Ola!!! Happy belated Thanksgiving! This week I'm grateful that there's no word in Portuguese for "awkward", mostly because that's one less thing I can be described as over the next 18 months.
This
week started and ended wonderfully with only a couple of hiccups in
between. Tuesday night we had a devotional and our whole district sang
in the Choir. Wednesday night the power went out, which was actually a
blessing in disguise because Sister Van Buskirk got a migraine. Needless
to say, I was glad I had gotten my ice cream at lunch time, because by
dinner I was cold and the ice cream was warm. Thursday the power was back on and the MTC was thriving!!!
Since
it was a holiday, we had Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf and his wife come to
speak about the importance of having an attitude of gratitude, in which
they reminded us that "life's greatest trials are simply blessings of
refinement, meant to draw us closer to God". While we sang in the choir,
I could feel the power of those words, and my heart was full of love
for my Savior. The tears rained down as I watched him go and minister to
the one, going row by row, comforting various Elders and Sisters in the
congregation. It reminded me of how it must have looked when the Savior ministered to the people, and in that moment I came to understand a
little more fully the love that God has for His children.
That
is my testimony to you today. God loves us, and He is mindful of our
needs. He is so loving that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to atone and
die for us. Because of Him, we need never be alone. Because of Him, we
don't need to fear. Because of Him, the blind can see, the deaf can
hear, and families may rejoice together forever. Because of Him, there
is comfort for the comfortless. Because of Him, death has no sting.
I
say this, because directly after this wonderful experience with an
Apostle, I received the news that my grandfather, Gerald Avery, passed
away. I'd been prepared beforehand for the news, and am so grateful that
I'd had the opportunity to say goodbye to him one last time over the
summer. He was so excited for me to serve a mission, almost as excited
as I was, so I know that he's proud of me and will help me in my service
from the other side of the veil. Oh, how grateful I am for the precious
gift I have of eternal families.
From there,
we proceeded to do a SERVICE PROJECT! One of my favorite things :) We
made over 350,000 meals for families in need, assembly line style. It
was incredible to watch and feel the love that all of these young adults
have for people we've never met. We laughed and sang Christmas songs
the whole time. We are truly so very blessed. I'm sure you could learn
more by googling it, but feel free to ask me any questions in a personal
email!
That night we sang in the Christmas
season with a couple of volunteer performers, one of whom had appeared
on the Voice. It was really cool to hear his experience moving up in his
career, how his testimony grew as he searched and pondered the
scriptures, and then ultimately turned down a recording deal to serve a
mission in..... Portugal Lisboa!!! Sister Van Buskirk and I were both
very excited about that.
That night they turned
on the MTC Christmas Lights, then it snowed the next day, fulfilling
Sister Van Buskirk's sincere wish - she's from Southern California.
The
language has come along super well, and I know that it will continue to
improve as I keep my focus on loving and serving as the Savior did.
None of this is meant to be easy, but that's because Salvation isn't a
cheap experience. Yet, I doubt anything else could bring me as much joy
as this. I am so grateful for the faith of my parents and grandparents,
who accepted the gospel of Christ and made all of this possible.
Eu
sei que o Livro de Mormon testifica de Jesus Cristo. Tabem, eu sei que
Jesus Cristo e nosso Salvador e Irmao. Ele ama todas pessoas. Sou grata
pelas familias eternas. E desculpe, I can't spell or type or grammar in
any language anymore.
I love you all! You are in my thoughts and prayers. Keep being the amazing people you are and feel free to write anytime ;)
Tchau!
Sister Avery
All of the pictures are just of our district this week :) Including our fabulous Thanksgiving meal!
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| Elders and Sisters at the Provo MTC - Thanksgiving 2018 |
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| Sisters at the Provo MTC - Thanksgiving Week 2018 |
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| Elder Hyrum Garma (California Fresno Mission) with his companion, and Sister Rebekah Avery and her companion. Elder Garma is a family friend from Peru. |
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| Thanksgiving Service Project, Provo MTC 2018 |
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| Thanksgiving Meal - Provo MTC - 2018 |
