Quit Taking the Hard Route

Hola!

Week 3 completed. Can't believe I'm more than half way through my MTC experience! It's been a wild ride.

I would like give a vote of thanks to Torre, Laura, Julie, Franklin, Tristan, Cameron and Elder Christensen for the letters/emails! And of course thanks to Mom, Dad and Jaycee for your weekly love and support!

Julie, thanks for spoiling me once again with the package of treats!!

And thanks Mom for saving me from wearing the exact same thing AGAIN on P-Day. Haha...

If anyone would like my address, or email address... Please consult my beautiful Mother, Mrs. Jill Franklin for information. :) I'd love to hear from you! 

All of you Utah/Salt Lake County folk... How about this AMAZING WEATHER!!? Let's enjoy it while it lasts...It could snow any day now. Haha... Gotta love Utah.

This week was… well, it was hard. I'll just be honest.

First, I got sick. Of course. I was a fool thinkin' I would avoid the notorious plagues that hit us at the MTC.... but alas, I was wrong about that one. I came down with a sinus infection a little over a week ago and let me tell ya, health IS happiness. Being in a classroom for 9 hours a day is difficult as it is... but teaching and learning become somewhat impossible/miserable when you're sick. I finally gave up thinking it was a cold that would go away within a few days and decided to go see a doctor. I had a fairly high fever and my head was feeling like it was going to explode... So I decided it was time. Haha... Just call me Jon Franklin. Of course by the time I decided to go to the clinic it was Friday night and the doctors would not be back until 8:00 on Monday morning. Brilliant. But never fear they are prepared for just about any kind of crisis here at the MTC so they sent me down the road to the BYU emergency room. It was quite strange to walk around in the real world (BYU campus is SO "real world", I know....haha) for a few minutes wearing my missionary tag. People honked and waved and little kids pointed, "It's the missionaries, Mom!!" I felt pretty special. I highly doubt I'll be that popular in New York City... But it, like the weather, was fun while it lasted. They sent me down to the local Rite Aid pharmacy to pick up the Steroids and Antibiotics I'd been prescribed, and let me tell you, hearing music... Like regular world MUSIC, was SO weird. It surprised me at times how offensive some of the words were to me. I know that sounds hilarious to those of you who know what kind of stuff I listened to before I left, but I'm not kidding! I've become more sensitive to things like that, even in just 3 weeks. I would like to get on a soap box real quick and just encourage everyone to be selective about the music you listen to and any other form of entertainment you participate in. I know I wish I had been more careful about things I listened to and viewed on T.V. Anyway... Not trying to preach. It was just a great reminder to me that I shouldn't listen to or watch anything that takes the spirit away from me. :) 

Anyway... The drugs worked well and I'm on the mend! The only extremely unfortunate thing is that I gave the illness to almost everyone else in my district... despite the gallons of hand sanitizer we use daily. Haha... Almost everything has been cleared up, my cough is gone and I'm practically at 100% once again! Most of the other Elders/Hermanas are on the back end of the sickness too, so that's happy news. Thanks for your prayers and love, that always helps.

As the week progressed I was not only struggling with physical heath but spiritual health as well. I've just been down on myself about my "lack of progress" in Spanish, the tension in relationships within our district, and in my mind --my overall inadequacy.  I was relying far too much on my own abilities, and refusing to let the Lord help me. It's a pride thing. We all struggle with it. On Tuesday Elder Johnson of the Seventy came to speak to us. His talk was FOR me. I'm convinced he wrote it for me, actually. It was all about submitting our will to the Lord and its purpose was to set straight our false ideas about "perfection". My purpose as a missionary is to "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them to receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost and enduring to the end." Nowhere in that sentence does it say "AND be perfect." We cannot be perfect on our own. It's just a simple fact. WE ARE NOT, AND NEVER WILL BE PERFECT. That is, not without the help of our Savior. After hearing his talk I decided I needed to take the opportunity to change... and to get rid of the chain that I carry around. It's a chain I made for myself... and it's a chain I've had for a long time. Long before I came to the MTC. I needed to quit taking the hard route. The hard route meaning, carrying a heavy chain and insisting I do it by myself. Honestly, how stupid is that? It's unnecessary and it's not the way to ultimate perfection anyway... All it is, is a waste of time. I woke up the next morning and I made a decision. I was only going to focus on the positive things about my experiences here. I was going to take notice of all of the blessings I received throughout the day. And you know what, it was the best day I've had here thus far. The sun was shining brighter than ever, we even did our studying outside. :) And our lesson went smoother than any lesson we've given. They even had my favorite thing for lunch! I have a good life. When I humbled myself and relied on Heavenly Father to prompt me I didn't worry about my Spanish being perfectly correct, I didn't worry about what others might think of me, I didn't worry about a thing. 

The spirit WILL lead and guide us. We all fall short, and we'll make small mistakes, and big mistakes. But it's okay. As long as we utilize the atonement fully, and think less about ourselves and more about others, we will never go wrong. :)

My scripture shares this week are 1 Peter 5:1-11 (Thanks Tanner).... "Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you."

And Ether 12:27... "I give to all men weakness that they may be humble... And if they will humble themselves before me I will make weak things strong unto them."

I love and THANK you all for your prayers and your support. I feel it daily.

Much Love Forever,

Your Missionary, Hermana Tara Franklin