I've had some great experiences recently. Nothing amazing, but good. A few days back I wasn't feeling too well. I would have liked to just go back to our apartment, but I knew I had to keep going to visit our investigators. Even though drinking watered-down milk isn't the most appetizing thing when you don't feel well, we had some great visits and went to many people. Our last visit with an investigator family of ours was short, but the mother said she liked having us over because she felt such a warm feeling when we came. I was so glad that, because I was patient and chose to have a good attitude, we were able to bring the Spirit and hear an investigator witness that it is there. I've been trying to keep a really good attitude no matter how good or bad the day is (for example, it's snowing today!) because I want to be able to let our investigators feel the Savior's love for them. It's surprising how good you can feel when by all rights you should be feeling crummy.
Monday, May 27, 2013
School's Out
I handed out final exams this week, and assigned final grades; that was an experience. My students did pretty well.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Weather is Fun
This week we had both a dust storm and snow! Weather is fun.
I was reading from 1 Nephi 17:2-3. Nephi recounts their hardships in the wilderness, but then notes that the Lord gave them the ability to eat raw meat and strength to do their work, and he counted himself greatly blessed because of it. Sometimes a mission is like that: even when it gets tough, we can see that the Lord is blessing us with the ability to succeed and then we can count ourselves greatly blessed, as well.
Our investigators are good; we are teaching a family.
My school's term ends soon and we will have a break for the summer. I just have to administer some tests and issue grades, then I can focus just on missionary work. That will be great!
Monday, May 13, 2013
Mother's Day Skype
It was great to see the family on Skype Sunday and to show off my growing skill with Mongolian sign language. It is popular among the missionaries, even though only one is really assigned to teach in sign language at any given time. The rest of us just like using it, and it helps us communicate when we meet someone who is deaf.
My English students are nearing the end of their semester; some of them are doing really well. Others not so much, but I hope they will keep trying. This will be my first experience with issuing grades! While I teach at a community college, my companion teaches at an elementary school. I prepare my lessons while he teaches, but I also listen in at times. At the elementary level, they teach English through music--so I'm learning a lot of little songs about colors and things. It's fun. But I think I am better suited to teaching adults.
We have been sharing Mosiah 2:41 with a lot of the people we meet with. It is a great scripture about the blessings of the Lord:
"And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."
Another truth to think about: The more we serve, the more the Lord replenishes us, which lets us have more than we could have had otherwise.
My English students are nearing the end of their semester; some of them are doing really well. Others not so much, but I hope they will keep trying. This will be my first experience with issuing grades! While I teach at a community college, my companion teaches at an elementary school. I prepare my lessons while he teaches, but I also listen in at times. At the elementary level, they teach English through music--so I'm learning a lot of little songs about colors and things. It's fun. But I think I am better suited to teaching adults.
We have been sharing Mosiah 2:41 with a lot of the people we meet with. It is a great scripture about the blessings of the Lord:
"And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."
Another truth to think about: The more we serve, the more the Lord replenishes us, which lets us have more than we could have had otherwise.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Bluff doesn't translate
I played Bluff (aka Balderdash) with my English students. It ... didn't go very well. They had a hard time understanding the rules, but they want to try again next week. English class is interesting, but I'm figuring it out.
Fast Sunday was busy, and we were running around serving until nearly 7:00 before we could finally make dinner. We made some delicious spaghetti!
We have a lot of investigators and the work is going well. We also minister to the members here, as that is really important. I was in Elders Quorum and thinking about how it winds up just being a discussion so often. From General Conference, I gather we should include more time for thinking about how we can help our members, especially the less active ones.
Fast Sunday was busy, and we were running around serving until nearly 7:00 before we could finally make dinner. We made some delicious spaghetti!
We have a lot of investigators and the work is going well. We also minister to the members here, as that is really important. I was in Elders Quorum and thinking about how it winds up just being a discussion so often. From General Conference, I gather we should include more time for thinking about how we can help our members, especially the less active ones.
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