My companion!
I ran into Morgan Olsen quite a few times this past week.
We finally got a picture together yesterday!
Nice, warm, fuzzy socks Mama sent.
It seems like I was just emailing yesterday, and here I am AGAIN. I don't even know where to start.
This week was definitely harder than last week. My adrenaline kind of ran out a little so it was rough at the beginning. There was one day in class when we were learning how to teach "The Gospel of Jesus Christ" and we just kept role playing over and over and over again because they think that the best way to learn is by trial and error. (You all know how much I LOVE role playing...) and so I got super stressed out and my teacher could tell I got stressed out. So he cut off class and pulled us all into a circle. We read from the book of mormon and he shared a lot of amazing things that really helped calm my nerves. I wish I could repeat everything he said- all I know is that the spirit was SO STRONG and it calmed me down. I will forever be grateful that he did that. That was the first REAL breakdown I have had since being here. BUT
MISSIONS ARE SO AMAZING. I can't repeat it enough. A quote I really liked that my teacher mentioned was "It doesn't matter how much you know, or where you are at. The Lord will take us as we are and work with us." My biggest struggle coming here was that I felt like I didn't know enough... I still struggle with it, but that statement is so true and I am realizing it more and more everyday. FOR ANYONE QUESTIONING IT: GO ON A MISSION. It is the hardest thing I've done in my life, but the BEST thing for my life. It is crazy to think that I leave on monday!
Not much went on during the week, there was lots of classes and devotionals, etc. I love them so much! Most of you know that I am super tone deaf when it comes to singing, but believe it or not I joined the choir for this week HAHA. I can't entirely say that I willingly did it; part of it was convincing and dragging from my companion and two of the other sisters. BUT BOY AM I GLAD I WENT. Everyone always talks about how the MTC has the strongest spirit and you feel it all the time, and while that is mostly true, it isn't something that you feel so strongly that you are being guided and held by the hand the whole way through. But this choir practice we sang Joseph Smith's First Prayer. I have never felt the spirit stronger than I did in that room that night. The conductor is SUPER FUNNY and really good at sharing stories and talking about the song, etc. I learned so much about Joseph Smith in a CHOIR PRACTICE??? I loved it so much.
They aren't giving us another PDay next week to pack- so everyone pray I find the time to get my stuff packed because we have full schedules on Saturday and Sunday. I leave the MTC at 4:30am on Monday... so it is going to be a real fun experience keeping my bags under 50... it'll be a miracle if they are.((; It is crazy to see how much time has flown by since I have gotten here. I am going to miss my district SO MUCH when I leave.
Everyday, twice a day, we have TRC'S (teaching resource center) where we teach investigators. Some are real, some aren't, some are inactive, etc. etc. and they are 45 minutes each. Do we have time to prepare for them? Absolutely not. Do we have to rely completely on each other and the spirit. Yes, we very much do. HAHA it is so weird sometimes to think about how we manage to teach those lessons without a lesson plan and little time to prepare. BUT IT WORKS. At first, they scared me SO MUCH. But now, they are my FAVORITE part about the MTC. I love getting to know the people and hearing about what they need and teaching lessons according to those needs. I LOVE IT.
Another thing that has been super fun is that everyday we get exercise time. I am gettin REAL GOOD at four square people(; I learned how to play the beginning of last week and I can't tell you why, but I love it so much HAHA. Everyone gets so into it, it is hilarious to watch.
The subject is drinking from a fire hose because that is the best description I have for this experience HAHA. There is so much to learn and so many things to do, but I am having SO MUCH FUN. My district is 1/2 the reason I make it through every day. We all are able to laugh so much and make every experience fun. FUNNY STORY: One of the elders threw away a soda that came from a glass bottle. He joked about how it was pretty sturdy being glass and threw it away. Another elder picked it up and handed it to another elder and he chucked it at the wall in their room HAHA. So it obviously shattered everywhere and they spent the next 30 minutes picking up the pieces. They had to vacuum out their shoes, bags, etc. because it was EVERYWHERE. They were definitely late to class... HAHA
We also have started doing little dares. For example, (no one really likes the dares except for me and Elder Larkin.) But we both had a cup of yogurt and started the dare of seeing how much salt we could put on a spoonful of yogurt and NOT DIE. So we would put a little more on each time until finally there was almost more salt than yogurt... let's just say my stomach hated me the rest of the day. I usually have to convince people to play along because I don't ever do the dares people give me by myself HAHA. But it's fun!
I have run into several people since being here.
Elder Davis (Hunter Davis) went to American Fork, same with Elder Clinger (Casey Clinger, aka LEGENDARY CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER), Elder Ah You (Chaz? Don't know how to spell it, but I met him today!), Sister Olsen (MORGAN OLSEN- LOVE HER!) We ran into each other so much but never had time to take a picture until now. Elder Pulley (Cade Pulley) I went to HS with him, so funny!!! Sister Walker (Bailey Walker) I cheered with her in the third grade HAHA. and a couple others, who sadly, have already left to go to their missions! So cool! There are also lots of people who have mutual friends, it's crazy how small the world is!
LOVE YOU ALL! have a great week((:
Love,
Sister Keri Cooper
P.S.
One of the best things I have learned since being here (on top of everything else that I say is the best HAHA) is about prayer. We pray CONSTANTLY. ALL THE TIME. But it is crazy how comforting it is. At one of the classes we were at, our teacher shared a talk from one of the apostles and they said, "Every night when I pray, I ask the Lord two questions. The first, what have i done today that displeased thee? The second, what haven't i done today that displeased thee?"
I have been trying to do that every night in my prayers and it's amazing how much I have learned about myself and ways to become a better version of myself. Just thought I would share ((:
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