Danish phrase of the week: Du kan gøre svært
ting! (doo can goorah svair ting!)
Means: you can do hard
things.
We are halfway through
our time at the MTC! Elder Bradshaw got Martinellis and Starbursts in a package
yesterday, so we had a party to celebrate. It was a really classy time.
I love my district. We have so much fun together. The Elders
make everything a competition-right now they're doing a Biggest Loser
competition to try to counteract the effects of MTC food. Whoever wins gets to
spend a night with everyone else's pillows. They also have a running tally
going for who gets the most mail from girls. Whoever wins that one gets to
write a love letter to the other Elders' girlfriends. Never a dull moment J
Monday night it
POURED rain. We got a little too excited about it-a testament to how little
time we get to spend outside. As you can see from this picture, we were
completely soaked.
My companion Sister
Floyd and I sing in the MTC choir every week, and this last week I ran into Adam! I never see him because he's
on West Campus (Wyview-my old freshman apartment!) but the two campuses combine
for Tuesday devotionals, and he was in the choir with me! Singing in that
choir is something else. There are over 500 missionaries in it at any given
time, and it's so powerful to sing with that many voices! I'm not allowed to be
alone in a picture with Adam, so our companions are photo-bombing like true
pros.
The MTC is making me
really grateful for everything I learned in college. Because of my time at BYU,
I know how to retain and use new information, I know how to study, I know how
to manage my time, I know how to find a balance between working hard and
playing, I know how to be good roommate...so many life skills. We had a
devotional at the Marriot Center on BYU campus last Sunday. THAT was
bizarre.
Sunday night is movie night. This week we watched Joseph Smith: Prophet
of the Restoration. I can't even tell you how much I miss movies. We were
all so excited to watch a movie-even a church movie. Just ANYTHING with a plot
and some slightly cinematic elements. It was fantastic. But really, it was so
incredible to watch that movie about the early days of the church. Every time I
watch something like that I am blown away by the faith and depth of conversion
of the early Saints. The physical, emotional, and spiritual trials they had to
endure are difficult to imagine! They couldn't have borne those trials, the
church wouldn't have survived past those early years if the gospel wasn't true.
It was a huge testimony to me. The very first sacrament meeting had six people
in it; and there we sat, watching this movie in a room overflowing with
literally hundreds of missionaries preparing to spread the gospel all over the
world! It was so powerful to see, to actually be able to visualize, how far and
wide the gospel has spread in such a relatively short amount of time.
AUNT LACEY-sorry this
has taken me so long-I challenge you to: 1. Read the Book of Mormon again
with a specific question or principle in mind. Get a new copy of it. As you
read, highlight everything that pertains to what you are trying to learn. When
you are done, you will have a whole book full of answers! 2. Watch a Mormon
Message with your family every week and 3. Do at least one random act of
kindness every month (alone or as a family). Love you Lace! Thanks for the
DearElders!
I love you all so
much. I think of you and talk about you guys every day. I love being a
missionary! I know that our Heavenly Father loves each of us so much. I know
that he has a plan for our happiness in this life and in the life to come. I
know that following the example of Jesus Christ is the way to find true
happiness. We can be forgiven of our sins, our burdens can be lightened, and we
can have peace. One of our "investigators" this week asked how he
could find meaning in his life. He felt like his life was empty. We were able to
testify that when we have a knowledge of who we are-that we are children of God with infinite worth; we can
have purpose and happiness in our hearts even when times are hard. I am so grateful for that knowledge!
Keep smiling everyone!
Life is beautiful!
Jeg elsker jer!
~Soster Van Orden
P.S. Uncle
Matt and Aunt Linda, Elder Bradshaw says Hi! :)
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