Week 2 in the MTC!

Hi! Mom I just got an email from my Mission president and there were 13 baptisms in our mission on Saturday. I dont know how that compares with other missions but this made me so excited!

 Yesterday at 6:15 I was woken up by the most awful noise. the fire alarm. So all the girls in my building were filed out to the lawn. All of us in either pajamas or bath robes. It was just a dust mite in the system but we had to stay in the gym until 7:00 which made us have a late start to our day but all was well and it was on adventure. My Korean roommates were like what is going on! It was kind of funny. They left today and I gave one some candy I received from Barb and she started to cry and told me she loved me. These were the sweetest girls, I will miss them. I think that means we get new roommates this week! I just want to hold them when they get here and tell them that everything will work out okay because Heavens yes it does.

Saturday was the hardest day so far. We taught Dom (one of our fake investigators who happens to be our teacher) and it went so well, we had the spirit, asked good questions, kept it simple, made it apply to him. Brother Martin gave us some minor feedback but overall we felt really good. sO I am all on top of the world thinking, wow I am really getting this stuff. When we go to class and I forget it all. WE had a mini speed teaching lesson where our whole district got to teach a section of lesson 3, the gospel of Jesus Christ, we all thought we did well when after our teacher informed us that we didn't apply it to the investigator, we did almost all of the talking, and we didn't let the doctrines sink in. Then he has us each teach as companions to either him, another teacher or another companionship. So Brother Martin came over to have me and Sister Obando teach him. She was really frusterated because here English was struggling that day and I was frusterated by the fact that I felt we did so good in our earlier lesson, then in a moment of pressure I forget everything I had just learned. So Brother Martin sits down and says teach me about Baptism then invite me to be baptized, we start teaching him and he stops us in the middle of the lesson and said wait you havent even asked me a question. So he says think for a minute about a question that can involve me in the lesson then we will try again. I know I am not describing my emotions but at this point I just want to throw something and burst into tears. So I cover my face as I think and start look at Sister Obando she mouths, "I want to go the wash and cry." The wash is the bathroom and that is where we go to talk about our feelings and cry after we are frusterated. But we couldnt because Brother Martin is still waiting to be taught. He then sees that we are at cracking point (ps he is my age, he just returned from his mission in IReland/Scotland in may) and he tries to comfort us and tell us to not be frusterated but you know me, that isnt going to work. He asked us about our feelings, which I loved, and I explained that I was frusterated that I wasn't perfect at it yet. Yep I actually said that.He told me that I need to be patient and practice. He reminded me of talk by Elder Holland who said that we are to be our first convert. He said that the Lord could do this work without me, He doesn't need me. But he is using me so He can make me into something. It is going to take time, a lot of time but If I allow the Lord to mold me He will make me into something great. I know this is true. I know that the Lord is overall. I am reminded that He does accept my try, even in the MTC, even when I am supposed to be a missionary and think about others, the Lord needs me to take care of myself. He needs me to do my best to be my best and He will do the rest.

A HUGE AHA moment I had was on Monday when Brother Starkey are other teacher had us imagine if someone we look up to was took out of our lives, I thought of Mallory and my heart was so made. Brother Starkey even said that I looked like I made kill him and he was scared. Then he said, you need to fill that same way about the Book of Mormon. I realized I didn't. I have read the Book of Mormon every day for as long as I can remember. I have a testimony of it, I understand its importance, I have received answers from it, but I realized that wasn't enough. We talked some more and wow it was amazing. Let me see if I can share my thoughts. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ right? That is its whole purpose is to bring us to Christ. I know Christ lives, I know it with my whole heart but do I know Christ. The Book of Mormon is our bridge to our Savior. {Prayer is how I have made my bond with my Father in Heaven and this Book is how I need to make my Bond with my Savior and Redeemer. I need to feel beyond upset by the thought of the Book of Mormon being taken out of my life because it is my Link to Him who died for me. So this week I have taken time to read the Book of Mormon for myself everyday. I am not sure why the Lord is being so merciful on me but He is and I already feel my self coming to know Christ more than I ever have before. I open up the pages and read about Nephi and I feel Christ coming towards me. He is the way, the Truth and the life and the only way back to our Father in Heaven. He is the Savior and Redeemer of the World and I need to do all I can to know Him because He is the most important person I could ever know. As I come to know Him I feel my heart being purified, I feel my safe changing. Mom I literally feel God changing me. I feel Him shaping me, molding me, making me into a better, stronger tool.

This week after listening to an Elder Holland talk I have decided that I am no longer striving to be the best missionary I can be, but rather the best Servant of God that I can be, because that never changes. When I take off my tag I am still a servant of God. I have 18 months to serve my Father in Heaven in this capacity and I WILL NEVER GET THAT BACK. I have to lay everything on the table, I  have to learn how to give him my whole heart, my whole mind, my whole strength and might (D&C 4:2). This mission will change me.I am not the same person I was 2 weeks ago and I hope to never be. I can never go back. I have promised him my everything and I am learning how to do that. I am scared, so scared to go to Nashville in one week but my Father in HEaven has promised to hold my hand as I go. this is His work and I should not be scared. I am inviting people to come unto their Savior, their Best Friend to Be, the person that change everything for them What is scary about that!? Nothing. Faith not fear.

I am out of time but I love you so much. I got a package from Laura and Barb and the cookies from you and I gave them to my ZL's and they lvoed it. Thank you for everything. Tell Maddi I love her, and Gentry I love her, and Blake, and Keltzie and mitch and Holly and daddy.

Love Sister Oldham