Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Email #2 (Week #2)

I can add more emails to the thingy but i don't know lily's for example.

So. The shift key barely WORKS.

First of all, hello everybody, it is lightly snowing here, I'm stoked. Then the snow melts and I'm sad. Then I remember I'm going to Alaska and i'm like "ohhh yeah. I'm gonna get to know snow real well."

Pres monson's daughter came and spoke in relief society. About missionary stuff. then she showed us pictures of her father at the end and gave us all these little tidbits. she told the story of how her mother once straightened his suspender and it shows that even though she's still frail she takes care of him. His favorite color is yellow, a color that's important in the printing press. He'll shake hands with anyone wearing yellow. And anyone who is a redhead because he thinks redheads get picked on. his favorite scripture is proverbs 3:5-6, d&c  84:88. He does NOT dye his hair but wishes he had more. he served in WWII instead of a mission. He was made a bishop when he was 22. the job in the church he thinks prepared him the most for being the prophet was being secretary for the deacons cuz he took amazing notes & minutes and always did his duty. When sister dibbs (his daughter) was 9 he made an apostle. she needs to look at the miracles that have taken place to gain her testimony that he is a prophet. His favorite food is a turkey dinner. loves haagan daas bars. He's very complimentary. To his wife.

It is the small and simple things that make such a difference. She counseled us to learn to let go of any ill feelings--you're not doing anyone any good.

Another story of pres monson: one time they were going to a show and he told the security dude driving the car, "Stop, go back" and he asked why and pres monson said "I forgot the tickets!" and Sis Dibbs said, "Dad, I think they are gonna let you in." (haha) "Well" he said "I just don't feel comfortable without them." And that is the kind of man he is.

SOOOOO
Life in the MTC. I've got 12 minutes for email. Okay. So. FIrst thing, yes I do occasionally get to play piano, for sacrament with my zone for example. I even auditioned with my piano solo arrangement of "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" to play a special musical number sometime, the 2nd counselor's wife to the mtc president was the one judging, she put me in "YES" stack and made me PROMISE that if I do have a chance to perform before I leave for Alaska (not guaranteed) that I have to PROMISE not to change anything cuz she could see I was playing it off the regular hymn book and it was basically all in my head.

I am learning patience and also how to communicate, for the past 2 weeks I have been pretty jolly and happy, today I think I was worn out and I was in my head and quiet and fifteen billion times people asked, "Are you okay???" Sometimes I just have to revamp and get all my energy back and it takes a bit. Then my companion realy wanted to know if something was wrong cuz I have been good about letting her know what bothers me (not much but it's important to discuss so you can strengthen your relationship) and she wanted to know if anything else she'd been doing had bothered me and i SIGHED and said "No I am fine, I just don't feel like laughing all the time." And then I realized how much she cared about me and I thanked her for her concern and suddenly I felt so happy and so peaceful and it is great communicating.

In class she and I committed our "investigator" to be baptized and he accepted. Which makes a person feel good. It was really our teacher pretending but you still feel the spirit in these lessons. And you still get prompted by the spirit about what to teach. And you really pray with them. And I want everyone to feel the peace that comes from praying and learning about this stuff. Let me tell you, two weeks in a place like this, without one cuss word or vulgar image, with everyone comforting and complimenting each other, I think of stuff back home that maybe is a little crude and vulgar and I think, how can anyone live like that.

We taught someone and talked about the atonement and this woman has kids who are mentally and physically handicapped and we told her that Jesus Christ suffered for our sins but also our infirmities so that he could feel our pain and know what it was like, and this woman started to cry a little and asked "What can that do for my daughter?" and we told her that if her daughter, who left home a few days before without telling her parents where she was going because she felt like a burden, if she understood the atonement and prayed she would be able to feel comfort. She would be able to feel that someone had gone through everything she was going through. And so this woman we were teaching said she suspected her daughter had admitted herself to a mental hospital and she said, "Maybe if she still has her cell I will send her a text about this atonement and tell her to pray to Jesus Christ," and I told her that was a wonderful idea.

Our district is doing better. I have had to lead district meeting a couple of times. haha. but it has been good. I taught a lesson about what it is like to feel the spirit and what it is like to not feel the spirit. It really helped, some of them came up to me later. This lesson came from brother greiner and I can't tell you how much he has helped!!!

love youuuuu

sister ashbook

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