Friday, November 6, 2015

I SURVIVED!



My dear family and friends! 

I have survived my first week in the MTC! I don't think I have ever had a week that felt like a day, and a day that felt like years!

But let me tell you--something I feel that people don't share is EXACTLY why the mission and the MTC are so hard at first! They tell you when you get there on Wednesday to just last until Sunday... well for any future missionaries out there, I just want to share with you what I wrote in my journal my second night in the MTC:


 "So they tell you to last until Sunday... well its Thursday so I will just have to take their word for it and stay until Sunday.  Every hour, every class I have gone to--my thoughts are constantly racing!  One minute I think, what am I doing here! The next minute I love it here...the next, I can't do this!,  and finally... get me some food now--I am starving, I have been in class for 9 hours today and I am exhausted!" 


Haha!  S0 sorry to share, but that is the truth!  As our cute little redhead British roommate put it, "It is so Bipolar here!", and bipolar is the perfect word to describe how you feel your first few days here.  So, my best advice is just know why you're choosing to serve. Have a purpose, select your motivation and stick with it.  This first week will put that purpose to the test, and sadly some don't make it until Sunday because they haven't held to their purpose.   



All you must do is know your purpose and rely on the Lord, and all will be well!  Not only is this for missionaries, but for everyone to know at whatever point you are in life.  We must all know our purpose and have our motivation set on the Lord and his desires, and then we will receive all of the blessings God has in store for us. 


Before entering the MTC, I was reading a book by Matthew B. C... something... and it just really helped me to see what my motivation was.  The Atonement.  If your motivation is on the Atonement,  you will be able to come closer to the Lord--closer than ever before.  You will learn how to love others and see them as God sees them, and you will be able to serve with all of your heart, might, mind and strength.  I already know that this is where I am supposed to be and I truly feel the Lord's hand in my life.


Now, on to the lighter side of things.... Beratellse dag!  Story time!!!   In class, whenever we are kind of going crazy in between the 6 hours we have had in class and the next 3 hours to come, we have Beratellse dag!  So, now to share some funny moments of the week!

{Annie's description of this photo:  "the infamous sorlig poyke...in Australia, they do this sign and it means 'sad boy'...so we translated it!"}


Oh, but first mig kumrat! (my companion!) Sister Hall!  She is amazing, sweet, funny and just as sarcastic as I am! It's wonderful!


Okay, so we have 6 Aldster in our district and then my companion and I.  But 15 total Swedish missionaries!  Its a HUGE group!  They are all awesome and we have sometimes a little too much fun.  I cry on an hourly basis from laughing so hard!


{Syster Campbell, Syster Hall, and Aldsters Banks, Jamsa, Moulten, Scott, Roylance, and Dean.}


So... on Friday  Aldste Roylance was showing Aldster Scott (our Australian Elder) a picture of his family.  In the back of the picture,  Aldster Roylance's dad is leaning over a big trash can for some reason... Aldster Scott, in his strong Australian accent, says about his dad, "Is that a BUM?" -"Uh... no. That's my dad..." Haha!  Oh my goodness!  We all just started cracking up!  It was so funny, so now we always say, "Is that a bum?" in an Australian accent!  You should try it too.--it will make your day! 



Then on Saturday, our teacher came in and he was talking about sentence structures in Swedish, and we were all just trying to follow along.  Whenever he says a word we don't know, we repeat it to him and he will either repeat it or explain it.  So, he said a word and I repeated it,  thinking what is that?  He said it two more times,  and we were all trying to figure it out.  Then,  very slowly he says, "Um... that was English..."  Wow.  Needless to say,  we were all very proud at that moment that we didn't even know the one word he actually said in English!


Last story, on Saturday we were just all in our classroom studying, and we were all pretty dead at this point.  I was just writing some stuff and then I slightly look up and see Aldste Jamsa (yam-saw) looking over at me.  Usually when this happens the other person would look away,  but he just kept staring at me... I just said, "Uh, Aldster (Elder)",  and then he quickly shook his head like he just woke up and said, "Oh, I was just looking off into space and it just happened to be your face!" Haha yeah... the Aldster (elders) have him some heck for that one!


Well, that's all for stories, but as you can see, I just love it here!   Although,  because I am still me,  I would love to have another hour to workout.. but I will just appreciate what I have! 

Well, I must be off now, but I just want ot thank all of you for your wonderful loving support. This is HARD, but it is GOOD.  And the Good by far outweighs the hard.  I know that this is what I am supposed to be doing with my life right now,   and I am so grateful to have this time to learn how to better myself and how to better serve and love all those around me.  



I love you all and hope you are doing well. 

-Always go beyond yourself to serve.
-Always allow your testimony to grow. 
-If you lose yourself in service you WILL find yourself.



Med karlek, (with love)

Syster Campbell

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