Every Day Is A New Day!

Hola Everyone!

Another week down at the good ole MTC! The days are really long here, but it seems like the weeks fly by. I honestly get the days sooo confused! I learned so much this week though. My Spanish gets better everyday, and each day gets easier. I've learned that there's no such thing as a bad day. There's only such thing as bad hours. The days are so long that if a whole day was bad I don't think I could handle it lol. My days are like a roller coaster, up and down all the time! It's nice to know that every day is a new day, and has so much potential :)

We keep getting so many new missionaries! As of Monday my district will be the oldest, which is crazy! Some sisters in the new district have had 7 years of Spanish before though.. So I still feel like a baby! Remind me why I didn't take Spanish in high school?! Sheesh.

One thing I said in Spanish this week was that God forgives us of our fish. I meant to say “pecados” (sins) and ended up saying “pescados” or something that apparently means fish. Awesome L Oh and then in class we were learning the verb “Gustar” and for an activity everyone in the class asks another person a question and we answer it using “gustar”. Elder Keetch asked me, "Do you like being a missionary?" and instead of replying "Yes, I like being a missionary" I said, "Yes, missionaries please me." Epic fail. Even the teacher was laughing hysterically. (Hermano Haug's laugh is so contagious by the way!)

One quote I heard this week that goes along perfectly with both of those stories is from President Lindahl: "Misery+Time=Humor".  Right on, President, right on. Oh! President Lindahl is Gatlan's old mission president! How crazy is that? He said he was President of the Mendoza Argentina Mission so I just asked if he knew him and it turns out he absolutely loves him! He said he was such a hard working missionary and served him well. He told me to tell him hi for him. He's an awesome President. President Peer got released to move to a Russian-speaking branch. President Lindahl is just as inspired as President Peer was! One thing that's scary is that he told us when we get called on to speak on Sundays we aren't allowed to quote scriptures or use notes. On a good note, this Sunday is the broadcast, and the next is fast Sunday so I'm safe for two more weeks lol.

Before I forget, be sure to watch the missionary broadcast Sunday. It's at 4:00 and should be really great! I'll be in the choir of 2500 so listen close for my voice ;) The songs we're singing really give me chills! Choir is one of my favorite things at the MTC believe it or not haha. The zone leaders keep saying that the prophet has some huge announcement…But really, what could be bigger than changing the mission age?! The prophet will be there to speak along with the apostles.

To add on the excitement there's a mission president seminar going on at the MTC so the prophet and apostles will be HERE for a WEEK at the MTC! We aren't allowed to go talk to them or get pictures, but it's still mother flipping exciting. This week will be a lot crazier, but I'm really excited :)

This week I had my first TRC experience. TRC is when we teach actual members. There's no role-playing and we're just supposed to teach them. It was pretty scary! Hermano Sagers told us, "TRC is like a roller coaster. You get really nervous, but afterwards you'll be like that was the best thing EVER!!" Well.. That wasn't the right analogy to use with me because of the fact that I'm terrified of roller coasters! He was right though. I think we all came out of TRC learning way more than we taught them.

I actually met a girl from Peru and she said in Piura we'll get tan and love the food. I wonder if she knows that she had been eating guinea pigs all those years she lived there?? Haha she was really great though! Another brother we taught was from Juab and he just got back from his mission. He gave me hope because he said he had zero Spanish before his mission as well. Yay for people like him!

One of my new favorite teachers is Hermano Ridge. He had to substitute a couple times for us this week. Maybe I liked him so much cause he never talked in Spanish? But really, I have so much written down from him!

·      " To be humble is to recognize where your true source of power comes from"

·      "Satan will do anything to make you feel inadequate; Satan's a liar. If you start to believe him, he has won"

·      "Ever seen a cat act like a dog? Why does it do that? Because it thinks it's a dog. When people act wicked, it's because they've forgotten they're sons and daughters of God"

·      "If Heavenly Father was here he'd give you the biggest hug and let you know how grateful he is for your service. Whenever you get discouraged, think of that."

He was really inspiring! Sadly, he's gone to teach seminary now :( But he taught me a lot.

Some other people I've heard from in devotionals lately is on Sunday Stephen B. Allen (managing director of the missionary dept.) and Robert C. Gay (of the seventy). Before I forget, we had the best musical number from an Elder here. I think it was called, "He knows that I know" and oh boy was it good! Anyway, Stephen B. Allen was really motivational. He told us that when everything says you can't, believe in the part of you that says you can and that we need to stop worrying about who we aren't and start noticing who we are. He told us to finish every race we start. We've now started the race of a mission and it's time to finish it.

Elder Gay was great as well. One thing that really hit home to me was that he talked about the army on the other side of the veil helping us. When he said that, I got the best feeling. I know we are being helped. We are fighting as much as we can here, and so is the army in Heaven. We literally have an army of angels around us. I know we do! We couldn't do it if we didn't. He asked us, “What is the power you have? The power you have is to astonish the world."

The other thing that stuck out in the Tuesday devotional was the hymn we sang. I've heard it a million times, but I love it. It was "More Holiness Give Me." I wrote down all the lyrics, but I don't wanna type them so look it up haha. Every single lyric is perfect.

Okay let's think of some funny things. Oh! Elder Keetch. So we're in a really serious discussion on Kolob and Elder Gonzalves says "Hermano Haug, is Kolob a place? Like, can we drive or walk there?" and Elder Keetch says under his breath, "No.. But you could hike there?..." Haha! Maybe you had to be there, or know Elder Keetch, but he's so funny. All the Elders in my district are.

So here.. EVERY sister sings in the shower. One will start and everyone joins. Well….I decided I had had enough of the church music so I started singing T-Swift. Yeah.. NOBODY joined. Aca-awkward right? Hahaha

         One other thing I love here is sand volleyball!! It's so much fun! Elder Fulton and I have this war going on.  I serve it to him every time and he can never get it.  And it's hilarious! That's all. But it's so much fun!

Gym time is the best. My companion hates running and exercising, but I make her run with me anyway. She told me her ankles are bad, but I didn't realize how truthful this was until this week. We're running to play volleyball and I turn around to see her getting up off the ground. She was like, "Did you see that?" Apparently she biffed it hard and was just getting up as I turned around. It was so funny to turn around and see her looking around to see if anyone saw haha! Good times at gym :)

Let everyone know how grateful I am for the support, letters, packages, and prayers! I'm so blessed, and couldn't do it without you. As hard as it is to be away, there's nothing more important I could be doing right now. I know this is where I'm supposed to be. I love you all so much!

Love,

Hermana Roper