I am so scattered today, the computers have been down so I am just trying to throw everything down quickly so I can get it all to you before my time is up :) Pasensya! (sorry!)
Anyways, kind of funny story, I was playing the piano the other day and a couple Elders heard me play from my zone and volunteered me to accompany a musical number on Sunday, tomorrow...haha I had to kindly decline after the sister came and asked me because I had no idea how to play the song they wanted! haha It was a nice compliment to me pero a little more notice would have been nice ha
This past Monday 2 Districts left and that was really sad because we loved them and got pretty close to them but then this Wednesday we got 30 new people added to our zone! Crazy! That DOUBLED the number of missionaries in our Zone. Craziness.
Get this, I knew Allena (friend from home) and Hannon (college roommate) got here this Wednesday so of course all day I was looking for them but to my disappointment I didn't see any of them. Welp, I was in the bathroom that night getting ready for bed and started talking to the sisters next to me. They were going to Brazil (like Hannon) but I figured there was no way they would know who she was so I didn't ask them. And then all of a sudden I just blurted it out and said "Hey it probably isn't very likely you will meet her but my good friend Hannon Young got here today so if you see her tell her I said Hi" Then they said, "HA! Sister Young? She lives right here!" They took me to her room and sure enough Hannon lives in my same building, on my same floor, just right on the other side of the bathroom! How crazy cool is that! It is such a blessing and I love love love getting to see her all the time! We go and say goodnight to eachother every night now :) It's nice to have a true, close, loving friend here who actually knows me ha
Okay so this week was great! I have decided that Thursdays are by far the hardest day of the week for me because I am so exhausted by that time of the week and the schedule for Thursdays is the hardest so Thursdays are more the hump day of my week hah but I made it! I am now in the middle of my 3rd week! Can you believe that? Me neither. it is crazy but the days go by sooo slow sometimes yet the weeks seem to fly by!
This week we started teaching 2 new investigators, Nocon and Jun-Jun. It is stressful every time we teach but our lessons are getting much better and our Tagalog too! I am so far from fluency but I can teach decently well enough. Anyways, we also started grammar this week so that is party of course. Whoot whoot. No but really it is so helpful knowing how to actually form proper sentences now; instead of talking like a cave woman 100% of the time I'm only a cave-woman about 80% of the time! Now that is true improvement. HA! :)
So do you remember my first investigator, Felix? I can't remember if I told you about him or not. Well we taught him and he was a college age kid whose parents used to be members but fell away from the church and taught all their kids how awful the Mormons were. Well, our teacher, Brother XXXX (Em asked not to publish his name), acted as Felix, (so Bro. XXXX pretended to be Felix, the investigator for us to teach him) does that make sense? I sure hope so. Well Thursday night Brother Mace was teaching our class and we asked him about his conversion story because he has been telling us for awhile now that he would tell us eventually. Well Thursday was eventually I guess. We're all sitting in the room just kind of talking and laughing and Brother XXXX says, "Ako po si Felix." (I am Felix) The room got SILENT. He went on to explain that although he was "acting", he was really acting out his own story. The spirit in that room was so strong, it seriously felt like we were being surrounded by the spirit. It was amazing. He went on to tell about how his parents apostatized and he grew up with his parents preaching anti-mormon material in their house. He had lots of mormon friends and members invite him to church or to read the Book of Mormon, etc and he always said no. Well he loves basketball and his friend asked if he would come ref for his church ball game so of course he couldn't say no to an invitation to be on the court so he accepted. After the game, the friend's step-dad went up to him and just thanked him for reffing and told him he did a great job, then out of nowhere he said "I think you should consider serving a mission for the church, I will pay for it. Just think about it." Then he left. My teacher went on to say that he stayed in the gym just thinking by himself for a long time. He immediately assumed that the Bishop or Stake President or someone had asked the friend's dad to say that to him, but then he said a thought hit him like someone swinging a baseball bat at the back of his head, the thought was that no one but God could have directed and inspired that man to say those things to him. So he prayed to God and thanked him for finally softening his heart and opening his eyes and he began to prepare to be baptized. He did serve a mission, in the Philippines, and is now living a righteous, great life as an active member of the church. What a remarkable story. There was not a dry eye in the room. We were all silent and afterwards went up and shook his hand and thanked him for sharing his story with us. What a testimony builder that is to me that God does have a plan for us, He does know us personally, He wants us to return to Him and if we follow the promptings of the spirit, we can bring so many others unto Christ. People are placed in our lives for a reason. Are you being an instrument in the hands of the Lord? Are you following the promptings of the Spirit at all times? Are you blessing the lives of others?
Also, last night my other teacher, Brother Lopez, had personal coaching with us where he met with my kasama and I but helped one of us at a time. He focused on me for 15 minutes straight. He just talked to me about my needs answered questions about grammar, about vocab, about teaching, about comapnions, everything you can imagine! It was such a blessing and exactly what I needed. It is not very often that you get just one on one time with a teacher here at the MTC because you are constantly thinking about others and with your kasama and what not but it helped me so much. I was able to learn so much just in that short time of how to be a better teacher, companion, student, etc. It was great! the teachers here are all amazing but I swear I got the best of the best. the teachers are so amazing here. They are truly inspired.
Another crazy cool thing that happened this week...I met Ian Harward! You guys probably don't even know who that is, pero Marc and Mel will. He is/was a BYU basketball player. He is a teacher here and I saw him leaving the other day and jumped up and said "Hey you play basktetball for BYU don't you?" haha I am such a dweed sometimes. Anyways he laughed and said he did but that he got hurt last season so he won't be playing anymore. Then we talked about me going to the 'pines, he said his teammate served in Quezon City, I said I already know, Tyler Haws..haha Then I said something to the effect of "You know, if you really want to, feel more than welcome to tell Matt Carlino I said Hi." hahaha He said "oh do you know Matt?" Me: "Well, not quite, but I wish." haha Then we laughed and he said 'okay I will, ya know, Matt actually lives right up here (pointing up by temple) right behind my wife and I." CRAZY! haha to say the least I was shaking a little and was a bit excited. Oh yeah and I shook his hand. It's no big though really. Sike. It's a big deal. Yeah that's my nerdy-BYU fan self for ya. :)
I hope all is well with you guys! I can't wait to hear from you! Dear Elders and letters are the best. You guys are awesome. I love you so much and hope to hear from you soon :)
MAHAL KITA PAMILYA KO!
Sister Emily Roderick
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| The MTC Laundry Room |
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| Em's District with a couple of guys from the District TV show |
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