Friday, March 14, 2014

Travel Plans Arrive

Wow I don't even know where to begin with this week.  It has certainly been the best week at the MTC so far and easily the best week of my mission.  How people don't just love the MTC I'll never understand. Everyone here is so happy and invigorated with the gospel they emanate pure joy 24/7.  I'll try to sum up all the positives of my week for you, but I think the most amazing thing to focus on is that next week when you read my blog it will be coming from an internet cafe somewhere around Cuernavaca, Mexico!!! How neat is that?!?!  I'm terrified to leave the MTC because so far this has simply felt like my mission, but at the same time a single word (in this case Mexico) has never filled me with so much excitement in my life! I don't even know the people yet and I already love them and can't wait to meet them.  Thank you for all your letters of support and encouragement, they ALWAYS put a smile on my face.  I know the Lord has continually blessed me with the greatest friends in my life and not a day goes by that I'm not thankful for each and every one of you!
Today I officially can't walk because we had the brilliant idea yesterday to do lunges from our apartment to the gym (about a 1/4 of a mile) and then do our 250 calves raises with the 30 pound weight.  To say my body no longer likes me would be the understatement of the century!  I'm pretty sure I've never been in better shape though.  Between our morning runs and our midday exercises we are officially on the MTC track of getting swoll!! For today though I'm pretty sure our workout will simply be walking which in itself is a struggle.  At the temple this morning when they asked if any elderly people needed to use the elevator I almost raised my hand to inform him that the youthful sisters on the second row might need assistance up the stairs.

I guess I'll just cover the biggest events of this week: Our district's lessons with Ivett, Both of our teachers are now engaged, and WE GOT OUR TRAVEL PLANS!!!!

So our teachers are engaged, not to each other, but holy cow happiness!  Hermano Rockwood got engaged a day before we arrived in the MTC, but since my companion is obsessed with weddings we have heard every detail about the proposal and how the wedding plans are going.  We actually ran into one of Hermano Rockwood's roommates who also works here and we actually knew more about the wedding then he did which was pretty hilarious.  Our other teacher, Hermana Christenson, got engaged Friday! She left Wednesday for a family vacation where her boyfriend surprised her at the hotel....i could probably go on for an hour over how cute it was but I'll refrain.  We found out early because our substitute told us the news but then faked like we didn't know so she could tell us everything.  She was simply glowing and even showed us the video after warning us that it wasn't allowed to disrupt our focus.  The best was after she told the whole story she bore her testimony about three simple things she knows to be true.  My favorite thing she said was "As you are true and faithful to your calling, God will write your story more beautifully then you could ever imagine it!" I love that.  I could not be more thankful for my teachers! I'm pretty sure I was placed in the district with the best teachers and everyone who works here always agrees.  I feel bad because they have officially seen us on both ends of the spectrum and everywhere in between from giddy out of our minds to fast asleep and yet they do an amazing job.  There lessons are amazing and always invite the spirit in great abundance.  I love the days when Hermano Rockwood has write whatever questions we have on the board and then goes through and talks about each one, literally opening up the scriptures to the perfect verses to help explain what we are asking.  I hope to one day know the scriptures and Preach My Gospel as well as he does...and to be as passionate about the gospel.  I have an entire page set aside in my journal where I write down one liners that our teachers say that strike me to the core and I'd love to share a few with all of you.  In reality I wish you could have been there for the entire experience but hopefully these quotes will inspire you as much as they inspired me.

It's not about what we do or what we say but about who we are that qualifies us for the work.  The moment we recognize it's not about us we can get past our fears and accomplish what we were called to do.  We don't want others to simply join our Church we want them to join Christ! When we teach the doctrine of Christ we show a person how much we truly love them.  You can not love a person more then bring them unto Christ! He [Christ] gave all so that we could give all to them. (these came from all different lessons but magically tied in together) -Hermano Rockwood

We don't knock on doors to find investigators, we knock on doors to show our obedience and then the Lord places those prepared individuals in our path!

I hope that in some way showed how solid my teachers are and if not I wish you could come here and experience the power of their words for yourself!

This week we also received our travel plans which is the first moment in my life where I truly realized I was going to Mexico.  Like I said before, the MTC feels like my mission and I sincerely feel as though I've been counting down the days till my mission, that is MTC days are over.  But the night we got our travel plans might have topped the moment I opened my mission call in excitement.  Us Hermanas were strolling around trying to decide what we were going to eat for dinner when we saw the leader of our district standing at the door of the cafeteria and waving us over with purple papers.  We instantly knew what that meant and ran over to him.  He made the smart decision of taking us all outside before finally handing over the papers.  I didn't even read it, I just started jumping, spinning, and throwing up fist pumps of victory because I already knew what it was. Sisters  Chynoweth, Sturt, and I all ran together and were high fiving and hugging like crazy....then we felt terrible and ran back to Sister Metler and gave her a huge hug (saying goodbye to her as she heads to Heromosillo and the rest of us go to Cuernavaca is going to be absolutely terrible).  Then we took a moment to actually read our flight plans and the next thing I knew my companion was in my arms, literally I was holding her, and she was screaming in my ear, I'M GOING TO GEORGIA!!!!!" Explanation: our flight plans take us all the way to Georgia, where we have a three hour lay over, and then to Mexico.  She's never been east of Utah so she's psyched out of her mind to head to the south, as if the airport really counts as being there.  But she's so excited it's kind of like Olaf and summer and I can't dash her hopes. There were tears, screams, and simply jubilant faces.  When we reentered the cafeteria everyone wanted to know what was up and we basically went around to every table to show them our papers.  The west campus MTC is extremely tight knit and I love it!

Last but not least my district had the amazing opportunity of teaching all together (yes all 8 of us) this week to a lady who is investigating the church from New York City.  She's been atheist her entire life so it was a completely new experience for all of us.  We taught her three days in a row and all the lessons ended up being in English because she wanted us to truly be able to understand her questions and actually be able to answer them.  We sang to her every lesson and the spirit was simply there.  She couldn't recognize the spirit but she always commented on how she loved when we came by because she could always feel our love for her, which she thought was crazy cause we really didn't even know her.  We really tried to show her that we were only emulating the love God has for her and wants her to recognize is all around her.  I can honestly tell you that as we taught her I saw change.  By the end of the third lesson she told us that she had finally opened herself up to the idea of believing in God and I don't think I've ever been so happy in my life.  I really do love her and know how much her Heavenly Father loves her.  I want nothing more in the world for her to realize this.  I can't wait to share the same message with all the people of Mexico.  Oh sweet the joy this sentences gives, I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVES!

Sorry this is so long, but I truly had a blessed week,
Hope all of your weeks were equally blessed,
In all you do focus on the good and then your day can be nothing but happy,
With tons of love,
Hermana Neuberger
 
Editor´s Note: This blog is literally being posted from Patagonia from a letter written in Provo, Utah about going on a mission to Mexico.  It´s because of the Patagonia part of this that this week´s posting is so late. The pictures she sent will have to wait until next week.

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