Week 2 - Email

Feliz Navidad!! 
It was a very big week, so it's a big email. Most of my emails are copied straight out of my journal; I hope not all emails will be like this!

Saturday 12/19

   This was my hardest day in the MTC so far. After telling you how great everything was, Saturday was a struggle. I was exhausted and feeling negative at the end of the day. Despite getting tired of the non-stop schedule, I pushed to "make it to Sunday", which is what everyone here (and Elder Bunnell, my cousin) told me to do.
 
Sunday 12/20

   They were right. I needed Sunday so badly and right after my worst day so far, I had my best day so far. I was actually able to relax a little bit and have peace about being on a mission despite the craziness. This was the most spiritual day I have experienced, between sacrament meeting almost complete en espanol, choir practice, a devotional, and listening to the talk "Characters of Christ" by Elder Bednar that he gave at the MTC on Christmas a year or two ago. I realized what examples around me. One of my roommates (also una Hermana in my district) is the only member of the church in her family (baptized a year ago on the Sunday before we reported to the MTC), hasn't seen her dad since she was young, and her mother remarried into a same-sex marriage with her step-mom. She is so strong and proactive even in her unique circumstances and she shows such love for her mother, her family and home ward, and everyone here at the MTC. The gospel of Jesus Christ just makes so much sense to her and she inspires me.
 
Monday 12/21

   Today Hermana Jensen and I got a new investigator to teach named Hely, but class ran late so we didn't get to talk to her very long. The lesson didn't go very well with so little time and poor Spanish, lol. But, later we got to teach our other investigator, Antonio and it went much better. He was about 40 minutes late for the lesson, so Hermana and I decided to practice Su Proposito (Your Purpose in Spanish) memorized for a while. When we figured that he wasn't going to come, we stood up to go back to the classroom. Standing up, we started a pray for the actor of Antonio, hoping he was alright. In the middle of the prayer, I looked over Hermana's shoulder, and outside the door I saw Antonio rush into the building. I stopped her mid-prayer: "SHH, he's here! I hope he didn't hear us!" We laughed so hard, and we were glad he made it. We had a great late lesson on the restoration, Jose Smith, y el Libro de Mormon. The spirit was really strong, and my companion was able to say things in Spanish things in Spanish that in the past she had to ask for help with. We both cried after because it was so cool and we had to rely on the spirit to much.

 

Tuesday 12/22

   We had a great evening devotional. The speakers were Brent H. Neilson of the Seventy and his wife, Marcy Neilson. They talked about all that Christ promises he can do for us, and asked what WE will do to become the people and missionaries Heavenly Father wants us to be. After, in the district devotional review, we had our first opportunity to share our testimonies a little bit with each other. It was so neat, and it helped me to love my district more. I feel so blessed to have such great missionaries to be around and learn from at the MTC. I know it won't be like this my whole mission, so I'm trying to enjoy it while I can.

 

Wednesday 12/23

   We had our last lesson with "Antonio" (Brother Workman) and we easily got him to commit to baptism. After the lesson, we heard him speak English for the first time and his advice and feedback was to have more productive companion study by practicing our lessons with each other.

 

Today 12/24

   We had service this morning, a good second lesson with Hely! Tomorrow morning we will have a member of the Quorum of the Twelve speaking, and everyone is very excited. They aren't allowed to tell us who it is, but the hints are that he is not in the Presidency and that he has been here to speak before. My prediction is Elder Oaks, and Hermana Jensen's prediction is Elder Holland. We will see!

My unit number was changed to 63, but I still got my DearElders and letters and package this week. Thank you so much!!!

New mailing Address:

Sister Emily Gay Rubio

JAN26  MA-BOS
2005 N 900 E Unit 63
Provo UT 84602

Feliz Navidad,

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Sister Rubio