Dear Family,
Wow, Mom and Dad! I can't believe you are in the MTC TODAY! What?! You have to tell me allllll about it. I'm so excited! Let me know what you think of the MTC. It's a pretty spiritual/cool place. I know you will be such amazing missionaries. The Lord will push you and you will see amazing growth. It's awesome!! I loved your talk too mom. I'm sure yours was great too Dad!
My biggest advice is what everyone says and that is to love the people. Right from the start just show love. Sometimes when you are in cluture shock and thinking where in the world you are it helps that you love the people. Help out your missionaries in any way. Make them cookies or dinner and see if there is any way you can help with investigators whether it be teaching lessons with them or giving advice. One of my favourite parts of a mission is all the district meetings and zone conferences. I love having gospel discussions and learning from each other. It's so funny to think that you will have all your own missionaries and mission friends and mission reunions. I know you'll do great!
Thanks so much for my package! I'm really excited for it! I wish you put some notes in it but I guess I get a note every week :)
We had a busy and exciting week with Zone Conference. It was aweeeeesome! We heard from Sister Mehr, President Mehr. They both talked about working with the members. Helping them see what missionary work is really like, serving them and utilizing them. Sister Cornish talked about investments in a gospel sense. Elder Cornish talked about working with members as well. He said how it really is the best type of missionary work. The reason why it doesn't work is becuase we don't do it! Haha he's right though. It takes A LOT more time to really use members. It takes more planning and thinking. I sometimes just get lazy and either take the same member to most lessons or just don't plan wisely and take no member. I really have to train myself to be better. The last part of conference Elder Cornish talked about the Atonement. The things he said were very beautiful. I don't have my notebook so I can't remember everything but he talked about how it is infinite. I thought of infinite in the sense of it covered everyone but he spoke of infinite in the sense of how it covers every single thing you can think of. Whether you ask for forgiveness or not, it has been covered. I know I'm probably not saying anything new but there was a great spirit there when he spoke and it helped my testimony grow.
That night we went to the fireside that Elder Cornish did for the members. He spoke about how the members need to "BE THE CHURCH". Many times you think, "Oh it's the church's money" or things like that but no, it's your money. He said how the church in Haiti is booming right now because they have taken on the role of the church. Because of all the disasters and how poor people are, they are pretty isolated. No one will give Haitians passports, and no one can really go in. Becuase of this Haitian members have taken complete control of the church. They are working like crazy and have taken on all roles. They provide all their own missionaries. He said missionaries don't go finding. All the investigators they meet, they met at church from other members bringing them. Elder Cornish said to the members here, "I'm not telling you this to say Haiti is better than you. I'm telling you this because you have the capability of being even better especially with the resources you have." I think it got people pumped up a little.
President Mehr is coming back this week for interviews and such. When it comes to going back English...I don't know. I've accepted that if Suriname is where the Lord wants me to be then I know I will be fine here. But if I got called to English again I would know that's for a reason too. I'll just tell President Mehr that I'll go wherever the Lord needs me. Becuase if I'm there than I know I'll be ok. Sister Sommer just got Emergency Transferred to Trinidad last week!
We had no one at church this week. Mohan had to work and such. Bummer. When Mohan does come he bikes and puts Dino on the back of his bike. Things are going good with Mohan except the Law of Chastity. He's still married legally to his first wife from like 30 years ago. Oh boy... and he doesn't understand that he needs to be legally married to Mala. We are bring the AP's with us our next appt to help explain. I'm not worried about him getting mad, I just want him to understand and do it.
We taught Faizel this week. We went back to the basics with him, trying to help him understand how to find his answer and the atonement. It seems to be going alright.
So basically most of Suriname is Rain forest. I'm not completely sure what people do in the biddenland but I know there is lots of mining. Suriname is super flat which is nice for riding bikes. Most people are poor but not as poor as St. Vincent. People take nice care of their things and save money. It's much more developed than St. Vincent.
I don't think I have talked about our landlords yet. They live right next to us. They are Hindu and probably the nicest people everrrrrr! I love them. They always leave food for us and help in anyway. They had a big Hindu party on Saturday. Ahhh there was such good food. I love curry and roti.
I have so many pictures but I need to find a way to send them...there's not a thingy on this computer.
I love you all sooooo much. I have the best family in the world!
Love,
Elizabeth
Sister Wood,
ReplyDeleteI just finished typing this long diatribe of blah blah blah, and when I went to "Publish it" it had me sign into my Gmail, and took me back here to a blank page! It had erased everything, and I hadn't thought to save it.
So here goes: You were such an amazing YW when I had my first calling with the Mia Maids. You were always willing to serve our Heavenly Father, whether it was planning, being prepared for the lesson, playing piano, helping the other girls or whatever. I am not surprised to read your missionary blog, and find that you are still AMAZING as a missionary.
I am sure your dear parents and brothers have been a great influence on your life. It shows through your love of the people in your mission, your patience with them, diligence in always striving to do what is right. You always have that big, beautiful smile. How blessed the people you serve are, to have you as a missionary. I feel so proud of you, and am not surprised by your sweetness. It has only grown and blossomed from the YW that you were, and the grown woman that you are.
I was engaged to be married for over a year, but he decided to stop preparing for Baptism, and decided to stop everything to do with our church. I had to break it off, just before Valentine's Day. So glad am I to remember a Promise that I made to you Mia Maids. I was teaching about Dating Standards, and Temple Marriage, while I was learning about it myself. I Promised that I would only marry a worthy Priesthood holder who would take me to the House of the Lord, Holiness to the Lord, the Temple. Or else I would not marry.
When deciding to break-up with Eddie, because The Holy Ghost helped me remember that promise. If I hadn't lived up to that promise I made to the YW, I would have been a liar. And I do still consider myself to be a role model to all of you now grown women, devoted Daughters of God.
I remember travelling to Regina with your family, and I talked non-stop all the way. And all the way back , until we stopped in Brandon, so I could get my Patriarchal Blessing. Your family patiently waited in the van,and when I came back, you all noticed that I was (finally) very quiet !! LOL You said I was full of the Spirit of God. It was true.
Thank you for now being my role model. I am planning to save money for my mission, since it doesn't look like I will be with a husband.
I love you, thank you for being so sweet and loving, just as the Saviour.
Sister Diana Robbins