Anotha One

 Hey everyone! I did another week of MTC and it was fairly uneventful. We laugh alot and then we stress a little, but mostly I do the same day over and over again. But its a good day? This week I've been really realizing how close I am to leaving for the field and thats getting really stresful.

ANYWAY, You know the drill. This email is in sections so just read what you want!

HILIGAYNON
- This week we've been working on teaching principles from lesson 1, 2 and 3 and compound sentences. We also learned how to give directions and we practiced walking around the courtyard yelling directions to eachother on how to get to the ice cream machines. We also retook a laguage assement that we did at the beginning of our stay here and I scored nocive high the first time. This time I was taking it and they started asking me to speak on the most wack subjects. My questions went from "How is Jesus our Savior?" to like " Why is organized religion important and what would happen if a country were to ban organized religion?". Soooooooo I like did my best and I somehow scored advanced??? Then we found out that you can literally talk in English and if you talk fast enough you can score intermmediate. But for a minute there I was feeling really confused. It probably should have been a confidence booster but I definetly knew something was wrong because I am NOT advanved. 
- Overall my language is still getting better but don't ask me what my favorite color is. I can bear my testimony on the Atonment but I can't really hold a casual conversation.

A FEW LITTLE THINGS
- First of all I got called on AGAIN to speak in church. This is literally unheard of. Luckily, I kept getting this feeling that I was going to have to again so I reviewed the talk I wrote a few weeks ago (it was much better than my first one) and I was ready to go this time. I was still suprised when I got called on to speak but I'm actually grateful that I got a second chance to share my testimony and my love of the gospel.
- Our room mates left and it was so sad. We used to sing Taylor Swift, Hamilton and Selena Gomez with them. Now our room is kinda empty and much quieter. But also we don't ever wake up to 4 am laundry anymore.
- We taught our "interested person" this week and I accidentally blasphemed. I said God is the son of our spirits. I don't know what religion that aligns with but it's definently not this one. Also he definently broke character and just started giving us a language lesson but it felt really good to have all my language mistakes pointed out.


GOOD READS
- I've read some really good talks this week and I just thought I would share them.
- We Need and Endowment - Anothony Sweat.
- Power to Overcome The Adversary- Peter M. Johnsen.
- The Power and Process of Hope- Kevin Worthlin.
- Also we sang "My Own Sacred Grove" for choir this week and it was gorgeous.

THE THINGS THEY CARRIED
- I don't know how many of you have read The Things They Carried but I've been thinking about it alot this week and I've been relating it to my mission. Without giving you a plot summary its all an extended metaphor about soldiers in the Korean war and the literal and metaphorical things they carried. So... with that in mind. I literally brought some things with me that I did NOT need to bring. Like TWO sweatshirts?!?! What was she thinking. I also brought with me clothes that I would never have worn at home. I packed up my missionary self and left the rest of me in my closet at home. I brought a desire to learn the language, love the people and spread the gospel. So far I am leaving the MTC with only the latter two. I brought with me a love for the scriptures and I hope to carry that throught the rest of my mission and life. I'm also hoping to pick up a few things in the field. I hoping to bring home confidence in my abilities through Christ, Hiligaynon and a deeper love for service and people.
While some of the things we carry are physical or obvious to others, most are not. I've really learned this week that people who may not look or act like they are struggeling are probably carrying something heavy and they wish they could leave it behind. Not all things we carry are positive and I've been trying to drop the ones I carry here and have room for better things. 
I will always carry my love for Christ and this gospel. I may be carrying fear right now but I know that if I choose to let that go Christ will fill up the space it leaves with Hope. Hope is the antipitus of fear. Hope and faith are forever intertwined. If all I can have now is some small hope that I will be ok, its enough to act on and Christ can make my clumsy efforts into powerful words and actions of faith.

I love you all and I love getting your emails and hearing from you! Thanks for keeping me posted!

- Sister Larson

Pictures!

1. Brother Cagioua teaching us conjunctions.
2. My language assessment prompt.
3. My testimony in English and Hiligaynon.
4. Proof of life.



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