random thoughts

If you had three wishes before you died, what would they be? Today, my letter is going to be quite random of different thoughts I had throughout the week. So hopefully you will be able to read it, like my awesome uncle Jimmy's letters he sends home ;)

I didn't really have to think about the wish question too hard. Here were my answers: For my dad to be strengthened in health, in his body; for money for my borther's and sister's  college education; and for instruments for my family that our home may always be filled with the language of the heavens.

There is a difference in which way he is facing, and which way he is looking. (with investigators)

I am so grateful for my voice and keep praying that I might have it back (I keep getting sick....). Mom will you send me the song from Saints and Pioneers, "You have nothing to fear"?

I remember when I received my mission call, how powerful the Holy Ghost testified to me that that is where I was needed. I am here, MTC, preparing to go. I am almost ready. I am excited.

"Who am I to judge another, while I walk imperfectly" Do not bruise another with unkind words and thoughts.

Your attitude will affect your behavior.

"Perfect love casteth out all fear."-Moroni 8:16. I absolutely love this verse. It just made me think, that if I truly Love the Lord, then I shall have no fear! I really have no fear (right now, and hope to never) about going to Latvia. I am just excited. I have trust in the Lord because I am doing all I can with all the time He has given me at the MTC. I believe, no...I know that Heavenly Father will protect me, will guide me, will help me deliver His glorious message in the Language of the Latvian people if I am listening, if I am grateful, if I act, if I love and have no fear. It depends on my faith.

Sesuo Bates painteed my nails....hahaha!

This is from Sister Nillson, She's from Sweden. :)

I love you all,

Masa Vudlande

Jesus Won't be Asleep When I'm in my Gethsemene

I sang in the MTC choir this week, and the choir director (he is amazing and funny) said something that I will always remember.."You'll sing it better, if you teach it better." We sang "Where Can I Turn for Peace." Of course I couldn't sing....because I cry all the time when I sing.And of course the camera was on me. For me, I have always felt the spirit when I let the music speak. I am so grateful that that is a language I understand. Music.

I always kind of put a little journal entry and so here is one.

The Natural Man

Tonight, BYU Men's choir came. And after that, Masa Stoute and I went to the short films, devo clip from Elder Bednars, Character of Christ, at Christmas Day Devo....wich I think that's the one Ty and his companion has to stand up there cause his companion had to say the closing prayer...My thoughts, I wish could just pull them all out and organize them. I wish I could remember everything, but this is what touched me or greatly impressed my thoughts.

Māsa Vūdlande (Sister Woodland) 

Satan (frustration) vs. Apastolic Blessing

As I was sitting, listening, and seeing the beloved apostle Elder Richard G. Scott get back up before the prayer began, tears filled my eyes and landed on my lap. "The Lord has called you to succeed, not fail. This mission experience wlil help you discover things you never knew. Will help you develop a great capacity to serve and love..."

The apastolic blessing to "Master" this Latvian language...will come as I have faith that it will, and if I pray to have the spirit of tongues. "Remember the Lord has called you to succeed, not fail...He will not abandon you." He got up after he was done speaking because he felt he needed to say that once more.

I'm inserting a journal entrance because 1, I don't have much time and 2, feel like it sums up pretty much what I want to say.

This gospel is tryly Amazing. My faith is growing. I can't help but to feel HAPPY. peace, and joy, and just a feeling that EVERYTHING is good. My favorite saying last summer that I said quit often was, "Life is good." It truly is. There's nothing for me to be afraid of. Nothing I can't do in His strenth. Today, if anyting, I have been taught to NOT complain! Just stop complaining. God didn't send me here to complain about life. But to enjoy it! Be happy. Why be sad? Just go outside and look at (what Masa Stoute's favorite thing is) the beauiful blooming flowers.

With God and His help, I can do anything. And so it will be.

Random things from this week

-Vocal Point came (I know, right?) and did a hymn share. It was awesome. I miss performing.

-apparently it's tradition that the boys have lost 15lbs when home from latvia, and the girls?? gain 25lbs...I am going to break that tradition :)

-you can't sit on the floor in Latvia because they are real superstitous: you can't have children if you do apparently.

-I saw my best friend today in the cafeteria, he got here yesterday!

-I get a compliment that I look I'm from the 50's every so often from the cute ladies here... :)

-Family: Watch Jeffrey R. Holland's Mormon Messages about Testimony of the Book of Mormon. I cried when I saw him hold up Hyrum Smith's Book of Mormon. I couldn't help but think...that is our ancestor's book he's holding...

-I love flowers...

Māsa Vūdlande (Sister Woodland)

a sacred saturday

My hand is still, yet spirit speaks.

A group of men and women strong

of all the same faith, belief, in One.

"Come Unto Me," the Savior said.

so come we are, come we are.

To Latvia, Lithuania, Greece, Armania,

Georgian sisters, elders we are.

We are family.

Oh Holy Spirit, Dwell in me Always.

For when He is in me, I am not tired.

I am at peace, how soft is your word. 

A Peace to the mind, and a comfort to the blind.

These were just some of the things I had written on Saturday night. For the spirit was strong in this classroom I was in with all of my zone. These writtings I didn't mean to rhyme but sometimes they kinda do haha so it's not really a poem. Just words for Alisa that night. We talked about Priesthood session and then about the Young Women session with dear Sister Dalton. I was mostly touched by the sweet, innocent prayer of the young beehive girl. And this is what I wrote:

How Virtuous and Chaste are these Yong Women. May thy love be forever with them as they truly, faithfully, defend their "standards" and "beliefs." For virtue is what Beuatify women. Satan is evil and real and must tempt the children of men to have opposition present with Heavenly Father's merciful plan. Wo, unto those designs and desires of evil men who try to ensnare Young Virtuous women. For you place will be in Hell, slaves to the father of sin.

I am soo very grateful for the young, worthy, priesthood holders that have blessed my life. They have been great friends, great men, and great Sons of God, and great examples to me. Thank you.

This week I became inflicted with whatever bug is here in the MTC. I had an experience with my Elders in the Zone that I will always remember. It humbled me. I cannot do things alone. I have always believed that you, yourself, have the power to change anything by thought. And I still believe that...but what I realized, was that what is more powerful, is the powerful thought, from God. For He can truly heal and bless if your thoughts become One with His. Not His becoming yours. But yours becoming His.

The power of God is given to man on this earth. Holding such power enables(don't know if that's the right word) men to become like God. For if there was no priesthood, truth would not reign, and men would be once again in an apostacy state. How horrid for truth to be lost and such Godly Power to be taken away! Men become natural and women become beats, no such clean things can enter, nay leave.

I love these guys!

Yup, that's cocoa bean!

The Elders from my Zone

 

Love you all,
Māsa Vūdlande (Sister Woodland)

the little mermaid?

I walked into the classroom and all I heard was Latvian. No English whatsoever...It. was. Awesome.

Sorry I didn't write last week. We were supposed to wrtie on Thursday night but our zone leaders took way too long on the tour of the MTC. Half of our zone just went to greece. We called them the greeks. They were from Norway, England, and Finland. And then yesterday we got new greeks! They are from Sweden, England, Spain. In my district there are 4 of us (three girls and then Elder Webb) that are learning Latvian. Then one is in the classroom by herself (she's a solo sister) that's learning Lithuanian. Then two are learning Armenian. Then the last two are learning to speak georgian (they will be the first sisters going there they said).

My companion...is a red head!!! God knows me best. :) She is perfect. I absolutely love her. We are always laughing. I totally thought she was the Little Mermaid when I first saw her because she had her red hair and then she wore this green dress. Love it!

I don't have much time to write so I apologize...

I love dear elder by the way. Best thing ever. If you don't want to send letters, write me on dear elder! Thank you to all who have written me. I have felt the love pouring out of the envelopes when I open them!

• What have you been learning in the MTC? Nathan -I have mostly been learning how to listen to the language of the spirit.
• What have you been doing in the MTC?  Nathan-Praying...a lot.
• Have you been drinking chocolate milk?  Nathan YES!!! Adam was right. He should be jealous because I will be here longer than him. Oh, 9 weeks total here.
• Who is your companion?  Alex -My comp. is Sister Stout from Layton, Utah.
• How do you say I Love You in Latvian?  Alex - Es Tevi Milu (with some lines over the I and U)
• What is your favorite thing to eat in the MTC? Alex -hm...They have everything you can eat basically. So Alex, the ice cream is really good but I've had it only once. I now just try to control myself and have salad, bananas, and then once in a while I will have like a main dish like enchilada or something- oh they have guava dad. The drink we would have on Sundays.
• What do you do in your free time?  Taylor - There is NO free time.
• How is the language coming?  Taylor -It's coming. I was sooo glad I learned my numbers, baby words, and some hello's and things before I came. Because I've always struggled with grammer in English so Latvian...is difficult.
• Does your companion sing?  Taylor- Yes
• Do they still have the MTC choir?  Dad -Yes but Haven't done it yet. Will next week.
• How are your teachers?  Dad -I have three of them. I really like them. One speaks way to fast.
• Are you sleeping?  Dad -not really. I wake up at 5 every morning. I've been using Dotera so that helps but it's hard when My brain is only thinking of Latvian words and how to conjugate them.
• How many people are in your district?  Mom -11 and then the new greeks which is like 5
• How many sisters are heading to your mission? Mom- three of us girls
• How many missionaries in the MTC right now? Mom - 3000? And we all just took the sacrament together in one room and in an overflow. it was a cool experience.

I love gym time. I am so grateful for my Military Fitness class. It taught me alot of things/exercises that I ended up teaching to some girls in gym. Also....I love BASKETBALL. I work out then the last of the time, I practice shooting hoops...hahahahahaha oh, if only you guys could have seen me trying to do it my fist time. Bahahaha! I was hilarious. And then I realized I really don't know what I am doing. So I asked. I asked someone how to shoot. Haha funny. And guess what? I can now make some pretty good baskets! But I had to ask first, practice and I'm still practicing. I never thought that I would like basketball. It's like my favorite thing. :)

I teach an investigator with Elder Webb. (I know, I thought it would be with a girl but....He's solo so we are kinda companins right now. We plan, teach together. Never heard of that before. And...I'm trying to learn patience. He just turned 19) The second day we went in and with the little latvian tha I knew, we tried to teach her. It. Was. Horrible. Haha we even forgot to start out with a prayer...man. It was rough. But then the second day was Awesome. Mostly because I wasn't focusing on the grammer or how to pronounce things. And the number one reason that made it a great lesson was because it wasn't about me. I didn't focuse on the me getting everything right part. We made it about her. I thought I was a great teacher but I have learned that the greatest teacher of all, is the spirit. I am merely an instument. One trying to learn a new tune to be able to be heard by the Latvian people. My strings are being pulled to be able to stay in tune, I mess up the notes sometimes, but the melody will be heard because the spirit is there. I have a song. A wonderful, beautiful song. And it will be heard by those that are ready. If I am ready.

 

Love you all!

Māsa Vūdlande (Sister Woodland)

four days down

Sister Alisa Woodland has been in the MTC for 4 days! I feel like it has been 2 weeks... Does anybody else think that this is going to go by really slowly? But we love her and are extremely happy to have her as an example in our lives.

Before Alisa left, she asked me if I would be in charge of her blog. So here I am! (This is Missy by the way). Be sure to subscribe to the email list if you want to receive updates on Alisa through this blog! I'll post updates on her Facebook page as well so you can keep up that way. Also, be sure to write to her! I will always keep her current mailing address up on the sidebar so you have no excuse. And here we go!