Email #6

Well it's official, I'm passed my half-way point here at the MTC! I'm feeling kind of bipolar because I'm both EXTREMELY happy that I am that much closer to actually being out in the field serving God's children, yet also worried because that means I actually need to be able to speak Hmong. Regardless, this week has been a big week in our tri-companionship. We're really revamping our efforts to work as hard as we possibly can these last few weeks here at the MTC. Like I said last week, all classroom instruction is now done in Hmong, and we're supposed to be speaking Hmong outside of class 24/7. It's really challenging, but I can totally see the benefit of trying to speak Hmong 24/7 now as compared to when I actually get out into the field. I'm learning little conversational things that are essential if I'm going to be able to, you know, have a basic conversation.

I left some stuff out of last week's e-mail that I wanted to talk about, so I'm actually going to go all the way back to last Monday. It was so great! So like I think I said in my last e-mail, there were 150 new mission presidents and their wives here in the MTC getting training before they headed out to their fields. On Monday, all the presidents had meetings with the missionaries that would be going to their respective missions. Because us Hmong's and lots of other people here in the MTC aren't getting new mission presidents this time around, we went to the big auditorium for a 'surprise' movie. We thought that it was going to be some really lame movie to be honest and had low expectations going in (I know that is a terrible thing to say, but it's the truth!), but it turned out we watched The Other Side of Heaven! Definitely not something I thought they would let us watch in the MTC. When the movie started and movie title appeared on the screen, the place literally errupted into cheering. It was great just to sit back and relax for a couple hours, definitely not something we get all the time! In some ways it kind of made me feel like I was back home with you guys, watching a movie together as a family.

Then Tuesday night's devotional. Oh my goodness. So, no biggie, but Elder L. Tom Perry spoke to us. Oh, and up on the stand with him were Elders Cook, Bednar, Holland, Perry, Oaks, Nelson, Christofferson, Anderson, Ballard, and Scott. And I sat only a few rows from the front. It was such an amazing experience. When they entered the auditorium, we all stood up and you could feel the spirit so strongly just with their presence. Elder L. Tom Perry spoke to us about the benefits that come from being members of the church, and how we need to go forth and take advantage of this time in the world when there is extra attention on our religion. It made me even more excited to just get out into the field and help God's children that I have been called to serve return to Him through our Savior Jesus Christ. I can't wait! Seriously!

Our 'investigators' this week (aka our teachers that flawlessly act like investigators) have been really tough this week. One just fell through on his baptismal commitment, one just told us he smokes Opium and that there is nothing wrong with that, and another one speaks Green Hmong. It's frustrating because he can understand us speaking White Hmong, but we have a harder time understanding him because there are lots of changes between White and Green Hmong. But with all of these challenges, it has been a monumental week in that I feel like I'm finally starting to learn how to really teach by the Spirit. Like it says in D&C 4, the Spirit testifies to us through simple thoughts of the mind and feelings of the heart. As we as a companionship are getting better at inviting the spirit, recognizing it, and following it's promptings, we have become so much more passionate and wanting to help our investigators, even if they are just being acted by our teachers. Teaching appointments (which we usually have 2 a day) are transforming from something we dread because we don't language-wise feel prepared, to something that we eagerly look forward to in helping our investigators come unto Christ. 

So, I know that this isn't what you wanted to hear, but I'm 99% sure that I'm not going to be in the Provo parade tomorrow :( I think that it is just for the missionaries that are actually serving in the Provo Utah mission. Last time, I don't recall literally thousands of missionaries, which is what it would have to be if we were all going. I'm definitely going to be thinking of you guys at the parade though come tomorrow morning. But, hey, I just thought of this, just think that I'm literally going to be up a couple blocks from you guys and that I'll see that same balloons up in the air! We saw some of them today even! Us Hmong's were kind of bummed out because we thought that we weren't going to be able to watch the firworks, but talking to an MTC employee today we got the D-L that they we are going to have a special devotional tomorrow night (which, rumor has is, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf is going to be at) and then we're going to be able to go out to the big missionary field tomorrow night and eat ice cream while we watch the fireworks - I'm pumped!

Oh, and on a more random note, I got evicted. Just kidding. Kind of. We had to move buildings because they are turning our building into a Sister's only building, but it has actually turned out really nice because we moved into a newly rennovated building! New more-comfortable beds, new bathrooms, more colorful room - definitely no complaints on my part. I'm planning on sending my camera SD card home next week, so you guys will be able to see for yourself!

Well, I really do love you guys so much. I pray for you every night. Stay close to the Lord in all the ways you can, and His Spirit will always be with you. And when you have His Spirit with you, there is nothing you can't accomplish.

Happy 4th of July!

Your's Truly,
Es Daws Tooj

+ P.S. - THANK YOU FOR THE CARE PACKAGES THIS WEEK!