A few items of business....
1.) THANK YOU so much for all the letters! Mary Stilson, Miranda
Champoux, Torre Slaeker, Elder Parker Cressman (sorry if I forgot to mention
anyone!)... I LOVE you all! And of course thank you Mom for your daily advice
and love... I love you FOREVER! And a HUGE, gigantic thank you to Aunt Julie
for the wonderful package. I attempted to make the treats last...Fail.
2.) My P-Days are on Fridays, which is the only day I have to
write letters. If you're wondering why the heck it's taking me so long to
get reply to you. That's why. :) (Are missionaries allowed to say
"heck"? I guess it's not that "dignified" is it....
Haha, perdòn.)
3.) SEND LETTERS! I would appreciate any mail coming my way. :)
4.) Laura Andersen, if you read this please somehow notify me or
my mom and let me know that you received your birthday package. :)
5.) DeAnn, Doug Dearden's son is INDEED in my district! He's
great. He's absolutely, most certainly the class clown.
I've now been the MTC for a total of 8 days. After my first
week here, I can honestly say I'm a new person. That sounds ridiculously clichè,
but it's SO TRUE.
Here's a watered down version of my life here for the past few days...
My companion and I have been improving immensely with our
teaching and with our Spanish. I can't even believe how much I've been able to
learn in such a short time. It's like I'm witnessing a miracle, yet the miracle
IS ME! My teachers Hermano Gneiting, Hermano Painter, Hermano Loyd, and Hermano
Nodameyer have truly been THE biggest blessing. They know exactly what to say
and when to say it.
I mentioned how rough our first lesson was with our first
investigator "Santiago" (Hermano Loyd)... Well here's a comical
story about our second lesson....
We were trying our best to explain the importance of prayer with
our limited vocabulary and imperfect grammar. My companion, Hermana Dean has a
nervous habit of pulling on her jewelry. She was tugging on a beautiful three
strand pearl necklace throughout the lesson.... Well, you probably all know
where this is going... Suddenly the necklace snapped and the pearls went all
over the room. We all scrambled around the room picking up pearls. Haha. We
examined the damage and saw that the string had torn in half.
"Santiago" pulls a BOX OF MATCHES out of his pocket and says,
"You could try melting the beads together to hold it in place..."
Hermana Dean, picked up each end of the severed strand of beads, looked at
Santiago and said (in Spanish), "This, (referring, to one end of
the broken strands) is you. This (referring to the other strand) is God.
These matches are PRAYER. The fire is the spirit. You need prayer and the
spirit to mend your relationship with God." Haha... Talk about
turning an awkward disaster into an awesome object lesson.
Hermana Dean and I have grown so close as a companionship. She
teaches me patience, that's for sure. Hahaha.... Our relationship has been
compared to Bob Wiley and Dr. Marvin from the one and only "What about
Bob."
The comparison is actually astoundingly accurate. Haha, in case
there was any question, I'm Dr. Marvin. She keeps me laughing, and
keeps my eyes rolling. (In a very kind loving way of course.) :) We
constantly have to say, "Loud Laughter, Hermana." to remind ourselves
where we are. We just have waaaaayyy to much fun. She sits up with me at night
when I can't sleep and encourages me when I get frustrated with the language
and tells me I look beautiful even when I know for a fact I look like I got hit
by a bus. (The days are long, and the sleep time is short.... and exhaustion is
just not beautiful. Haha.) Honestly, no one could ask for anything better in a
companion. I just love her to death.
My district is growing and learning so quickly. It's amazing to
see this young immature boys growing up! AHH, I just love it!
This week there were many times where I felt somewhat...
useless. I found myself praying quite frequently for opportunities to help
others. When I was set apart I was asked to use my talents to share the gospel,
and I've been praying often that opportunities might be opened up for me to use
my talents.
Well my prayers have been answered in countless small ways, and
two very obvious ways.
I was asked to sing in the Devotional this Sunday by the wife of
the MTC president, Sister Nalley. (NERVE RACKING!) Guess who's playing the
piano for me, the one and only, Sister Shelby Frampton!! WOO-WHOO! My last
opportunity to sing with my best friend, as she is headed to Ohio this Tuesday!
I feel nothing but gratitude for this wonderful opportunity.
I've been feeling like I needed to use my abilities as a leader
more, but I wasn't sure how to go about doing it. Yesterday my Branch President’s1st
counselor, asked me if I would accept the calling to be the Coordinating Sister
(in training) for my zone. Wow. Direct answer to my prayer. When I said
the words, "Yes, I am honored to accept this calling." I felt a very,
very strong sense of peace come into my heart and I felt stronger somehow. I
know this feeling was the spirit telling me that Heavenly Father knows that I am
qualified and capable of more than I think I am. And I know he
expects a lot of me. "Where much is given much is required." I feel
myself being refined and molded into the person the Lord expects me to be. And
you know what, I'm really liking this new me. I know I am weak, but I feel
strong and powerful because I have the Lord standing there with me every step
of the way.
I want you all to know that the Atonement is not only for sins.
It's for EVERYTHING. Take your cares, your burdens and your heartache to the
Lord, he can and WILL take it from you. He is ready to bless you. You just have
to trust in him and believe in the plan he has for you. We go through sorrow,
we go through pain, and we see people we love suffer... but we do all of this
so we can know the true meaning of joy. Do me a favor and read the words to the
hymn "Reverently and Meekly Now".... Read it four times if you have
to. Let the message sink in, and believe in it...For it is TRUTH.
"And be constant unto me, that thy Savior I may be."
I love you all. Never forget it!
Love,
Hermana Tara Franklin
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