January 30, 2012:
I’m the one learning here
Ah! Here I am in the cyber cafe in Brno with tears streaming down my cheeks. Thank you so much for being so supportive of me. Daddy, your [message] was something I needed so much. Thank you. My eyes are just brimming, haha, I can hardly see this screen. Thank you so much for loving me that much. Mommy, yeah, you're right. Being in a threesome is really hard. At home I tend to go outside a lot to think, or I drive around by myself, or I read and lose myself into my own thoughts and head, and being on a mission takes all those “me” moments away. Which is a beautiful good thing, but it is hard. With three of us the only time I literally have to be by myself is while I'm [in the bathroom]. Even when I'm showering, sometimes the girls come in to get stuff etc. MAN. It really does get to me. But I was praying and thinking about it this morning, and I realized that this is a really good lesson for me to learn, because someday I will have children, and then I once again will literally have no time to myself, ever. I'm somewhat of an introvert, I've realized, even though I'm loud. So, Heavenly Father knew that this would push me. I love [my companions], it's just the stress of having so many people in your tiny space and having to plan with three different ideas etc. It's hard! But not undoable by any means. I'm just learning what bothers me and what I need to work on for the future. But thank you for your uplifting [mails]. Mail[s] really are such tender mercies, even though I'm generally so happy I could burst.
I feel like as a missionary I should have some deep wisdoms. But I don't. I'm the one learning here, I have nothing to teach really, so just enjoy my stories I guess :). I love you all. Oh P.S., I got my orthotics this week... THANK YOU SO MUCH, they are so much better!
I've been doing the calls this week, because Sister Smith doesn’t feel like her language is good enough yet (I push her sometimes though), and Sister Brimhall is sick of calls. So I got them this week. Which is fine, I'm getting better at them via practice. Haha, I straight up said [to one of our investigators], “Heavenly Father gave us this time to help you figure out for yourself that this Church is true, vis? (you know?)“ and he laughed and said, “Oh is that so?!” Haha, and I said, “It sure is.” I'm getting much more straightforward with everyone here. Anyway, so then [our investigator] said that he needed more time and study, so I said, “Ok, so let's start studying!” and he said he wants to read the whole Bible first (he's like Mommy!), and so I said, “Ok, but can you read the Book of Mormon as well?”
This week we had specialized training where President talked to the Mission about planning better etc., and I learned a lot. As Daddy already knows, I'm not a very good planner. I have lots of dreams, but no plans to back them up. It's something I'm hoping will get refined out of my system out here, since we plan multiple times a day, and I know it's good for me. I just gotta become good at it :). I am very blessed to have the Mission President I have. He loves me, and we have a great relationship. I don't think he's worried about me, and I try to let him know that he has no reason to be by just working hard and obeying the rules and telling him great stories about these people I love so much when he asks. And Sister Irwin is darling. This weekend we also had District Conference for Church, so they both spoke, and Church started on time, and it was wonderful. This week on Wednesday Elder Causse from the [Quorum of the] 70s is coming to Brno to give a fireside, so that's really exciting, and in a few weeks Elder Christofferson the Apostle is coming into town, and we missionaries get a few hours with him, but no pictures unfortunately. But I am excited. I am using one of those beautiful journals you sent me for Christmas to take all my notes in etc. about spiritual things, and so it will be very much in handy when this next week rolls around. I am one blessed chicka!
I'm glad I decided to come out here. Sometimes while I look around I realize how many people there are, and how few people want to talk to us and listen to our message, but then I am insanely impressed with those that do give us their [phone] numbers and actually do show up to meetings! How great is that. And weird. I hope I would do that if someone stopped me in the street! That's why the Spirit is so key. I know that the Spirit guides this work, because God is in charge. All our successes are His. It's the most humbling and beautiful thing I've been a part of. I love this gospel. I've never had a vision or a dream or just a PANG the Book of Mormon is true, but I feel like a sun is rising inside my soul that enlightens my mind and is my testimony getting brighter and brighter each day. I might have used that before, but I really do feel like that. It was never a light bulb but a sunrise. Giving away Books of Mormon used to be so scary, and now it's so simple to invite people to read it and pray about it. That experience alone makes missions worth every penny and minute.
Thank you again for all your prayers, for your love, and for always showing me via mail that you love me. Haha Mommy, I can’t wait to get your box of treats! Thank you. It's so nice to know that we touched the same box! Ahaha, first thing I’m going to do when I get home is give everyone a big hug! I miss hugs! But this is worth it, and I feel Heavenly Father’s hugs every day.
Mam vas rada!
Sestra Izatt
I’m the one learning here
Ah! Here I am in the cyber cafe in Brno with tears streaming down my cheeks. Thank you so much for being so supportive of me. Daddy, your [message] was something I needed so much. Thank you. My eyes are just brimming, haha, I can hardly see this screen. Thank you so much for loving me that much. Mommy, yeah, you're right. Being in a threesome is really hard. At home I tend to go outside a lot to think, or I drive around by myself, or I read and lose myself into my own thoughts and head, and being on a mission takes all those “me” moments away. Which is a beautiful good thing, but it is hard. With three of us the only time I literally have to be by myself is while I'm [in the bathroom]. Even when I'm showering, sometimes the girls come in to get stuff etc. MAN. It really does get to me. But I was praying and thinking about it this morning, and I realized that this is a really good lesson for me to learn, because someday I will have children, and then I once again will literally have no time to myself, ever. I'm somewhat of an introvert, I've realized, even though I'm loud. So, Heavenly Father knew that this would push me. I love [my companions], it's just the stress of having so many people in your tiny space and having to plan with three different ideas etc. It's hard! But not undoable by any means. I'm just learning what bothers me and what I need to work on for the future. But thank you for your uplifting [mails]. Mail[s] really are such tender mercies, even though I'm generally so happy I could burst.
I feel like as a missionary I should have some deep wisdoms. But I don't. I'm the one learning here, I have nothing to teach really, so just enjoy my stories I guess :). I love you all. Oh P.S., I got my orthotics this week... THANK YOU SO MUCH, they are so much better!
I've been doing the calls this week, because Sister Smith doesn’t feel like her language is good enough yet (I push her sometimes though), and Sister Brimhall is sick of calls. So I got them this week. Which is fine, I'm getting better at them via practice. Haha, I straight up said [to one of our investigators], “Heavenly Father gave us this time to help you figure out for yourself that this Church is true, vis? (you know?)“ and he laughed and said, “Oh is that so?!” Haha, and I said, “It sure is.” I'm getting much more straightforward with everyone here. Anyway, so then [our investigator] said that he needed more time and study, so I said, “Ok, so let's start studying!” and he said he wants to read the whole Bible first (he's like Mommy!), and so I said, “Ok, but can you read the Book of Mormon as well?”
This week we had specialized training where President talked to the Mission about planning better etc., and I learned a lot. As Daddy already knows, I'm not a very good planner. I have lots of dreams, but no plans to back them up. It's something I'm hoping will get refined out of my system out here, since we plan multiple times a day, and I know it's good for me. I just gotta become good at it :). I am very blessed to have the Mission President I have. He loves me, and we have a great relationship. I don't think he's worried about me, and I try to let him know that he has no reason to be by just working hard and obeying the rules and telling him great stories about these people I love so much when he asks. And Sister Irwin is darling. This weekend we also had District Conference for Church, so they both spoke, and Church started on time, and it was wonderful. This week on Wednesday Elder Causse from the [Quorum of the] 70s is coming to Brno to give a fireside, so that's really exciting, and in a few weeks Elder Christofferson the Apostle is coming into town, and we missionaries get a few hours with him, but no pictures unfortunately. But I am excited. I am using one of those beautiful journals you sent me for Christmas to take all my notes in etc. about spiritual things, and so it will be very much in handy when this next week rolls around. I am one blessed chicka!
I'm glad I decided to come out here. Sometimes while I look around I realize how many people there are, and how few people want to talk to us and listen to our message, but then I am insanely impressed with those that do give us their [phone] numbers and actually do show up to meetings! How great is that. And weird. I hope I would do that if someone stopped me in the street! That's why the Spirit is so key. I know that the Spirit guides this work, because God is in charge. All our successes are His. It's the most humbling and beautiful thing I've been a part of. I love this gospel. I've never had a vision or a dream or just a PANG the Book of Mormon is true, but I feel like a sun is rising inside my soul that enlightens my mind and is my testimony getting brighter and brighter each day. I might have used that before, but I really do feel like that. It was never a light bulb but a sunrise. Giving away Books of Mormon used to be so scary, and now it's so simple to invite people to read it and pray about it. That experience alone makes missions worth every penny and minute.
Thank you again for all your prayers, for your love, and for always showing me via mail that you love me. Haha Mommy, I can’t wait to get your box of treats! Thank you. It's so nice to know that we touched the same box! Ahaha, first thing I’m going to do when I get home is give everyone a big hug! I miss hugs! But this is worth it, and I feel Heavenly Father’s hugs every day.
Mam vas rada!
Sestra Izatt