Okay, so this week's highlight.... DANIEL CAME! It's been so awesome having him here - I love it! It was all I could do to wait a few hours for when his class had a break on his first day so that I could go and give him a huge hug. We've been doing that pretty frequently - even in the lunch room! The MTC is working its magic, though, because I feel awkward pretty much every time - I keep on telling myself that I won't be awkward when I get back, but at this rate, it'll definitely happen for at least a few days (sorry in advance). Oh, anyway, Daniel - it's really funny because the MTC has tons of rules about boy/girl interaction (of course) - normally I think those are a good idea, but it's been a little more irritating when you just want to spend time with your brother but you can't... we had to get permission to run together on the track in the gym, for crying out loud! Speaking of the gym, I thought it was myself who was perpetuating the idea that I'm more immature in the MTC... wrong. Daniel and I played 4 square together for the first time (for me) yesterday, and someone dove for the ball, and... they took the ball away because someone dove for it! I officially have gone downhill from feeling like I'm in high school and now feel like I'm in kindergarten again. :) Oh, one more thing about Daniel - THANK YOU FOR THE PACKAGE YOU SENT WITH HIM! It completely made my day to see all of the awesome stuff you sent (we even had nutella in our room to go with the bread - yum!), and I felt so, so, so loved. Thank you.
Okay, now about this email's title. Just a disclaimer - this is not supposed to be a "pity me" email in any way, shape, or form. This is just a funny thing that's happened this week and I want to share it with all of you. So the new missionaries came this week... and they all speak Chinese way better than me! I'd say a year on average (college-level, too) - it's a disaster. And it's my fault, too! You want to know why? Because I've been praying to be more humble AND more charitable this week - and then these guys were all sent over here to test me. It's working, but I'm happy to say that there have been at least a couple of instances where I've come out on top. Both of these experiences involve a certain Elder F. He's taken THREE YEARS of Chinese, and delights in using phrases that I don't know at all. He also has this wonderful expression of smugness and self-satisfaction that clearly indicates that he KNOWS that he's using words that I don't know. Example: I'm the ward music coordinator, so I was visiting all of the new missionaries to see if they played anything. Elder F said "Datiqin" with a grin on his face. I THANKFULLY had studied musical terms only the week before, so I calmly said, "Oh, cello? Awesome." For a brief instant the mask of smugness was gone, and in its place was a look that expressed his frank surprise (and, I imagined, disappointment) that I knew what he was saying. Obviously I haven't quite reached my goal of patience OR humility quite yet, but I feel proud of myself for resisting the impulse to point and yell, "HA!" after I foiled his little plan to make me look dumb (just so you all know, I'm exaggerating a little bit. But only slightly.).
I've only got three minutes and I need to write about my spiritual thought! Okay, Sister Dibb (President Monson's daughter) came and spoke to us at RS - she talked about her dad for most of the time, and it was so sweet. I'll send you stuff about it in my letter to you. Main spiritual thought - yesterday I was doing an activity in PMG for personal study under "using time wisely" about where I want to be at the end of my mission. One of the questions in "What do you want to have become?" and I answered, "lost in the service of those whom I teach and love." Now Mom, I know that you've always told me how that's been the best part of your mission experience, but "losing myself" has honeslty always scared me a little bit. I like who I am, and although I want to improve and become better, I'm scared about the personality I know and love and that it'll change (thanks for your letter about that - it was great to hear your comforting words). I also feel like my family and those that I love are an intrinsic part of who I am, and I don't want to lose contact with them in order to "lose myself!" But as I pondered the meaning of those words, I got a little bit of inspiration about it... at least inspiration for me (you all probably knew this and it took me a long time just to figure it out). Here's an excerpt from my journal about it. "I think I've always thought of losing yourself as losing your identity and losing those you care about in order to serve, but I don't think that's it. It's more like becoming so good and so obedient that you become a complete instrument in the Lord's hands, so that He can use you for whatever purpose He wants to. So it's not like I'm losing myself, Rebecca Winters, and all other personality traits and loved ones associated with that name. Instead, I'm Rebecca Winters, and BECAUSE of my distinct set of personality traits, talents, and people whom I love, I'm more equipped to become even better, to lose my SINGLE self in the work as I work WITH God to bring people closer to Him. It's like that scripture - "He who abaseth himself will be exalted," or, in my case, "She who will humbleth herself and tries to become more Christlike as she follows God's will exactly will be made greater and even better as God works WITH her." Or like Ammon says when he boasts in God, he knows that it's WITH God that he can do all things. He's lost himself by working with God, but he is now greater and can accomplish more. Awesome."
Okay, way over time, but I just loved learning about that! I feel so blessed, and so happy. I hope you all feel the same. I love you!
Love,
Sister Winters
PS - Morgan Crockett, you were awesome in Men's Chorus! I loved the concert and totally made a fool of myself trying to get you to see me. That's all.
No comments:
Post a Comment