A mission should not be the highlight of your life but the foundation for the rest of your life

Hey family and friends!

I love it here at the MTC during this wonderful Christmas season. It was snowing a little today and it left a nice little amount snow on the ground which made me think of my white Christmases at home in VA!

It has been a crazy week but lots of uplifting moments and memories. We are receiving our new missionaries tomorrow. 19 total and 4 of them are sisters. One of them is going to the Belgium mission Chinese speaking. President Baker said it is the first one that he has first heard of going to Belgium! The mandarin speakers are everywhere I guess.

 Last Tuesday we were able to hear from Elder Hallstrom of the 70. His talk was really powerful and it really reminded me of why am I here on a mission.

He talked about how it is my choice where or not this mission will change my life. I want this mission to change my life so I will be 100% obedient to receive all the blessings I can.

He also talked about how we need to expect to get answers which I really liked because sometimes I think I will not get an answer so I don't because I am fearful.

I need to have what I want my investigators to have. That is why I am here at the MTC to gain a better testimony myself. I can only convert people to the level of my conversion.

I am going to choose to be happy! I am pretty good at this one but there is always room for improvement. Don't let other people determine your happiness!

He also talked a lot about sometimes missionaries don't progress because they put limitations on themselves. It is not God but their own fears and worries. I really felt like he was talking to me during this. I have hit a wall with learning and it is because I am scared of not being good enough. i am scared that I won't be able to learn this language which is foolish because God is on MY side. He will help me!

Elder Hallstrom also stated "A mission should not be the highlight of your life but the foundation for the rest of your life"

I agree! The mission is teaching me great study skills of the scriptures, language, doctrine! I am becoming a scholar I feel like!

In our district meeting afterward we talked about what we all learned.  I talked about how my friend told me the MTC is a refiners fire for the missionary. God is burning off all my sharp edges and is smoothing them.

I need to learn as much vocab as I can because then God can steer me in a wider direction.

 

Our progressing investigators are doing great! (These are our teachers who take on roles of people who they taught and we teach them now) We are finally connecting with Pan which is good because we have visited with him 6 times. He is doing awesome! She quit drinking tea without any problem. This was our biggest concern with her.

I was reading in Jacob 7 I like how in verse 7 it says " I could not be shaken". i want to be like Jacob. When someone comes and tries to shake me I want to be firm in my beliefs!

On Sunday for Relief Society Sister Elaine Dalton CAME!!!! It was amazing! She really focused on how one virtuous woman can change the world! I as a sister missionary am part of the change that can happen in the world. She showed us a cool youtube video of a flash mob in a California mall but it was all Christmas music! It was amazing to see all types of people stop and listen! you should try to find it!

I am doing a lot better this week! I am re focused and ready to learn. I have felt that because I have so much potential Satan has been really trying to get me down. I will not let him win so I have kept my chin up! I can do this! I have been promised so many blessing and they will come but I first have to work on the input and let God take care of the output!

Today I was talking with the worker in the mail room and he asked me where my family lived. I gave him a confused look and then he asked again and it clicked. My English is going but my Chinese is improving LOADS! Sometimes as I read back over my journal I think this doesn't make sense because it is in English grammar. I am sure that you have noticed that in my letter. Oops

I am so excited to go to Taiwan. I only have 5 weeks left and I feel the pressure to learn the language! I am starting to fel a real love for these people. I am feeling a genuine care about them and their needs as I am teaching these progressing investigators. I want to help them so badly and when they don't do their commitments I am sad because I am just trying to help them better understand the gospel!

I love this church! I love being a missionary during this Christmas season! The spirit is so strong here. The feeling I get while being here is one of peace and joy. I am constantly being reminded of the reason for Christmas. Christ was born as a baby to die for me and my sins! Oh how my heart is so happy and grateful for him!

The 12 days of Christmas are going great. No one is even guessing it is me! The boys I mean Elders are all like it has to be one of the girls! It also helps me not focus on myself but on others!

This work is not about ME it is about others and how I can bring them this message of hope faith and love.

I love this church! I know it is true! I hope we all remember the reason for the season. It is all about that baby who was born in a manger who came to atone for all of our pains suffering sicknesses and afflictions. Read Alma 7: 11-14.

Love,

Sister Latimer

Lei jie mei

The Reason For The Season

Hello family!

This week has been AMAZING! So many spiritual experiences and so many answers to my prayers.

Sunday Sister Reeves from the Relief Society general presidency came and talked to us. She talked about how no one can leave a mission the same person they came as. Every single missionary’s life will change for the better as a result of their service on a mission. That really hit home for me. I feel the change inside of me and I love it. This is the best thing I could be doing for my life right now. I am becoming the person God wants me to be and nothing could be better. :)

Monday in class Brother Anderson shared a letter with us from one of his investigators. This man had made some mistakes and is slowly making things right and is starting to read his scriptures more. AS he read that we could all feel the love that Brother Anderson has for this man. He wanted to read this to remind us why we are here learning the language. A love for the people starts by learning the language. You need to feel the words you speak not just say them. It really reminded me that there are people in Taiwan who need this gospel and I need to know the language to help them! :) Brother Anderson said from this point on it's up to us to work harder. He can help us learn new things but we have to use it on our own to remember it! How true is that. So we are making goals as a district to SYL MORE!! ( Speak your language)

So Monday in class we read the BOM together but for the first time in Chinese! The spirit was so very strong! We even talked about it in Chinese! Strong testimonies were born about what we had read and I realized the spirit has no barrier to languages! You can feel the spirit no matter what language you speak! I love the fact that I am learning Chinese!

Sunday President Baker gave a talk about how lucky we are to be learning Chinese! 20% of the world knows Chinese! How blessed am I to be a part of helping these people and we have only scratched the surface!! He read us some of David O McKay’s dedicatory prayer at Tiananmen Square in China! There was not a dry eye in the room. He is such a powerful speaker and when he speaks he commands everyone's attention. I love this church! :)

At this time I am reminded so much of the reason for the season. It's all about Christ. Being here is the best place to remember this. I am excited because a general authority who is well known will be speaking at our devotional. I will let you know next week who it is! :)

Our older generation left this morning at 4:30! I am so sad to see them go. I can't believe that I am at my 1/2 way mark here in the MTC! I don't feel ready at all! I feel 20 steps behind in my language study. But I know God will make up the difference when I am in Taiwan.

I went to the temple already and loved it! It gives me peace and rejuvenates me for the coming week. Also some sealing because we are going to go as a district one day and do sealings. So much fun!!

On Saturday we took our "investigator" to a "baptism." It was amazing. She got teary and said she felt the Spirit. All of the district has now set a date with her to be baptized. Sister Anderson and I have her date at the 6th of January and the boys’ dates follow a few days after. We are thinking of doing a group baptism. It is great to be able practice teaching an investigator. We treat them as real and are now attached to ours. We are doing great with our girl investigator. Our boy investigator is having a hard time, but last night we finally got him to pray after meeting with him 7 times!

Another funny story.

Elder Kime was in a lesson and told the investigator that next time they would bring the government but he meant to say husband! Also he said all the churches are true! We get a kick out of telling each other the mistakes we make in lessons! Laughing about it is the only way to go because we are all trying.

The church is true! I know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet. I know that God and Jesus Christ did in fact appear to him. I know that the BOM is true! I know that President Thomas S Monson is the living prophet today!

I love you all!

Remember the reason for the season!

Sister Latimer.

12/4/2012 - half way through the MTC

 Dear Family!

The MTC is so great! The spirit is always so strong here and I love being around so many people who have such a strong desire to serve the Lord. 

We are a little sad this week because the older generation is leaving next Tuesday which means that MY group will be the older generation. This marks my halfway point in the MTC. It makes me feel that I have not learned as much Chinese as I should. :( It's ok because I know it will come it will just take time and I need to learn to be patient.

I love Sundays here at the MTC. It is so spiritual and uplifting. I really understand the phrase just make it to Sunday. If you can make it to Sunday you will feel totally better after Sunday.

My roommates and I are getting so close. We have started to say nightly family prayers which have really bonded us together. I feel that unity is starting to build. One of the Sisters in my room Sister Burrows’ brother died while he was on his mission and his birthday was Monday. It was really hard for her but she made it through. Her brother went to Romania and both him and his companion died from carbon monoxide poisoning.  It was in the Church News.

 

I love gym time!! it is a great time to relieve stress and forget about Chinese. This past week I have jogged a mile twice with the help of my Cambodian sister Payne (she is going to Cambodia). I also have rowing competitions with the elders in my district. I usually lose but it is fun anyway. I have lost 8 lbs.

Today we are going to the temple which I love because it really lifts my spirits and helps me put things into perspective. I love the feeling I get when I am at the temple and the peace and reassurances I get while I am there.

Funny story from this week

So you have to know in Chinese there are 4 tones. So it's all about the tones and the right letters. 

So Mao is cat and yao is medicine. Sister Anderson sometimes says mao and I started thinking that but she would immediately correct herself.  So we are role playing with one of our zone resources teacher. I start because I know more conversational Chinese.  I ask him what he did that day and he told me that he was not feeling well so he had stayed inside all day.

I said, Ni chi mao ma? (Which means have you eaten a cat)

instead of

Ni chi yao ma? (Have you eaten medicine)

It took me a second to realize what I said but as soon as I did my companion and I could not stop laughing. Our teacher was trying to get us to be serious but we were having a laughing moment.

That is one of the many moments I experience here and think this is why I am in the MTC 12 weeks not 9 because I get medicine and cat mixed up. The good thing is that I try. That is really all that matters. I will get this language down!

It's been a rough week but not. There are times when I feel down and there are times when I feel on top of the world! I was thinking about it and realized that part of the problem is I need to have more faith in the Lord. I get really impatient and frustrated that I am not learning as much as I want to. I have to remember God sent me here and he will help me in that moment and time I need it. That will be in lessons.

I talked with President Baker and he really helped. He reminded me that patience is a choice. It's not that you run out of patience it's that you chose not to have patience. I am working on that.

Also my roommates and I love our happy thoughts. Every night before family prayer we read one. Each day the one we read seems perfect. I am so grateful you took the time to make those. They have made my days better and have lifted me up when I need it. The girls say that you are so thoughtful!!

I sometimes get discouraged and think I could be in school right now and it would be so much easier! I then think about how much I have grown and how I would not change this experience for the world! This is making me the person I WANT to be! I am so grateful for that.

I really have become comfortable here. I joke with all my zone and they joke right back. The Elders in the district have seen me at my best and worst and I have also seen them at their best and worst. We are a FAMILY!! WE may drive each other crazy but at the end of the day if any of them were in trouble I would do anything for them! I always thought that they randomly put the sisters in zones with elders, but after talking with the sisters it is no coincidence. Each sister feels that those Elders were meant to teach them! I feel the same way. I love all the elders in my zone but there will always be a special place in my heart for the elders in my Zone! We all want to meet up after the mission and want to be at each other’s weddings!

I need to focus on the here and now. That is hard I sometimes worry about what will happen after my mission! I need to remember that God will take care of me. All I need to worry about is being worthy and he will take care of the rest. Live in the present and quantinize it! I think that is how it is spelled!

I know this church is true and I am so glad that I have it in my life! I am grateful I have the opportunity to consecrate 18 months of my life to God. I know that this is where he needs me! I know he loves each and every one of us. I know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet! I know that Christ suffered for you and me! I love this church and am grateful for all the blessing I receive because of it!

Love,

Sister Latimer

11/27/12

Hello family!

Thanksgiving here was AMAZING!! Elder Holland came with his family and spoke to us. His wife and some of his grandkids also participated in the event. It was amazing. My roommate is his niece so she got a shout out and was able to talk to him afterwards which was great because she needed the boost. He talked about what he was grateful for and a huge part of it was about Joseph Smith. The spirit was so strong and it was the best thanksgiving I have ever had. We did a service project in the afternoon making hygiene and education kits. It was fun because they were playing Christmas music in the background. The food was ok. The dinner at Christensens’ was my real thanksgiving. 

At night we had a fun fireside where some people acted out the first thanksgiving. It was nice to let loose and laugh. Then at night they surprised us with bags of popcorn and we watched 17 Miracles. It was a great way to end Thanksgiving. I can't wait for Christmas. If they did all of this just for Thanksgiving I cannot imagine Christmas. It was so touching that our mission presidency stayed with us the whole day even eating with us when they could of been home with family. How great are they?

 

I have been praying to have more confidence and faith that this is the language the Lord wants me to learn and that I will learn it in time for the mission field. President Baker reminded me Sunday to focus more on the input than the output. He says it will come in the moment you need it but you got to put it there first. I am working on that. 

Sunday was amazing!! I love Sundays because they refocus me and reenergize me. They remind me of why I am here. It's all worth it. No price is too great.

I went to the temple today and it was great!! I love being in the celestial room and feeling the peace that comes from being there.

I saw Hermana Walter here!! She is only here for one more week since she already knows Spanish. It is great to see a familiar face.

I don't think that I have ever prayed so much in my life. This is by far the hardest thing I have ever had to do. It is mentally, emotionally, and spiritually draining. (One day it will be physical) I sometimes feel that I am always being pushed beyond my capacity. By 8 pm every day I think just let me go to bed I will be better in the morning. But somehow my body still keeps going. I know that it's only with the Lord's help because he needs missionaries. This is not easy by any stretch of the means but it is so rewarding. I already feel that I am changing drastically. I am not the same person I was when I came in. I am more patient with others. I have more love for others that I did not even know I could have. I have come closer to Christ and felt his hand in my life in these past few weeks than I have my whole life.

I am just so grateful that I am on this mission! It is rough but it is great all at the same time. This is the place where God wants me to be and there comes with that an added measure of peace. I am where God wants me so he will bless me and make me stronger than I am. I am at a brick wall but as President Baker said I will push through it knock it down and then a few day/weeks later I will hit another brick wall. It will continue to happen and I just got to keep my head up. Because it's not my work it is God's work. I feel an added urgency to make myself better. This is the place where I can make mistakes out in the field I can but I need to do all I can here to prepare to be out there.

I know that this is the true church. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and that he did see God and Jesus Christ. I know that God loves each one of us.

Love and miss you all!  

One of Sister Anderson's favorite sayings is

THE CHURCH IS TRUE THE BOOK IS BLUE AND GOD IS A MORMON!

Love,

Sister Latimer

11/20/2012

Hello family!

I love getting letters.

Last week I was really sick and so I went and saw a doctor. They gave me some advice. I still was not getting better so I had Elder Monson and Elder Gibson  give me a blessing. I have improved rapidly. In the blessing elder Gibson promised me that I would have the emotional strength I needed for this mission. That was a huge comfort to me because I was feeling emotionally drained and afraid I would have a meltdown. He also said that God is proud of me. It made me cry and was just what I needed to hear.

I do go to the temple every Tuesday (p-day). It is such an uplifting thing to go to the temple and feel the Spirit and remember why you are doing this.

I love being here. There is a spirit here that I can't describe. People are so nice and caring. Everyone smiles at you and is eagerly waiting to help you.

My teachers are so enthusiastic it makes learning the language a lot easier. They always correct us with love and understanding.

We are on our 3&4th investigator. Yesterday we taught both of them for the first time. The one with He jie mei went great. She was really receptive and had a real desire to learn. The other one was with Pan (played by An di xiong) It was tough because it was a cold contact. We didn't know anything about him. The whole time we felt awkward and disconnected. We talked about it afterwards and are thinking of ways to improve. It is so weird because despite it is just role play you still pray for these people. In every prayer I mention them and the concerns they are having. We treat it like a real investigator to better prepare for the field.

So my other teacher is a girl. Just meet her but she used to live in Beijing. She knows the Stratfords and Lewises. Sister Morrey. She served her mission in Taiwan and got back 4 months ago. She is great. She is so Relief Society, always saying an encouraging word to us. While An di xiong is so priesthood. It is a very good balance.

I know that this is God's work. I feel that the time is speeding by and it makes me sad. I don't want to waste a single minute here because I know this time is a gift from God. It is crazy to think he entrusts me enough to go teach the people of Taiwan. I would be worried about telling people the wrong thing and driving them away from the church. One pair of sisters in the older generation made a similar mistake.

They were in one of their lessons teaching about the Holy Ghost. None of them had taken Chinese before so their Chinese was limited. They explained the HG then had the investigator ask any questions. He said, “So the Holy Ghost is a spirit that comes at night and possesses my body.” They said, “We were so excited and said, ‘Dui dui dui.’” Later the teacher told them that they might have told them that. They were mortified.

I now just say “shi” and not “dui” because I don't want to say yes to something bad.

 Every day seems long here but the weeks are short. I have started making my general lesson plans which is fun. What a neat tool that is. Do you know what those are?

I sometimes feel that I want to give up but I always remember that I am here for a reason. It's not about me: it's about those searching for the gospel. The fireside on Sunday night was about Christlike attributes. It was by Elder Bednar. He stated that Christ looked outward while the natural man tends to look inward. I want to be better at looking outward.

SAD NEWS

We cannot call home for Christmas. Too many people and not enough resources. :( I am sad but everyone told me that everyone says that their Christmas in the MTC was the best one they have ever had.

So I know it will be great.

A general authority will be coming Thursday for Thanksgiving. I know that I have lots to be grateful for. :)

Time is short so I will just end with my testimony.

I know this Church is true. I know that Joseph Smith is God's prophet. I know that this church can bring people happiness, peace, joy and purpose. I know that God loves each one of us.

In every way for 18 months 24/7 be a missionary- Elder Holland 

Love,

Eliza

P.S. I love love love getting letters send me lots! It brightens my day.

11/13/2012 The Hastening of the Work

Hello Family!!

I love you all so much! I miss you guys like crazy but am so happy being here at the MTC. I am grateful for this opportunity I have to study and learn Chinese.

The first day was a whirlwind. You walk into class and your teacher just starts telling you what to do all in Chinese! Then we went and did some online orientation then returned and had class for three hours!

The second day they have you teaching your first investigator in Chinese! That was super hard because we only knew how to pray. We prayed and prayed and prayed. We have taught 3 lessons total. It is amazing at how real these investigators feel. You really do come to have a love for them and want to help them out.

The gift of tongues is real! I believe that now more than I ever have in my whole life. I have witnessed it with me and the other elders in my zone and district! God has blessed my mind to expand more than I expected. I am grateful that I have had his strength. I am so happy to be here! 

My district is AMAZING!  We are the only Mandarin speaking district where all of us are going to Taipei. The elders are so sharp. I am amazed that some of them only just graduated from high school! I don't feel that much older than them.  There is an elder from Latvia (Baltic State). His dad translated the BOM into Latvian. We asked him if he was surprised to be going Chinese speaking and he said no I have always had a feeling I would go Chinese speaking. 

Sunday was amazing! The sisters go to Music and the Spoken Word while the elders are in priesthood. Then we have Relief Society which is just a talk. Sister Esplin talked who is the Primary general president. One thing she said that really stuck out to me was the hastening of the work. She said a couple of weeks after this conference she was in a meeting somewhere with Elder Holland.

Elder Holland was talking about the Lowering of the age to the youth and said, “The HASTENING of the work is NOT for the convenience of the elders and sisters who want to serve. This is because the Lord said He would HASTEN his work in the last days!!”
I feel that here so much. There is an urgency for this work to be spread.

Sister Esplin quoted someone else who said, “It's not that the church needs more members. BUT the people need the church!”
What an interesting concept that is. I know that it is true.

The MTC is not easy by any stretch of the mind. I have come to realize that the highs are so much better and stronger than the lows that it makes it all worth it. I have noticed my relationship with Christ is changing and growing. I have never prayed so hard and much in my life, I told someone. I will sometimes go to the bathroom just to say a prayer to give me the strength I need. I am amazed at how much I have been stretched in this short amount of time. God is making me a stronger person. More than I thought I could be.

On Sunday for the fireside in the evening Sister Anderson and I decided to go watch a recorded talk Elder Holland had previously given at the MTC. In it he talked about how we are apostolic with this calling. He stressed though with a little a. He told us that we keep the closest to apostles’ schedules than anyone else. He stressed to not spend these 18 months thinking about what will happen when we get back but focus on the now. He said that people who spend the whole time wondering about what they will do after the mission miss the big picture. I felt that was totally directed towards me.

I want you to know that I know this Church is True!! I have never felt it so strongly in my life. Even when I bear truth of it in another language. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and did in fact see God and Jesus Christ. I know that the BOM is true. I love this church and this amazing opportunity I have to be a missionary.

My time is up but I love you all!
Love,
Sister Latimer

School and summer adventures

What an exciting year it has been!
It has been a great year and so much has happened.  I will back up a little an start from the very beginning.
Ever since my 20th birthday last year I had been debating on whether or not to go on a mission. After two very clear answers in January I decided to go on a mission.
The turning event that made me decide to go on a mission was my friend/roommate's sister Jen getting her mission call. I was invited to attend the opening and decided I would rather do that on a school night than homework. I got a hold of my good friend Elizabeth Champney and told her she should come. We both arrived a little early. The people that were there started guessing where she would be serving.
A little information on Jen is that she is from Taipei Taiwan. Everyone was guessing stateside it seemed. I got this feeling in my heart it was going to be the Taiwan mission. I then waited excitedly to hear where she would be called. I was right she was called to serve in the Taichung Taiwan mission. I was so happy for her. It was in that moment I realized that I needed to go on a mission. On our short walk home I turned to Elizabeth and said I am going on a mission. I don't remember what she said but I think that it was something along the lines of good. She knew that I had been back on this decision for months. I don't know whether or not she took me seriously.
That night I called my parents and told them the news. They were on a trip somewhere so we did not talk long but they were very excited about my decision.
The next few months whirled by as I was balancing school, work, and appointments for my mission.
They were also filled with doubts and fears that I had to fight because Satan was trying his hardest to get me.
I remember that the process seemed to take forever. In my final interview with my bishop he said you should be grateful for how fast and smooth this process went. In my head I was thinking  if this was smooth and fast.
I then flew off to VA to attend one of my HS friend's wedding. I spent two weeks there visiting with friends for the last time for the next 2 years.
I then flew to China to work for the American Embassy summer camp and to spend as much time as possible with my parents.
It was an amazing summer. I loved working with the kids. They never cease to amaze me. They also were always teaching me new things every day. The most important lessons they taught me were patience and love. I could never be upset for too long because when I would see their sad faces my heart would melt.
Also while in China my mission papers were submitted. So the wait began in Hawaii  followed me to China.