When that last week comes you'll get the shock of "Oh my gosh am I actually doing this? I am actually leaving to live in a foreign country for 18 months to teach the gospel to real people who actually exist!?!?"
Plus then you have to say goodbye to your teachers which is SO HARD! You just grow to love them so much. They're such great people. Teaching is so much more than just a job to them. Also, it's really hard to go to the temple for your last time. I am going to miss the temple soo sooo sooo sooooooo much. I can't wait for the day when there will be a temple in slovakia. ONE DAY. There will be one day.
Despite being hard, this week has also been the best week in the MTC :)
It is such an amazing experience to be able to hear converts share their testimonies about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.
Then on Wednesday we were able to be hosts for all the new missionaries that come into the MTC. Basically, we pick them up at the curb, help them get their badges, settle into their residences, get all their supplies, and we drop them off at their classrooms. There was one sister missionary that I particularly loved helping. She was the oldest and the first missionary similar to me :) She had a little sister (my guess age 6-8) who was bawling and just being like "please don't go! I miss you!" it was heart wrenching. It was so cute for me though because it reminds me that "hey, there are families in the world that really truly do care about one another and I'm going out to find them!" The MTC is like a bubble within a bubble within a bubble. There are so many great things here, but I'm ready to get back to the real world :) Oh, also. Fun part of hosting? Hauling around suitcases that weigh twice as much as you do up 4 flights of stairs! boo ya.
I decided I'm taking NOTHING to slovakia.... Just kidding. But seriously. Suitcases = no bueno.
Our investigators are all progressing so well, too. They are moving towards their baptismal dates with gusto :). We have taught them almost all the lessons they need to know to be prepared. We only have a couple more. It's been such an amazing journey to watch our investigators grow and progress. I never knew watching another person come unto christ could be so rewarding. I have especially loved teaching our investigators about the Word of Widsom and the Law of Chastity. As difficult as it may be to teach these two doctrines to those not of our faith, the difficulty pales in comparision to the return. Much of the world does not believe in complete abstience from alcohol and sexual relations before marriage between a man and woman, and so these two doctrines make us unique. They define us as a "peculiar people". And I love it :). As we taught these two lessons I felt the spirit and it was easy to talk with our investigators about what these two doctrines are, why we practice them, and what the blessings are. As we were specific and direct, the spirit testified of the truth of our teaching. Don't be afraid to ever be specific. I have learned that specificity invites the spirit. I love telling investigators why I'm teaching them, what my goals are for them, and exactly what I expect of them. It's SOOO much better than ... "sooo um.. we're here to um.... teach you that... uh... so you know like .... that Daniel and bathsheba thing? .. so be faithful and uh...don't do that." Don't do what...?
The investigator gets confused, you're uncomfortable, the spirit can't testify of what you're teaching. BUT! When you come in and tell your investigator " We know brother/sister so-and-so that you have such strong faith and we are happy with your decision to be baptized. Today we would like to help you make promises with God that will help you to prepare for your baptism on such-and-such date. One promise that will help you to prepare is to live the law of chastity, which is God's law concerning sexual purity." Then you move into the lesson and say exactly what the law of chastity is (i.e. no homosexuality, no sex before marriage, no pornography, etc.) No wishy washy stuff.
My companion and I did this with our investigator Rado and I felt like the lesson went SO much better than we even expected. We didn't feel awkward, he wasn't weirded out, and he committed to live the law of chastity. The same thing happened with the Word of Wisdom. I'm learning that when we act, are specific and direct, the spirit will prompt us and testify to our investigators of what we teach. I love the gospel :)
The MTC has truly helped me to improve my teaching. I am grateful for the growth I have experienced here.
I can't believe that I'm ACTUALLY leaving. It's excited, nerve-wracking, thrilling, draining, unreal, and many many other feelings.
I love you all very much :) I look forward to the future.
- Sestra Kane
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