Small and Simple Things

Oi Amigos!

Tudo bem? My first full week in the Missionary Training Center! It has gone by really quick because every day feels the same, besides the fact that I learn new things every day! For my Loveland Ohio friends, I ran into Drew Austin here, and he is going to Italy! He left today and I am so excited to hear about his experiences because I know he will just be a spectacular missionary!

If you know me at all you know that I am not a morning person and that it's usually not a pretty sight. One morning this week the alarm went off at 6:30am and the lights turned on in our room with four other girls. I sat there and then said to the other girls "No part of my body wants to move right now, BUT I LOVE THE WORK!" and then sprang out of my top bunk and tried to enthusiastically climb down the stairs of my bunk … and then I just completely ate it. Don't worry guys, that didn't dampen my spirits one bit! I love the people here and the people in my district. Meeting new people and hearing their stories is one of my favorite things! My Samoan companion is so sweet. She talks to all the other Poly's here because they are all related somehow and it’s so funny. She tells them all that I am afakasi (which means half white, half Samoan) because I am her "Sister". They all love me and I just feel so white, but so cool, because I am in their gang now!

I really do love it here. I love learning. I love learning Portuguese, but more importantly I really love just learning more about the Gospel and learning how I can be closer to my Savior. I have realized through teaching people in Portuguese that the important things are the simple things; that the Gospel is made up of the small and simple things. Having to speak and teach in Portuguese has forced me to stick to the simple concepts because I can't say much! As I have thought about it, I have realized that maybe I was called to teach in another language because Heavenly Father knows how much I can talk and talk and is forcing me to keep it simple … to teach people about Heavenly Father’s love for them and about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how to return back to our loving Heavenly Father.

As I have been able to teach pretend investigators in the MTC, without any notes or language help, it has only made me more excited to get out into the field and serve. I feel such peace to know that I am doing exactly what God wants me to do right now. I am watching more carefully to see His hand in my life, because it is always there, you just have to look. I want to be someone that my Heavenly Father can trust and count on to do hard things. I want him to feel like He can count on me to handle whatever He needs to help His work carry on. We can't know WHO we are, until we figure out WHOSE we are.

Yesterday, the Sunday topic was how to recognize the Holy Ghost. I was taught things and gained a whole new perspective on this topic. We were all given our agency, and therefore were created to act and not be acted upon. The Spirit will not be with us if we do not invite it … that would violate our agency. So every decision we make during the day either tells the Holy Spirit that we want guidance and comfort or that we don't want it or need it. I never thought about it like that, I knew that we could make decisions that would cause us to not have His Spirit with us, but we need to be constantly making efforts in every decision to keep it with us. The Godhead works perfectly together, in sync. I know that the Holy Ghost testifies of Jesus Christ and that only through Jesus Christ and His atonement can we return back to our Heavenly Father.

I love the WORK; and I am so thankful for all of you for supporting me. You are in my prayers!

Love,

Sister Vance