LAST EMAIL FROM THE MTC!!!!

August 02, 2018

LAST EMAIL FROM THE MTC!!!!

It has been another fantastic week at the MTC! I seriously can't believe I will be leaving soon!!!

VISAS:

This week, we all found out whether or not we got our visas to the Philippines. If you don't get your visa, you get temporarily reassigned until your visa comes. They gave out reassignments Tuesday through Thursday. Nearly HALF of the missionaries scheduled to leave to the Philippines on Wednesday didn't get their visas! Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday were loooong days waiting to see if we got reassigned or not. 4 of the 10 missionaries in my district got reassigned. Two are going to Arizona, one to Texas, and another to SLC West mission. I honestly kind of wanted to get reassigned in the States for a transfer, because I think that would be such a unique experience serving both state-side and foreign!

I found out that I was one of the missionaries that did get their visa, so I'm headed to the Philippines on Wednesday!! :) It still doesn't feel real! I think it won't feel real until I'm actually there! Maybe even then it still won't feel real! I am so excited to meet and teach and love the people in the Philippines!! :)

MTC:

When I first got to the MTC, I kept saying how much I loved it. All the older missionaries would tell me that that wouldn't last long! To be completely honest... I STILL love the MTC! I still love the food too believe it or not!! I'm actually terrified to step on the scale to see how much weight I've gained haha! I love seeing missionaries going place to place. My favorite day of the week is Wednesday when all the new missionaries come in! I love that you are constantly in places and doing things that invite the Spirit, which is always so strong. I'm going to miss having devotionals every week. They are always so inspiring! I even love having to wake up before 6:30 every morning! Each day here I feel so accomplished and a day well spent! I will miss the MTC, but I can't wait to get out there in the field!! I know I'll love the Philippines too!! :) I just love missionary work!

Recently, I've been having special appreciation for a hot running shower and toilet paper. I don't know if I'll be having a hot shower for a while!

I've been coming to accept the fact that people don't normally use toilet paper in the Philippines... Apparently, it's much nicer and more efficient to use water and your hand. I HIGHLY doubt that and plan on buying toilet paper hahaha we'll see!! ;)

DEVOTIONALS:

This week we had some amazing devotionals! Just a few of the things I wrote down that I loved are:

-Your mission will bless the lives of your desendents

-Your mission is blessing your family now and in the future

-Be a pioneer of righteousness

-Be thou an example of the believers

-Example is the most powerful and effective way to teach

-Ultimate goal of missionary work: gathering families to be sealed for eternity in the temple :)

WORKSHOP:

At the end of one of our workshops this week, we watched a video of the world map. It showed temples marked with yellow dots and stakes marked with blue dots. We got to see as the church has spread throughout the world throughout time until today. It gave me goosebumps!! The restored gospel is being shared and spread all around the world and it is amazing! I want the whole world to be lit up with temples and stakes!!!

I can't even put into words how much I love being a missionary and how excited I am to go love and serve others-- to introduce them to the restored church on the earth today. THIS CHURCH IS GOD'S CHURCH AND IT IS SO TRUE. I know that with all my heart. The Gospel blesses lives and brings so much happiness.

Well, I'll talk to you later from the Philippines!!!!!! :)

I LOVE YOU ALL!!

-Sister Durrant

One last thing I forgot to share!! :)

SKYPE TRC:

Last week, we got to teach a lesson to a member from the Philippines over skype! We got to talk to a woman named Blossom. We found out that she actually lives in the Quezon City Mission boundaries! So cool! We taught her about the Christlike attributes: Diligence & Knowledge. It went really well! It was night time when we skyped her, but it was morning in the Philippines so she was eating cereal while we taught her haha! She has a young son that walked by and peaked at the screen while we were talking and I waved at him! He's so cute! We get to do Skype TRC again tonight! :)

Skype TRC made going to the Philippines feel even more real! It got me even more excited!! I CAN'T WAIT :)

In class with Sister Lor and Sister Johnson

Our district president is a cop, so for district training he hand-cuffed two of the elders in our district together. Turns out he forgot the key and had to drive home to go get it. So these two elders were hooked together for a bit haha!! :)