Week 3 in the MTC!

Pershendetje!‏

 So I apologize but I don't think I have a ton to write about this week. It was just pretty standard! First of all thank you so much for my Valentine's Day package! Seriously everyone was so jealous of me it was hilarious! Honestly though its awesome just to have little toys like that to help me unwind at the end of the day! One crazy thing that happened is Cameron officially left to Norway which was a lot more of a bummer than I thought it would be! Like I didn't get to see him all that much but it was still really awesome just to know he was here and we would run into each other every once in a while. 

One thing that was really helpful to me was on Friday after talking to my zone leaders I decided to hold a district inventory so essentially everyone in our district got together one night and we just talked about things that other people do that bug us but in a constructive way and it realllllllllly helped and everyone felt pretty good about it. My companion talked about some of his feelings towards the Sister who has been frustrating us and I think that she will make an effort to fix it. 

Also, Sunday night we had a great devotional and the guy speaking felt prompted to spend a lot of time talking about staying with your companion and it really starting to make an impression on me because my branch president has been talking about the same thing so I really feel like Heavenly Father is trying to tell me that something bad is going to happen if I don't stay with my companion which is kinda scary but it's not like I'm planning on breaking that rule. The speaker was just really cool though and it kind of felt like just a big moral boost and he threw down some pretty awesome quotes. One of them was "when you think you can't do it anymore, believe the thoughts that say you can"! 

I also found out the MTC is a little over 41% Sister missionaries! like holy cowwww! Last Thursday we did TRC which is where we go and essentially give a family home evening feeling lesson to some RM's from Albania! It was a seriously humbling experience but at the same time it gave me hope. They were super cool and would help us with words if we couldn't remember them or know them. Then this current week on Wednesday we got to skype with an actual Albanian and teach her a lesson. WHEW... that was soo freaky. The sister has been a member for 2 years and so we talked to her a little bit and then shared the message of the restoration. Honestly I don't think I understood half of what she said. But she was patient and really tried to help us understand! 

One thing that I have really gained an appreciation for since I have been here is my patriarchal blessing. I read it every night and it honestly has so much in there for me every time I read it I feel Heavenly Father just saying he is looking out for me and it is so cool! I have really been praying to receive and be able to listen to spiritual promptings on how to help the other missionaries in my zone and its been really cool being able to feel Him helping me out in almost everything I do! 

I am for sure glad that I am staying here as long as I am. I just hope its long enough honestly, the Fins are leaving in 2 weeks and they are really starting to feel some pressure and are getting nervous! Not going to like good looking sisters really are a struggle sometimes, there is a sister in my district that is so awesome and pretty dang cute and its so hard not to just openly flirt with her. Its also extra hard because everyone in my zone and my companions are really cool and sometimes we will see a girl and like all share the same thought and sometimes have to pull it back together. I'd say im definitely learning some patience and definitely learning how the Lord loves his children. I think one of my favorite parts about being here at the MTC so far is really getting into prayer. Like there are times where I am praying and I just know He is listening and it is just really cool to know He can bless me if I ask. 

I definitely do enjoy learning Albanian although I wish they went at a quicker pace to be honest, they have really slowed up. The only thing frustrating to me is when I'm in the middle of a lesson and really getting a point across and then get stuck at a word I just dont know. it sucks! One thing I struggle with is humbling myself and leaving room for the Spirit to do the teaching. I just want to get all my message out so that they understand and I need to learn to step back a bit and leave time for the true teacher to do His job. 

So I made an official calendar for my stay here at the MTC so here is the DL, today is my 23rd day here and I have 63 total days (we leave March 31st). I am going to have 8 PDays while I am here and this is my third which makes it sound way shorter than it feels sometimes, but weeks really do go by pretty quickly now. Jason visited me yesterday and we talked for a while he showed me all those pictures of Gracie at her birthday you posted on Facebook and I'll be honest I almost started crying. I just really miss her a whole lot which sucks but it will be awesome to see how much she has grown when I skype on Mothers day! Another cool thing is Caroline Bushman from BYU is now here! I took some pictures with her which I'll post later but I see her everywhere and she has so much positive energy it's just awesome to be able to talk to her every once in a while! I definitely have been blessed with my companionship because we are all still getting along great! Like these guys aren't my best friends or anything but we like each other which is much better than some other companionships we see. I'll finish by giving a little testimony in Albanian,

Une di qe Jezu Krishitit na eshte shpitimtare edhe ai eshte biri i parendise. Une besoj qe Jozef Smithi ka rivendosuar e ungillin edhe kyo kishe eshte e vertete. Une di qe Perendine udeqin sepse ai na deshmon. Ne emrin e Jezu Krishtit amen.

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that he is the Son of God. I believe that Joseph Smith restored the gospel and that this is the true church, I know that God gave us comandments because He loves us. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.