Hey--
its another week down here at the MTC--wahoo! I know that sounds bad, but i can not wait to get out into Florida and teach the people and get to work. This time of preparation is killing me. We have had a sub this whole last week and a half who just pumps us up so we can...go to bed, not go out into the feild and commit people to baptism. it is rough. i feel like a football player, put me in coach, but he still has me on the bench until the time i am ready. but man, when i get to Florida, i am going to hit the ground running and not look back.
this week i was called to be the new coordinating sister for the branch. this is a bit like the RS President, but with more gabbing. it is my job to make sure all the hermanas are getting along and that they are happy. i am the liason between the branch president and the hermanas. my gaol is to meet with every one of the hermanas every day. because i was put on the spot the last meeting we had and when asked if the hermanas needed anything i had nothing to say. this time i am going to have something to say. there are 18 hermanas in my branch, which is odd because the branch next to us has five and the other one has four. so, i have a lot of little lambs to look after. it gets exhausting because when i would usually go to bed or do my own thing, i instead find myself wandering off into some hermana's room, i don't know why, and talking with them. i feel very blessed to have this new "calling" because i had such a hard first night and now i can prevent bad nights for other hermanas.
on saturday we went to the Teaching Resource Center, which is where you role play and try to teach ïnvestigators. Hermana Barfoot and i had such a good experience. it was our fisrt time teaching in Spanish and teaching the word of wisdom, but the Spirit was with us and we got the things out that we needed to say. At the very end, Hna Barfoot said that we would be able to help the family with the word of wisdom. then, out of no where i thought to say and Christ's atonement is always there for you. then, the words the God wants you to be3 successful, came out (in spanish of course). we were a powerhouse! then, pride (orgullo) took over. We taught the first lesson again that night in spanish. i could not think. i could not think about the order of the lesson, i could not think in spanish. i was a mess and Hermana Barfoot had to step it up and tech the entire thing primarily by herself. she went into some detail because she was left to herself. she even asked our catholic investigator if they had heard of the 10 commandments. they looked at her oddly, and answered that of course they had heard of the ten commandments. ( we laugh about that still--whenever we get frustrated we look at each other and ask if we have ever heard of the 10 commandments) then, by the end, i thought-Hermana, you know the first vision and you kno0w how to testify-now do it. And that is what i did. i got to joseph smith, said the first vision, and then testified. that was all i could do and i did it. the lord taught me a powerful lesson right then and there. don't get proud, because that is when the Lord will leave you to your own devices, and believe me, your devices are not good enough. and second, testify. testifying is what gets the spirit into the lesson and then He, the third member of the godhead, can solidify and convert the investigator. mostly i learned the humility one, which is good for me.> someone asked me about food, again. in all honesty, the food was good to start out with, but by week 4 i was over it. now, into week 5 i am WAY over it. my favorite thing though, which they served on SUN was chicken cordon blue, which was not really chicken cordon blue, but it is so good. plus they have a giant ice-cream sundae bar every sun and wed. i think they do it on those days to show the newbies (on wed) that the food is fantastic here and that they shouldn't miss their mommies, and on sun to impress the branch presidents and their families. i mainly just eat salads because they have a wide variety and cottage cheese-which i usually destest but have grown quite fond of.
well, i'm running out of time. i love you all. thank you so much for the letters and packages! It is so fun to read about your lives and to hear about you woes and joys. i love to hear from you, and i am blessed because i do not get homesick when i read them. i know i am supposed to be here and i know that i will find the Lord's escogidos. that is my job, that is what i am supposed to do, so i don't miss home that much. i do, when i feel a need to think about home, listen to LOST soundtrack--that's when i miss those late nights over christmas break when we were all together. you are all my best friends! i am lucky to have you. i pray for you all individually evry night. i want you to be happy and i want you to be with me forever, especially christmas 2010.> love you, be good and happy,
Hermana Barros
ps-i just don't have that much time to write to you all individually. it doesn't mean that i don't love you, it just means i don't have time. if you don't get an individual letter, know that i love you anyway and that i am trying to write as much as possible in these emails. LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU!
P.s-mom-i need a couple of things.
i need my camera charger. the cord you sent was incorrect. the one i need has a usb connection and then the samsung connector on the end. if you can't find it will you buy me a new one. i have a samsung camera so that shou8ld be enough info to buy another one.
i need full length nylons. i loved!!!!! the knee-his, but i need one or two more pairs of full-sized.
i had other things that i needed, but i can't remember. i'll write them in my letter tonight.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
One Month and almost halfway done!!!
Ok,
Before i get to the real letter (it's a good one too) i need some stuff!
1. i need my camera charger. it should be in one of those blue boxes marked "michayla 2009".
2. i need my mission call and packet--this should be in one of those two boxes as well.
3. i need some better quality full-length (and horrendously restricting panty hose).
4.i would LOVE some soft insole thingies for my shoes
5. this is a want, most deffinately--it would be cool to get some postage.
6. Plan ahead now, though i will know more later--i will fly into Florida on August 11--i will try to call you at home at that time, whenever i am in the airport. i just want you to write on the calender now so that i am not calling an empty house (plus i don't know any cell phone numbers if you are out of the house).
ok, now the fun stuff--
Thanks for the letters. we didn't get mail at all on the 3rd or 4th, everythying came in on the 6th. i got 9 letters and a very large package! everyone was really jealous, i was quite excited to hunker down and drink my milk, eat some cookies and read everyone's letters. it was like chrsitmas for me! so thank you. i love hearing from you. sadly, my p-days are getting busier and busier (the Temple has reopened) so not everyone is going to get a personal note this week in snail mail, but i hope that if you don't that you don't also think that i don't love you (So many negatives in there--did it work? i think in spanish it would've worked--ahhhh, the ease of the spanish language!)
I wanted to tell you about my 4th of july. it started out like any other day, going to class and trying not to fall asleep during MDT. During lunch we had the mission presidency and some volunteers walk around in costume of people who appeared to Wilford Woodruff and were baptized. some of them i did not believe were there, they just were in the cafeteria becuase they had appropriate costumes for those characters (like Jane Austin and Charlotte Bronte). The wigs were highly ridiculous--i was pretty amused. Plus there was a rumor flying around that there was going to be a play for us that night--YAY entertainment! Then, after lunch, my companion and i had MDT again. we found a nice shady bench and studied. i fell asleep for a couple of minutes. it was the perfect holiday nap. but, later, to my chagrin, i discovered that the bench was not as shaded as i thought because i got sunburned. i was pretty happy though--it seemed appropriate for the 4th.
Then, our teacher let us out early after dinner (which consisted of red, white, and blue jello and rice krispie treats) so that we could watch a play put on by the mission presidency and the senior couples that are here for a couple of weeks. (PS, the senior couples are so cute and fun! they walk around smiling all the time and saying hello and everything else. we feel really blessed to have them, our little grandmas and grandpas with us on campus for a while!)
the play was kinda--not professional and the subject matter was way too broad. i mean, they tried to represent the whole first lesson (The Restoration) starting with the creation, including Jesus' time, the early Restorers (John Tyndale and Wycliff and Calvin) to Benjamin Franklin, Washington, Jefferson, to Joseph Smith. The wigs were absolutely ridiculous--very very very entertaining. Ben Franklin's hiar was more horizontal than vertical. and the hairsprayer had way too much fun (appropriate for UTAH). It was entertaining. John the Baptist, or the guy playing him, looked like the uni-bomber. and Ben Franklin (poor guy) was way too skinny. All in all, it was fun and funny and good to get out of our little classroom for a while.
then we got to go out into the parking lont and watch the fireworks from stadium of fire. it was so cool. it was fun to watch the fireworks with so many homesick elders. we all cheered, even though they weren't that great, because we got to stay up late and go outside and feel like it was really a holiday! Freedom meant something new to us all there (except those English speaking Missionaries--3 weeks is not forever when compared to the slavish 9 of even 12 weeks).
Fast sunday was good except there is a thing called Mission Conference which is right after sacrament meeting and lasts for two hours--a trial of my faith. sitting down and actively listening for so long is sooo hard and exhausting. but, at dinner we had roast beef and zanahorias and papas y HELADO!!! it was good!
anyway-time's up.
Love you all,
Give the misionaries refferals
Pray and Study and Listen the Holy Ghost
Hermana Barros
Before i get to the real letter (it's a good one too) i need some stuff!
1. i need my camera charger. it should be in one of those blue boxes marked "michayla 2009".
2. i need my mission call and packet--this should be in one of those two boxes as well.
3. i need some better quality full-length (and horrendously restricting panty hose).
4.i would LOVE some soft insole thingies for my shoes
5. this is a want, most deffinately--it would be cool to get some postage.
6. Plan ahead now, though i will know more later--i will fly into Florida on August 11--i will try to call you at home at that time, whenever i am in the airport. i just want you to write on the calender now so that i am not calling an empty house (plus i don't know any cell phone numbers if you are out of the house).
ok, now the fun stuff--
Thanks for the letters. we didn't get mail at all on the 3rd or 4th, everythying came in on the 6th. i got 9 letters and a very large package! everyone was really jealous, i was quite excited to hunker down and drink my milk, eat some cookies and read everyone's letters. it was like chrsitmas for me! so thank you. i love hearing from you. sadly, my p-days are getting busier and busier (the Temple has reopened) so not everyone is going to get a personal note this week in snail mail, but i hope that if you don't that you don't also think that i don't love you (So many negatives in there--did it work? i think in spanish it would've worked--ahhhh, the ease of the spanish language!)
I wanted to tell you about my 4th of july. it started out like any other day, going to class and trying not to fall asleep during MDT. During lunch we had the mission presidency and some volunteers walk around in costume of people who appeared to Wilford Woodruff and were baptized. some of them i did not believe were there, they just were in the cafeteria becuase they had appropriate costumes for those characters (like Jane Austin and Charlotte Bronte). The wigs were highly ridiculous--i was pretty amused. Plus there was a rumor flying around that there was going to be a play for us that night--YAY entertainment! Then, after lunch, my companion and i had MDT again. we found a nice shady bench and studied. i fell asleep for a couple of minutes. it was the perfect holiday nap. but, later, to my chagrin, i discovered that the bench was not as shaded as i thought because i got sunburned. i was pretty happy though--it seemed appropriate for the 4th.
Then, our teacher let us out early after dinner (which consisted of red, white, and blue jello and rice krispie treats) so that we could watch a play put on by the mission presidency and the senior couples that are here for a couple of weeks. (PS, the senior couples are so cute and fun! they walk around smiling all the time and saying hello and everything else. we feel really blessed to have them, our little grandmas and grandpas with us on campus for a while!)
the play was kinda--not professional and the subject matter was way too broad. i mean, they tried to represent the whole first lesson (The Restoration) starting with the creation, including Jesus' time, the early Restorers (John Tyndale and Wycliff and Calvin) to Benjamin Franklin, Washington, Jefferson, to Joseph Smith. The wigs were absolutely ridiculous--very very very entertaining. Ben Franklin's hiar was more horizontal than vertical. and the hairsprayer had way too much fun (appropriate for UTAH). It was entertaining. John the Baptist, or the guy playing him, looked like the uni-bomber. and Ben Franklin (poor guy) was way too skinny. All in all, it was fun and funny and good to get out of our little classroom for a while.
then we got to go out into the parking lont and watch the fireworks from stadium of fire. it was so cool. it was fun to watch the fireworks with so many homesick elders. we all cheered, even though they weren't that great, because we got to stay up late and go outside and feel like it was really a holiday! Freedom meant something new to us all there (except those English speaking Missionaries--3 weeks is not forever when compared to the slavish 9 of even 12 weeks).
Fast sunday was good except there is a thing called Mission Conference which is right after sacrament meeting and lasts for two hours--a trial of my faith. sitting down and actively listening for so long is sooo hard and exhausting. but, at dinner we had roast beef and zanahorias and papas y HELADO!!! it was good!
anyway-time's up.
Love you all,
Give the misionaries refferals
Pray and Study and Listen the Holy Ghost
Hermana Barros
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