Today is my last day here at the MTC! My Spanish has improved a
lot, but is still nowhere near perfection. But they have video-taped
some of lessons that Hermana Tapia and I taught, and I have no news of
them postponing me, so I guess I must have been good enough! I'm heading
out to Oregon tomorrow at 8:30am.
I found out that I would also be coming home December 8th, 2014. I guess they did take into account that I was originally supposed to be here a month ago!
My district and I are super-duper tight. We've exchanged emails and plan on having an MTC reunion but we will see how that goes.
Like I've mentioned last week, the language continues to be my biggest struggle. It is a battle that I fight from 6:30am in the morning to 10:30pm
at night, and it is truly exhausting/frustrating. However, I never get
discouraged. I never wish that I was in an easier class. This may sound
totally missionary-like and slightly corny, but this past couple of
weeks have really reminded me about the war in Heaven and how we chose
to come down here to Earth. Sure, it would have been really easy if we
decided to stay as Spirit children with Heavenly Father, but would good
would that have been? Would good would it have been if we were
like...spirit-teens, perfectly capable of going out to the world,
getting a job, earning experience, still living in Heavenly Father's
"basement"? There'd be no progression! We were sent down here because it
WOULD be hard. To gain experience. To gain a body. To progress. To
LEARN. I know that if I continue to have faith in Jesus Christ, pray
always, read frequently. study hard, work with all my heart, might, mind
and strength, I will be able to have the Spirit with me, and not only
to guide me with the language, but also to show me the way to Heavenly
Father's presence.
My branch presidency is a POWERHOUSE. They have made it
perfectly clear what it means to be a missionary. They have shown me
what it takes to be a good missionary. I want to share with you all what
they have told me: "Obedience brings blessings, perfect obedience
brings miracles." (I think that's from Sister Beck, Relief Society
President). And right now I could really use some miracles. I'm sure you
all can, too! Do what you know to be true and right, and I know we will
see some changes in our lives that can only be called miraculous. They
all know of my struggle with the language. I'm literally the only one in
my entire ZONE who did not ever live in a foreign country or grew up in
a Spanish-speaking home, and they know that I feel inadequate. My
branch president pulled me aside and told me this: "Change is a process,
not an event." He said I will be just fine. My first counselor, Brother
Nillson, also pulled me aside. Now, just imagine the voice of Elder
Holland, but it's only directed at YOU. Same volume, same tone. He wrote
two numbers on the board: a 0 and a 5. He pointed to the 0 - "What does
this mean, Hermana?" ... "I have no idea, Brother Nillson." and he
said, "This is the number of people who have been baptized just because
their missionaries spoke perfect Spanish. Hermana, YOU have been called
of God on this mission. YOU have been called to serve the people of
OREGON and YOU are going to change their lives forever. YOU have been
given the gift of tongues, and YOU WILL LEARN THE LANGUAGE...ok?" and I,
just counting my blessings that I went to the bathroom just before this
conversation, said "Yes...I mean Si..." And then he pointed to the 5,
"Now, what does this number represent?" ..."I have no idea...." and he
said, "This is the number of months it took even the WORST missionary to
learn the language." There was a pause, then he continued, "and you
know what? that missionary was ME. "
And he shook my hand, smiled, said, "You will be just fine, Hermana." and left.
I
knew God worked through other people, but it has never been so obvious
as it has been these past couple of weeks. I'm excited to go to Oregon,
in hopes that God works through me to bring other people through their
trials and to invite them to come unto Christ.
Time's short!
Con amor,
Hermana Blanchard
No comments:
Post a Comment