Dear family,
This week was tough. Probably the toughest week I've had since being here at the MTC. I just feel like I've hit a plateau with the language and I can't fit anymore Armenian into my head. On top of that, Sister Jack has been sick this week and we just haven't been as unified. But luckily, the past couple of days have been better. Sister Jack has been feeling better, and we have been able to plan more and be on the same page.
Last Prep-day, my zone went to the temple and we were lucky enough to help Sister Blanchard (the English Sister going to Greece) to some temple work for her family members. Later in the day, we had TRC and Lance and Maggie came. We taught two lessons on Revelation through the Book of Mormon. Our first lesson, Sister Jack and I were not unified really at all. I think we just wanted different outcomes from the lesson, but the second lesson was far better. We talked about how we can improve our unity as a companionship. Sometimes we both want to teach good lessons, but it's just a matter of deciding what we want to teach based on what the Spirit directs.
Friday, we taught Samvel (Brother Carlson) and the lesson went well...I think it was because we had our talk about unity. Then for the next class we went to class with Sister Bates (going to Lithuania). We talked about teaching to people's needs and we role played. I love role playing as an investigator. It helps put me in their shoes. After that activity, we went with Brother White and practiced teaching, but Sister Jack started to not feel well and we left early to go back to the dorms. On our way back, guess who I ran into? Elder Calderwood (Kaden)!!!! He had just gotten to the MTC on Thursday and he was outside with his zone studying. We talked for a few minutes about the MTC, New York (his parents are mission presidents in NYC now), Russia and Armenia. It was so awesome to run into him.
Saturday, we hit our month mark!! We also moved back into 10 M (our old building)...so I no longer see Sister Jensen (Liz) everyday which is kind of a bummer. But on the bright side, we have all of our Armenian things again and our classroom just feels like a holy place to us, so it's pretty great to be back in our original room. We taught Marina (Sister Crawford) for the first time and the lesson went all right. We had less time to plan because Sister Jack was sick and we thought we were going to teach Hovo (Brother Whire), but we still got to know her and talked to her about the importance of the Book of Mormon. Afterwards, Sister Crawford interviewed me just to see how I was doing. We set goals and I plan to study more in depth during personal study. I also want to work at learning and remembering all of the different tenses, cases and moods in Armenian (since there are basically a billion of them)...and I want to push past this little plateau I'm on and keep progressing in the language. Later in the day, Brother Carlson taught us and I had probably the strongest spiritual experience at the MTC so far. I think he could tell that we were having a bit of a rough week, so he shared a personal experience from his mission with us at the end of class. By the end of his story, Sister Jack and I were holding back tears. I think he could tell we were about to cry so he said "I'm not very good at sharing experiences and then leaving..." and then he grabbed all of his stuff and then walked out the door. Haha...but it really made me think about why I decided to come on a mission and to just try my best to do what Heavenly Father would have me do. I already have so much love for the Armenian people and I can't wait to love them even more when I get to Armenia!
On Sunday I was told that the previous night I was sleep talking in Armenian...what the? Why haven't I been able to speak Armenian like that during the day this week?! Oh well, I must have been dreaming about teaching a lesson or something haha. Elder Johansson (the Swede going to Greece, just called as our new zone leader) asked me to say the opening prayer for Sacrament Meeting. I said "Sure, as long as it gets me out of a talk, right?" No. The Branch Presidency announced that Sister Suttner and I would be giving talks on enduring to the end. What's funny though is that we actually called it...we both just felt like we were going to give talks so we prepared. I hope you don't mind Asia, but I told your second base story ;) and related it to enduring to the end haha. I got many compliments on it, so I thought I'd let you know :) During our temple walk, I ran into Elder Calderwood again and we got a couple of pictures (which I'll send when the camera cord comes). Then, we went to the fireside which Stephen B. Allen (Managing Director of the Missionary Department) spoke at. He said one thing I just kept thinking about the rest of the night: "Let there be no confusion, Elders and Sisters, we are at war with Satan." It's so true. Satan knows missionaries represent Christ and so he'll try to get us to do anything and disobey. But I also was thinking about just how in general Satan disguises things and makes them seem good or not harmful. I'm just really blessed to have been raised in righteousness by you, Mom and Dad, and that I know right from wrong.
Monday was rough. We started a new schedule so all of my meal times are pushed back later and we have class and study time with no breaks during the day. And gym is way later at night practically. Sister Jack and I figured out that we spend about 10-11 hours a day in our room with no breaks (except for meals) with our new schedule. It's good in that we have a lot of time to study consistently, but at the same time I feel like I retain less because it isn't spaced review. Brother Carlson taught us about the importance of getting investigators to go to church. We can teach them as much as we can, but it's ultimately up to them to come to church and gain a testimony for themselves. We discussed 1 Nephi 13...maybe you can discuss that chapter for Family Home Evening this week? Tell me what you learn!
Tuesday during our time for assessments on the computer, I finished early and was able to watch a few Mormon messages. I LOVED THE ONE CALLED "EARTHLY FATHER, HEAVENLY FATHER." It's probably my favorite Mormon Message I've seen. Please look it up and watch it! It had me thinking of all that our Father in Heaven has done for us, and for what you (Mom and Dad) have done for me. After that, we had a lesson with Hovo (Brother Carlson) and we did some more role play. I love those types of days where I can practice teaching but also put myself in an investigator's shoes. Later, my zone in the devotional which Elder Allen F. Packer of the Seventy spoke at. (His grandson just got his mission call to Utica, NY!) Anyway, he spoke about our role as missionaries to unite and teach families. It seems like the theme this week has been families. I started to feel a little homesick.. But I love that he said that we inherit traits from our Heavenly Father and Mother. I thought of how we are all of divine nature and how everyone has the opportunity to become like our Heavenly Parents.
Wednesday was another rough day at the beginning. I have just been so exhausted from our new schedule. Our whole zone was definitely feeling it. Sister Jack and I also taught three lessons in one day, which I know isn't a big deal in the mission field, but with the week we were having it was hard. Brother Carlson also said something in class that we could have related to Samvel when we taught him. He said "Heavenly Father sent us to our parents because he knew that we could take care of them and He entrusted our parents with us." Again, I thought about you guys and almost had a mini meltdown from feeling homesick. Luckily, as I was thinking about home I ran into Elder Gosper (Dalton)!!! He barely arrived at the MTC and hadn't even gotten his luggage to go to his room yet. We were able to talk for a bit. I think Heavenly Father just knew I needed some comfort and a familiar face from home. Gym time was also exceptional...our zone definitely bonded and let out our stress during volleyball.
Hopefully, this upcoming week will be much better!! Thanks for your letters!! I especially loved your letter Trev. I miss talking with you all of the time. But congrats on your SAT scores!! Holy smokes, you genius! Keep up the hard work with school! Asia, I miss you and I miss our random singing/dance parties...the music here at the MTC isn't quite the same and for some reason no one wants to have dance parties. haha just kidding.
I miss you all and I look forward to your letters everyday! Thanks for updating me about Boston, the family, and the elders back home! (That's a bummer Elder Borgia is transferring, but way awesome that Elder Done is coming back!) I keep in touch with them via email if I can and they definitely love serving in Binghamton.
I love you all!
Kuyr Morreall
**from Mom**
EARTHLY FATHER, HEAVENLY FATHER http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5FxdCgD-qI
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