Halfway through the MTC

It has been another fantastic week!! I can't believe I have passed my halfway mark at the MTC already! Time flies! :) I have been learning and growing so much! I'm glad my Heavenly Father is giving me so many opportunities to learn and grow so I can bring the gospel to His children the way he wants me to in the Philippines! That's my goal: to be the missionary He wants me to be! 

We got new missionaries on Wednesday!!!!! :) Wednesday night, Sister Lor & I and the Zone leaders went and rounded up all the new missionaries in our zone and gave them their orientation meeting :) We made them all sing the opening and closing hymns in Tagalog! haha! We had everyone get up and introduce themselves, and then gave them a bunch of info the branch presidency told us to tell them. It was so fun getting them in our zone, and I can't wait to get to know all of them better!! Sister Lor and I had to assign one companionship of sisters to teach a quick 5 minute lesson the next day for their branch presidency meeting. They seemed overwhelmed when we told them about that assignment. Little do they know this is just the beginning of many lessons!

After just one week in the MTC we had to start giving 15-20 minute lessons everyday to a fake investigator! Except for pday and Sundays... However, Sundays we have to prepare a talk in case we are picked. Sister Lor and I will be teaching relief society this Sunday too...so really, pday is the only day we don't give lessons! I haven't planned so many lessons in my life haha! And especially none in Tagalog!! We started TRC 2 weeks ago. It's every Monday and we teach two, 20 minute lessons to volunteer Tagalog speaking members. Starting this week though (Monday), we will be doing TRC over video chat with members from the Philippines! I'm a little nervous for that, but mostly excited!! :) :)

My Tagalog teachers have started sharing some of their photos and stories/experiences from their missions in the Philippines. I can't even explain how strong the Spirit is when they talk about those experiences. It gives me so much motivation to better learn the language and learn how to better serve and love people. Sometimes I get worried that I'll never be able to explain the gospel the way I want to in Tagalog. I'm realizing more though that it's not about the words you say, it's about the Spirit the people we teach feel. 

At our Tuesday night devotional Craig C Christensen spoke. He told a story about when he was a mission president in Mexico and was thinking about closing a certain area because there wasn't much success there. Before he did that though, he decided to send some sister missionaries there for the first time. Those sisters ended up converting so many people within a short time! He visited them to see what they were doing to have that much success. The girl just smiled at him when he asked and said "Can you resist my smile?"

I loved that. It's not about the words you say. It's all about what you do. It's about how you love and serve people. I wrote down in my journal: "Smile! Show your faith on the outside!" The best way to share the gospel is to live it, be a disciple of Christ, and love + serve others. 

I love Matthew 5:14-16

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

It's all about your countenance and sharing the love and joy of Christ's light which is inside all of us :)

In one of our discussions after a devotional, our district talked about Joseph Smith and all the persecution against him and the church back then. Today too! We talked about how it makes sense that the Adversary would put a lot of effort in trying to destroy things that are going to make a difference and bring others unto Christ. We talked about how that happens to us in our individual lives too. When you feel the most discouragement and opposition in life, that's the adversary working its hardest on you, because you are about to do something great!! So don't ever give into negative feelings! Remember where those bad feelings are coming from: the adversary. Remember that only good things come from God :) Moroni 7:12

I love you all so much and I love being a missionary!!!!! :) I am so thankful for all the love and support I have at home!! I am so so blessed! :)

Love,

-Sister Durrant

  Twinning with the ironing board! ;) 

This statue of Joseph Smith is right outside the laundry room! We think it's so funny because it looks like he's going to do some laundry too!! We're following the prophet!!! ;)

 We planned a zone pday picnic today to get to know the new missionaries better! :)

In class

Sister Lor's sweets!​