For example: I wish I understood
that I didn't really need to buy a new toothbrush for this...I could have
brought my nice, better one. For some reason I thought the MTC
was some kind of camp...or something. And I'm the kind of person who
will stare at the cracker section of the grocery store trying to figure out
what kind of graham crackers to buy for s'mores and then end up buying and
going home with oyster crackers. That being said, in efforts to buy the
cheapest toothpaste, I have been brushing my teeth for the last six weeks with
Colgate kids! brand, bubble fruit flavor. Not even complaining, I love bubble
fruit flavored toothpaste. But between that and my Little Mermaid bed sheets,
nobody takes me very seriously. It was especially awkward when a sister asked
to have some toothpaste because she had left hers back in her room. Yep...I'm a
really cool Zuster.
Anyways:
1. Just don't shop at Downeast
unless you want to have the same exact clothing as every other sister here. I
understand that's like the only modest store in a lot of cases...so....you
could also opt for shopping there, getting here, and then coordinating to match
with sisters, like I did. Zus Packer from district B and I totes rocked our
matching skirts on mint wednesday. We got both the dutch districts to wear mint
on that wednesday. It was a beautiful day.
2. Make sure you write everything
down in your journal. Even if you think you'll remember--you wont. I cant even
remember what happened yesterday. ....OH yes I do. but that took some
time. Luckily, I wrote it down.
3. Use your time wisely. There is a lot of time in the day that the teacher isn't there. It's so easy to not do personal study because you're only accountable to yourself, but do it. They say you don't come to the MTC to learn the language. You get a fundamental of it, but that's all. You come to the MTC to learn how to be a missionary! And that involves INTENSE STUDYING. You will be just fine as long as you use your time effectively.
3. Use your time wisely. There is a lot of time in the day that the teacher isn't there. It's so easy to not do personal study because you're only accountable to yourself, but do it. They say you don't come to the MTC to learn the language. You get a fundamental of it, but that's all. You come to the MTC to learn how to be a missionary! And that involves INTENSE STUDYING. You will be just fine as long as you use your time effectively.
4. Be humble. It is a lot easier
coming into this thing humbly than having this place humble you. unfortunately,
I had to do the latter. I tried being humble, at first, but...I had to be more
humbled, I suppose.
5. Time goes by SO scary fast.
Ridiculously fast. So if you have a problem with someone--a district leader, a
companion, a branch president, a teacher---either talk about it if it's a huge
deal or just get over it, because life is like a basket weave--oftentimes
you'll never meet the same people again, but their strand of thread
crosses yours at a perfect moment of time and then they're gone. So tough
out the hard times that make you appreciate the good ones. Or better yet, just
make all the hard times good ones, because otherwise you're just wasting time.
Someone said something that offended you? Don't take offense. "A fool is
one who takes offense when none is intended. A greater fool is one who takes
offense when it is intended." Anger is a useless emotion. Unproductive.
Just makes you feel bad. Same with frustration and discouragement. Don't let
the devil use his tool of discouragement on you.
6. Dont sit by the ice box on the
first day--because then it's your spot for the next however long you're there
and you and your companion FREEZE.
7. Make friends with everyone.
Seriously. You meet the darndest people in the MTC bathrooms. One of my
favorites, Sister Naked (Sister Boone, but I called her sister naked and she called
me sister garden. Why? Because the first time I met her she came in to the
bathroom and started talking to one of her roommates about how some sisters
came and knocked on her door and she thought they were her friends, so trying
to be funny she called out "I'm naked" and turns out she didn't know
them at all. and then my last name means garden, we've been over this) left for
Boston today on her reassignment. She was supposed to go to Peru. But see,
friend for life because of the MTC bathroom.
8. Seriously pack smartly. Just do
it. You don't need to take that much stuff. And you should probably consider
good shoes. before a month.
9. Just listen to your mother. She
may nag you a lot, but if you don't, you will probably end up like me thinking
"I should've listened to my mother." About everything. You're mother
is a genius, that's why her name is mom.
10. You'll hear it 17 thousand times
while you're here and even before you get here, but BE OBEDIENT. Obedience is
the first law of heaven, or something cool like that. "Obedience brings
blessings. Exact obedience brings miracles."
11. Dont get lazy before you come
in. I know the wait is excruciating, but if you get slothful with your studies
or motivation, it's...not good.
12. PRAY ALL THE TIME.
Okay so there's that. Now: overview
of past week:
1. We had mission conference on
Sunday. District President Jenkins was our "special speaker" and he
came to OUR DISTRICT afterwards for our district meeting. We talked about the
Atonement. It was INTENSE. I learned so much though.
2. My companion's graduation from
college was on saturday and she didn't get to be there because she's here, doin
the work, so Elder Corsini, our district AND zone president, put on a little
ceremony for her. and invited the WHOLE ZONE. It was hilarious. She wore a
sheet as her gown. He wore his bathrobe as his. Oh man. Hilarious.
3. We got baptismal commitments from
our two "investigators" yesterday. Yeah, two committments in one day.
4. We got a new dutch district! 8
elders going to Suriname! We also got more Sweeds.
5. One of our teachers reverantly
talked about how much swagger Ammon had for boasting of his God.
This being my last P-day in the MTC
is cray. I think if I had to say what I learned the most about it would definately
be repentance. Repentance=change. Change for the better. And we all need to
change for the better. And it is through Christ and His Atonement that we can
turn away from an old life and an old self and become someone new and better.
Some people will never let you forget some things you've done, but once you
repent, Heavenly Father doesn't remember it anymore. Ever. At all. It's like
that super cool thing that takes all the inaapropriateness out of movies. And I
may have said this all before but the purpose is to invite others to recieve
the gospel through faith, repentance, baptism, holy ghost, and enduring to the
end. Repentance seems so daunting. So severe. But it's not. It's a gift. An
opportunity to stop being someone we dont like and become someone we love. I
just love that a lot.
We got our travel plans this past
week! WOOOOO!!! We leave on Monday the 10th to go to Amsterdam! It's a straight
through 13 hour flight. From Salt Lake to Amsterdam. Yeah whatup. So excited.
Well, Tot Holland!
xoxo
Zuster Hoff
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