Tuesday, July 22, 2014

La lutte est vrai! (The struggle is real)


What's groovin groovsters?
     Hello again people of earth. One month down (about) and two more weeks to go!! Oh man I am so stoked to get to Canada. I think Heavenly Father created Canada just for me to go on my mission there. I can't wait to be in a place that is as cold as my heart and full of some super awesome people and whatnot. I hope it's just pure snow and ice all of the time. Mostly because here right now it is too hot. Oh but while we are talking about outdoors kind of (you're reading, I'm talking), did you see the sunset last night??? (Yes/no) If yes: It was so crazy beautiful, you could hardly stand it, right?? If no: You really missed out. Better luck next time. But anyway, the week.....
     This week was really weird because one of our teachers went out of town and so our schedule was kind of wacky. And also some kind of plague hit our district and everyone got sick. It was kind of funny except for one elder in our district, who is a pretty big pessimist, side note---personally I think getting sick is mental as well as physical ---end side note, so since he is kind of just negative about things anyway he's stayed sick the longest and had the worst of it. I feel bad for him though. He's super funny and it's been a bummer having him miss so much class. Oh, one crazy thing (I guess it's crazy, I don't know) that happened last week was one of our elders in our district had like a weird feeling about his call, so he talked to some high up people about it and whatnot, and his call ended up getting changed to California, Anaheim Mission, Korean speaking. So he left and we are now down to seven. So since the one elder got sick and had to stay in his room and because you're supposed to be with your companion 29/7 it's been one elder and then the four of us sisters for most of the week at class. One of the sisters got the cold plague worse than the rest of us sisters too, so one day her and her companion were gone at the doctor and getting medicine and such, so it was just my comp, our district leader, and me in class. It was kind of funny I s'pose, but also pure weird. We ended up combining with another district for that three hour chunk of class time. We are all getting better though, so that is nice. And luckily it has just been cold type stuff, so really only motivation in gym time was hindered. But let's be honest, it would take a lot to get me to miss out on gym time. We are still playing soccer every night. I have soooooo many bruises on my shins from the wild kicks sisters always seem to throw out. It's cool though, "no pain no battle scars, no battle scars and that probably means you're not having fun." At least that's how I think the saying goes. But then again, if we're getting technical, bruises aren't even battle scars because they go away. I scratched my arm on a pole today though, so maybe that'll turn into a good story about fun, battle scars, and whatnot. Kenneyways... that was a nice an' random tangent.
    Some other things that happened this week. One day my district and I were walking through a building to the cafeteria, and we were talking about something and it made me sad, so I bowed my head and turned to walk into the bathroom away from all of them (in a joking type fashion), but I didn't look at what room I was going into, so I accidentally walked right into some lady's office and I was about three steps into the room before I realized that that wasn't the bathroom. She just starred at me and I awkwardly apologized and walked out awkwardly like an awkward thing on awkward tablets. Sigh... La lutte est vrai (the struggle is real). But on a better and happier note! You will not believe (actually you probably will) what I found in the cafeteria this week. SOY SAUCE! Oh man it was so great for sure. That night I had rice and soy sauce for dinner. And the best part is, they have rice and soy sauce EVERYDAY! Basically this place really isn't so bad. I was just giggling the whole time I was pouring the sauce onto my rice, reminiscing (remembered how to spell that word thanks to my new pocket dictionary! Woohoo!) about how I ate about ten pounds of rice by myself at college. Gooooood times. Another thing food wise that happened this week was that someone's mom had donuts delivered to them here, and the sister put a whole box of them out on the "sharing shelf" in our residence hall. Somehow I accidentally ate two donuts? I don't even know how it happened. All of the sudden I was just covered in sprinkles and extremely happy. But it's all good because I have been eating salads at meal time when I'm not eating rice. I think I have actually lost weight here. Salads and donuts for the win! 
     So in class time (not sure why I keep saying "time" after everything I do? Sleep time, meal time, class time, prayer time, laugh time) we have been role playing quite a bit recently. It's one of those things that I really don't love because I get all embarrassed and whatnot, but it's a "swallow your pride, Suzanne and just do it (Nike)" kind of thing. But I have actually been enjoying it lately because our goal is to find the person's "souci." Which is French for like a worry or concern or something like that. Basically it is like practicing contacting. So you just talk to someone like you are meeting them for the first time and ask them religious based questions to see how they feel about things and try to teach them a short message. I like it for a few reasons, 1. "Souci" sounds like my real name but just with an "s" sound where the z is and 2. You feel the spirit really strongly and it is crazy! So we have been practicing that and utilizing the spirit in order to ask inspired questions in order to help them, and by them I mean the other missionaries we are role playing with. It's been cool for sure. To clear a few things up, our "investigators" can be people hired to just come and be investigators, but for us they are our teachers who are taking on the role of an investigator that they taught, which is what it usually is for every missionary. But there are also people called "golden investigators" that you can just find and teach whenever you have free time. Which is never so they probably don't get taught much. So anyway we contacted two of them, and the other (Lupé) was referred to us by her sister so she knew we were coming. Denis has been out of town (because Frère Sybrowsky was out of town), and we just finished up with Alex, because she was our sub teacher and or temporary investigator. My companion and I had a cool lesson with Lupé this week because she had committed to baptism in an earlier lesson, but then when we were talking to her about it again she was pretty apprehensive. So the next lesson we went in with a list of scriptures that we thought could help her, and just had a discussion. It was really cool because I felt like we helped her and we weren't just winging it, but we weren't there to just push a lesson in her face (not that we are ever there to do that), but the visit was 290% to answer her questions and concerns, and she said afterwards that she felt like we did love her and that it would all be good. Woohoo, go spirit! I think that is what they are trying to teach us here. To have the lessons known, so that we know how to teach our investigators the doctrines, but to teach in such a way that it is personal to them. Everyday we hear, you are teaching people, not lessons. The spirit is just so important to have. The preparation is imperative as well so that the spirit can have a well to draw from while you're in your lessons, but ultimately you just have to rely on Heavenly Father. That can be applied in the real world too. President Uchtdorf said something like, "humility isn't thinking less of yourself, it's thinking less about yourself," and I think that that is totally true in lessons and everyday life. We have to be humble enough to not be worrying about ourselves so much, but what the needs of others are. It comes with time, but there is always room for improvement and growing. And if we are humble and trying to help others, the spirit will be there helping us no doubt. New thing, during my personal study time, I have been practicing receiving revelation through scripture study. I guess not really practicing, but just actually doing it for once. I never really studied the scriptures til now, and I have seriously been missing out. But anyway, what I do is when I read a scripture or just something that I like, I write down the reference and then just what I think about it. It has been really cool to go back and read through things that I have been learning. but earlier this week I read a scripture and it stood out to me, and I wasn't sure why, so I just thought, "Welp, probably should write it down anywaze." So I did, and once it was written on paper I realized the reference was 21:12!!! Haha I was so stoked!! I think it was just something I needed to see to kind of give me like a pick me up, you know? Because when I saw "2112" I thought of Rush, and you dad and it just made me happy and gave me some new motivation for the day. The Lord works in mysterious ways; twas no coincidence, because "[coincidences are] small [miracles] in which God chooses to remain anonymous" (Patricia Holland). It wasn't random that all of that happened.   
     Well I think that just about concludes my news for this week. Things are super great and I am pure happy here. Thank goodness for divine revelation and that the mission age changed because who knows if I would have still decided to come on a mission at 21. It is such a privilege to devote my life to the Lord and His gospel that has brought me nothing but happiness and smiles all of my life. It can seriously be your rock if you just let it (sorry to be preachy, but this is the only opportunity I have to be preachy and you all won't judge me too harshly). I do it out of love, because one day the world is going to know what we knew, and know that we knew it. Someone important said that, but I can't remember who. That being said, share why you're happy and why your life has been blessed, it'll only make you happier! 
     Love you guys so much. I miss you and all that good stuff, but I'll see you all soon enough!
Je vous aime, toujours!
Soeur SnoopZilla
P.S. I saw Jen Frost at the Provo Temple today! It was super cool!!
P.P.S. Mo, thanks a pant load for the package!!!! I have used the dictionary a bunch already, and I have made even more friends from sharing the treats. But I don't put the baked goods on the "sharing shelf" ever. Haha those are just for me.
P.P.P.S. How does Moses make his tea?.............. He-brews it!
P.P.P.P.S. Need an arc? I Noah guy. Oh man, missionary humor is just the dumbest.
     Ok bye.

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