Hey Mom!
This week has honestly flown by! To answer all of the questions in your email before I get down into the swing of things:
It is going great! Spirit prison is the best but the more I stay here the more I cannot wait to head out to the Marshall Islands. The language is going super great I no doubt have been blessed with the Gift of Tongues, but I will get to that in the chain email. I actually have started to read the Bok in Mormon in Marshallese. I read about 5 verses a day and then attempt to translate what I have read. Remember when I tried to read 1 Nephi at home? Well the good news is I was able to fully understand the first 10 verses of it so thats pretty great. I am writing in my journal everyday during quiet time so 10:15-10:30. I average about a page everyday and try to include all of the spiritual experiences that happen that day. I really do miss your cooking already and it has been MTC food haha. They do spoil us sometimes here and give us Chick Fil A and Taco Bell. I have stayed away from the orange juice and have mostly been tanking on the chocolate milk to put on a few pounds before I head out. I have gained about 3 pounds since I left. Elder Kennerly's dad is a bodybuilder so he takes me to the weight room every other day and kills me. I have been sore in just about every muscle all week. Tomorrow we are going to lose all of our Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji districts. It was really sad because I love all the Poly's in the district. Honestly we have some of the best Elders and Sisters. We got to hear from Sister Oscarson about Missions. She emphasized that the Lord is here to tear us down so He can build us back up to what he needs us to become. Really good talk. In summary, y'all should watch the Mormon Message about the Current Bush by D Todd Christofferson.
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| The District outside the Provo LDS Temple |
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PACKAGE. Honestly it made my entire stay here. I do not need another package while I am in the MTC haha. Even when sharing all the food I don't think we can finish by the end of six weeks:)
This week was a rollercoaster of emotions. On Tuesday there were rumors going around the MTC that our devotional speaker would be Elder Holland so I was getting really excited because he is my absolute favorite. But the rumors were soon dispelled and we instead got to hear from Sister Oscarson (Pres YW) talk about Missionary work and the role of the MTC. She said the purpose of the MTC is to break us down to our very root (shake of the natural man) and regrow us into what He wants us to become. The Mormon Message that goes along with it is the Current Bush by D. Todd Christofferson. Really powerful testimony and story.
As for the language, Everything is going great. The Marshallese language is really difficult to grasp because of all of their weird rules. For example, if I was saying "God loves you" I have to say "God he loves you". That is because they conjugate their pronouns instead of verbs. Also, if I was trying to say "I like this food" I have to say "This food is good with me". Also, if I want to tell someone "We want you to come to church" I have to say "We want that you should come to church". Its pretty difficult but I am slowly understanding it. Also, I had a come to Jesus moment as well. So we have been having some rough waters in our district, and I love to read the book of Proverbs. As Dad says it is full of "spiritual fortune cookies". And Proverbs 13:10 says "Only by pride cometh contention". It really made me take a step back and not take part in any arguments. They still happen, I just haven't been a part of them lately. I love getting to know everyone. Elder Sheffield is teaching me how to rap and do rap battles. I'm nowhere near good yet, but I am getting there :). Sister Tatonga (the only girl in our little Marshallese district) is teaching me how to speak Kiribati as well.
We have learned about the culture as well. Marshallese don't really cook their chicken all the way so I have been told to almost avoid chicken once I get there. It is going to be a crazy experience but honestly I can't wait to get out there. We had to teach another investigator yesterday and it was a real testimony about the Gift of Tongues. I honestly never thought that I had had it until that lesson when it left me. The spirit was not there and for the first time during a lesson I had no idea how to formulate sentences and complete my thoughts. We didn't get him to commit to anything, not even prayer. I felt so bad once we left I almost immediately knelt down and asked forgiveness for whatever it is I had done. What a testimony builder that if you don't have the Language of the Spirit present you will not be able to speak.
I will try to attach a picture later, these computers are messed up
Love all of you and I will talk to y'all next week
Marshallese Word of the Day:
kojatdikdik - hope
(kuh jet uh deek uh diik)
Elder Johnson
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