Week 7 email (August 23, 2011):
Time is going so quickly; I will be leaving next week!
Hello hello again!
Once again I am in the dark infernal pit of the MTC laundry room. Missionaries are commonly seen fighting tooth and nail for a washing machine. Be grateful you just have a washing machine you can calmly put your laundry in! 'Tis a blessing.
This week was interesting. It went the fastest of all the weeks so far I think. I got my travel plans on Friday. Everyone has been freaking out about them and can't stop talking about them, but I guess due to always having itineraries (however you spell that) from all our travels, I just know that they are the route we are flying. We still don't leave until next week, so I don’t know what the point of talking about it all day every day all week does. Maybe I'm just being a wet rag though! But I shall start getting really excited next week, I think. When I start packing etc. Anyway we are actually leaving the first--not the second, or the fifth (there have been rumors about each date). We are leaving on the first at 11:00 am and then going to Chicago (my FAVORITE...not) and then Heathrow and then Prague. I will try to get a copy of the itinerary and send it to you. I think I will send a package of some stuff home this week and put the letters for this week in it so get ready for that. Andrew also told me that you have invited him to come to Jacqueline's Birthday celebration on Sunday! So I will put his letter in the box as well, so if you could make sure he gets that I'd much appreciate it. Thanks SO much for inviting him to Jacqueline's birthday thing. How I wish that I could be there. But I am supposed to be here, so that will get me through it! Thanks for including Andrew in things though. It meant a lot to him, and it means a ton to me. Tell everyone ‘hi’ for me, and Mommy please give Andrew a big hug for me. He loves your hugs, as do I, and I love him and like that you make him feel so loved and taken care of. Thanks for all you do. I know whomever I marry will be very lucky to have such loving in-laws. But we shall tackle that adventure after my mission is over ;).
So this week I had some interesting experiences. We have started teaching each other in class one on one as investigators. We don't have companions for this exercise so that makes things hard but also makes you be really prepared etc. Anyway, so my investigator is Elder Osterloh. Anyway, during our third or fourth lesson I was focused on teaching him about Christ so that he could understand how important He is. I talked about how he is our older brother etc. and when I did that I could tell it was exactly what he needed to hear. When the Spirit speaks to people's hearts their eyes change. You can see a physical change in people when their minds are enlightened and their hearts have been touched. I love that. And I love being a part of it. I can’t wait until I am teaching people who haven’t had any history with the gospel. What a blessing.
I can’t believe I've already been on my mission for two whole months. What on earth. Realizing that made me realize that this mission is going to go so quickly, and I must embrace it so that I have no regrets when I get back home. Anyway back to this exercise, the Spirit took over. It was the coolest experience. I was just saying what came to mind. My teacher was watching, and afterwards he did a fist pump in the air and told me that I rocked that lesson. Except it wasn’t me at all! It was such a neat experience. I was so happy and genuinely excited! My Czech is terrible. I'm the worst in the class, but the Spirit can make up for that.
Another cool experience I had was yesterday when we were lucky enough to have Elder Hudec come in and help us during language study. He is the Czech Elder whom one of my teachers brought to baptism, and now he's on a mission! Anyway he came to help us, and he couldn’t stop laughing at my Czech. To be honest after a few minutes of getting laughed at I really started to feel down; I study hard, but if people are going to just laugh at me and not understand what I'm saying... I dunno, it's just depressing. So anyway I said a prayer, and I said Heavenly Father, I really need help right now. So I grounded my emotions and started up again. Peace filled my body. I have never felt peace like that. It wasn't really a super strong spiritual feeling per say, but I just felt quiet, and like I could tackle anything. I was still, but strong. I started bearing my testimony to him about the Book of Mormon. He got silent. My companion at the time, Elder Osterloh, also told him that if he read it his family would be stronger. I then bore my testimony again. Afterwards he was silent and then told Elder Osterloh that his Czech was better than mine, but that my testimony was what made me a really strong missionary. That made me so happy to know that even though my Czech is bad enough to make people bend over laughing, if I have the Spirit I can touch them. But I also know that I must keep studying the language. Language is critical.
This week I have also started carrying a mini Book of Mormon with me everywhere. I’m reading it cover to cover. It is a powerful book. I recommend buying a mini one and keeping it in your purse or backpack and making a conscious effort of reading it throughout the day whenever you’re in line or have a minute of sit-down time before a doctor’s appointment etc. It is a wonderful book. I'm focusing on getting through it. My main Scriptures are where I mark them up and make connections etc, but my mini one is just for reading. I have felt the Spirit stronger, and I have more peace and gusto throughout the day. I love it! I love the Book of Mormon. I want to have a really strong testimony about the truthfulness of it. I know that if I put the effort into reading it that I will get this. So here we go :)
One last experience; yesterday night we taught in English one on one, and I got to teach my teacher Sister Austin. I asked her about her relationship with God and if she'd seen it grow. I asked her how she had seen it grow. I asked her about her relationship with Christ. I got sidetracked though and didn’t go the path the Spirit was telling me to go. The Spirit is ever so quiet, and you must really listen closely to understand what it is telling you. He is quiet, but he is strong. And when you obey what he says you are open to having the most wonderful experiences. Afterwards she said she felt the Spirit but asked what I would change. I told her. She told me to go back to where I left the Spirit and try again. So I did. When I asked her if she would be baptized she said yes. I asked her why she wanted this. She told me that from the relationships she has in the church she thinks that that is what it will be like in heaven. The Spirit was strong. And she started to cry. Even though it wasn’t a real commitment she started to cry. And then I kind of went a direction again I shouldn’t have probably and we ended. But the Spirit was so strong! She told me afterwards that she felt the Spirit, because she could really feel my love for her. The thing with that is though that I really honestly do love Sister Austin. I have learned so much from her, so it's easy to express my love for her because I have it! Love is the most powerful gift. I need to develop a love, a real honest love, for the people I serve. Because I am a representative of Jesus Christ. And He loves them. So I can love them, and through me people can feel His love for them.
I love missionary work.
I gotta go, time’s out.
Love you all! SO much. The church is true!
-Sister Izatt
Time is going so quickly; I will be leaving next week!
Hello hello again!
Once again I am in the dark infernal pit of the MTC laundry room. Missionaries are commonly seen fighting tooth and nail for a washing machine. Be grateful you just have a washing machine you can calmly put your laundry in! 'Tis a blessing.
This week was interesting. It went the fastest of all the weeks so far I think. I got my travel plans on Friday. Everyone has been freaking out about them and can't stop talking about them, but I guess due to always having itineraries (however you spell that) from all our travels, I just know that they are the route we are flying. We still don't leave until next week, so I don’t know what the point of talking about it all day every day all week does. Maybe I'm just being a wet rag though! But I shall start getting really excited next week, I think. When I start packing etc. Anyway we are actually leaving the first--not the second, or the fifth (there have been rumors about each date). We are leaving on the first at 11:00 am and then going to Chicago (my FAVORITE...not) and then Heathrow and then Prague. I will try to get a copy of the itinerary and send it to you. I think I will send a package of some stuff home this week and put the letters for this week in it so get ready for that. Andrew also told me that you have invited him to come to Jacqueline's Birthday celebration on Sunday! So I will put his letter in the box as well, so if you could make sure he gets that I'd much appreciate it. Thanks SO much for inviting him to Jacqueline's birthday thing. How I wish that I could be there. But I am supposed to be here, so that will get me through it! Thanks for including Andrew in things though. It meant a lot to him, and it means a ton to me. Tell everyone ‘hi’ for me, and Mommy please give Andrew a big hug for me. He loves your hugs, as do I, and I love him and like that you make him feel so loved and taken care of. Thanks for all you do. I know whomever I marry will be very lucky to have such loving in-laws. But we shall tackle that adventure after my mission is over ;).
So this week I had some interesting experiences. We have started teaching each other in class one on one as investigators. We don't have companions for this exercise so that makes things hard but also makes you be really prepared etc. Anyway, so my investigator is Elder Osterloh. Anyway, during our third or fourth lesson I was focused on teaching him about Christ so that he could understand how important He is. I talked about how he is our older brother etc. and when I did that I could tell it was exactly what he needed to hear. When the Spirit speaks to people's hearts their eyes change. You can see a physical change in people when their minds are enlightened and their hearts have been touched. I love that. And I love being a part of it. I can’t wait until I am teaching people who haven’t had any history with the gospel. What a blessing.
I can’t believe I've already been on my mission for two whole months. What on earth. Realizing that made me realize that this mission is going to go so quickly, and I must embrace it so that I have no regrets when I get back home. Anyway back to this exercise, the Spirit took over. It was the coolest experience. I was just saying what came to mind. My teacher was watching, and afterwards he did a fist pump in the air and told me that I rocked that lesson. Except it wasn’t me at all! It was such a neat experience. I was so happy and genuinely excited! My Czech is terrible. I'm the worst in the class, but the Spirit can make up for that.
Another cool experience I had was yesterday when we were lucky enough to have Elder Hudec come in and help us during language study. He is the Czech Elder whom one of my teachers brought to baptism, and now he's on a mission! Anyway he came to help us, and he couldn’t stop laughing at my Czech. To be honest after a few minutes of getting laughed at I really started to feel down; I study hard, but if people are going to just laugh at me and not understand what I'm saying... I dunno, it's just depressing. So anyway I said a prayer, and I said Heavenly Father, I really need help right now. So I grounded my emotions and started up again. Peace filled my body. I have never felt peace like that. It wasn't really a super strong spiritual feeling per say, but I just felt quiet, and like I could tackle anything. I was still, but strong. I started bearing my testimony to him about the Book of Mormon. He got silent. My companion at the time, Elder Osterloh, also told him that if he read it his family would be stronger. I then bore my testimony again. Afterwards he was silent and then told Elder Osterloh that his Czech was better than mine, but that my testimony was what made me a really strong missionary. That made me so happy to know that even though my Czech is bad enough to make people bend over laughing, if I have the Spirit I can touch them. But I also know that I must keep studying the language. Language is critical.
This week I have also started carrying a mini Book of Mormon with me everywhere. I’m reading it cover to cover. It is a powerful book. I recommend buying a mini one and keeping it in your purse or backpack and making a conscious effort of reading it throughout the day whenever you’re in line or have a minute of sit-down time before a doctor’s appointment etc. It is a wonderful book. I'm focusing on getting through it. My main Scriptures are where I mark them up and make connections etc, but my mini one is just for reading. I have felt the Spirit stronger, and I have more peace and gusto throughout the day. I love it! I love the Book of Mormon. I want to have a really strong testimony about the truthfulness of it. I know that if I put the effort into reading it that I will get this. So here we go :)
One last experience; yesterday night we taught in English one on one, and I got to teach my teacher Sister Austin. I asked her about her relationship with God and if she'd seen it grow. I asked her how she had seen it grow. I asked her about her relationship with Christ. I got sidetracked though and didn’t go the path the Spirit was telling me to go. The Spirit is ever so quiet, and you must really listen closely to understand what it is telling you. He is quiet, but he is strong. And when you obey what he says you are open to having the most wonderful experiences. Afterwards she said she felt the Spirit but asked what I would change. I told her. She told me to go back to where I left the Spirit and try again. So I did. When I asked her if she would be baptized she said yes. I asked her why she wanted this. She told me that from the relationships she has in the church she thinks that that is what it will be like in heaven. The Spirit was strong. And she started to cry. Even though it wasn’t a real commitment she started to cry. And then I kind of went a direction again I shouldn’t have probably and we ended. But the Spirit was so strong! She told me afterwards that she felt the Spirit, because she could really feel my love for her. The thing with that is though that I really honestly do love Sister Austin. I have learned so much from her, so it's easy to express my love for her because I have it! Love is the most powerful gift. I need to develop a love, a real honest love, for the people I serve. Because I am a representative of Jesus Christ. And He loves them. So I can love them, and through me people can feel His love for them.
I love missionary work.
I gotta go, time’s out.
Love you all! SO much. The church is true!
-Sister Izatt
Week 8 email (August 30, 2011):
I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go
Well my dearest family and friends, this is my last email from the MTC! Can you believe that I have been here for 8 weeks? I sure can’t! I don’t feel ready at all to go out to the field yet! But at the same time I am so excited and ready to meet real people! I cannot wait! I am so happy to be here. A mission is where I am supposed to be. I have received many witnesses since coming here, and they have been tender mercies. Because even though I knew I was supposed to come, God knows how I work, and that I like positive reinforcement, and since He wants me happy He sends his spirit to me to give me those tender mercies! I love Heavenly Father! I am learning to put my life into His hands. There are things I am still learning to trust Him with which sounds silly, but I just so like being in control of things! It's a fault I have, and my mission will help me rid myself of this fault. I am excited for that. When we put our trust in our Father in Heaven we see blessings that we couldn’t have predicted on our own. I love the gospel! And I love my Savior and Father in Heaven.
I am sorry that this email came later than normal. I got sick of doing email in the laundry room because all the Elders tease you the whole time you try to type, so I decided to wait until after the temple and do it in one of the language labs (we need to be in missionary clothes to do email in the buildings, so that's why I waited till after the temple.) I have decided that when I come back from my mission I am going to sit in the temple all day one day and just do everything many times. I just feel so good there! I love it, and I am going to miss it! Today was my last time for the next little while, but I know that Heavenly Father will build me in other ways while I'm out on my mission since the blessing of the temple is not something that I can have. On the way back from the temple I ran into Whitney Lewis' sister, Laura. She is a teacher here at the MTC, and I have seen her once before, but I just love seeing familiar faces! I also saw the Ruffners last night (embarrassing story that I will tell later) and the Whettens, and a bunch of my High School friends who have now come home and are volunteering at the MTC for TRC (=Teaching Resource Center).
Mommy you should start doing that again! There are SO MANY FINNISH MISSIONARIES! It's crazy! They come every transfer in batches of 15! I love it! So they need your help! Plus listening to natives is SUCH A BLESSING. I am sure they would LOVE to have you come. So if you have time I know that it would be worth an hour every week! And Andrew if you’re reading this, you should do Mongolian! I've run into SO many Mongolian Elders here, and I always talk about that nasty sour milk you just guzzle. They have started letting non-natives back into Mongolia so you should do TRC! It would keep your language up, and since you rock at it I'm sure the missionaries would just love having you. The week I came into the MTC they started something called the pilot program where our teachers only speak our language to us, and we teach TRC volunteers as themselves, and we actually get to teach according to needs even if the volunteers are members already. So you'd be a great help! Both of you!
Well, this week has been... interesting. My heart has been pulled to many places, and I have learned much. The Croatians left this past Monday, and so half of our floor is MIA [=missing in action]. I didn’t realize how much I loved all the Croatian Elders until I had to say bye to them. I wasn’t really feeling ready to leave the MTC until Monday when all of a sudden everyone was gone... you really grow close to people when you are with them sixteen or more hours a day and are learning with them and are surrounded by the Spirit. Letting people go has always been something I have struggled with, and I was once again reminded of how hard it is. But I am excited to be on my mission because I will get more used to it.
Oh, I forgot to tell everyone... I have been the music coordinator for the Zone for the last month or so, and it's been a fun calling. Every time missionaries leave they sing for their Zone the Sunday before. So I got to organize our song. We had so many languages however, so things got a bit interesting. We ended up singing “I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go” and it was cool because the English speakers sang the first verse, the Czechs and the Slovaks split up the second verse, then the Croatians and the Serbians split up the second verse, and then we all sang in English the third verse. It was funny though because so many of us were leaving, so there were only 7 missionaries left in the audience. We were joking that they should have gotten on stage so that we could have just sung to them standing from our seats. Funny. It turned out well, though, and my Branch President cried when he bore his testimony. He said that he loves all missionaries the same, but the language missionaries have a really special place in his heart, because he gets to create real friendships with them. I love President Creer! I will try to get a picture with him tonight after Devotional (hopefully an Apostle will come.... we have yet to have had one...).
So yesterday I decided to douse my suitcases in Scotch Guard. Yeah pretty sure I had no idea how badly that stuff stinks and spreads in the air, so my whole dorm floor was coughing and being totally overdramatic about the whole thing. About a minute later the fire alarm went off, and the entire building evacuated. I thought to myself, "Oh great, it's like that one time Daddy was steaming his shirt in Germany, and the whole hostel and hotel had to evacuate". I thought that maybe the fire alarm was also one of those alarms that senses chemical leaks. So we all piled outside in our pajamas and robes and waited. The security guards came rushing in, and I told them of my Scotch Guard incident. They said they’d check it out. So Sister Tate and I decided to star gaze on the sidewalk. Sounded like a normal thing to do at the time. We were talking and star gazing with the fire alarm whistling behind us when to my surprise Brother Ruffner leans over me and says hello. Awesome right, totally sister missionary conduct! Actually, I don’t think he minded. I mean what else were we supposed to be doing? Our building was burning down! Anyway, the Ruffners were fabulous and took a box home for me which was so nice of them. I also asked them to ask you for some Nature’s Miracle in a bottle (the kind you wash with) so that I can wash my suitcase. Mikki must have peed on it the night before I left ‘cause when I pulled it down off the shelf I found a huge puddle of pee, and it smelled RANCID. I tried washing it with Tide, and it just made it worse. Sister Tate made me put it in the hallway. Anyway, I hope you got that message; they said they’d meet up with me tonight after Devotional.
Dang it, I only have 6 minutes... here I go.
This week I had an interesting thing happen. I think I talked about this last email. Anyway, [Sister Austin, our teacher] started crying and said she could really feel my love, so that was nice. But then on Wednesday, Brother Machado put all the 3 Elders together to practice in the corner and then asked me to teach him one on one. Which I did. I was surprised, and he then told us to teach about baptism in Czech. I took a breath, prayed, and started teaching. I talked about Jesus Christ, and how he is our Savior. I talked about how much God loves us, and the way to return to Him is through baptism. To my surprise, words came easily and quickly, and his eyes filled with tears. Once I saw that, my eyes filled with tears and a few fell down my cheeks. The Spirit was strong, and as I bore testimony about baptism, I knew that what I was saying was true. The Spirit was there, even though my broken Czech was suffering. I was so grateful for that experience however, because my teacher looked at me and told me that I have a powerful gift of knowing when people need certain things. He said that he's seen it, and I know that gift is from Heavenly Father. He said that not only did he receive an answer as an investigator, but I told him what he needed to hear as brother Machado. He said that sometimes I let the roughness of my language get in the way of my gift. He told me that he watched as I taught Sister Austin a few days before, and he really felt the Spirit and wanted to have the same experience, which I guess he did. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father has blessed me with a big heart. I have no problem loving people, and that gift will help me in the Czech. I am grateful for the Spirit and for the gift of tongues. I now know that if the Spirit is there, I can teach in Czech as well as English, and for this I am so grateful. I must represent Christ at all times. I love you all! I will call on Thursday from Chicago!
Love always,
Sestra Izatt