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