"Do Your Duty, That is Best. Leave Unto the Lord the Rest"

Our two remaining roommates:)

Getting to see Elder Rogers at the temple!

Surprise visit from Darin Hillyard whose now teaching Polish at the MTC:)

Dobro Jutro Obitelj i Prijatelj! (Good Morning Friends and Family! :) )

 

I can't believe another Monday is here! We only have 3 weeks left in the MTC and time seems to be slipping through our fingers. It now is feeling like we might ACTUALLY leave the MTC someday! (For part of our time we felt like this was our destiny. haha) It's been another week of ups and downs, but learning all the way. :)

 

So, I have two language moments today. Sometimes you think you're getting better, but then you just know how to say more words in the wrong way.....so that's awesome. The first experience I had was on Wednesday when we were with our teacher, Sister Carter. We were learning directions, so she thought it would be a good activity to have us go outside and have one person telling the other two of us where to go. We took turn being the leaders. We had been taught all different directions and how to say "quickly" and "slowly" and "stop" and "go". Being as prideful as I am, I didn't want to review all the words and what they meant at the beginning of my turn being the leader. So I started directing them. Things were going really well and I thought I was being the most hilarious as I was telling them to go slowly and turn in circles, etc. However, I thought it would be pretty fun to make them go really fast and then tell them to stop and go fast and then stop again, etc. As I said "Brzo!" they both took off speed walking. I was behind them and walked with them. Then I said "Brzi" (which means faster)! They took off. As I was chasing them I realized that I has forgotten any words for "slow" or "stop" or "end" or "finish" and they were still running! I was yelling in English, but especially since our teacher was with us, they didn't respond. Finally they took pity on me and stopped. I was sweaty from running after them and my pride had been handed to me. For the record, "stanite" is how you say stop, and I will never forget it.

 

Second language moment was in a lesson with our investigator Srdan. We have been trying to teach more by the spirit and our lesson that day was on obedience! Automatically I felt like I should talk about the strippling warriors and theír practice of exact obedience. As I had Srdan read the story of the strippling warriors I stopped him and tried to explain to him my testimony of obedience and how I love the strippling warriors. As I started to explain I realized that I had no idea how to say "strippling warriors" or anything to that effect. I stumbled and mumbled through some lame explanation using my kindergarten vocabulary and when I was done my teacher had this amused look on his face. Afterwards, between hysteric laughter, he told me that I had explained to him that I like a young boy and that I like a story of a young boy. Yipee. Creepy missionary on the loose. hahaha

 

Also, this week we got to hear from Elder Neil L. Andersen in our devotional on Tuesday. It was a very humbling experience to be 7 rows away from an apostle. He gave a great talk about "The 10 things President Monson Would Tell Us If He Were Here Tonight". He gave great advice, but one thing that he said really impressed me: "Do you duty, that is best. Leave unto the Lord the rest." I am continually reminded that the Lord has a plan for us. All we need to do is keep His commandments and strive to be like Him. That is ALL! He has promised us SO many blessings, but we just need to do those simple things that help us to be happy anyway. I know that as we keep the Lord in our lives and keep ourselves worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost that He will bless us. Our lives won't be without trial or loss, but as we turn to Him, He will help us to know the best way for us to deal with those trials.

 

I love you all. I pray for you and think about you A LOT!

 

Volim te,

Sestra Giles