Hey my darlings! :)
It's been an incredible week! It feels like I've been here for months! I'm so ready to just hit the field and teach the gospel! :D
So last Tuesday when I sent the email and said that I was having trouble sleeping because I didn't have enough blanket weight.... Six hours later I get called down to the front office, and I'm kind of freaking out wondering what on earth I could've done wrong in the 6 days that I've been here, I arrive to find a fluffy, blue, polka-dotted blanket with a note attached that read, "Sister Longo, your mom loves you!" I don't know how Mom did it, but it made my week! :) The Sisters in my district teased me saying that Mom must have a SWAT team here in Provo at her beck and call to get me anything that I need! xD Though knowing my sweet Mama, that is a real possibility! :D
Wednesday was a little rough, our (Sister V and I) lesson with Sahara didn't go very well. We were in the middle of our lesson and then Sahara gets a face-time call. We obviously tell her it's okay to take it, thinking that she would just tell her friends that she was busy and then hand up. Nope. That is not what happened. She took the call and then had Sister V and I come into view of the camera and say hi to her friends. After three minutes of awkward conversation her friends ask what she's doing. Sahara looks awkward and says that she's meeting with the missionaries... Now imagine all of the disdain and disgust that a female around the age of 24 can muster in her voice and imagine that girl saying, "...You're meeting with the missionaries...?" Good heavens! I have never felt so awkward in my life! xD We later in that lesson learned that the reason why she's meeting with the missionaries is because her fiance (a member of the church) wanted her to take them, so she was only doing it to make her fiance happy not because she had an actual desire to learn for herself. I can laugh about this now but some others things happened through the day and I was in need of comfort from the ultimate Comforter. I asked for a Priesthood Blessing of Comfort from Elder Brantley and Elder Heppler. That really helped. I know that I'm supposed to be here, even if there are people around me that don't want me to be here. I am here because Heavenly Father has people whose lives I can touch! There are people who I can bring the light of Christ to! And that is worth ANYTHING that I have to go through here at the MTC or in the mission field! :D
Thursday I woke up sick, just a cold that has been going around the district, and so I went to the MTC clinic because they ask us to go no matter how trivial our illness really is. So don't worry! (*cough* Mom *cough*) They sent me to the BYU Student Health Center to pick up some cold medicine and when we got there I say Katy Ogden, one of my roommates from last year! :D It made me so happy to see her! (*waves at Katy*) Afterwards we had our lesson with Sahara. And we were both so nervous about it because the last two times we taught, it was rough to say the least. But when we walked into the room, the Spirit was so strong and Sister V and I were able to teach well and I was given the boldness I needed to help her commit to reading the Book of Mormon! It was an amazing lesson! I can testify that the Spirit is the real teacher NOT me! :D
Friday was a lot of fun, we were able to have an MTC teacher come in and pretend to be an investigator for us so we could get feedback from him. His real name is Brother Swanson, his convert name was Jesse. It was really cool because Jesse (a person who he actually knows, so Jesse is a real person) is Catholic with a lot of Mormon friends and he wanted to know more. It was awesome because since I have family on my dad's side who are Catholic so I was able to relate to him and answer a lot of questions because I have a background in Catholicism. Afterwards he told us a few things that we could improve on but overall he said our lesson was powerful and impressive for how long we've been at this! So huzzah! :D In all seriousness though, it's the Spirit. I don't know what I would do without the Holy Ghost! I love Him so much!
Later that day I saw my wonderful, beautiful friend Sophia! She has such a sweet spirit and always manages to brighten up my day and make me feel loved. I really needed to see her that day. (*blows kisses to Sophia*)
So the other thing that happened Friday... Oh goodness. Sister V and I were teaching a lesson to Sahara, we were teaching her the Plan of Salvation. So we were talking about how before the Fall Adam and Eve were immortal, we began to move on from the Fall when Sahara interrupted and asked, "So... it's like Vampire Diaries! You know? Like... how vampires never die or get sick!?" I have never been so speechless before in my 19 years of living! Before I can even think of replying, let alone breath, Sister V just nods excitedly and exclaims "YES!" Okay... I lied. AFTER Sister V agreed I have never been so speechless before in my 19 years of living. Before I can frantically eye-communicate with my companion that she's teaching false doctrine (Adam & Eve were NOT vampires!) Sahara continues with, "So when Adam and Eve became mortal it was like when Bella in Twilight turned into a vampire but reverse?!"
I'm sure my jaw dropped in utter and complete shock!!! Again my companion exclaimed in excited joy. It took me the rest of the lesson to make sure that Sahara understood that Adam and Eve were NOT vampires and try to get her and my companion back on track. *facepalm* But by the times I had managed it, our time for teaching her was up! And that was our last appointment with Sahara. About how Adam and Eve were vampires... I'm hoping that it was just a bad dream. XD
Saturday was a regular, run-of-the-mill day here at the MTC. But we studied Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life. I invite you all to read 1st Nephi chapter 8 and really try to visualize what the SCRIPTURES describe, not the gospel art depiction! Tell me what insights you've gained and then I'll tell you mine!
Sunday was AWESOME! For starters I taught the Relief Society lesson. i LOVE teaching so I had a blast! I want to be a Religion Professor at BYU so this is practice for me! :D It was about how to Endure to the End! I loved it and all of the sister' insights.
As is scheduled every Sunday at the MTC, as a zone we walked to the temple to feel the Spirit there and to take pictures with our district. While there I had the feeling that we would have a General Authority speak to us for devotional that day. The others sisters told me I was crazy because a General Authority had given the devotional the Sunday before we arrived. But I knew I had gotten that impression so I prayed that I would indeed have the opportunity to be in the same room as an apostle and prophet of the Lord. Later after MTC choir practice we had devotional. The MTC Presidency had decided that they wanted to watch Elder Bednar's talk "Character of Christ" together as the entire MTC. Which was really nice because I had wanted to watch it again. Even though I had taken four pages of notes last week there were still notes to be taken again! After the recording had finished everyone began standing up and gasping! ELDER BEDNAR AND HIS FAMILY CAME AND DID A Q&A SESSION WITH US!!!! IT WAS SO AWESOME!!!!!!! I wish I had the time and energy in my fingers to tell you all about it! Suffice it to say that it was incredible! I can testify to you that that night Elder Bednar was the answer to my prayer and the prayers of many others!
Monday was really fun because we got new TRC investigators, Katie and Andy. Andy is a BYU student from China. And so he had the most thought-provoking questions as Sister V and I taught him the Plan of Salvation! I can wait to hear what new questions he has for the two of us sisters and for the Spirit in our next lesson with him tomorrow!!!
Well my friends, I have to go. Not only is my time up, but I think my fingers are now permanently curved from all of this typing.
Love you all! :D
Sister Longo
(MOM NOTE: Sorry, no pictures were sent this week. Stay tuned for more pictures later.)
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