(sent 3/27/2012 5:13pm)
Dear family,
Can you believe my time in the MTC is almost half over? I don't really keep track but the way our schedule works is by weeks. Right now we're on week 5. A new week starts each Sunday. Tomorrow I will have been in the MTC for one month ... offically.
Did you watch Music and the Spoken Word this Sunday? The spoken part was so beautiful. I cried! WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD! Here is my summary. We need to pause, slow down, and notice the good in nature, love. Take time. And here's my favorite phrase "see with the eyes of hope." This phrase stood out to me. I take it to mean like putting on a pair of glasses. Seeing the world through a different set of eyes. Then we can notice the good around us and all the great, wonderful, marvelous things our Heavenly Father has blessed us with. "Truly this is a wonderful world." I want to always see with the eyes of hope and be grateful and thankful for this wonderful world our Heavenly Father has given us. We will learn and grow on and someday, return to live with him. This Wednesday, my companions will be teaching lesson 2 to Vuty (our investigaor). It's about the plan of happiness and that goes right along with this wonderful world that we have.
This week tha phrase I've been trying to emulate is "Be a missionary not just someone doing missionary things." It's a quote that comes from Dallin H. Oaks and a similar quote is given from Elder Bednar. On Sundays at the MTC we get to watch a film at night. There's usually The Joseph Smith Story, Legacy, Testaments, and a selection of past devotionals at the MTC. Elder Bednar gave one titled"Becoming a Missionary" and we watched it just this past Sunday. The first point in his address was Become a missionary. Don't just simply go on a mission." He even talked about when we get home. We should return home but never leave the mission field. I want to be a MISSIONARY not just a person doing missionary things. Right now I feel like I'm just doing missionary things. I haven't become a missionary yet. But I know that by trusting in the Lord and serving with all my might, mind, and strength, I will become a missionary.
Sorry this will be a short note. We have choir practice in like 3 minutes. We're singing at the devotional tonight and then we have a dress rehearsal afterwards for General Conference. I love you all so much. Hopefully I can send off a quick little note before the day is through.
With much love,
Sister Emily Strobell
(2nd email sent 6:45pm)
I'm back. The devotional starts at 7 which is in like 25 minutes.
The outfit I'll be wearing is a yellow blouse I bought today and my grey skirt. Look for me! Also my hair will be curled (hopefully, if I have time) and half up. There might be more than one girl with my same shirt. When there's only one store on campus, duplicates are found. :)
My language skills are progressing. Now when my companions and I go in to teach lessons we don't have it all scripted. We have enough of a vocabulary (plus words specific to the lesson) to form our own sentences. Also the script is coming along. Cambodian has the worlds largest phonetic alphabet so I'm still working on some vowels and sub consonants. One thing we do each day that I find helps a lot is studying from the Book of Mormon in Cambodian 15 min. a day. It usually turns into most of language and I will have only translated one line (if that). But I recognize what I'm reading. It's just hard to tell where a word ends so as my vocabulary gets bigger I'll get faster. Right now I'm working on my mission scripture 2 Nephi 26:13. It's so exciting when I recognize a word without having to look it up!
I understand Laura and Brad are on Spring Break this week. Party it up! (Not a very missionary phrase) :) (Does that wording make sense? Probably not. My English skills are rapidly deteriorating)
Love love love love love you, <3
Sister Emily Strobell
