YOU ARE BANISHED FROM TEXAS, YOU HIPSTER
Okay, so I can't remember if I told you but my companion, Sis. Bakker, and I taught our first lesson auf Deutsch on Friday our first week here. Our investigator's name was Lukas Priemayr and he was from Austria. He was pretty cool, and our lessons with him slowly got better and he was progressing and we were super excited. Then we walked into class one day and SURPRISE. There was Lukas standing there with our teacher wearing a name badge. His name is Chad Janis (Bruder Janis) and he's from Texas. But none of us knew because his German accent is REALLY GOOD. Even Elder Clemente who has actually lived in Germany had no idea. Meine Gute. Sis. Bakker and I felt really betrayed for a day. But he's super cool, and he's a really good teacher. Not quite as good as Bruder Begeistert (Brother Excited), but that's just because his voice never gets louder than a quiet tone. And that's good. He makes you listen.
There were a few tough days this week, but I got through them alright. My focus had been on learning German even though I thought it wasn't. The point isn't to learn German in the MTC. The point is to become converted to the Gospel and to Christ and then the German comes. One of our Branch Presidency members told us of how Pres. Hinckley said one time that we had been doing missionary work wrong for years and it needed to change. How the point is to convert the missionary before they convert someone else. I really like that idea. Especially because the last few days I've finally begun to feel like my old self again. I didn't realized how far I'd slipped from her in the 2 years since high school and seminary. It scares me that it kind of happened without my realizing it, but I really appreciate all the testimony builders they give you at the MTC. The weekly devotionals are AMAZING, and our District testimony meetings afterwards are always super fantastic.
Yesterday we had our devotional and Elder Claudio R. M. Costa of the Presidency of the Seventy spoke. And I gave the opening prayer. Yeah. That was a thing. It was only mildly terrifying though because a ton of missionaries left Monday and Tuesday for their missions. Including Sisters Jerez and Yost. They became Sis. Bakker's and my best friends. But now they're in Romania where they belong, and I'm so happy for them! It was hard to say goodbye to them, and the Italians, but they are so good and I'm sure they're going to be amazing in their missions.
Have you read the conversion story of Alma the Younger lately? I read it just this morning and it is so good. I love the Book of Mormon. It's amazing and I know that it is true. I know it.
Last night Elder Costa made a really great point that missionary work is a lifetime commitment. Once you teach someone and they agree to be baptized, that's not it. You don't get to say, 'Good job, I'm so proud of you. See you in the Celestial Kingdom.' It doesn't work like that. You are responsible for them and their testimony and activity in the Church all the way to the end. I'd never thought of it like that. Missionary work doesn't end for me in 17 and a half months. It ends when all the people that I have taught and will teach are baptized and are able to teach their families the same things I taught them. It ends when I can hug each and every one of them in the Celestial Kingdom because they made it.
I'd never thought about it like that.
I'm really excited about it, though. It's going to be amazing. I'm so excited!
I have to go switch laundry, but I should be able to figure out photos afterwards. Hopefully. We'll see.
I love you all, and I hope you have an amazing day and a fantastic week!
Love, Sister John
At this point she switches her laundry and then comes back and writes part two.
NO PICTURES
Because the MTC is stupid and their computers are stupid and I'll figure it out later. Bleh.
Anyways, to kind of wrap everything all together, we had a lesson about how to make goals and it was basically Timberline and I finished mine before everyone else even knew what they were doing and our teacher just walked over and said, 'Sister John, you're really fast." To which I replied, "I already know how to do this because of Timberline." I felt so cool. And then on our District Temple Walk on Sunday, I talked to Brother Sell about how I want to go to Wood Badge when I finish in Germany and he told me about his Wood Badge experiences and we talked about the Title of Liberty and the American Flag and all about Timberline. It was so good. I didn't realize how much I missed scouts. It keeps surprising the Elders in my district when I talk about it, but they're getting used to it, I think. As we were walking back to the MTC after our walk, Brother Sell asked me that if anyone started singing a scout song, could I join in? I then told him that during our District Meeting Elder Smith had asked if there were any announcements and I almost started singing then. Then Elder Clemente started singing the Announcements song and I joined and our versions were a little bit and mine was WAY longer, but it was SO GOOD. It was so good. Out of everyone in my District (aside from my companion) I get along with Elder Clemente the best. Because we both love puns and making people laugh. Also, he is a fantastic servant leader. His companion has been having some problems with the rest of us and has been making Elder Clemente leave the classroom with him and separating him from the group. But Elder Clemente just keeps on loving him and being so patient. He just needs to be translated already. He also has actually lived in Germany and speaks it the best. So he's pretty fantastic. But the other Elders are super amazing too. Elder Fugal is from New York and lives just a few minutes from the Sacred Grove (super jealous!), Elder Smith speaks German pretty well and runs cross country, and Elder Van Dam is super strong! He was a pole vaulter and if you ever watch him play basketball with the other Elders every single one of his passes goes straight to the person he passes to. Like, STRAIGHT to them. He's only like, 5'9", but he does "Reverse Pull-Ups". Which basically means he swings up on top of the pull-up bar and does vertical push-ups on it. He's insane.
So that's everything. I didn't get a water bottle but I'm not going to worry about it because I think I might have to either send some things home or leave some things here because my bags are too heavy. All of my language materials are actually around 18 pounds, not 12. So I want to make sure everything will work out alright.
To answer a few questions, no, I cannot access my regular email here. The filters on the MTC computers are more restricting than on a prison's computer system. I get up at 6:15 every morning and am in bed by 10:30. I miss color guard, but Elder Van Dam and Elder Clemente did marching band so we talk about it and share stories and it's great. You can call me Sierra, but I will always call myself Sister John because it's good practice. But please don't call me Sister John. I hear it every day and it's kind of wearing. They announced my first and last name at the devotional last night for the prayer and I had a panic attack of, "Wait, that's not my name." But it is. I just forgot because I never use it. The showers are fine. Not freezing and as hot as I would like it. But Sis. Bakker and I keep running into weird people there. Last time there were two sisters and one was showering and her companion was feeding her string cheese. Yeah...... Welcome to the MTC!!
Send me pictures of the guard!!!! There is literally NOTHING to spin here. Not even to pretend to spin and it's driving me crazy!!!! I ran in gym the past few days. WILLINGLY. BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING ELSE I CAN DO. I would play basketball with the Elders but that means that Sis. Bakker has to play with me and she doesn't want to so that's out. She's not exactly a physical person. But it's okay. I will run and run and it will be good. Or I'll just go crazy. Whichever happens first.
I'm leaving Oct. 27 and please don't send Christmas presents before then. I'm not sure I'll have the room or weight to take them with me.
The food is good. THE ORANGE JUICE IS FINE. I'm going to single-handedly stop that rumor if I have to, but it is fine. I promise.
Dear Elder is fantastic. Elder Bennett of the Jelly Doughnuts going to Berlin has gotten something like 4 packages through Dear Elder. His district eats well. And we do too, because he shares. He's nice like that. But really, Dear Elder is great. I just can't read the letter until we go back to our residence for the night. But whether it's email or Dear Elder, I don't really care. Whichever works best for everyone. Though Dear Elder is great. Though I get the most letters in my district and its kind of embarrassing sometimes.
Please keep me updated on band. Which scores and caption scores and all that good stuff. It fees strange asking for that but I can't get it myself! Its kind of annoying! But I will be hanging out by the fence on October 19(?) and see if I can hear the competition for a minute. Then I'll go back inside and study because that seems to be all we do here. It's not, but it feels like it sometimes. It also feels like I've already been gone for 2 months instead of 2 weeks.
Okay, I think thats everything. And it has to be because I'm over time and need to go get laundry. I love you all!
Love, Sister John
