I have been here for three weeks. THREE WEEKS. TRES SEMANAS! Mind. Blown.
I've tried to explain the phenominon of the MTC before but have been unable to articulate it as well as what I heard a few days ago: "Every day feels like it is an eternity, but the weeks just fly by." What kind of time continum warp flux IS this place?! So there's no way I can tell you all everything that's happened in the last three weeks with only 20 minutes and 11 seconds remaining on my clock. But if it worked this time, then likely I'll be able to lay the smack-down on the email again next wednesday! Agalo!
Soooo... Where to start... hrm..
WELL I can say that I am working harder than I EVER have in my whole entire life! I didn't even work this hard in college when I was getting A's! It is overwhelming. Not quite in a bad way though at times it can feel like that. I let myself get discouraged badly once and that was no fun at all. But this place is amazing. Never before have I felt our Heavely Father's loving Spirit so often, so strongly. And I know that is in part of my efforts to humble myself in order to do his will. But it has been a struggle to give up everything. Oddly enough I got over not having a cellphone in the first few days. Mostly I wanted to shoot a text to someone to ask them a question, or to tell them something. But the urges passed. Even not having the internet 24/7 has been bearable. I keep wanting to Google questions I or others I know have like I'm used to. The one thing that drives me crazy the most is not being able to draw when the mood comes to me. I used to pounce on those opportunities when my Muse was ready and willing. But now I can't just zone out in class, I wont' be able to make it up! Usually drawing helps me concentrate and calms me down, but not while learning Spanish!!
One of the ways I get discouraged is looking at the other missionaries in my District (class) that speak far better than I. Actually I'm the slowest learner in the class. I'm not used to that. I'm used to helpings others in classes, not being the one that is needing individual attention to get what the rest of the class already understands. It's been tough. At first I kept wanting to speak in Japanese, which is where my brain went to whenever I was trying to say something non-english. So I had to deprogram for Japanese before I could better absorb the Spanish. However, when I try to talk to the Japanese Missionaries now it comes out Spanish, so I must be doing something right. But a wise bit of advice I was given was that I should not compare myself to perfection, but instead compare myself to what I was before.
In a Devotional (weekly event on Tuesday nights where one of the General Authorities of the church come and speak to the Missionaries) just yesterday the Speaker gave a wonderful quote: "Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." Thomas Edison did not get the lightbulb on the first try, nor in a single hundred. It was many times that before he had his discovery. I need to apply that to myself as well. And I am trying hard to. I will be the most effective when I forget myself and get to work. It's harder than you may think to forget one's self though!
Bottom line is that I am doing well, not perfect, but well.
Hasta Proxima Semana
~ Hermana Smart
I've tried to explain the phenominon of the MTC before but have been unable to articulate it as well as what I heard a few days ago: "Every day feels like it is an eternity, but the weeks just fly by." What kind of time continum warp flux IS this place?! So there's no way I can tell you all everything that's happened in the last three weeks with only 20 minutes and 11 seconds remaining on my clock. But if it worked this time, then likely I'll be able to lay the smack-down on the email again next wednesday! Agalo!
Soooo... Where to start... hrm..
WELL I can say that I am working harder than I EVER have in my whole entire life! I didn't even work this hard in college when I was getting A's! It is overwhelming. Not quite in a bad way though at times it can feel like that. I let myself get discouraged badly once and that was no fun at all. But this place is amazing. Never before have I felt our Heavely Father's loving Spirit so often, so strongly. And I know that is in part of my efforts to humble myself in order to do his will. But it has been a struggle to give up everything. Oddly enough I got over not having a cellphone in the first few days. Mostly I wanted to shoot a text to someone to ask them a question, or to tell them something. But the urges passed. Even not having the internet 24/7 has been bearable. I keep wanting to Google questions I or others I know have like I'm used to. The one thing that drives me crazy the most is not being able to draw when the mood comes to me. I used to pounce on those opportunities when my Muse was ready and willing. But now I can't just zone out in class, I wont' be able to make it up! Usually drawing helps me concentrate and calms me down, but not while learning Spanish!!
One of the ways I get discouraged is looking at the other missionaries in my District (class) that speak far better than I. Actually I'm the slowest learner in the class. I'm not used to that. I'm used to helpings others in classes, not being the one that is needing individual attention to get what the rest of the class already understands. It's been tough. At first I kept wanting to speak in Japanese, which is where my brain went to whenever I was trying to say something non-english. So I had to deprogram for Japanese before I could better absorb the Spanish. However, when I try to talk to the Japanese Missionaries now it comes out Spanish, so I must be doing something right. But a wise bit of advice I was given was that I should not compare myself to perfection, but instead compare myself to what I was before.
In a Devotional (weekly event on Tuesday nights where one of the General Authorities of the church come and speak to the Missionaries) just yesterday the Speaker gave a wonderful quote: "Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." Thomas Edison did not get the lightbulb on the first try, nor in a single hundred. It was many times that before he had his discovery. I need to apply that to myself as well. And I am trying hard to. I will be the most effective when I forget myself and get to work. It's harder than you may think to forget one's self though!
Bottom line is that I am doing well, not perfect, but well.
Hasta Proxima Semana
~ Hermana Smart
This made my Sunday!! It sounds like she is doing so great! I'll write her a letter to tell her how great I think she is!
ReplyDeleteActually, Thomas Edison stole the idea for the lightbulb, so I guess success is failing a lot and giving up and getting to the patent office before anyone else. But I digress. I miss you!
ReplyDelete