The title of this email is the song I know that My Redeemer Lives... in Serbian it's, "I Can't Without You." It's one of the easier Serbian songs so we used to sing that for our opening song in class all the time, then our teacher told us a story about him singing it and we all started singing it and finally we are at the point where we can tell what a lot of this stuff means. The song basically says.. I can't without you, my Lord. I can't without you. I LOVE IT. Elder Christopherson (sp?) talked to us this week and Ballard, Bednar, Nelson, Anderson and Oaks were also there. It was powerful. He talked about how we can't do a mission. I hope that made English.. we can't but if our faith is in Christ and not ourselves, we can! I can't without the Lord. We sang in the choir for that devotional and had to run and go out to another building right before (20 min) before it started. I think we went out the wrong door and we walked past all the important people like Bednar and had to keep is cool and play it casual.. then some security guard diverted us to another path woops.
Another dana hlaca. Pants day. Time is flying at the MTC! So much to say. I hope these emails can do my stay here justice. I am working out with the new Czech sisters sometimes and they all push me and made me sore every day, so that is good. The new mission presidents seminar was this week.
WE GOT TO MEET PRESIDENT AND SISTER GRANT. Our new mission presidents. I love that man and his wife so much already. We only got an hour and we all basically introduced ourselves. He is a tall man and when he shakes your hand it envelopes your own and you just have to accept the fact that his hand will eat yours. Wow I love them. DAD oh my and I asked him about if there were any announcements made about electronics, etc. because we are a nerdy fam and I explained that hahaha and he said he's not sure if it's included in our mission but that parts of Europe will be getting iPads and, like a bike, they will be paid for by the missionaries and then used for area books, video and showing media, etc. and then at the end of your mission you take it home w/ you and are expected to keep in contact with those converts you worked with and such. I WAS SO GIDDY DAD. I ALMOST CRIED BUT I DIDN'T. Even if our mission doesn't get them the Lord knows how to hasten His work if he wants to. I hope I'm allowed to share that tidbit of information.. if not you can take it out before you blog-post this! They seem so dedicated and loving. They left this morning and take over July 1st. Also our transfers will be 9 weeks.
Now for the stories you love.. brought to you by.... my lack of vocab! This week in a lesson Valentino asked us why we kneel when we pray with him. None of us knew the word for "respect" so I basically said we don't say "Eh Bog, Kako ide?" in a really casual way.. we say "Dragi Naš Nebeski Oče" or.. Our Dear Heavenly Father. We do it in respect! We also made a matching game "Sluboda Izbora" (free agency) to play with him for another lesson and it was like memory matching game of things like baptism & the Holy Ghost, God's word & the scriptures, the Word of Wisdom & Strength. Somehow he matched "Thomas S. Monson" with "Alkohol" so we all had to laugh for a while on that one but it ended up being a great lesson. Sestra Kawai bore her testimony and ladies and gentlemen.. I cried. I finally did it. Okay I know I say like every letter that I cry but that was the first real one. Even our teacher/investigator was so surprised. I think everyone thinks I am a robot. I taught another lesson just 1-on-1 and words just kind of spilled out of my mouth. It was the strangest thing, but it felt so good. Gift of tongues, everyone.
THE BEST okay probably the highlight of the week. Janice Kapp Perry and her husband spoke to us Sunday night and she said they met at BYU in a music class (of course) and they both kind of liked each other the whole class but never said a word to each other. One day before one of their clarinet tests, he leaned over and said, "I was thinking those lips look like they were made for something better than clarinet!" BAHAHAHA. At this point in the devotional, this frail old man hops up out of his chair, zips up to her and kisses her! The audience of 19-20-21 etc. ROARED with laughter and clapping. Wow. It was sooo funny. We need those moments of less seriousness to keep us alive.
Seen so many people this week. The Clarks (He spoke at USU, they're serving in Fresno as mission presidents) and I told him that he did great at the lecture I went to! Noah King, Katy Dunbar, Parker Wilson, yep. Also I've stopped really doing my hair.. or putting on makeup. I still shower though like I look presentable but hey.
My companions and I are on a 2-day English fast. Every time we slip up we have to do either 10 push-ups or 10 sit-ups. The only exceptions are talking to new missionaries who don't know English, and even then we have to first say it in Croatian and then we can say it in English. That has been good practice! Sestra Mahabier almost shut the door while I was brushing my teeth and I said "WAIT NE NE NE NE!" So they made me do pushups right then and there because I hurriedly didn't say "Čekaj!" We are reading from the children's Book of Mormon stories each night. One or two before we say companion prayers. The language in those is much easier to read and to understand.
I love and pray for you all! Have a great week.
Love,
Sestra Richardson
pictures: with Samuel Smith, writing with the new markers mom sent (THANK YOU*10000), me writing on the board, accidentally matching, what a typical day on my desk looks like.
No comments:
Post a Comment