June 20, 2014

 

I hope all is well!! I miss everyone!! 

The past couple of weeks have flown by but it seems like I have been gone forever! Things are going good, my companion left Tuesday morning as well as the Elders in my district for Canada. Things haven't been the same since they left. 

We have gotten pretty close with the new districts in our zone so that's been nice. Doug got "baptized" and Patty well we didn't have hardly any time with her. She interested but didn't know if it was true or not. 

Ever since I started Visitor's Center Training things have been crazy! I love it so much though. I miss my old teachers, but the Sisters are amazing too. We went and visited TSQ  (Temple Square) Wednesday morning and had a short tour and meeting. It was a good experience for us.

Later we began chatting with others online. At first I wasn't excited but when we started I didn't want to stop. It was hard seeing others struggle and looking for help but there were also those who were just looking to cause contention which we call trolls. A couple of the sisters encountered those. 

It has been a good experience here at the MTC. I have grown a lot spiritually, emotionally and mentally. There just has been so much to do and not enough time in the day to accomplish it, it seems. I know that I have been blessed and serving and will continue to be blessed. 

I know that I have learned a lot but don't know what to say. Well Sheri Dew gave a devotional on Sunday about grace and on Tuesday Elder Ballard came and talked about missionary work and be not ashamed of the gospel. To be bold and not be scared to share do to the fact that others will reject it. 

The new mission presidents are coming tomorrow so the campus is crazy, preparing for the general presidency so everyone is saying that Pres. Monson will speak on Sunday since we have already had 2 speak from the 12. 

One of the elders from my district almost went home because he missed his girlfriend but he stuck it out. I am glad I didn't leave anyone behind!! 

Also my district sang a musical number last Sunday and I was called to give a talk about Repentance 1 min before I had to speak.  Also my district had to prepare a lesson over Alma 32 concerning Faith. We compared it to the Relationship with Christ. It turned out well but we couldn't decide on how to teach it until the night before. We all had different opinions on the symbolism. 

After church we had interviews and Pres. J. said that he loved me and that I have very inspired thoughts and that I was beautiful. Before I left he told me that if I wasn't a missionary that he would hug me, he almost did. Brother M. is so amazing, he's the 1st counselor and he's so loving and helpful. The zone says that I'm the "favorite", I am the one who mostly sits back and thinks rather than talking a lot like the others but we all learn differently.

I know I was called to serve on Temple Square for a reason but never knew why until last night when my teacher told me a story about how they pick sisters to serve in TSQ. She said that Elder Perry said that "they look at your smile and see the Light of Christ. They look at/in your eyes and see your testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ." Wow the whole 21 of us began to tear up. It gave us a glance of why we were called to serve at VC (visitor center). 

We have been practicing on how to greet people and talk with them to meet their spiritual needs. My other two companions did most of the teaching but I always shared an experience or my testimony that seemed to bring the spirit. Elder Cook from my first week devotional shared a story about how he taught 90% of the lesson and his companion 5%. He thought that he was the one helping others be baptized. But as time went on the converts expressed that the main reason they joined was because of the Elder who bore his testimony. That story made me feel better in that we all teach and bring the spirit in a different way. One of my new companions loves to talk which is nice when I really don't know what to say until close to the end when I see the whole picture and share something that God would want them to hear, but I know with time (I HOPE) I can be more talkative when teaching lessons or giving tours to help both members and non-members come closer to Christ. 

I love and miss you all!!! 

Be safe and have fun!!! 

Love Sister Tuckett :)