Steph MTC Week 2

Hello family!!
SO I will start off this week with the experience I had this morning while attending the temple that is very c lose to my heart. This last week we had a bunch of native Russians come into our zone and branch to study, because they are heading on a mission to Russian areas. These mornings 4 of them were able to take out there endowments while our whole zone was able to attend. I don't know if I can portray all that I felt this morning but the spirit was so strong. While sitting in the celestial room afterwards I was sitting next to sister Zamoroni that went through this morning, one of the sweetest people I have ever met. I turned and gave her a hug and tried to portray how happy I was for her and she hugged me back and said in half Russian half broken English "what a blessing this experience and temple is". I started to cry and as I sat there and watched these amazing natives I had the str5ongest impression that it had not been easy for any of them or their families to get to this point. I felt strongly that I needed to hold on to this moment when I am out there in the field because the Lord has this overwhelming love for this people and he wants them all to get to the to this point. I'm so thankful for my call to serve this people in the Ukraine!
Poor sister Rodriguez has been super sick this week (well and last week but this week of really bad) we went down the street to the BYU health center and I sat in the waiting room for 2 hours while she was getting x-rays and tests done to see what was wrong. Funny note, while this would not be a challenge for normal people while I was sitting in the waiting room there was a TV on with CNN news. I had the hardest time not watching that TV and seeing the news as a journalism major I kept praying for something to distract me away from it as I read my scriptures for 2 hours and finally a lady that was also waiting started to ask me about my mission call and so we had a nice conversation. Sister Rod came back and the doctor said she had the beginning stages of pneumonia (I’ve had pneumonia before and so hearing this I just felt terrible for sis Rodriguez) they put her on some intense medication and I’ve been studying a lot in the room while she sleeps this week. She's feeling a bit better today but please pray for her that she will be totally well soon because being sick on top of all we are doing (especially learning Russian can't be easy).
Wednesday night was our first TRC (teaching resource center visit) it was a very humbling/ exciting experience. This is where people volunteer to be fake investigators so you can practice teaching the lessons and your language. We had to contact 5 "investigators in Russian on the street for 10 min. now since I’ve only been here at this point for 1 week I was super nervous to testify and introduce myself in Russian but it went all right. I was able to testify of Christ, Joseph Smith and some other things all in Russian and introduce Sis Rod and I. We then went and taught a 30 min lesson to 2 male investigators in English about the restoration. It was humbling how much I need to work on in my teaching but the spirit was strong and I was able to bear my testimony of the things I believed. Sister rod afterwards had a bit of a hard time as she had a bit of a harder time with the language then me and froze up a built during the lesson but she pulled it through in the end and we are working on being better teachers together. I love her she’s a wonderful companion!
I can now testify, pray (well kind of a few phrases at least) and ask some questions in Russian. Amazing how the Lord has blessed me to learn this much in such a short time. I for sure and still super overwhelmed with the language as I want to cry at least once a day over not being able to get it, one of the hardest things learning Russian that I’ve ever had to do for sure. But I'm really trying to struggle and work for this language and I know that if i do the Lord will bless me to do learn this language so I can teach his people. Sunday was wonderful, I played the piano for church, what a blessing it is to have learned musical talents so that I can use them to serve the Lord, Thank you mom for pushing me to develop those talents I'm so grateful for them. Love you!
We had a devotional Sunday night that was wonderful on never giving up on the work and having no regrets as a missionary. That I was I am striving for but I'm not the most patient person and I really think the Lord is trying to mold me right now because missionary work while worth it is really hard. I'm learning so much about what and myself the Lord wants and needs from me. Sunday we walked around the temple ground like all the missionaries usually do and it was a gorgeous day in Provo. I took some pictures with two of my Jerusalem friends’ sister copper and Briggs, so proud of all the wonderful things going on in my Jerusalem friends’ lives! I also took some other pictures with my zone and such. I'll send them through the mail this week, as I am not aloud to send them through e-mail.
We watched the Testaments movie that night and while watching the love story with about 200 elders or more in he room was hilarious as they all covered their eyes during the brief peck on the lips scene the spirit was so strong and I cried at the end of that movie as Christ was portrayed giving the atonement and then Heleman was portrayed being healed at the end. I want you all to know that I know our Savior lives and Loves every one of us and that His children are of infinite worth. How grateful I am for the struggles he gives me as well as the blessings.
Monday was a super exhausting day as I studied Russian for about 5 hours straight, had class and food breaks in between we had class in Russian from 5-9 at night and by the end of it my Brain was just done I was so tired. I kept praying the Lord would help me have strength to continue learning because I literally had nothing left. Then we were assigned an activity for one companionship to act as investigators and one to act as teachers, Elder Danniberg (he’s from Germany) was teaching us and on a funny not he was te4aching us about hoe we are created in God's image when he said "you know just like Elephants and their baby’s are created like elephants" The image was just too funny in my head that I could not stop laughing and I broke character for as minute as he asked "what so funny in his German accent and while all of us were trying to get a hold of ourselves my comp said "did you just compare God to a baby elephant then Elder cook said " yeah elder maybe you should use horses next time less funny. It was good to have the comic relief. I Love our 19-year-old elders they are hilarious and keep the craziness and stress of the MTC in perspective.
Well I love you all! Please write me if you can through dearelder.com or other means. Thank you to all who wrote this week! I love you all! Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Cecpta Lacy