Tudo bem? Another week has past, and here I am! Super crazy that I have been in the MTC for 3 and half weeks! Over half way!! When you first get to the MTC, you feel like you are going to be here forever! Then, before you know it, you are over half way! With the Brazil Missionaries, you the countdown is to the day that you get your Re-Assignment. It's not even a countdown to when you go to Brazil...because we realize that is not realistic. But the group 2 weeks older than us got their re-assignments last night, and we were seriously so excited for them! We are excited for the day (in 2 weeks) that we find out what stateside mission we will be serving in! The only downside to going stateside will be the struggle with Portuguese, once we eventually get to Brazil. But we all know that we will be wherever Heavenly Father wants us to be. So, if we are supposed to be in Brazil, we will get our visas and go to Brazil...and if we are supposed to be in somewhere in the US...that is where we will be. I am really not worried about it. Plus, it will be so cool to experience a foreign and a stateside mission. Plus, stateside you have access to like Walmart or Target...and that in itself is a blessing. hahaha. Priorities.
Thanks for the letters! When you get letters, it is like a measure of how much you are loved. So, like no pressure...but...pressure!! hahaha. I think Dad thinks that I am being deprived of food in the MTC, because he keeps sending me treats from dearelder. I am feeling the love, but so is my stomach. The ironic thing was that the day that I got the package, I was thinking about how I really need to hold back on desserts around these parts. It is really hard to resist when they have delicious treats every meal...especially if they have BYU brownies...or ice cream...like, there is no hope of resisting. But I shared the delicious frosted sugar cookies with my district last night! They were super appreciative! Elder Huxford said, "Tell your dad that I love you....I mean HIM!" hahaha. It was pretty funny, especially since he got a little embarrassed. Classic.
This week has been good! I feel like the days really all just blur together, I am really struggling to remember what even happened this week. Also, the days become pretty monotonous, so sometimes it is hard to think of something that stood out about the day...I'll need to look at my journal. I am so proud of myself...I am journaled everyday since I have been here! Good job Sis. Van Wagenen!! hahaha. I am normally an awful journaler, so this is a big accomplishment.
Sunday was great!! Basically Relief Society is like my favorite thing!! All of the Sisters in the MTC have Relief Society together, and we always have amazing speakers and you are just like, "Ya! Look at all these awesome Sisters, and look at us being missionaries!" And you get all spiritually lifted up and are reminded that you are part of such a great work! And it is the best!! This past Sunday we got to hear from the General Primary President, Rosemary M. Wixom. She was awesome! She talked about "To know. To love. To follow." She talked about knowing Jesus Christ, and to truly have Him be your best friend. Be so thirsty and hungry to know Jesus Christ, the way we long for food or water. To love others and go in with the attitude of loving, serving, and showing gratitude. Don't convince people of the truth, show them love and bring them the truth. And to follow the Savior among the Nephities. We can't heal hands or sight, but we can heal hearts. We don't need to be able to speak to show Christ's love for people. It was so good, and the spirit was so strong. I think one of the reasons that all of the messages are so great, is because they always hit home. Also, temple walks on Sundays are always so nice!! We get to break free...and we just relax and enjoy the temple grounds! Sunday night we watched the Testaments. I had forgotten how cheesy that movie is...but at the end when Christ comes to the Americas...man, it gets me every time!
Then, on Tuesday's Devotional, we had heard a rumor that the Devotional was being broadcasted, so we knew that it had to be someone big if they were going to Broadcast it. And in walked Elder Richard G. Scott. It was great. It was the First Ever Broadcasted MTC Devotional...it was broadcasted to all of the MTC's around the world! How neat is that?! It was so good to hear from him, because like I said, they know exactly what we need to hear, and it is always so wonderful to be reminded of the great work that we are part of. He gave us an apostolic blessing that we will be able to learn the language, depending on our faith and hardwork. It is really hard to doubt your ability to learn a language, when an Apostle of the Lord gives you an Apostolic Blessing that you will be able to learn your language. So that was great...I think I remember Kara saying that an Apostle did the same thing when she was in the MTC. So neat! He reminded me of how much of a blessing it is to be able to learn a language, even though it can be really discouraging. He really talked about the importance of prayer, and really talked to our Heavenly Father because he knows us perfectly. He said, "Can we ever really comprehend the immense power of prayer?" He wants us to succeed! He will show us our potential and capability that we did not know that we had.
I really have gained an even stronger testimony of prayer in the MTC. I was having a hard time...last...Saturday I think it was. And I was thinking how normally I would just want to talk to mom. But that is one of the amazing things about a mission, you don't have those normal supports in your life, so you are able to more fully rely on your Heavenly Father. Because He knows us perfectly, and He wants us to turn to Him. What a great blessing it is to more fully rely on Him, because I am so inaqeduate, and I know that I can't do this without Him. I am merely an instrument in His hands.
We have two investigators right now. Douraci, was the one that had the really heavy situation...but we talked to her this week about Chastity...which we were nervous about. I barely know how to talk about Chastity in English, better yet, Portuguese. But it went well...we just didn't leave her with a firm enough committment. So, the next lesson we committed her to a specific way to live the law of Chastity. And we know that God will provide her...basically she needs to find a house. But she committed to Baptism and living the Law of Chastity. So that's good. It's neat to watch her progress. Then we got our second investigator, Silmara. She was super quiet. We talked about God's love for her, and we taught her how to prayer. It was good, because it was our first time meeting her, so we were able to plan our lesson off of her needs. I felt that our lesson went well, and Sis. Peterson and I balanced each other out well.
Sis. Tirrell was gone last week for vacation, and it was so nice to have her back!! It really is so nice to have a girl teacher! Yesterday she had interviews with the Sisters in the District, and it was just really nice to talk about things with someone other than your companion.
This week my friend, Mary Jane Lund, came into the MTC! It was soooo good to see her!! She is the cutest!! There is another girl here from Jerusalem, Stephanie Cabamongon ...and then one of the couples from Jerusalem, the Petersons, are in a Branch Presidency here! So, I saw them on Sunday night! They are the cutest!!
All the Elders were making up riddles the other day...and I got a few made about me...
Elder Hardy: "I go to BYU and I like to party, Israel is my favorite country." I don't know if that was supposed to rhyme...because if so, he failed. Elder Hardy is the Elder that is always making people laugh and telling funny stories. So, I don't want to laugh at him, because you know that it gives him so much satisfaction. But he says funny stuff! But he is also sooo distracting!! hahaha
Elder Gonzalez did a poem that was way better than Elder Hardy's...but I can't for the life of me think of what it is...it was something along the lines of loving Jerusalem and knowing everyone with a white name tag (the teachers). I guess I talk about Israel too much...whatevs! They can get over it!! hahaha. Also, I can't help it if I am just popular and know all the teachers...hahaha JOKES! I don't actually know all of them, but I do know a good amount of them.
I feel like this email is not all that exciting. I'm becoming more spiritual and less funny...sorry about it! hahaha. But I am doing well, and I am continually learning and growing!! I love the reminders that I get that I am where I am supposed to be!! How blessed I am to spend 18 months focused on studying and teaching the gospel!! I know that it will fly, and I want to take advantage of the time that I have!!
Love you all!! Keep the love coming!!!
Tchau!
Sister Van Wag
Ok. First picture is with Sis. Craft. (I think that is how you spell it) Her family used to live in Fresno. Her mom was the primary president in Orchard View Ward. She is super cute. She left a few weeks ago for Portugal.
Sometimes Sis. Peterson and I match and we honestly don't even mean to. So, that's precious. Also, today we get to actually GO IN THE TEMPLE!!! I'm so excited!! I have heard such good things!! The temple has been closed and it just opened up again on Monday, so this is our first P-day going to the temple! Hooray!! I've seriously missed it!
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