Our first P Day!
P Day lasts from when you wake up and ends at 6:30, when you arrive at class. Between then and class, you are free to go to the temple, do laundry, write emails, call home, take a nap, or do whatever else that needs done.
We woke up and went to the temple this morning. The night before Sister Perry helped me and the other sisters to find four family names to do baptisms for. I was finally able to call home and talk to my family!!!
I spent almost thirty minutes writing a long email home about my experience thus far, but when I pressed send an error sign popped up, the page automatically reset itself, and the email was deleted. I tried all I could to recover it, but it didn't work. I had to rewrite the whole thing, send out again, and the same thing happened, but this time I copied it before sending it. I pulled up a new email, pasted the old, and sent it off. This time it made it.
We were walking between classes and Sister Bingham mentioned her bag was heavy, so I started carrying it. Elder Dao saw and cheered me on, saying "Elder Dickson, stepping up!" I looked at him and said "what?" He repeated himself "Elder Dickson, stepping up." He repeated himself five times thinking the look if confusion in my face meant I didn't hear. I finally said "do you mean Sister Dickson?" At that he went quiet. I laughed for a while at that. Then later in class my teacher started calling me elder, then corrected herself. I reassured her and told her it wasn't the first time that day I was called Elder. Sister Bingham laughed and looked over at Elder Dao, who started saying sorry while another Elder next to me seemed to be trying to reassure me, but I just shrugged and said "honestly, i just find this entertaining."
Day 5- 11/24
At Sacrament meeting, we sang the hymns all together in English, French, Ceb, and Romanian. It was truly beautiful and the spirit was so strong as we sang together in our different languages.
Talks are given first in the language your learning, then in English. This way the speaker has a chance to practice their language and we can understand and enjoy the message they have to share as well.
Sister Davis gave me some moleskin for my heels. I had plenty of shoes, but I chose to wear the shoes mom and I had bought from Value Village and they killed my feet the day before. They are now in the giveaway bin.
I found out that, due to no one being assigned to arrive on Thanksgiving week, the group of missionaries I arrived with was extra large. I was told over six hundred missionaries arrived the same day as me. Right now in the MTC, there are about 1,682 missionaries preparing to go out in their missions.
I went to the choir today and it was do powerful and beautiful. We would practice the song, then the director would explain the background behind the song, the meaning behind the verses, what it meant for us to sing it, and a story or two about his mission. The room vibrated with strength and power as we sang. It was am amazing experience that I loved. I'm not very good at singing and didn't really know what I was doing, but Heavenly Father knew that. The sister next to me was very friendly and had been in choir for three years and was able to help me. Overall an amazing experience. Sadly my companion and the sisters in our district didn't enjoy it so that was my one experience with the choir... but I'm grateful I got to go at least once.
While there, I met two other sisters who are also going to be serving in the Colorado Denver South mission and are leaving on the same day as us. They know two Elders who are going too.
My small bag has been a big blessing. I'm used to having big bags and I stuff as much stuff in them as possible, because I overthink everything. What if it rains, what if it's hot, maybe I should bring everything I own... having a smaller bag means I have less space, so it means it's harder to over pack. I have just enough room for my notebook, pens, pencils, scriptures, phone, and maybe a pair of gloves. And it turns out that's all I need. So, less is best.
The picture is of the angel God sent to help me at choir and I.
Day 6- Monday 11/25
It started snowing!!!
While walking back to my room with all the wonderful letters my family sent me, watching as snow drifted down, I couldn't stop smiling. My family also sent me a package with all kinds if kind messages written on the outside. Inside were different objects I had forgotten to pack, things my mom knew I would have forgotten to think of, like Bobby pins, and love. I was jumping up and down on my bed as I saw everything and felt their love.
I'm one of the only people in my district to receive mail. They tease me about how much mail I get, but they look a little sad they didn't get any mail. I love every last letter I get, no matter the length or content, i just feel so loved and get so excited when I receive them!!!
Once a week, missionaries have an hour or two of service time. This is when we go out and help the cleaning crew clean up the place. This morning, we were assigned to check in and start helping at 6:30 in the morning. As we cleaned the bathroom, I remembered the song "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" and I felt such peace and joy. As I remembered this song, I felt no bitterness at having to wake up do early or having to clean a bathroom. I just felt grateful to be able to serve and I knew the Savior would do the same, serving all, no matter how menial the labor may be.
Yesterday we watched a video of a past devotional, and the spirit was so strong, slapping us all in the face to stop complaining, stop focusing in and looking outwards instead. Our district had often been disrupted and after almost every class all I would hear would hear complaints, and I would feel the sweet spirit leave. I hate confrontation so I didn't want to say anything, and I had prayed that God would somehow change their hearts and teach them, but I had no clue how He would do that. But He knew. After the devotional with the slap in the face, our district got together and with no help from me, they knew they needed to change and serve a district goal to be more reverent and invite the spirit into our lessons, instead or chasing it away by being disruptive and negative. It was truly an answer to my prayer.
The phone I had brought was not the right model, so I had to borrow one for the time being from the MTC, and my family and I were trying to figure out a way to find another phone and get it to me in time. Then Sister Bingham said I could have her old one. She had ordered the new Samsung phone and it hadn't arrived in time, so she had gotten a different one to use till she got her new one. She told me that once she got her new phone she would give me the old one. I hadn't asked, I hadn't even thought about something like that would happen, but God knew. In my experience, as long as I trust in His plan and in His timing, all things work out for the better. While preparing for my mission and even here, God knows what I need and He knows when I need it and He has and will provide for me. When I trust in Him and work hard on what I can and trust him with what I can't, He always blesses me and gets me what I need. I need not worry on what I cannot control, because I know He has a plan and He has our well being in mind. He loves us and He provides us with what we need. All we need to do is trust in Him.
Today we did our first lesson. It was a play lesson, where we taught someone who's already a member, but they act as if they aren't. It went better then the practice lesson we had done in class, but there was still PLENTY of room for improvement.
Today was the day we had assigned exercise time. We went to the gym together, where there was a basketball court, some valley ball nets, a four square, a track upstairs with exercise machines on the side. It gets crowded, but is still fun. I ran a little under a mile, did some stretches with the sisters, then Sister Davis and I worked on the machines together. She was able to leg press 400 pounds, maxing out the machine. Even though I was pressing MUCH less, she still cheered me on. She then helped teach me how to do four square. I didn't do well at all, but it was still fun.
Day 7- Tuesday 11/26
When talking to family, most people use headphones so that can be disruptive. I didn't bring any and didn't want to spend money buying new ones from the store, then Sister Davis got a new new set of earbuds and gave me the set she had bought from the store at the beginning of our MTC experience. I'm so grateful!
The person we were supposed to teach today canceled, do we filled the time we would have spent teaching with planning for tomorrow's lesson.
As a group during the devotional, we all sang the 2020 youth theme together. We were given the words on the screen as we sung, but none of us new the notes or the song. Yet we were all able to sing along in unison I felt I was surrounded with such power and the Holy Ghost.
As a district, we decided this weeks goal would be "Through diligence in focusing on Christ, we can be more effective in out obedience." In class, we often fall off topic and goof off, and we recognized it was a problem and we are trying to face it and fix it. With all these new rules, we aren't always obedient, often forgetting, and we have realized that not being obedient can chase away the spirit. God has truly opened our hearts and mind to our faults and defects and has inspired us to repent, to change for the better.
The tums I brought aren't only helping me, they are helping my companion as well. She's having a hard time with the food here.
Sister Binghan's mother sent Crumble cookies. Sister Bingham shared with all the sisters in our room. We had a delicious late night snack.
And here are only a few of the pictures of us goofing off.