Family!
I'm skipping all the hey-how-are-you intro to get to the meat of the thing, as already my time is three minutes in and we've got a lot to cover. But you know I love you, right? Because I do. Lots.
So. Sister L., aka Sister Lily as I have the great pleasure of being paired with a companion whose last name is harder to pronounce than my own. It's really ridiculous that I haven't told you much about her, seeing as she's most important these days, but I realized I haven't said anything because we're such kindred spirits I just supposed you already knew her.
---
And here's what we do everyday. Really. Every day. All day. Never changing. (not complaining):
6:30---out of bed
7:00---in the classroom, personal study.
8:00---breakfast.
8:30---opening hymn, prayer, and then into class until
12:30---lunch
1:15---opening hymn, prayer, and then into class until
5:30---dinner
6:15---opening hymn, prayer, and then into class until
9:00---daily planning, closing hymn and prayer
9:30---back at apartment, ready for bed, journal, talk, share secrets, general laughter and much hilarity until lights out at
10:30.
This schedule is followed more or less without variation on a daily basis, unless it's Tuesday, where we have an evening devotional; Thursday, when we have out Preparation Day and get this half hour to email you; Saturday, when we spend the morning doing our service hours; and Sunday, when we go to church, choir practice, and a fireside. Also included in every day is an hour for Companionship Study (favorit saya) and Language Study, to be fit in whenever the teacher feels like being done with class and letting us loose to learn on our own.
Which brings me to the language, which is still mostly the best part of being here---it is simply unreal the progress we've made in only two weeks, but it only reminds us how much more there is to know. Sis. Lily and I have been most diligent in applying it to our gospel studies, and actually taught a 30-minute lesson on the Restoration dalam Bahasa Indonesia TANPA CATATAN!! (that's without notes. And yes, yes that deserved capitalization.) We'll see if we can repeat such a feat this Saturday with our next "investigator" and until then continue to hone our skillz with a lot of memorization, which drives the Elders crazy. We've already memorized Our Purpose, the First Vision, and have pounded out the first four Articles of Faith before they even thought of doing such a thing. I mean, not that we're proud of it, or anything . . .
Oh, PE. We have 50 minutes in the gym everyday but P-Days, and I usually run the track, play volleyball with the District, or shoot hoops with Sis. L. Yesterday, however, we told the Elders that I am a certified yoga instructor and they have all signed up for a class tomorrow that Sis. L. and I are frantically pulling together so as to maximize the spiritual experience of yoga and look as legit as possible. I'll let you know how that goes. But Elder N. in pigeon pose? It's just too much not to pass up.
---
This week has slowed down a bit from last; Sis Lily and I haven't felt quite as productive but we realized that is because we haven't learned nearly as much as we did in the first seven days. I think it's because we've moved into review, so there's not a lot of new stuff, but it should pick up again next week.
Even so, we've been ridiculously tired. Which leads me to my next topic: the Modern Day Miracle.
Tuesday morning we were ready to fall flat on our faces in exhaustion, and it was only 8:15 AM. All we wanted, all we needed, was a minute's rest, a few seconds to lay down and shut our eyes. And so God gave us the Room of Requirement.
Actually, there's a lot of comparisons re: Hogwarts/MTC here which I'm not going to go into but I'm sure you can figure out. Suffice to say, on this particular morning of no energy and little patience, we passed a door we'd passed several times, always wondering what was inside but finding it locked. That morning, SisL. joked that we should try just one more time, and I gave it a playful push. It opened. Jaws dropped. I pushed it open wider. A whole room. Dark. Sis Lily flipped on the lights.
Beds. Two of them. Two beds and a full-length mirror, plus a TV and a small bowl of M+Ms.
The next day, rejuvenated and energetic once more, we tried the door just for kicks. It didn't budge a bit.
So there you go, folks. Church is True. Now we're off to the bait suci (why do we use the arabic word for 'house' there? I don't know.) and then again to class. One minute, so I'll just say this: Kasih. Banyak banyak.
selalu,
E.
I'm skipping all the hey-how-are-you intro to get to the meat of the thing, as already my time is three minutes in and we've got a lot to cover. But you know I love you, right? Because I do. Lots.
So. Sister L., aka Sister Lily as I have the great pleasure of being paired with a companion whose last name is harder to pronounce than my own. It's really ridiculous that I haven't told you much about her, seeing as she's most important these days, but I realized I haven't said anything because we're such kindred spirits I just supposed you already knew her.
---
And here's what we do everyday. Really. Every day. All day. Never changing. (not complaining):
6:30---out of bed
7:00---in the classroom, personal study.
8:00---breakfast.
8:30---opening hymn, prayer, and then into class until
12:30---lunch
1:15---opening hymn, prayer, and then into class until
5:30---dinner
6:15---opening hymn, prayer, and then into class until
9:00---daily planning, closing hymn and prayer
9:30---back at apartment, ready for bed, journal, talk, share secrets, general laughter and much hilarity until lights out at
10:30.
This schedule is followed more or less without variation on a daily basis, unless it's Tuesday, where we have an evening devotional; Thursday, when we have out Preparation Day and get this half hour to email you; Saturday, when we spend the morning doing our service hours; and Sunday, when we go to church, choir practice, and a fireside. Also included in every day is an hour for Companionship Study (favorit saya) and Language Study, to be fit in whenever the teacher feels like being done with class and letting us loose to learn on our own.
Which brings me to the language, which is still mostly the best part of being here---it is simply unreal the progress we've made in only two weeks, but it only reminds us how much more there is to know. Sis. Lily and I have been most diligent in applying it to our gospel studies, and actually taught a 30-minute lesson on the Restoration dalam Bahasa Indonesia TANPA CATATAN!! (that's without notes. And yes, yes that deserved capitalization.) We'll see if we can repeat such a feat this Saturday with our next "investigator" and until then continue to hone our skillz with a lot of memorization, which drives the Elders crazy. We've already memorized Our Purpose, the First Vision, and have pounded out the first four Articles of Faith before they even thought of doing such a thing. I mean, not that we're proud of it, or anything . . .
Oh, PE. We have 50 minutes in the gym everyday but P-Days, and I usually run the track, play volleyball with the District, or shoot hoops with Sis. L. Yesterday, however, we told the Elders that I am a certified yoga instructor and they have all signed up for a class tomorrow that Sis. L. and I are frantically pulling together so as to maximize the spiritual experience of yoga and look as legit as possible. I'll let you know how that goes. But Elder N. in pigeon pose? It's just too much not to pass up.
---
This week has slowed down a bit from last; Sis Lily and I haven't felt quite as productive but we realized that is because we haven't learned nearly as much as we did in the first seven days. I think it's because we've moved into review, so there's not a lot of new stuff, but it should pick up again next week.
Even so, we've been ridiculously tired. Which leads me to my next topic: the Modern Day Miracle.
Tuesday morning we were ready to fall flat on our faces in exhaustion, and it was only 8:15 AM. All we wanted, all we needed, was a minute's rest, a few seconds to lay down and shut our eyes. And so God gave us the Room of Requirement.
Actually, there's a lot of comparisons re: Hogwarts/MTC here which I'm not going to go into but I'm sure you can figure out. Suffice to say, on this particular morning of no energy and little patience, we passed a door we'd passed several times, always wondering what was inside but finding it locked. That morning, SisL. joked that we should try just one more time, and I gave it a playful push. It opened. Jaws dropped. I pushed it open wider. A whole room. Dark. Sis Lily flipped on the lights.
Beds. Two of them. Two beds and a full-length mirror, plus a TV and a small bowl of M+Ms.
The next day, rejuvenated and energetic once more, we tried the door just for kicks. It didn't budge a bit.
So there you go, folks. Church is True. Now we're off to the bait suci (why do we use the arabic word for 'house' there? I don't know.) and then again to class. One minute, so I'll just say this: Kasih. Banyak banyak.
selalu,
E.
1 comment:
Wow. Your day starts so early and ends late! You're right. It is hard, but worth it. I had no idea they have P.E. at the MTC. I need that. Your miracle sounded amazing! I have something to tell you. I'll write you via postcard!
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