Sunday, October 27, 2013

Week #3: MTC

Well guess what everybody?? Since I leave on November 18, tomorrow is technically the halfway mark of the MTC! I'm actually really glad because this whole cafeteria food is getting old. I'll probably miss American food in general when I get to the Philippines. Good thing I like rice a lot, right? haha

So I've learned a few things this week. First off, don't sing in the shower. People try to harmonize with you and it just gets super awkward. I've resorted back to showering before bed because there's a sister who sings in the morning and I have never met anybody who knows that many songs from Broadway and Disney. So at least she can sing, but every morning I just glare at myself in the mirror brushing my teeth while she's singing and wonder how someone can be so happy and cheerful at six in the morning. And it's like 3 octaves higher than the average person sings. Maybe I'm just jealous I don't have an amazing voice like that. haha I guess I need to be a happier person in the morning.

I can't believe how organized the MTC is! Our zone sets up and takes down the chairs for our service projects and THEY MEASURE HOW FAR APART THE CHAIRS NEED TO BE!!! Who does that? Only Mormons. Really. Oh ya. Sundays are my favorite day here. The sisters get to go to Music and the Spoken word before Relief Society while the Elders go to priesthood and district meetings. I hate to say it, but even in the MTC they really do take care of and favor the sisters! 

Guess what mom? I eat bananas every single day. Remember the part where I hated bananas before coming to the MTC? And I all of a sudden love vegetables. I'm obviously lacking in nutrition if I'm craving healthy foods all the time. Besides, the fruit is really the most edible thing here. AND THE PIZZA! I was so happy when they served us pizza last week, and they ordered it again last night! Those poor people who have to deliver all those pizzas. I can't believe they even do it. 

At the beginning of the week, we had a lesson on stress and the big title on the board said, "What is stress?" I burst out laughing so hard when I walked in the classroom and saw it and was like, "That's a funny joke!" and then everyone in my district kept laughing with me because I could not stop laughing. What? Stress? On a mission? Never heard of it. (Joke lang. Haha whenever they joke in the Philippines they always say Joke lang!) Anyways... our teacher, Brother Pearce, made us run around the entire MTC, and we went up to the highest building and looked over the valley. Then he said we had 3 minutes to go find someone on campus and bear our testimonies in Tagalog. That was one of my favorite lessons. He just basically told us we are going to be ok. He also taught us a lesson two nights ago on the Plan of Salvation and related it to a mission. The MTC is like the premortal life and the airplane ride is like the veil. You fall asleep on the plane and wake up in some strange land. But it's ok because we have the Lord and our trainers to help us. And we learn step by step. Line upon line, precept upon precept. And Sister Osborn, our other teacher said to remember that we might wish we had the opportunity to go back to the beginning of our missions and change things because of what we learned, but she reminded us to "Don't look back, only change." And I've seen that in the past few weeks I've been here. I've learned how to really rely on the Lord and I wish I could go back to the first day I got here. It would be a lot easier with the knowledge I have now. But they only thing we can do in life is "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ." We came to this life so that we CAN learn. We just have to make the future better!

It was so hard last Sunday because half of our zone left. We all stood in the hall and sang "God be with you till we meet again." Not only did it sound amazing, but the spirit was so strong! Every time we all sing as missionaries, my heart just wants to burst out of my chest. And two more districts leave this Monday too! Gah! I keep becoming attached to these incredible elders and sisters. I can't believe that's going to be me leaving in a few weeks!

Wowwwww, I just realized I didn't start my washer. This whole time I've been on here. So there's that........ These are normal things that happen to me so it's really not that big of a deal. hahaha

Well, I hope everyone is doing well. I love hearing from everybody! Mahal kita!

Love,
Sister Stettler

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Week #2: MTC

Kumusta!

Thank you for all the love and support! I loved getting so many emails from everyone and I apologize I can't respond to all of them this week. You all have made such a difference in my life and I'm so grateful for the prayers you have offered in my behalf.

Well it seems like I've been in the MTC A LOT longer than a week and a half. The days just all blend together and although I don't remember much of what happens, I somehow recall what I've learned in Tagalog and feel the spirit. I have the opportunity to go to the temple every week and that's such a blessing because it's nice to go and just feel peace and give me a break from overloading my brain with more language study. If the spirit wasn't present here, this place would honestly fail. It would be impossible to teach teenagers and young adults (oh, and senior couples) all these languages at such a high level in just a few weeks. I have seen the gift of tongues work and WOW. Even though I'm not fluent in the language, I have realized that praying, studying hard, and relying on the spirit helps me comprehend the language so fast. And let me tell you. Tagalog is NOT easy but so far everything is making sense. There are so many conjugations and we call it Yoda poetry here because you switch around all the words in English to translate it in Tagalog. So "God is our loving Heavenly Father" is "Our loving Heavenly Father God is." Pretty self explanatory.

Elder Oaks came and gave the fireside on Tuesday night! I couldn't stop crying when he walked in the room because the spirit was so strong and this blanket of reverence just settled over all the missionaries. We were singing when he walked in and of course we all stood and even though we kept singing, you could feel a distinct difference. You know what's funny? The spirit is so strong here that even when something even "more" per se spiritual happens, I don't really feel a difference. My tear ducts must be very close to the surface because my face becomes a waterfall and I'm like...... Ok I don't know what just happened but I just feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Haha It's so crazy! I don't know how to explain it. The spirit is just really strong. And that is all. Also, I LOVE singing Called to Serve with all the missionaries. There's just something so powerful and unifying about it. I'm so grateful to be called as one of the Lord's missionaries! I'm not perfect but I keep being reminded that "Whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies."

I'm not even sure what else I should write about! So much has happened and it's so hard to put into words. I just want everyone to know that I love them and I love being here and I love being a missionary. It's such a wonderful experience and I've only been out for a short time. I'll keep everyone in my prayers! 

Love,
Sister Stettler

      PIZZA NIGHT! I was very very very happy to finally get pizza because I've been asking if we're going to have it every single day. So there's that! :D

                      Sick kasama

   Rain on our Sunday walk to the temple, but the district is pretty happy! :D Most of us... haha

    This is how I feel about the language

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Week #1: MTC

Kumusta!
Hey everyone! Just wanted to let you all know I made it to the MTC and I'm staying ;) I love it here! It is hard work, especially because of the language, but hey. I'm still alive. I have never studied this hard in my life. My companion is Sister Coons and believe it or not, we met on the Philippines Facebook group before arriving. I thought it would be funny if we ended up as companions and we sure did. We have the same sense of humor so thankfully she understands my jokes. She is such a spiritual giant and I really look up to her. We started teaching our first investigator, Vince, yesterday and we had to do the lesson completely in Tagalog. I DON'T EVEN KNOW TAGALOG!!! Haha We just went off the knowledge we already have and wow. I know that the gift of tongues is real. I've had a little taste of it and I know I wouldn't be able to speak this much already if it wasn't for pananampalataya (faith). Our investigator isn't really investigating the church of course (why would they trust us to do that in the MTC???), but he is playing the character of someone he loves. We teach him again today and I am so grateful we have learned more of the language and are better prepared so we will be able to commit him to read the Book of Mormon and bear our testimonies to him.
Like I said, the language isn't easy, but we have an amazing teacher, Sister Osbourn. She's so young! She is probably a recent RM. Yesterday in class, we were practicing praying in Tagalog, and Sister Campbell (one of the Sisters in my district) accidentally prayed that Thomas S Monson would be called unto repentance. Bahaha!!! We were laughing so hard. I love these sisters and I'm grateful for the opportunity to get to know them! Sister Coons, me, Sister Campbell and her companion Sister Moulton are all headed to Naga. There are three others in our zone (but in a different district) who are also going to Naga so I'm glad I won't be flying out alone. I don't know why that scares me. Anyways, the branch presidency talked to us a bit about our mission and guess what?! THERE'S TOILET PAPER!!! THIS MAKES MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE!!! Although we were told we have to carry it around with us there because they don't have it in public places. I can't wait to head out and meet the people! We were encouraged to pray for the people we are going to be teaching and I have already gained a love for these Filipinos I haven't even met yet.
The food here doesn't like my stomach. Yay for cafeteria food. That's really the only thing I remember about this place because we study so much and it feels like I've been here for weeks... and it seems like we eat all the time besides study. Haha
As for the social media addiction? Yeah... not so much. I don't even think about that kind of stuff. In fact, when we got on the computers I felt super weird about it because I feel like I'm in a completely different world with no technology. And all these crazy people bustle about in Sunday clothes. But eh, I like it. It must be the spirit, right?
I would love to hear from everybody! Thank you for the emails. I'll respond every so often because I don't have the time to write everyone back every week. But I pray for you and I love you!
Love,
Sister Stettler :)