I can't believe that it's Monday again! I really am sort of convinced that the MTC exists within some sort of temporal wormhole or something. Things here are honestly very wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey. The spirit here really is incredible. It's this omnipresent experience, which is honestly pretty cool (even if it is weird to go to the temple and not feel this rush of peace). The MTC, for all of its goodness is also a place where if you don't intentionally plan to see the sky, because of the covered walkways, you won't. Yesterday the sun was shining and the weather was warm. It was honestly so beautiful just to feel the sun and breathe fresh air. I think we're starting to get used to the schedule. I think I'm just going to have to accept that six-thirty is always going to feel inhuman, even when you go to bed at ten-thirty. The waking up and going to bed on time are easily the hardest parts of the schedule. Six hours of specific class instruction time a day is a lot, but I'm a good student, so it's honestly not that big of a deal for me. Lessons with investigators fly by. Study time can often feel long, primarily because we need to study Preach My Gospel in order to be more prepared for our lessons, but what we'd really like to do is just read the Book of Mormon. By the time you get done with all of your daily schedule things you have so much thinking and writing to do that it's really hard to shower, get ready for bed, and be done writing in your journal by ten thirty. We did way better on that front this week than we did last week. Despite our improvement on that front, waking up got harder and harder every day, but we did it and now we only have two more wake up's at the MTC (one of which has to happen at two thirty in the morning, so that's chill).
Our devotional speaker on Tuesday night was Elder Russell M. Nelson. He talked to us about how the message of the gospel is one of joy and that we should make sure to reflect that in our countenances. "Who would want to be like someone who is grumpy?" he asked. I think it really is a fair point. I've been trying to catch myself in those moments where I haven't been as happy to remind myself that what is happening here really is about joy.
I was one of the "lucky" two people in our Branch who got to speak in Sacrament Meeting yesterday. I was once again grateful for all the practice I had giving impromptu speeches in debate and was even more grateful that this last week's assigned topic was the Book of Mormon. It's hard not to have good things to say about the Book of Mormon. I decided to talk about how I know that the Book of Mormon can transform the lives of our investigators because without it, I wouldn't be standing and speaking at the MTC. I would most likely sitting in a car next to my little brother, driving to Kentucky. Even though I really would have loved to be with you guys in moving, or maybe with Tiny in Utah, I am in many ways grateful to be here as a missionary. I wouldn't say that I'm totally sold on the experience thus far, but I have felt confirmation of my decision in many different instances. Sometimes I wonder if Heavenly Father is going to get sick of me asking if I'm doing okay and doing as he would have me do, but at the same time, I feel like he knew that was going to happen when he asked that I serve a mission, so I don't feel all that bad. I'm giving the experience everything that I have and then some.
I've been thinking a lot about our family in the last few days and about all the ways our lives have and are changing. I look at all the changes and I am dumbfounded by how much is changing in such a short time. I also look at all our changes and I feel such a calm reassurance that what we are doing is what Heavenly Father has planned for us. I'm not really sure what it is about Utah for the Tiny (okay, I kind of have some idea that it probably has to do with a certain Ginger boy), Kentucky for the parentals and the baby brother (I really have no idea on this one), and Ohio for me (okay, I have a lot of an idea about this one), but I know that God can see the whole plan and it is what each of us needs. The greatest comfort for me during the last week has been that even though I can't be there to help, I know that Heavenly Father is watching out for and taking care of each of you. If I didn't know that I might have pulled a Princess Jasmine and climbed the palace walls to make sure everything was okay.
Please keep sending mail! Mail is the life-preserver that keeps me afloat on this sometimes calm, and often stormy mission sea. It was perfect to feel connected to my dear ones. Dad, I'm seriously so glad that we were safe driving to Kentucky. I am even more glad that you are safe now. Heavenly Father must know that if anything happened to you, I'd be outta here. Mom, it sounds like your week was crazy, but good. I'm glad that Alain wanted to help but I'm also glad that you recognized that it was okay to allow the movers to do the packing as that is what they are paid to do. How did everything go with the move? Did the house-signing-away meeting go okay? How are my tiny humans? Ethan-thank you SO much for the message, even if it was just a short one. I hope that your math test went well and that Putnam rocked (you'll be happy to know that I've been singing it in my head all week, but only this part, because this is what I know "at the twenty fifth annual, Putnam County Spelling Bee..."). I e-mailed grandmother back at her outlook e-mail. If someone could do me a solid and just make sure she got it, that would be splendid.
Our investigators here at the MTC are either people in our district, our teacher pretending to be an investigator they had while on their mission, or members being themselves before they were converted or without the gospel. In a lot of ways I'm really grateful that they don't just let rookie missionaries loose on people who are truly interested in the gospel. We make way way way too many mistakes to be effective. I'm also really grateful for the practice of teaching. Sister Gustaveson and I have gotten pretty good at being able to share the teaching time with one another and look at each other when one of us gets stuck so the other person can pick things up where we left off. Companions are essential to successful teaching. I'm learning that as I focus on how the Savior loves my investigator, everything else seems to fall into place. It's a tricky lesson for me, because I do love words so much that I want to say things in the perfect way, but as I act in faith the spirit provides the right words for me and we make progress.
I've been praying a lot for all of you this week. I hope that the heartache and ugh-ness of the move and everything are okay. Starting Wednesday I'm going to be in Ohio! I bought a calling card, so expect a call from the airport sometime Wednesday morning. We are flying Delta first to Detroit (flight 1950 departing at 7:30 and arriving at 1:03) and then onto Ohio (flight 6115 departing at 1:45 and arriving in Columbus as 2:44) .
Well, my brain is officially fried and I'm not honestly sure what else I should say. I really love you guys! I know that things probably feel hard and awful right now, but Heavenly Father is watching out for us.
The Church is true, life is good, God's in charge, and Satan hates you!
Love,
Jessica
P.S. Plan on pictures when I'm in a place where computers actually work :)
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