Locked Out, Sugared Up and Feeling Fine

Holy smokes,

I have survived yet ANOTHER week in the MTC.  

And I only have 4 more weeks left until I am in ROMANIA!

Okay so funny story......Last night me and my companion Sora Parr and the other Romanian Soras in my room, Sora Barrera and Sora Robertson were up talking and giggling like crazy. We had consumed vast amount of candy (thanks to Sora Parr's friend who sent our district yummy treats) For some reason we all couldn't fall asleep (because we were all on a sugar high) so we were just laying in the bed with the lights off, busting up.  Okay so we started laughing so hard it got to the point where we all really had to go to the bathroom and as always, girls must go to the bathroom in a big herd.  

So we all walk out of our apartment, laughing like nuts and then we hear, "click" as our door swings to a close.  Hahaha.  It was midnight and we just got locked out of our apartment. Hahaha we immediately started laughing, not a drop of fear came over us.  Usually, we put the stopper in the door when we go in and out but since our brains were fried, we had forgotten to do that.  Eagerly, we searched for a bobby pin, you know, so we could get all "secret agent" and try and pick the lock open.  That FAILED.  Haha so it got to the point where we ran to the red phone at the end of the hall which connects us to the front desk.  Sora Barrera was talking to the receptionist about getting us back into our apartment.  We were all so exhausted so of course we had that crazy laugh still going.

"Shoot" she said, "We have to walk all the way to the main building, then they can give us the key".  Okay so that doesn't sound bad right? WRONG.  It was about 5 degrees outside and we were all in our pajamas. We had no access to our coats or shoes because well, they were locked in our apartment haha.  For those of you familiar with the MTC, my apartment is down at the far end, by the big flags, towards BYU campus and I had to run to the main building, with the big glass windows and the check in desk, IN MY PJS. For my non LDS friends, it was the same distance as probably 2 football fields.  Only one of us had slippers on and the rest of us dug through the clothing donation bins to try and find something warm to put on hahaha.

So we get to the main building, wearing random borrowed clothes haha and the man at the front desk said, "This makes for a fun evening" hahaha.  We explained our story, how we all went to the bathroom together and the door shut behind us.  The man receptionist and the man security guard started busting up, "No problem Sisters, we completely understand, girls always have to pee together don't they?"  So they were nice and not mad at us at all and we got a loaner key and got back into our apartment.  That was such an experience.

GEORGE!  Sora Parr and I finished teaching our investigator George.  The lessons went incredibly well.  It gets to the point where we can complete understand what he says.  Sometimes we don't know how to answer and that is when the Spirit really guides the whole lesson.  So I had no idea how to say what I needed to say, so I opened up my Romanian phrase book (I call it the little gray book) and it just so happened to be the page that I needed.

It was such a blessing.

So we had been hesitant on giving George a Book of Mormon, just because we didn't want to seem all pushy.  So it comes to our third lesson and he flat out asks, "Can I please have a Book of Mormon?".  So Sora Parr's responsibility was to bring George's copy but alas, she forgot it hahaha.  So we had to tell him "next time, we forgot it" hahaha.  So then the fourth lesson, our last lesson teaching him, we invited George to be baptized.  Why not right? It's our last lesson might as well.  And he said, "I want to read more of this book before I will get baptized.  But when you come speak to me, you bring me so much peace and happiness.  You are so happy and I can tell that this gospel is something great.  This is definitely something I want in my life.  Will you come back tomorrow and teach me again?"  We told him that we would come back, even though in real life that was our last lesson with him. 

 In our review from George he said that he loves having Sora Parr and I come teach him, more so than the other Soras.  He said that we actually listen to his needs,and then help him, where as just teaching him a random message.  That made Sora Parr and I feel really good because we always struggle to put lessons together for him.  I can't wait to actually be IN Romania.

My Romanian is coming along quite well, I can pray in Romanian, bare my testimony in Romanian, recite the first vision and say my missionary purpose.  It really is amazing how much I have learned in only 12 days.  For my non LDS friends, you can read about the first vision below, as well as my missionary purpose so you know what the heck I'm talking about haha.

A missionary’s purpose is to: “invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end” (-Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service)

The first vision is: "When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" This is Joseph Smith's account of what he witnessed after he knelt in prayer and asked Heavenly Father for help

So I got to meet the most amazing people this week!  All of my LDS friends will be jelly!  President Bednar came to speak to us, as well as Sheri Dew and the General Primary President Sister Wixon!  It was great being able to personally meet LDS celebrities-haha.

So at gym the other day all of the Soras were trying to make a basket from the half court mark.  Me, trying to be all funny, decided that I would try to throw it over my head, as I stood backwards, and try to get the ball into the net haha.  Guess what?  I GOT IT IN THE BASKET!  Everyone in the gym must have seen it too because they all erupted in a big, "WOAHHHHHHHHH"! Hahaha.  Yeah, the MTC has enhanced my life in more ways then one.  I might have to sign with the NBA when I come back from my mission!

I am loving the MTC.  Shout out to Erika Hanson for writing me!  She is DA BOMB.  

I am so glad that I am serving a mission, I know that this is exactly what I need to be doing right now! 

La revedere si te iubesc!

Goodbye, I love you!

-Sora Lee