Hello to Everyone! August 27, 2014
Let me start off my letter with some very
exciting news regarding my status as a missionary...
As of last week.......I have officially gained
the title of "four square champ"!!! Please, don't hold your applause. So, during gym time Sorella
Gates and I normally run. HOWEVER, after we finish we have like ten minutes
of 4 square time. I quickly gained a reputation. And frustrated many of the Elders, I'm sure. And got some bruises on my
knees from diving. Anyway, the other day a Sister came up to me and she
said that they were talking about me in their district and they couldn't
remember my name so someone said (and I quote) "oh, the four square
champ?" So pretty much that's the best thing that has ever happened
to me.
Ok, now that that's out of the way, this week
has been grand! Like all weeks are. Maybe some week I'll switch it
up and say it was terrible but as of right now I can't imagine that ever
happening. With Heavenly Father looking out for you, life has to be good!
You asked about my p-days. Here's how
they go. We get up, Sorella Gates and I work out, we eat breakfast, do
laundry, and then go to the temple. And in between that we have some
extra time to do stuff like write letters and such. oh yeah...last p day
I spent AN HOUR doing something. Can you guess what it was? I'll
give you a hint. GEL NAILS. ugh that was THE WORST. I pretty
much just scraped my nails off hahaha. It was terrible but it's all in
the past. This is why being girly is not my thing. After lunch we
go to the temple, then chill, then go to dinner, then have class for three
hours.
Speaking of not being girly, this morning Sorella
Gates and I (she's not my comp but you are allowed to do exchanges within your
district for exercise in the MTC if you get it approved by your district
leader) went to this early morning workout class. It was called
"Total Cardio" so I was imagining some P90x insanity type stuff.
We get there and the lady says we're going to do DANCING AEROBICS.
Ohhhh my goodness I almost died. No one was laughing but we were
doing the funniest things ever. Oh my flipping goodness. I wish I
could show you the moves we were doing. I was like "good lands, in
WHAT WORLD is this exercise?" hahahaha it was funny though. We
started doing the grape vine and the instructor had to tell me to go slower.
It was too good. Lesson learned about early-morning, just sisters "total cardio" hahah.
I want you to know that I LOVE all the Sisters
I am with and the Elders are great as well. I wish I had time to tell you
about them, but I really don't. Sorry!!
You asked about my desk. That desk is
where I spend (this is no joke) nine hours a day. And I love it! We
have books everywhere and we just study our little brains out every second of
the day. We are in the classroom almost all of the time. It is like
being locked up in a cell with only church books, but I love it. I never
thought I would say reading the Book of Mormon or watching a conference talk in
English is a "break" but as of right now it totally is. I look
forward to simply reading the Book of Mormon in English every day!!!!
So now to my "list of things to write home."
I'm sorry these emails are so long. Don't feel obligated to read
the whole thing. That's why I put the "four square champ" story
first thing :)
1. Sister Hill is THE BEST! She sent us
donuts!!!! I shared them all with people in the zone and they loved them.
Also I loved them. I had two! AH. I sent her a letter mom so don't
worry about that.
2. This week we were challenged to say a prayer
of gratitude. I've been challenged that like 30000000 times in my life
but never done it. Not sure why. It is an AMAZING experience.
Please try it. You'll find you have so much to be thankful for.
20 or 30 min goes so fast.
3. Did you know there is a Tacoma Cambodian
speaking mission? How cool!
4. Good quote from my teacher "I believe
in Christ like I believe in the noon-day sun; not that I see it, but by it I
can see everything else." CS Lewis. Enjoy.
5. I need some addresses! I'm sorry I keep
sending stuff there and being a pain in the neck. But like I can't just
look up addresses it turns out. Anyways can you get Courtney's address
off her blog? Also Ryan Westover, and I need grandma and grandpa Ottley’s
address. I haven't got their package yet! But hopefully soon.
I wrote them a letter though so I want to send that. Thanks! Did Kendrick
and Ha'ani get their letters?
6. We had a stellar devotion Sunday (remember,
we have devos on Sundays and on Tuesdays). The guy was sooo funny.
He kept having people stand up for things. For example "stand
up if you've got a dear elder or dear jane since entering the MTC" haha
people stood up! What the.... hahah it was funny. A quote from the
devo was (when talking about missionaries in wards) "We have seen the
enemy and we know who it is. It's the mai-maid." No flirting with
missionaries mai-maids! He had some great points though and got really
serious. It was powerful. He reminded me of Jourdan Nicholls.
7. Ok. Have you all seen the bullying
video? You know the Mormon message? That guy is an ELDER IN THE MTC right
now. hehehe it's so craaaazy. We see him all the time. It's so
weird.
8. Has anyone been using my laptop?
Someone should turn it on and do something on it for a couple min today.
NOT KEVIN. Thanks!
9. This is for Becca! My companion
LOVES chocolate but they don't have good chocolate here because it isn't
European. Do you think the next time you are near "pop n'
sweets" right by BYU you could just grab a couple European chocolate bars
for her? It would totally make her day I think! Also thanks for the
package! I sent a note to you!
10. Craziest thing this week...I got dear
elders the other day and one of them was for an ELDER KARSON BRUNSON. hahah.
And guess what his mom's name is? DARLENE! Is that not strange? Anywho I'm
gonna give it to the front desk.
11. I was wondering if you could send
some shoe things? Like the little socks you wear with flats? My
feet.....ok well you can probably guess. haha. not van socks but
little socks like them.
12. Happy birthday to Amanda!!!!! She
FINALLY wrote me a letter. good lands I was starting to wonder if she had
forgotten me. Amanda, i'm sending you both a letter to answer your dear
elder AND a card for your birthday. It's not gonna get there in time but
it's the thought that counts right?
Ok....gosh these letters are so long. My
fingers hurt. Now to talk about some stuff you told me. Your lives
are crazy! I can't even remember when my life was like that. Life
is so simple now. I can't believe all the things you do in a day! I
know it's only been three weeks but it feels like I never had a life before now
haha. Yay for starting school! Everyone looked so good.
Except I didn't get a picture of Kev-bot. What the hay? I'm
sure he looked like a stud. How's football for him? Mom, I can't
believe you did laundry AND peaches in the same day. You are one CRAZY
woman. It must be sad that the "golf all the time" season is
coming to an end. I loved the pics of you at the golf course. Oh, also
I have some beef to pick with you. EMMA GOT TO GO TO THE FAIR?!?!! AND I
bet you let her ride rides. Ohhhh my goodness. I would have LOVED
to go to the fair when I was her age. Youngest children these
days.....haha. But i'm glad she got the experience. I'm glad you
got to see Sarah off. We are going to eat lunch by where the new missionaries
come today so I'm sure I'll see her! I'm excited. She's going to be
swell. So my district leaders didn't
give us our dear elders from yesterday. Most of them got sent to my email
so I could read them but I haven't read dads yet. Tell him I will write
him a letter.
Ok, here is the "missionary stuff" of
the letter. This week we have had the goal as a district to bear our
testimony to at least three people in Italian a day, just random people at the
MTC. It has been so fantastic. The good news about this church is
that even though it's tough to speak the language and sometimes no one knows
what we are saying, all we have to do is bear our testimony. When we say
"Io so la chisea de Jesus Cristo e vera" the Spirit is automatically
there. It's awesome.
Also... most of you know I have always been a
hard worker. It comes naturally for me. However, on my mission thus
far I have started to learn how to Work hard WITH God, while turning outwards
and thinking of others. With those three things together you can
seriously do anything. I know that this church is true. I know that
Heavenly Father loves all His children! To be a missionary is the best.
It is what I am supposed to be doing right now. Read D&C 4. We
memorized it this week. I am thankful God is allowing me to be His servant
and help give others the happiness that I have found. This Gospel is
TRUE. I know it with all of my heart, 100%. Read the Book of Mormon
every day! We are so lucky to have it. (although it wasn't really
luck).
I love you all and hope this week is great.
I hope school is awesome and sports and the craziness is all good.
Family is forever!
Lots of love,
Sorella Brunson
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