Saturday, September 21, 2013~Week 6
Provo, MTC; 10:16 AM

Kumusta pamilya!! Sounds like everyone is doing well! This week has definitely been the best week at the MTC by far! SO many cool things! I probably won't even remember to tell you all everything because it was just such a good week but I'll try!! 

Tuesday we had my last Tuesday Devotional at the Marriott Center (tear) and it was so good but the best part was singing in the choir! We sang "Joseph Smith's First Prayer" and it was A M A Z I N G!!! We sang it in a way that helped paint the picture of the first vision rather than just singing it! And the BEST part of the whole song is when Joseph sees the Father and the Son and we start to get all quiet and then we just stop and the piano stops and it's silent for about 2 seconds. And then we all sing a capella, "Joseph," (1 second pause) "this is my Beloved." (1 second pause) "Hear him!" (2 second pause) "Oh how sweet the word!! Joseph's humble prayer was answered! And he listened to the Lord! Oh what rapture filled his bosom! For he saw the Living God!" And then it's kind of like the narrator is saying "Do you understand what I'm telling you?!" Because then it says again, "Oh what rapture filled his bosom! For he saw the Living God! The Living God!!!!" And then it settles in how amazing this truly is and this time really softly and reverently we sang, "For he saw the Living God!" And then the piano plays a few notes and you can picture Joseph walking out of the grove of trees completely stunned and awestruck we sang, "Oh how lovely was the morning."(cue all the tears.) BEST SONG EVER! I LOVE JOSEPH SMITH!

So that was Tuesday! And on Wednesday, Brother Mansfield taught us the Law of Chastity. My kasama was so nervous for this because she thought it was going to be so awkward and embarrassing and most of the rest of the district felt the same way but I was so excited to actually have the lesson taught so that I would know how to teach it effectively! And it seriously was the most beautiful lesson on chastity I have ever heard in my life! He hit all the points we're supposed to hit as missionaries but he did it in a way that emphasized just how sacred and special the Law of Chastity is to our Heavenly Father and why! This may sound really weird but I loved it! And I'm so excited to teach it! 

Oh and I got to host on Wednesday too! It was so weird! Because I remember being dropped off at the MTC and how it seems like it was both yesterday and years ago! And now I'm about to leave! It was insane! It was like, time warp. Anyway, I hosted two Sisters but it was crazy because the first one I hosted was from Idaho and she is going to the Washington D.C. mission and she knew Madi Stucki from instagram or something! It was so weird! What are the odds! 

Yesterday was infield orientation and it lasted all day but it actually went by really fast! I learned a lot about how to be an effective missionary and it got me super excited to be out in the field! My favorite thing that was said during it was by one of the instructors. His name was Sam Anderson and he was talking about how before missionaries come into the MTC, it doesn't matter where they get called to, people always decrease their expectations somehow. They'll say things like, "Oh, you're going to Romania?! Well you'll plant a lot of seeds Elder!" Or "You're going to the Philippines?! Oh well even if they don't get baptized, the seeds you will plant will be amazing Sister!" And then he just stopped and with SO much power and fervor he said, "We've been told over and over again that the field is white already to harvest! Not brown already to plant! Yes, you will plant seeds. But that is not your purpose. Your purpose is to baptize! And every single missionary, no matter where in the world they get called, every single missionary can and WILL baptize if they are obedient, faithful, believe that they can. Every. Single. Missionary. The field is WHITE already to HARVEST Elders and Sisters. Believe that!" It was crazy powerful! And what kills me is that he was only 24! It was so intense! And then later that evening, during class, we had a substitute teacher because our other teacher Sister Briggs wasn't there. His name was Brother Nordstrom and he was so cool! But he said something to us that was also really powerful! He asked us all how long we thought it would take for us to be able to have a full on conversation with a Filipino. Everyone started saying how long they thought it would take. And then he was just silent and after a few seconds he said, "Why wait? Why put a timeline on what God can do for you? Why wait?" WOAH. It was just really cool and kind of put into perspective how fast we can learn this language with God's help.

So that was basically my week! I have one more thought I want to share!

Come thou fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing thy grace

Streams of mercy never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above

Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it

Mount of They redeeming love

Here I raise my Ebeneezer

Hither by Thy help I'm come

And I hope by Thy good pleasure

Safely to arrive at home

Jesus sought me when a stranger

Wandering from the fold of God

He to rescue me from danger

Interposed his precious blood

Oh, to grace how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to thee

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love

Here's my heart, oh take and seal it!

Seal if for Thy courts above!

Here's my heart, oh take and seal it!

Seal if for Thy courts above!

Today is my last time to go the temple while at the MTC. While I'm in the Celestial Room, I am going to figuratively leave my heart there. All my hopes, dreams, wishes, wants, desires, everything. I am on the Lord's time and everything I am doing is for Him and for his beautiful children in the Philippines. I will give my heart to the Lord and let Him seal it up for the rest of my mission until I can come back and pick it up at the end. I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and the light and joy that He brings to my life. I am humbled and grateful that he would trust me enough to let me teach the people of the Philippines about Him and His atoning sacrifice. I'm not nervous or scared. The language will come. I know it will. I have faith in the Lord and in my God. I love this gospel so much and am so excited to share it! I love you all so much! I'll talk to you on Monday! Literally! Sobrang mahal kita!!

Love, Sister Andersen