This is my last p-day here at the MTC. Within just a few days I'll be in Mexico, getting to work. I am excited to be there and to get to work. Sometimes I don't really feel like a "real" missionary yet because most of what I'm doing right now is just preparation. I know I am not at all ready to go off and start teaching the Gospel on my own in Spanish, but I am ready to take the next step. Almost everyone I've ever talked to who had to learn a completely new language in the MTC has said that they couldn't understand it, much less speak it, when they entered the field. I am now acutely aware of what they mean. I struggle to put together simple sentences... yup, Mexico is going to be a blast. I'm not too concerned about it though. I can learn. Thousands of people have done it before me, I can do it too.
Yesterday I had an exciting experience. The Hermanas in my district and 7 other missionaries (6 Hermanas, and one Elder) all flew down to Las Vegas for the day. The MTC is a very sheltered place. Everything is very spiritual and there aren't many worldly influences. Hopping off the plane in LV was like getting slapped in the face by Babylon. I actually do like the Las Vegas airport; it's a very beautiful, fun place, with lots of art. But it's pretty far different from the simplicity of the MTC! We went there to make a personal appearance at the Mexican consulate. A whole day for some fingerprints and a photograph, but that's how foreign travel works sometimes. It's amazing to see how God decides we need to be in a certain place and no inconvenience is too great to keep us from going there.
On Tuesday, we were privileged to hear from Elder Cook (of the Quorum of the 12) and he talked for a while about how we may be called to a certain place just to meet one specific person, or just because of a certain mission president who would change our life. Our Father in Heaven has infinite knowledge of every single person on the earth. If there's a person in Pachuca Mexico that I need to meet, then God will send me to Pachuca no matter what the earthly cost is.
So what else happened this week? I got to be a host to new missionaries on Wednesday! Basically I just showed them to their residence hall, but it was so much fun! Suddenly I'm the old, experienced person here. When did that happen? We have our last lessons with our teachers tomorrow, that's really sad. My teachers are amazing, they've taught me pretty much everything I've learned here at the MTC. Even more than all the devotionals and church meeting and other meetings that we have here. My teachers have taught me everything.
The Elders in my district were originally going to leave tomorrow but something about bad weather shutting down airports in the East (we really have no idea what's going on in the outside world...) delayed their travel plans until next Thursday. It will be very hard to leave them here. Our district is our family. We've finally gotten them to admit that they will miss us Hermanas too, so that's a huge step for teenage boys :)
I love you all! If you don't know anything else, know that God loves you and so do I!
Love,
Hermana DeFranco
Yesterday I had an exciting experience. The Hermanas in my district and 7 other missionaries (6 Hermanas, and one Elder) all flew down to Las Vegas for the day. The MTC is a very sheltered place. Everything is very spiritual and there aren't many worldly influences. Hopping off the plane in LV was like getting slapped in the face by Babylon. I actually do like the Las Vegas airport; it's a very beautiful, fun place, with lots of art. But it's pretty far different from the simplicity of the MTC! We went there to make a personal appearance at the Mexican consulate. A whole day for some fingerprints and a photograph, but that's how foreign travel works sometimes. It's amazing to see how God decides we need to be in a certain place and no inconvenience is too great to keep us from going there.
On Tuesday, we were privileged to hear from Elder Cook (of the Quorum of the 12) and he talked for a while about how we may be called to a certain place just to meet one specific person, or just because of a certain mission president who would change our life. Our Father in Heaven has infinite knowledge of every single person on the earth. If there's a person in Pachuca Mexico that I need to meet, then God will send me to Pachuca no matter what the earthly cost is.
So what else happened this week? I got to be a host to new missionaries on Wednesday! Basically I just showed them to their residence hall, but it was so much fun! Suddenly I'm the old, experienced person here. When did that happen? We have our last lessons with our teachers tomorrow, that's really sad. My teachers are amazing, they've taught me pretty much everything I've learned here at the MTC. Even more than all the devotionals and church meeting and other meetings that we have here. My teachers have taught me everything.
The Elders in my district were originally going to leave tomorrow but something about bad weather shutting down airports in the East (we really have no idea what's going on in the outside world...) delayed their travel plans until next Thursday. It will be very hard to leave them here. Our district is our family. We've finally gotten them to admit that they will miss us Hermanas too, so that's a huge step for teenage boys :)
I love you all! If you don't know anything else, know that God loves you and so do I!
Love,
Hermana DeFranco