Another week is over!

And another week is over!

 

This week has been strange, I am seriously lacking on my sleep. :) I've had a lovely cold for about two weeks, and this week I had two nights in a row where I just couldn't sleep because I was coughing so badly. That's when Sister Bradshaw decided to drag me to the doctor. *sigh* I have broncitious. That's just a fancy name for a cough that won't go away. We went on a nice field trip outside of the MTC to get some lovely antibiotics. The doctor told me, "well, it looks like you don't have pneomuia yet, but if your cough doesn't go away after you're done with the antibiotics, come and see me." I hope he was kidding. :)  

 

Oh, and I'm in choir. Which is incredibly ironic. I cannot sing at all right now, but I HAVE to be in choir because... wait for it....

 

Our devotionals are now moved to the Marriot Center! There are offically too many missionaries in the MTC. There's never enough missionaries, but there is a lack of space. This will be the first time every missionary, including the ones living in Wyview and Raintree can watch the devotional together. Ready for more? Tuesday (tomorrow) is the first day they are having it, and Jeffery R. Holland is going to be the speaker. I'm going to sing for Elder Holland! I'll just keep making this better. Have you heard about the Worldwide Missionary Traning Conference they're showing on June 23? Well, you should have because EVERYONE is invited. It'll be held at the Marriot Center and President Monson will be presiding and speaking. I'll be singing. In the choir. For President Monson. Even if I just have to mouth the words I am going to be "singing."

Tahitian is going so well! I like it a lot more than French, honestly. Maybe it's the fact I've already learned how to learn a language that makes it easier to study a new one, but, Tahitian is coming easier. It's beautiful. I really like it because you have to think about how you want to say something. Example: Haamaramaramaraa is the word for "window." I know that looks insane! But it's actually just three words put together. Haa means: to make Maramarama means: light and Raa makes any word a noun. The literal translation of the word is a thing that makes light. HOW COOL IS THAT! That's how nearly every word is, haamaitai is the word for blessings, it's "to make good." Basically Tahitian is a giant brain teaser, and I adore it. It's strange too. In class we have conversations in English, French, Tahitian all within a half hour. It's easy to tell it's overwhelming some missionaries, myself included at times, but you just have to take it a few minutes at a time. We're going to be in Paradise in 5 weeks speaking these languages. 

 

 

Now, what I have learned this week. This has basically been the theme of the week. I'm too timid. My teachers told Sister Bradshaw and I we "tip toe" in lessons. Bah. I spent a lot of time this week thinking about how I can be more direct and powerful with what I'm saying. We had Sister Clegg of the Relief Society General Board come speak to us in Relief Society, the message of her talk was to "Be Bold."  Exactly what I needed to hear. I know this church is true. I know what I'm teaching is true. I know what we're teaching is essential in the lives of our investigators. I just need to put myself out there and say it. We had very good practice this week. We were working with a few sisters who were having trouble in their companionships, and as the Sister Training Leaders it was our job to correct it. We were scared out of our minds to tell sisters that what they were doing was wrong and needed to change. We talked to our Branch President, we talked with our Zone leaders, and we even practiced telling each other what we were doing was wrong and how to fix it before we finally felt semi-comfortable to talk with the sisters.  Thank goodness for prayers. We had spent praying to know what to say and to help the sisters, we walked into the meetings, said what we needed to say, and all was well. Now we can be tough on our investigators, and we won't be afraid to tell them they actually have to read the Book of Mormon and Pray.

 

Quotes of the week:

Poor Elder White had quite the week. There is a sister from Tahiti, going to serve in Fiji, so she has class in the same building as us. Her name is Sister H (insert a million vowels here). Anyway, she came to class and we were practicing winking (Sister Van doesn't know how to wink) when Elder White winked at her. The look on her face was priceless. She said, "Don't do that in Tahitit! In Tahiti that means, I missionary now, but I come back." Elder White was so red, and we were crying because we were laughing so hard. He apologized to her over and over and over and she just laughed and walked away.  The next day he walks in and says, "I was just laying awake in bed, just thinking, I winked, and I felt so bad and couldn't sleep." We love Elder White, his Tahitian name means "Godly Sorrow" because he instantly feels bad for anything and everything he does. Once he told me, "Sister Taylor you look 10 times smarter with your glasses" and instantly apologized over and over because he didn't realize that could be an insult (I wasn't insulted, everyone just made fun of him for it). That's the story of the week. She came back on Saturday to take a picture with him because he's the one that winked. :)

 

I love you!

 

Love,

Morgan