Ok, I only have exactly 24 minutes to write this so we'll see how this goes! Man it has been one crazy week full of ups and downs. I don't even know where to start…well before I start I'll thank everyone for the packages and mom for the pic! (yes I would love more!) Aubs, Kait, Mom, you made my week! Seriously it couldn't have come at a better time. So like every district, ours has struggled a bit. But at the same time we are getting much closer too. This last week there were some issues with one companionship getting along and it kind of weighed on the rest of us. I was really concerned about it all and I could just feel the tension in the room whenever we were together. What I've realized here is that I am praying harder than ever before. But when I prayed for my district I would pray about something and then sit and listen for a while and all these thoughts would fill my mind about what to do. It was a really special experience. I knew that we needed to have a district inventory as soon as we could. The district leader must have been praying really hard too because the next day he said we were going to have the district inventory. It was really good and I was able to say things I felt like needed to be said. It’s so funny because I’m such a girl and have cried a lot but we talked about how we all feel the spirit differently. It was really cool. We also discussed our goals and the type of missionaries we want to be and that we need to give the Cantonese missionaries a good name. We know that we are doing a great job but know that we can step it up. We refined our goals and set up a plan to accomplish them. Yesterday was AWESOME! We learned so much Cantonese and everyone seems much more focused. I can still tell that there are a few little problems with the other companionship but I just pray that each of them will find peace and continue to work diligently. The elders I teach with are doing really well! We all get along great but we just want to keep pushing ourselves harder so we're all helping each other out. Its incredible looking back and seeing how much we've improved teaching wise and language wise already. Yes, we have so much more to learn, but we also need to reflect on the progress we've made. We have been so blessed!
So I don't know what my deal is, but things make me laugh 50 times harder here than other places. It must be the whole cooped up in one room all day thing. You all know what happens if I laugh too hard and that has almost happened NUMEROUS times. Something sets Sis. Bishop and me off and we can't stop laughing all day. It's so awesome. I've also told some of the Elders in the other district about Miranda and although they've never seen her they always laugh when they catch me talking like her and quote her just from the things I’ve said to them. "Oh hey, I did not see you standing there" hahaha it's so awesome. They thought it was absolutely hilarious when I told them about it. Good times hahaha Well like I said before, the language is coming along. I get frustrated with myself because I am comparing and that is exactly what I shouldn't do. but it's not even comparing with other Cantonese, it's like other languages! I am just praying all the time that I'll stop because Satan wants me to compare myself with everyone to get me down. But I know that the language I’m learning is difficult but as i continue to learn it doesn't seem as bad as I thought. I just have to keep studying and practicing to speak...just like you would anything else. I still have a long ways to go. And need a lot of prayers. But it's so amazing...since I've just been at the mtc my love for my mission, the language, the people has all grown more than I can explain. We are all getting so excited to go but we know we need to be comfortable teaching and speaking which motivates us more to study hard. We had a devotional on Sunday by Stephen Allen that I’ll talk about briefly. He talked about our weapons of rebellion that we might have brought to the mtc (such as pride, laziness, anger) and how to overcome them. it was very powerful. then he wanted us to sing "we are all enlisted" for the closing hymn. once we started singing a few elders stood and then soon enough every missionary was standing, singing with our booming voices. I can't even describe the spirit that was there! It was so unbelievable! we are all just ready to serve with faith and courage. Mom, to answer your questions real quick, I think just from visiting the temple before I could actually go in helped me develop an appreciation and love for it. i understood its sacredness which i think caused me to love it. it is such a special place to go and be away from the world and feel that peace.
As for the fire alarm story, yes I forgot to put it in my first email. The Thursday I was sick I was in the shower that night and in the middle of it the fire alarm went off! I just started laughing....this WOULD happen to me! haha so I just threw my clothes on then ran outside to find my comp. I was soaked and it was cold outside but it really didn't bother me that much. the girls were all loud and rowdy so my roommates and comp and I started singing hymns (we're such girls hahaha) and then everyone joined in. we sang hymns the rest of the time and it was awesome! Well thanks again for the prayers and love! I appreciate everyone sending letters and things and I love hearing about everyone's life! Hannah gets married so soon! I can't believe it! and chels comes in so soon! I'm stoked cause she's going to LOVE it! Well thanks again everyone! I love you all!
Love,
Sister Kiene
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