Three Weeks Already!!

Hola mi familia!!!

 

 

First things first. Thank you to Mrs. Post, Juli and Jo, and Elise for the letters!! You will be getting replies soon. I love letters! Keep em coming and I will respond asap! :)

  

I can't even describe to you how much I LOVE it here at the MTC. I know I say that every week but it's true and amazing! My testimony is growing every single day in different aspects of this incredible Gospel, my friendships with my district and companions are growing and growing, spanish is definitely progressing and this whole experience is already flying by! I cannot believe how fast it is going!! It is so good to get emails and letters from people. I love you all more than you will ever know.

 

I feel like so much has happened in the past week, and I dont even know where to begin! First things first, my visa is not here yet. I was supposed to be leaving on the 25th, but me, along with two other elders in my district going to Peru have not received our visa's yet and so we will be staying here until further notice. Posiibly the whole nine weeks of the MTC and maybe even being sent to another mission in the states while we wait for them to come. I love my district and my language definitely still needs improvement so I am ok with whatever happens. I know that if I stay here, go to Peru sooner, or get sent to another mission for a wee bit, that is where the Lord wants me for that specific time.

 

Ny companions and I (Hermana Dopp and Hermana Eberle) get along SO WELL. I am so blessed to have them! Hermana Dopp was made coordinating sister over the sisters in our entire zone so that tells you how amazing she is. Both of them have so many things that are examples to me and I am learning from them every single day. Hermana Eberle is an insanely bright scriptorian who knows the scriptures backwards and fowards and finds connections with anything and everything. I just hope I can be as good when I get off of my mission! Hahaha. As for me, I am working on my scripture reference knowledge and my patience, especially this last week with the language. I know it will come with time and everyone keeps telling me, "Don't worry Hermana, you will learn it." Being on week three and still being relatively new at this whole spanish thing has been puttin some doubts in my mind, but I know it will come. We pray for the gift of tongues and the ability to teach our investigators clearly every day, and let me tell you a story that happened with one of our investigators this week (yesterday actually)!

 

His name is Pablo. (He is one of our teachers, and we just practice on him, but the situation is very similar to what will happen in the field :) So, we were teaching Pablo who he was and is as a literal child of a Heavenly Father and teaching him how important it is to gain that personal relatiopnship with Heavenly Father so that he is able to feel the spirit more fully in his life. Teaching investigators in spanish, when you don't know the language is rather difficult and intimidating, but I mentioned that we have been praying for the gift of tongues and clarity with our investigators right? Well, this particular lesson, our prayers were answered. I was able to bear my testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and of Joseph Smith and of Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ without a hitch! It truly was an answer to a prayer. There is no other explanation.

 

Also...the quote that I tried quoting last week by Sister Juli B Beck was: "Obedience brings blessings. Exact obedience brings miracles." As I was striving to be more obedient, a miracle happened and I PROMISE that is what happened. It was AMAZING!!!!

 

Im almost out of time, but another prayer that was answered for language goals in mine and my companions life came in the form of two new roommates Hermana's Quejera and Ganas! They are both native speakers and although they have both only been here since Wednesday, our language is already improving thanks to them!

 

Heavenly Father knows us. He loves us. He wants what is best for us and He answers prayers! We also had an incredible devotional on Sunday night on the Book of Mormon and the importance of it. I have been studying it through again during personal study and I know without a doubt in my mind that this book is true! I strongly encourage all of you to read it because the words contained in it are answers to prayers/questions, advice for us in our day, counsel from God and examples that we can follow.

 

I will send a couple of pictures later, but for now, I will talk to you all later.

I love you all and keep the letters coming! :)

 

Con Amor,

Hermana Elisheva Ali :)