Hello Everyone,
I hope everyone is having a great week. I am loving it here. My last week here at the MTC has been wonderful full of many memories! One being, this monday we were playing sand volleyball and then we looked to the right and a cloud and sheet of rain was coming toward us. It was uphill and the sun was up so you could see the rain coming. We were able to play the last 10 minutes in the rain and then run home in it. It was soo much fun :)
Also one of my (practice) investigators, Hilda, I forgot to tell you she has a baptismal date. We taught her tithing and it was amazing. I was certain she would say no or talk about how hard it would be. But she said, "Okay, I will do that". SHe even prayed at the end that God would help her keep it. It was such a marvelous experience.
Thank you all for your letters and packages. Mom I received the contact solution but not the contacts yet but i know they will be here before I leave. Thank you so much for getting those things for me. I also received the socks and Letty present (I love it!). I am sending back the no show socks though because they cover my whole foot. I can find some more in Italy. Only one package is opened so I am pretty sure you can return them all. I love the gym socks though!! They feel like clouds on my feet :)
Like I said this week has been wonderful. This Sunday I was able to watch the Brigham City Temple Dedication. It was beautiful and I received so many insights from it. At one point Boyd K. Packer was talking and he said, "We [The General Authorities] are just men" God takes imperfect servants. I needed to hear this as Italy is coming closer. I am starting to realized all of my inadequacies and how much I have yet to learn. These last few days it has been as if God knew what I needed to hear. On Tuesday Devtional, Elder Christoffel Golden of the Seventy also touched on how God takes us in our imperfections. He quoted, and I dont know where it is from, "Whom the Lord calls, He qualifies". The Lord will qualify and use me if I am obedient and keeping the Spirit with me. At the end of his talk he said something along the lines of , "The great gitfts we bring to the mission field is who we are. Even if we are inadequate God uses us". I remember another quote from Elder Bednars "Character of Christ" devotional. This quote is displayed on TV screens along the hallways it feels almost everyday. It says. "who you are is far more important than what you say". I am excited to go and serve the people of Italy. I am also very very very nervous. But I know that the Lord does NOTHING by chance and that as I follow and listen for His Will, I need not fear!
During the Brigham City Temple Dedication, L. Tom Perry spoke about how temples had blessed his life. He said that as he was growing up he would says his prayers facing the temple. THat was one of the sweetest practices I have heard of. After the Temple Dedication I realized how blessed I am. My companion and I were the only missionaries in my district who had attended a temple dedication, and I have been blessed to attend now 4 temple dedications in my life. I was able to go to an open house as early as 5 years old. My life has been surrounded by temples. I remember in my ward in Springfield Illinois when we would go and clean the Nauvoo Temple dedicated grounds while it was being built. I have been blessed to have 2 sisters and 1 brother married in the temple. And i have always been at most 2 hours ( when I leaved in Chatham) and then only 20 minutes from a temple. Temples truly0 are holy houses of God where families and individuals can go and make promises with God; and can perform symbolical acts (called ordinances) of those covenants so that we can be with our families for eternity and that God may bless us even more. I am amazed that God loved us so much that He gaves us temples. Today I get to go to the temple for the last time in 16 months. I am excited to go :)
Being here at the MTC i have received so many blessings:
Also one of my (practice) investigators, Hilda, I forgot to tell you she has a baptismal date. We taught her tithing and it was amazing. I was certain she would say no or talk about how hard it would be. But she said, "Okay, I will do that". SHe even prayed at the end that God would help her keep it. It was such a marvelous experience.
Thank you all for your letters and packages. Mom I received the contact solution but not the contacts yet but i know they will be here before I leave. Thank you so much for getting those things for me. I also received the socks and Letty present (I love it!). I am sending back the no show socks though because they cover my whole foot. I can find some more in Italy. Only one package is opened so I am pretty sure you can return them all. I love the gym socks though!! They feel like clouds on my feet :)
Like I said this week has been wonderful. This Sunday I was able to watch the Brigham City Temple Dedication. It was beautiful and I received so many insights from it. At one point Boyd K. Packer was talking and he said, "We [The General Authorities] are just men" God takes imperfect servants. I needed to hear this as Italy is coming closer. I am starting to realized all of my inadequacies and how much I have yet to learn. These last few days it has been as if God knew what I needed to hear. On Tuesday Devtional, Elder Christoffel Golden of the Seventy also touched on how God takes us in our imperfections. He quoted, and I dont know where it is from, "Whom the Lord calls, He qualifies". The Lord will qualify and use me if I am obedient and keeping the Spirit with me. At the end of his talk he said something along the lines of , "The great gitfts we bring to the mission field is who we are. Even if we are inadequate God uses us". I remember another quote from Elder Bednars "Character of Christ" devotional. This quote is displayed on TV screens along the hallways it feels almost everyday. It says. "who you are is far more important than what you say". I am excited to go and serve the people of Italy. I am also very very very nervous. But I know that the Lord does NOTHING by chance and that as I follow and listen for His Will, I need not fear!
During the Brigham City Temple Dedication, L. Tom Perry spoke about how temples had blessed his life. He said that as he was growing up he would says his prayers facing the temple. THat was one of the sweetest practices I have heard of. After the Temple Dedication I realized how blessed I am. My companion and I were the only missionaries in my district who had attended a temple dedication, and I have been blessed to attend now 4 temple dedications in my life. I was able to go to an open house as early as 5 years old. My life has been surrounded by temples. I remember in my ward in Springfield Illinois when we would go and clean the Nauvoo Temple dedicated grounds while it was being built. I have been blessed to have 2 sisters and 1 brother married in the temple. And i have always been at most 2 hours ( when I leaved in Chatham) and then only 20 minutes from a temple. Temples truly0 are holy houses of God where families and individuals can go and make promises with God; and can perform symbolical acts (called ordinances) of those covenants so that we can be with our families for eternity and that God may bless us even more. I am amazed that God loved us so much that He gaves us temples. Today I get to go to the temple for the last time in 16 months. I am excited to go :)
Being here at the MTC i have received so many blessings:
1) The MTC itself is a wonderful place and idea. We have a chance to prepare and learn and practice before we have to go into the world and work.
2) I have been able to adjust to the schedule
3) I have learned the importance of and how to study to make my time most effective
4) I get to feel the Spirit everyday so I know how He speaks to me personally
I came to the MTC at the best time. While i have been here, I will attend 3 mission conferences, an apostle came to a devotional, and I was able to attend a temple dedication. What marvelous experiences! As you can tell i have loved it here :) and i will miss it.
This friday I received my Travel plans!!!! I leave the MTC at 8 am on Oct 2nd. WHich is the best time, I have friends who are going to lithuania and they leave at 3 am! My flight leaves SLC at 11:10 and arrives in Chicago at 3:05pm. In chicago is where the Rome and MIlan missionaries will split. The Milan missionaries only have a 2 hour layover. I have a four hour layover. Then I fly from Chicago Ohare airport to London Heathrow and arrive at 9:05 Am. I leave London at 10:55 am and arrive in Rome at 2:20 pm on Oct 3rd. I think all these times are local times. But I am not sure.
I am very excited to go. I will be able to call you from the airport in Chicago!!! I have already bought my phone card here at the MTC. I am planning to call you after I arrive at my gate and find a pay phone. I have 500 minutes on my card, but every call takes 130 minutes just to make it. So find out if these times are local and plan on me calling you at the that time. Also be in one place if that is possible and if you wish to speak with me. I can probably make multiple calls. SO Ann and Algot and David expect one if I can :) So I will need you to dear elder me phone numbers and to let me know if you will be accessible or not :) If things happen and I can't get hold of you in chicago the card does not work in Europe but I heard that the Mission President might let us call from Rome. But don't plan on that! I also have quarters for emergency calls, if you are worried.
I love you all so much and thank you for loving me and being proud of me. I don't know how I would do this without knowing I had the support of my family :) Thank you so much I cant say it enough.
I came to the MTC at the best time. While i have been here, I will attend 3 mission conferences, an apostle came to a devotional, and I was able to attend a temple dedication. What marvelous experiences! As you can tell i have loved it here :) and i will miss it.
This friday I received my Travel plans!!!! I leave the MTC at 8 am on Oct 2nd. WHich is the best time, I have friends who are going to lithuania and they leave at 3 am! My flight leaves SLC at 11:10 and arrives in Chicago at 3:05pm. In chicago is where the Rome and MIlan missionaries will split. The Milan missionaries only have a 2 hour layover. I have a four hour layover. Then I fly from Chicago Ohare airport to London Heathrow and arrive at 9:05 Am. I leave London at 10:55 am and arrive in Rome at 2:20 pm on Oct 3rd. I think all these times are local times. But I am not sure.
I am very excited to go. I will be able to call you from the airport in Chicago!!! I have already bought my phone card here at the MTC. I am planning to call you after I arrive at my gate and find a pay phone. I have 500 minutes on my card, but every call takes 130 minutes just to make it. So find out if these times are local and plan on me calling you at the that time. Also be in one place if that is possible and if you wish to speak with me. I can probably make multiple calls. SO Ann and Algot and David expect one if I can :) So I will need you to dear elder me phone numbers and to let me know if you will be accessible or not :) If things happen and I can't get hold of you in chicago the card does not work in Europe but I heard that the Mission President might let us call from Rome. But don't plan on that! I also have quarters for emergency calls, if you are worried.
I love you all so much and thank you for loving me and being proud of me. I don't know how I would do this without knowing I had the support of my family :) Thank you so much I cant say it enough.
Love, Sorella Preston
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