November 29, 2011

Hola Familia!

How was Thanksgiving for everyone?! Thanksgiving was great for me! We started out the day by going to breakfast (the scrabbled eggs they had we the BOMB!) and then we went back to our room for about an hour and 30 mins. It was crazy to have so much "free time" but i made good use to it, i caught up with some writing in my journal and read a conference talk or two. Then we had a fireside at 10. There were a couple missionaries that spoke and also my "mission President" of the MTC, President Gordon Brown, he spoke to us about all the many blessings that the Lord has given to us and what i also learned that we need to be grateful for the sacrifices that we make because "sacrifice brings forth the blessings of Heaven". I learned a lot from President Brown, as a little side note, this past Sunday he came and spoke to us at Relief Society and said that all of us Sisters are "Princess Moroni" and that the Lord loves us missionaries- I am so very thankful to all of my leaders and their examples to me. Ok, so after President Brown spoke, Wendy Watson Nelson spoke- yep- Russell M. Nelson came to speak to us. It was AWESOME! We actually had D. Todd Christofferson come and speak to us Tuesday night! :) SO AWESOME! Ok- back to what Wendy Nelson said and what i learned from her. She talked a lot about the Atonement and how we can be better than we were yesterday because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, that made me feel very good cause i want to be better, I want to change and thru the Atonement of Jesus Christ i can do that. She also talked about living our lives after that manner of the Lord. Jesus Christ really is the perfect example and if we want to change anything about our lives whether it be being more organized, being nice to everyone, using time wisely, studying with real intent the scriptures, all of that we can accomplish thru the Atonement of Jesus Christ and through His great example. Also, she had us write down a quote that i really like it says: "I will serve my mission for the Lord after the way He has shown me and not after the manner of men" I hope that we all can live our lives after the manner of the Lord and not listen to the ways that the world tells us, but after the Lord because He knows the beginning to the end, He knows us better then we know ourselves- we must put our trust in the Lord.

Elder Russell M. Nelson wanted me to make sure to include in my letter home to thank my family for supporting me on a mission. THANK YOU! The next thing i learned from him is to do the best i can and the Lord will make up for the rest, and when He does make up for the rest, thank him! ALLELUIA! Praise the Lord for all He has done in your life. He is great! :) 

Now, after the devotional, we went to have our TURKEY DINNER! WOOT! It was really good, they also had cranberry sauce, green beans (not canned, YAY) sweet potatoes, and yummy peacan chocolate chip pie. :) Then after lunch we went and made little sack dinners for later. Then we had another 1 1/2 between activities so i took a little siesta (nap), dont worry it was only for 15 mins. Then when it was time we went to a little fireside about humanitarian work and then they told us what we were going to do for our service project. We made 8,000 first aide kits that we are going to be sending to Sidan. Isnt that SOO COOL! AH! I love service. I love serving Gods children so much. Then, right after the service project, we went to another fireside that was all about Thanksgiving. It really reminded me of just being with the family. We had a few people that sang songs about thanksgiving like Thankful by Josh Groban, How can i keep from singing, and then we all sang over the river and through the woods. :) then they had 9 missionaries go up on stage and do a little performance about the first thanksgiving, it was a hoot. Then, about 8 missionaries got up and said something that there were thankful for and also said that Hymn reminded them of what they were thankful for and we sang the first verse. It was so much fun! THEN, after the fireside, we watched the movie 17 Miracles. It was such a great thanksgiving for me. I hope it was for you as well.

Love you all, thank you for all the many things you have done for me and all your prayers- they really mean a lot.XOXOXOXO I hope you have a great week

 

Love you, always, forever,

Hermana Wadsworth

 

PS- i only have 2 weeks left in the MTC, SO EXCITING! :)

 

PSS- LOVE YOU!

November 22, 2011

Hola! Como estan todos? Estoy muy bien! :) This week has definately had its ups and downs. Im still just as overwhelmed as ever, but i am still going. I find so much strength during the day by prayer and scripture study. I am so thankful too for such an AMAZING companion and also for the Hermanas i room with- they are all amazing and i look up to them in so many ways. I am so thankful for Hermana Baird and that we both just laugh and her strength she has had during her trials, i want to be like her. I am also so thankful for Hermana Henderson who every night looks me in the eye and shakes her finger at me and says- "you have good dreams and you sleep, ok?" and then gives me a hug. I am so thankful for Hermana Farris and Hermana Call and their consistancy at looking for opportunities to serve (whether it be filling up my waterbottle at night or rubbing my back) I am so thankful for Hermana Hanson will just make me laugh either by just saying "HOLA!" (in a Gilly-like voice) and will say to me, "Whats your name delicate?!" haha! She is great! 

I am also so very thankful for the Elders in my district. They all have so many strengths. I am so thankful for these 19 year old boys, in the making of becoming men, that come to serve the Lord and are the greatest examples to what diligence and obedience is all about. I am also so very thankful for my teachers- Hermana Stevens, Hermana Jensen, Hermano Schofield and Hermano Garcia that help us and encourages us in all that we do and they are so patient! They are the best teachers here at the MTC! I love them all. I am so very thankful for the zone I am in, Hermana Baird is the coordinating Sister for our Branch and i like to refer to myself as the ''assistant'' to the coordinating Sister. All the Elders are so great and i really enjoy all of them! Oh, I just have to put a plug out there for Elder Bridgeraj and Elder Shaum, they are so great to Hermana Baird and I. Elder Shaum just likes giving us a hard time and then there is Elder Bridgeraj that every day tells us a CHEEZY joke, like: Why was the baby aunt confused?..... because all his uncles were ants. HAHAHA! basically he gets all his jokes off of laughy-taffys- but they are AWESOME and he just loves those jokes. 

I am also so very thankful to my family.(i must say, i cannot list all the reasons why i am thankful for you all because of lack of space and time) I am thankful to have such a good Dad that loves me and is still there for me even though he is on the other side of the veil.  Mom, i am so very thankful to you and believing in me and helping me stretch beyond what i thought my own abilities were. Tori- I am so very thankful for you and showing me what you are doing with your life. I am glad you had such a great birthday. Will- I am so very thankful for you and your patience with me and that you are going to be serving a mission, you are going to be one solid missionary! Mary- sweet, sweet Mary. I love you and your letters! I am so proud of you in all the many things you have accomplished! I am excited to see what life brings for you after you graduate. Anna, I loved your last letter, it was great to hear from you. Thank you for all the memories we have had together (being goofballs). Christopher- you give the best hugs! I miss hugging you and watching you and Jonathan play guns. You are a great big brother to Jonathan. Jonathan, bug-a-mug! You are such a great boy! Thank you for your example to me in always praying that the whole earth will Choose the Right. And also, i loved the picture you drew me and you are doing so great in writing in cursive! Rachel-lollie-pop! You are growing up so much. I hope you are being such a big help to mommy. Give everyone a little kiss for me, ok La?!

To all my other family members, thank you for all of your prayers and believing in me! I am the luckiest missionary in the world! I have all my brothers and sisters, but i also have cousins that love me. I love you all so much! I hope you are all living your lives and being an example to those around us. We are so lucky to be on the earth at this time and have the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth and that we have a living Prophet that leads and guides us today. I am so very thankful for the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, and the words of our modern-day Prophet.

Oh, how thankful i am for this beautiful earth that we live on! Everyday i see another thing that reminds me of the love of our Father in Heaven. I am so very thankful to all of my friends, thank you for all your love and support as well. I am such a blessed person, i have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving! I love you all! Thank you for all your support and love! XOXOXO

 

Love you, always, forever,

Hermana Deborah Wadsworth

 

PS- what are you thankful for?! :) Write it down, and if it is a person, tell them.

Novemeber 15, 2011

HOLA FAMILIA!

Oh wow! So, i am half way done with my time here at the MTC... it is CRAZY! Hermana Baird and I are SO excited to go to Des Moines, but we are also very nervous cause we still do not know that much espanol as we feel like we should. But either way, i am just going to keep soaking up the MTC.

So much has happend this week in class, at firesides and just all together so much! I have learned so much about Jesus Christ! Sunday was just a perfect day for me all around. I always have so spiritually fed on Sundays. My mission President, President Claybaugh talked in sacrament meeting and he taught so beautifully about the Plan of Salvation (which that topic alone, just gets me right in the heart and speaks volume) but he focused on the Atonement. He taught about the far reaching effects of the Atonement in our lives and how all we need to do is turn to Jesus Christ. He talked about the poem "Footprints in the Sand" which we all love and think it is so great! He says as much as he loves that poem it is false- one of my institute teachers had said that to me before, but i forgot why.... well, the reason why is that there is  always only one set of footprints in the sand, and that is the Saviors. HOW TRUE!  He is carrying us! I have no doubt that in my moments, after Dad died, how much i had to just focus on breathing, I have no doubt in my mind that Jesus Christ was holding me and whispering to me "just keep breathing, it will be alright- i got you".  We dont have to fear because Jesus is with us and He will "not leave you comfortless".

I am so excited to help the people of Des Moines, Iowa to come closer to Christ. To know that He Lives! and that He is always there for us! I am so very thankful for the Book of Mormon and i know that it is true. One of my friends told me that I am such a strong person. Well, i didnt really understand why. I know why now, it is because i know that the Book of Mormon is true and that "a man would get nearer to God by abiding to its precepts, than by any other book", as Joseph Smith said about the Book of Mormon. I would like to offer an invitation to everyone that reads this to read the Book of Mormon. I will promise you that if you read it, ponder about it, and ask Heavenly Father if it is true, He will help you to know.

I am the person I am because of the Book of Mormon! Whenever I am having a hard day and i read from the sacred pages of the Book of Mormon, I have recieved FUERZA (strength) and PAZ (peace)!

Yo se que el Libro de Mormon es verdadero! Yo se que Jesucristo es el Salvador y Redentor!

I know that the Book of Mormon is True! I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer!

Thank you for your prayers!

 

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

I love you, always, forever!

-Hermana Deborah Faye Wadsworth

 

ps- keep the postcards coming! I LOVE THEM! :) Thank you all for your love and support to me and my family!

November 8, 2011

Hola Familia!

Well, here we are, week 4 since i have been in the MTC just a couple days short of a month and about half way done with my time in the MTC. I thought that with this email, i would kind of give you and idea of what each day is like at the CCM (MTC) or at least what is like for me.

Sundays we wake up at 6:30 like any other day and get ready for the day, then we have planning at 7:00 and then breakfast at 7:35. (which is cold cereal, fruit and maybe chocolate milk) then we go to sacrament meeting from 8-9. then at 9:30 i go and watch music and the spoken word then at 10 we have relief society and we always have a guest speaker. Then the rest of the day we have district meeting/interviews and a Temple walk (which i love) then at we go to choir and then there is a fireside. this last Sunday President Atkins who is a lawyer for the church came and spoke to us. it was really cool! he talked a lot about the church and the growth, but he also talked about how we get into the countries that we do... and the main thing that i learned is that there is power in prayer and having good 'relationships' with other countries.

 

Then Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday are basically the same. We will wake up at 6:30. We plan at 7. Breakfast at 7:40 and class usually starts at 8.... class, gym, class again, language study time, personal study time, TALL (which is Technology Assitant Language something, haha! it basically is another tutor for spanish)

 

ok, sorry, so as im telling you about this, i am getting bored. haha! so, i am going to switch gears. I have learned something very valuable this week.... and it is something that i have never thought about before. Hermana Baird and i have kinda been having a hard time at teaching our investigators (Juan and Patricia) We have been having a hard time balancing teaching by the Spirit, applying the lessons to them, gaining our own testimony about the things that we teach and also teaching to their needs. For me, it has been really hard because so many people have told me "oh, i love the MTC, you are on such a spiritual high and you learn so much about yourself and you gain such a testimony" well, the MTC is not that way anymore. And i am not trying to sound negative because it is not a negative thing and the MTC i have learned a lot about myself and i have been on a spiritual high as well. But this is what i really learned this week. This mission is not about me. It is not about me, it is ALL about the investigators. When i wake up in the morning, i should be more concerned about how i am going to help Juan and Patricia, not on what i want to wear in the morning. What i study in class should not been focused on me and what i want to learn, but how i can help the investigators come unto Christ. I would like to challenge everyone that reads this email to study their scriptures not only for them, but for someone they truly care about and who they want to help. You will learn more about yourself then you could ever imagine. "when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God".

 

The MTC is a great place! I cannot wait for the day when Will gets to come here! He will just eat it up. And i will tell you what, i look forward to everything that we do here everyday. oh and, i just wanna say again, i am getting really good at shooting 3-pointers... haha! and the Elders dont like it. hah! :) I love it!

 

Oh, and today Hermana Baird and I met a lady, her name is Sister Madsen (she works at the MTC) and her daughter went to Des Moines, Iowa, spanish as well! She went on to tell Hermana Baird and I that there are about 6 Hermanas assigned to that mission (or at least that is how it was for her daughter that has only been home for 2 years)

 

Anyways, I love you all so much! Thank you for the prays and for the support and all the letters! I LOVE all the drawing that I have received, they are my pride and joy. :) Oh, and guess what... on Monday afternoon we sat by President Brown who is the MTC president and he said that we are going to have a special speaker tonight.... and it is one of the Twelve Apostles! WOOT! I will let you know who.... :)

 

I love you, always, forever,

Hermana Wadsworth

November 2, 2011

Hola mi familia!

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Well, another week has gone by. I cannot believe how fast time flies when you are really on the Lords time. Hermana Baird and I realized yesterday that if we were going on a mission speaking english we would be packing our suitecases today and heading to our missions. What a blessing we are going to be speaking spanish! =)

This past Saturday we had TRC which is the Training Resource Center. I dont know if I have mentioned this at all, but we have had an ´´investigator´´ since the first Friday here and we need to teach in spanish (it is a little stressful at times, especially since we arent fluent) but anyways, what happended at TRC is we went into the room and we taught a volunteer a lesson in spanish. For the most part volunteers are members of the church, most of them are returned missionaries, and we teach them in spanish. It went really well. I love it when Hermana Baird and i get into a room with our investigators and we just completely rely on the Spirit to lead us on what that person needs to come closer unto Christ.

So, every week Relief Society is held with all the Sister missionaries at the MTC and we always have a guest speaker. Guess who was our guest speaker this week???? Elaine S. Dalton! It was such an uplifting talk and I learned some pretty valuable things. First, she said that us as Sister Missionaries are fulfilling the Young Womens Moto- "we will stand as witnesses of God, at all times, and all things and in all places" that just speaks volumes to me that i really am doing that, but i am not saying that every Sister or Brother is not fulfilling that purpose. It is very important that we always do fulfill that purpose and to stand for what we believe in. She also reminded us of the love that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father have for all of us. She also went on to tell us that having a testimony in these last days is not going to be good enough, but that we have to be converted. Dallin H. Oaks gave a good example of this: " having a testimony is feeling and knowing. Being converted is doing and becoming" i might have mixed it up, but it is so true! We need to BE disciples of Christ and becoming more like Him. The last thing and really the most important thing that she shared was about enduring to the end. She told us a story about how she and her husband went running this one day and there were some pretty good hills that they were running. Anyways, when she was running up this hill about half way up, she yelled to her husband, who was pretty much all the way up the hill, and told him that she is going to go back to the car and she will wait for him there. He then turned around, ran down the hill to her, took her by the hand and said, "Elaine, don't you know that you should never turn around when you are going up a hill". She then went on to tell us that she and her husband walked hand in hand up the rest of the hill and they both enjoyed the most beautiful sunrise that she has ever seen.

How true is that with our own lives. How many times have we gone half way up a hill and it was just too hard and just kept going?! I am so very thankful that through the trial of dad passing away that even at the beginning of the hill, the Savior came to me and took me by the hand and is walking me up the hill. That is how the Savior is with all of us. Maybe He doesn't always take our hand at the bottom of the hill, but i do know that He is walking right beside us and will be there when we fall or trip or just because we just want to hold His hand just to know that He is truly right there. I also feel like while we are going up our hills that the Savior also lets family and friends walk up the hill for a while with us and give us the ecouragement and let us know that we are loved and that there are people around us that also want to see us succeed. I am so very thankful for all my family and friends that believed in me when i didnt believe in myself, that smiled at me and gave me a hug and who cried with me in my time of pain.

 

Thank you all so much for your prayers and love sent my way, I love you all! I know that our Savior lives and that He loves all of us! I hope you always remember that. :)

 

Love you always and forever,

 

Hermana Wadsworth