Saturday, November 21, 2015

"Because of the stength of the Lord you can do it." -David A. Bednar

This week has been insane. I can't believe I'm leaving for California tomorrow! I'm so excited. We leave the MTC at 3:20 am. Super excited to have a new adventure in my life that will change my perspective.

Guess who came and spoke at the MTC devo. on Tuesday! Elder Neil A. Anderson. He spoke about sacrifice, adversary, opposition, and deliverance. He split them each into different groups. The one that really stuck out to me the most was sacrifice. He said you have to give something up to become something more. I LOVE that. It's really true when you're out on the mission. I do believe that I'm becoming something more on the mission. He also told us that instead of asking, "What can I get?" ask, "What can I give?" This week I've been really trying to learn that, and I have learned. I know I'm going to be really learning tomorrow when I reach Long Beach California. 

This past week had fun at lunch at lunch. Just eating a salad when a crunch came along. Not the normal salad crunch. More like a bizarre, hard crunch. I soon found out that it was part of my retainer, and I had swallowed it. I'm fine. Nothing happened to my stomach. Went to the orthodontist. They said that the rest of my retainer looked great so they just made me one to put on at nights. Just got it today. Something to get used to.

Saturday I finally had my first melt down. I was being super quiet, trying to hold back tears. S. Murray and I were having comp study when one of our teachers, Brother Call, came in to see how we were doing. He looked at me and asked if I was okay because I didn't look myself. That's when I lost it. Good thing no one else was in the room with us. I told him how I didn't think I was a good enough missionary and that I didn't think I should be here, but I didn't want to come home early because I promised myself and President Walker that I wouldn't. B. Call told me that he felt the same way when he was in the MTC. He then told me to go to D&C 4 where he then recited, from memory, vs. 2-3,5. He told me that if you have a desire to serve God than you're always going to be an amazing missionary. I love that. I've really been uplifted and working hard ever since then.

Yesterday, after sacrament meeting, Sister Hinckley and I were just playing the piano and harmonizing. When we finished I heard a lady ask us if we were going to audition for any musical numbers. When I turned around it was President and Sister Bertasso (1st counselor of the MTC) I was so taken aback. We told her that we leaving Tuesday morning. She was so devastated, trying to convince him to have us sing for one of the devo's last night. We were both so touched, each thinking that we sounded horrible.

At the MTC we get to teach real investigators. There's this one lady named Sharon. She's from Newport, TN, and has gone through so much. It was really hard to get through to her. We were so excited when, on our last visit with her, she said she would start praying. She swore she never would, but we were able to help change her.
The other investigator's name is Jeongyeon. Her American name is Kaylee Lee. She's from Korea and is actually going to BYU. Just got married and is going to be baptized! So excited. I don't know if they're members or not, but I feel so privileged and excited to experience the real thing where we go help find them on our own and from investigators.

Love you all and hope you're doing amazing work. Keep sending me emails.

Love,

Sister Stone

Sister Eliza Stone
California Long Beach Mission
6500 E. Atherton St.
Long Beach, CA  90815


  
Jeongyeon
Sharon




MTC President Burges and Sister Burges


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