Five weeks in and I'm realizing just how cut off from the outside world I am right now. But, despite the slight cabin fever from being in the same square half-mile for the past month (and about another month to go) I'm still alive and doing well!
This week I've been doing a lot of praying to have more love for those around me, and wow can I feel the difference! Not only have I been able to teach in more unity with my companion, but we finally had a break through with one of our investigators that I had been having a hard time with. Christlike love for everyone is so important. So important. I can't stress it enough. When we try to love people as Christ loves us, we are better able to understand their needs and to serve them in the way Christ would serve them if He were with them here on Earth. I feel so blessed to be able to have this opportunity to increase in my love for everyone around me and I encourage all of you to make an effort to, as our devotional speaker this week, Chad Lewis (the NFL player), said "look past everything you first notice, don't like, are confused by, etc., and see into the hearts of the people you meet."
Tomorrow, we lose yet another generation of Chinese speakers here. They are mostly heading off to Taizhong, Taiwan, and I'm super excited for them (though I'm sure my excitement nowhere matches theirs), it's such a beautiful area! Once they leave, my generation will be the oldest in our zone. This has meant a bunch of reorganizing of leadership positions, which are usually made up of the "eldest" generation. Two of the elders in my zone, Elders Phelps and McKay, are our new zone leaders. They have fantastic work ethics and I know they'll do an amazing job. My companion and I have been called to serve as the Music Coordinators for our zone. We're in charge of picking music for church, arranging for people to play piano and lead the music, setting up special musical numbers, and working hard to get everyone to participate in the MTC choir. I am so excited for this opportunity to serve and get to work with music, which I love.
Along with the Chinese speakers who are leaving, two of mine and my companion's good friends who are serving in Korea headed off this morning. It's crazy to think how good of friends you can become here at the MTC in such a short amount of time. I can't wait to meet up with all of the people I've met here post-mission. I have honestly met some of the best people since coming here.
Also, highlight of the week, I got a package of cards from my Primary kids! There is NOTHING cuter than little five year-olds writing how much they love you. I cannot even explain how happy I was seeing the pictures they drew on the cards for me. If there is a perfect example of Christlike love anywhere, it's in little kids. Love them!
And one more thing, I ran into my good friend from Freshman year, Ellie Ott! She's serving in Poland and just got here on Wednesday. Haven't seen her, or many of my friends from Freshman year in over a year and it's so good to start running into them. The MTC is such a small world!
All my love!
Sister Makena Bauss
This week I've been doing a lot of praying to have more love for those around me, and wow can I feel the difference! Not only have I been able to teach in more unity with my companion, but we finally had a break through with one of our investigators that I had been having a hard time with. Christlike love for everyone is so important. So important. I can't stress it enough. When we try to love people as Christ loves us, we are better able to understand their needs and to serve them in the way Christ would serve them if He were with them here on Earth. I feel so blessed to be able to have this opportunity to increase in my love for everyone around me and I encourage all of you to make an effort to, as our devotional speaker this week, Chad Lewis (the NFL player), said "look past everything you first notice, don't like, are confused by, etc., and see into the hearts of the people you meet."
Tomorrow, we lose yet another generation of Chinese speakers here. They are mostly heading off to Taizhong, Taiwan, and I'm super excited for them (though I'm sure my excitement nowhere matches theirs), it's such a beautiful area! Once they leave, my generation will be the oldest in our zone. This has meant a bunch of reorganizing of leadership positions, which are usually made up of the "eldest" generation. Two of the elders in my zone, Elders Phelps and McKay, are our new zone leaders. They have fantastic work ethics and I know they'll do an amazing job. My companion and I have been called to serve as the Music Coordinators for our zone. We're in charge of picking music for church, arranging for people to play piano and lead the music, setting up special musical numbers, and working hard to get everyone to participate in the MTC choir. I am so excited for this opportunity to serve and get to work with music, which I love.
Along with the Chinese speakers who are leaving, two of mine and my companion's good friends who are serving in Korea headed off this morning. It's crazy to think how good of friends you can become here at the MTC in such a short amount of time. I can't wait to meet up with all of the people I've met here post-mission. I have honestly met some of the best people since coming here.
Also, highlight of the week, I got a package of cards from my Primary kids! There is NOTHING cuter than little five year-olds writing how much they love you. I cannot even explain how happy I was seeing the pictures they drew on the cards for me. If there is a perfect example of Christlike love anywhere, it's in little kids. Love them!
And one more thing, I ran into my good friend from Freshman year, Ellie Ott! She's serving in Poland and just got here on Wednesday. Haven't seen her, or many of my friends from Freshman year in over a year and it's so good to start running into them. The MTC is such a small world!
All my love!
Sister Makena Bauss