that there is a group of people who speak with a Mayan Dialect that great each other by asking (instead of how are you or how's it going) "How is your heart?" I loved that because we all know what the feelings of our hearts are. We know what they feel like when they are happy, sad, joyful, excited, depressed, hopeful, etc. What better question could we ask to know how people are than how is your heart? I realized this is really question we need to ask when trying to share the gospel because when we know how their hearts are we can better serve them.
It also made me consider my own heart and whether I am experiencing "a mighty change of heart" and becoming better. Sister Zwick said that we should be able to say to the Lord "Here's my heart Lord take and keep it." I feel like right now my heart is not a worthy gift to give to the Lord but I hope that if I serve him with all of my heart these next 17 months (can you believe I've been here a month already?!) it will become a gift worth giving.
I want to be so much better than I am and I am working hard to become what the Lord wants me to become. I love you all so much! Write me back and answer the question "How is your heart?" Please know that I want to know because I love you all so much! To everyone this email will be forwarded to I love you and appreciate your prayers and letters more than you know!
Love always,
Hermana Jones
P.S. I hope you enjoy the pictures. The first is of me and the other hermanas in our zone that left this week. The one next to me is Mauri Earl's niece. It's a small world after all! Then the second picture is us with bags of candy on Halloween that Elder Abbott's mom sent our district. The last one is me and the hermanas in our zone!
How is everyone? I am so sorry the election turned out like it did! What a bummer! We decided in class that the MTC is the weirdest place on earth. When something big happens like the election or the hurricane, you feel so disconnect from the world. There are no newspaper racks, no cell phones ("I mean I am flipping the light switch on and off and nothing is happening" inside joke with Daddy) and no internet use beyond lds.org. SO yesterday morning I heard some girls in the hall ask the cleaning lady who won and could tell based on their reaction it wasn't good news. I went out into the hall to confirm. However, the Domans did tell me on Tuesday night that Romney won NC so we should be proud of that.
This week has probably been the toughest week in the MTC. I have loved it but it has been difficult. Last Thursday after P-day was over we taught a lesson with an "investigator" named Christian. It was a door contact and we asked him to read a chapter in the book of Mormon. He told us that he can't read well and my companion felt the spirit tell her to tell him that if he would read the Book of Mormon he would start to read better and he would want to read. I felt inspired to follow that up by saying that Natalie had a hard time learning to read but with the help of the Book of Mormon she was able to learn. Unfortunately this didn't go over so well and he got offended. Hermano Miller (our teacher who is also Christian) later said "Don't tell me I can learn to read better, I don't want to read better." It really upset both me and my companion because we both felt like we had followed the spirit and we ended up offending him. It was the first time I have felt really frustrated since coming here. As we walked back to our room I just felt really discouraged and I was thinking about how much I wished I could talk to Mama or see her and have her tell me it was all going to be okay. I was walking up the stairs and I turned around and there was Sister Doman who is the closest thing I have to a mom here (don't worry Mama she has nothing on you) and I just started crying. I knew that Heavenly Father sent her to visit us because He knew I needed it. I knew at that moment that He loved me and cared about the work I am trying to learn how to do. It was such a tender mercy.
Sunday I fasted to be able to learn spanish better. We had testimony meeting and I kept feeling like I should bare my testimony but I didn't want to because I knew it would have to be in spanish. I felt like Heavenly Father needed to know that I was willing to step out of my comfort zone if He was going to help me with my spanish so I got up and bore my testimony. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! Another miracle!
Tuesday Elder Craig Zwick and his wife spoke to us. It was the best talk I have heard since I came to the MTC. Elder Zwick talked about becoming a better disciple of Jesus Christ. He said discipleship is continuous, unconditional, compassionate and submissive. He told a couple of stories that I loved so I thought I would share them with you all.
First he said that they have a son, Scott, who has a disability. Years ago he lived in a group home with other boys with physical disabilities. One day a new boy moved into the home and the boy had no toes, making it very difficult and painful for him to walk. Scott could sense this pain and so every night for four months he did something for the boy, not to be seen by men but because he loved the boy. He would get a bucket of warm water and wash the boy's feet. I am not a feet person (Kaili, my favorite bed buddy can attest to this) but I thought this story was so sweet. What an example of service!
Second he told us that when he was serving in Brazil (I believe as mission president) Elder Neil A. Maxwell and his wife came to visit. Unbeknownst to Elder Zwick, Elder Maxwell had been diagnosed with Leukemia earlier that week and this was the last trip he would take before returning home for Chemo treatments. After a long plane ride and having not slept in two nights, it was requested that he travel across town to give a blessing to a young boy dying of Leukemia. Elder Maxwell's response was "I would be honored." On the way to the hospital they encountered really bad weather but they arrived at the hospital to find the little 9 year old boy in the arms of his 14 year old sister. Elder Maxwell asked him if he would like a blessing and then gently removed his oxygen mask to hear his response. The little boy said yes. Elder Maxwell reassured him in the blessing that life is eternal and that he had accomplished much in his life. He told him the Lord had a work for him to do in the coming days. After concluding the blessing Elder Maxwell asked the boy if he could do anything else for him. The little boy then said "Yes, can you sing I am a Child of God?" So there in a small hospital room in Brazil an apostle of God, who was dying himself, sang "I am a Child of God" to a dying 9 year old boy. The little boy died later that day and Elder Maxwell arranged to push his travel plans back to attend the funeral. I was so touched by this story and I think it epitomizes what discipleship is all about.
Elder Zwick's wife gave an amazing talk as well. She said that there is a group of people who speak with a Mayan Dialect that great each other by asking (instead of how are you or how's it going) "How is your heart?" I loved that because we all know what the feelings of our hearts are. We know what they feel like when they are happy, sad, joyful, excited, depressed, hopeful, etc. What better question could we ask to know how people are than how is your heart? I realized this is really question we need to ask when trying to share the gospel because when we know how their hearts are we can better serve them.
It also made me consider my own heart and whether I am experiencing "a mighty change of heart" and becoming better. Sister Zwick said that we should be able to say to the Lord "Here's my heart Lord take and keep it." I feel like right now my heart is not a worthy gift to give to the Lord but I hope that if I serve him with all of my heart these next 17 months (can you believe I've been here a month already?!) it will become a gift worth giving.
I want to be so much better than I am and I am working hard to become what the Lord wants me to become. I love you all so much! Write me back and answer the question "How is your heart?" Please know that I want to know because I love you all so much! To everyone this email will be forwarded to I love you and appreciate your prayers and letters more than you know!
Love always,
Hermana Jones
P.S. I hope you enjoy the pictures. The first is of me and the other hermanas in our zone that left this week. The one next to me is Mauri Earl's niece. It's a small world after all! Then the second picture is us with bags of candy on Halloween that Elder Abbott's mom sent our district. The last one is me and the hermanas in our zone!
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