Crazy - my time in the MTC is just about half way done! It's been a really good week, much better than the last one ahaha. Here are the highlights.
1) Matt and Jessica. These are our two investigators that we've been teaching every day this week. It's been awesome getting to work with real people, we don't know if they're members doing role play for us or if they're real investigators, but Sister Dossett and I are both pretty confidant that both of them are legitimate non members. Matt is awesome. He's super receptive and is basically a golden investigator, his wife is a member but doesn't want to join the church just to make her happy. He wants to find out for himself and he's super willing to do everything we ask him so that he can come to know on his own. He's really cool, and we've gotten to teach him 4 times already. He's committed to a baptismal date on September 16! We're way excited. We'll be here until the 20th, so if he stays solid and we get permission from President Martino, we should get to go! We really hope so. Our other investigator is Jessica. We only got to teach her twice since she missed 2 appointments. This is a serious story of how love changes people. So when we met her, she was super anti. We tried to share a message with her, and she would basically roll her eyes at us and tell us she didn't agree with anything we said. The lesson didn't go anywhere, and basically everyone walked out frustrated. But Sister Dossett and I decided that we would just pray for Christ like love for her. It was really hard if I'm being honest. But when she showed up to the last opportunity we would have to teach her yesterday, we walked in there and just prayed to be able to love her. We didn't have a lesson plan at all. We just went in praying. She started out the same way. Super stand offish. But we just asked her questions and just let the Spirit dictate to us what to tell her. By the end of the lesson she was super open and super soft hearted. We were able to teach her about hope and faith. That it was okay that she didn't believe or know yet, but that she could start by having hope. She committed to reading the Book of Mormon and trying to have hope. We were so excited. There was such a difference between last lesson and this lesson. It was amazing how much Christ like love can change someone when they realize that you're there for them and not to teach a lesson or just try and get them to join the church.
2) The count of people I have found that I know here is officially 33. For those of you who may know who this is, I saw President Cusick! He was the mission president of the Tampa, FL mission. He's a branch president here at the MTC now! Anyways, the number of people I'm finding is slowing down, but still increasing. You could say I'm famous.
3) Sad news. On Wednesday a couple of our Elders were playing basketball, and one of them jumped and landed wrong and totally broke his foot. Unfortunately he had to be sent home and is now in recovery. We aren't sure when he'll be back, it depends on whether or not he ends up needing surgery. We're sad about it.
4) My bottom retainer popped off this week, so Sister Dossett and I got to break out of the MTC for a trip to the orthodontist! It was so fun being in the real world again! The dentist even gave us slushies!!! Picture to be sent later.
5) Sister Dossett and I are getting ripped. And by ripped I mean less weak ahaha. We can officially hold a plank for one minute straight!! And then take a 30 second break and plank for another minute! Our goal is officially to get to do 3 minutes before we leave the MTC. This is where the email subject comes from - we have to go work out with all these Elders that are doing many pushups and many pullups and lifting very large weights. Sister Dossett and I can do 3 pushups, half a pullup, and lift our 8 lb. weights. But you know what, it's okay. One day we hope to be strong like unto the men, but for right now we're improving and that's what's important. Our Heavenly Father doesn't expect perfection from us, but he expects us to start where we are and with His help get better each day. He isn't waiting for us to acheieve a certain level of righteousness or perfection to help us. Our Savior loves us and knows us perfectly, He knows where we are and He knows what we need to do to get better and come closer to Him. He is right next to us, wherever we are in our path of life. I heard once that our Savior is a lot like a really good spotter in the gym. He's right there to make sure that we don't get crushed, and even though it may not feel to us in the moment as if He's really doing anything to help and lifting our burdens is hard and sometimes painful, the second we start to falter or the second that we begin to be crushed He's right there taking a little of the weight for us. And if we listen hard enough, we can hear His gentle voice encouraging us on, telling us we can do it. We're so close. Just a little farther.
A HUGE thank you to everyone that has sent me letters or emails or packages this week. They seriously brighten my day and I absolutely love getting the little waves from home or little thoughts. Often times they come right when I'm most missing home and they really help me get through hard days. I love you all!!!
**To whoever sent me the industrial sized bag of chips and salsa from Los Hermanos(at least I think it was Los Hermanos).... you're my actual favorite ahaha. It didn't have a name on it, but I would love to know who it came from!! Thank you!!!
I love you all so much, thank you for your prayers and support. They're real, and I can feel them. I know God lives, I know He loves His children, and I know He loves you.
All my love,
--
Sister Black
PS - if you only get my letter or only get my pictures, let me or my mom know. I'm not sure why some people aren't getting everything. If something doesn't come through, you can check out the blog that my mom keeps updated with all my group emails and pictures though!! sisterblackontemplesquare.
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