"What did you feel in your CAT when you prayed about these things"

Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2015 11:25:48 -0700
From: ashlyn.goodwin@myldsmail.net (please e-mail Ash at this address)

I cant believe I've only been here for one week. It seems like such a long time! Sometimes I get frustrated I don't know more of the language, and then I realize I have only been here for a week. This week was very good, but also very hard. The coolest things about trials, is that it turns me to Christ and my Heavenly Father. I am relying so much on them, and it is a very cool feeling. My companions and God are the only people I have contact with most days and conversations with, besides our investigators. 

This Sunday was fast Sunday. Sacrament was very cool, hearing my zones spiritual experiences and testimonies. Then we had relief society, and a entire MTC devotional on the importance of teaching whole families and making sure we are using our mission for missionary work to our families. Then David A. Bednar spoke to us about turning outward like Christ. Sometimes I feel a little defeated, but I think that that's when I truly have a broken heart and contrite spirit. Those couple of times in the MTC that I feel that way, I feel most blessed and humbles after. That feeling of a broken heart makes it possible for the Savior to build me back up. We went on a Sunday Temple walk with our zone, and it was beautiful and nice to just walk and enjoy my peeps.

 

We taught our investigator Christopher (most investigators are our teachers, but He is actually investigating the church, and only speaks Tagalog). This was our 3rd lesson with him. It was the 1st time that we were able to speak the language more clearly to him, and I know he felt the spirit because it was very strong. When we asked him what he thought about the BOM and Joseph Smith, he said he got a strong happy feeling in his heart about them. He was nervous to be baptized because his father is a minister in another church. We are going to teach his father starting tonight too. He decided to be baptized, and asked that we move up the date so his parents visiting from the Philippines could be there. It was such an amazing feeling. Awkward moment...In our lesson I meant to ask him what he felt in his HEART (puso) when he prayed, but I thought the word for heart was PUSA which is actually cat. So I asked, "What did you feel in your CAT when you prayed about these things"!!! He laughed really hard and then explained, and we all lost it. Its ok though because the spirit was still there after we were done rolling on the ground. He now asks me how my cat feels all the time. 

Wednesday was our one week mark!

And Also our 1st baptismal commitment!!

We made personal language study goals. For some reason my companionship was super giggly all of Wednesday, we had service and gym, and not much class. But when we did have class and in all other activities we couldn't stop laughing. We also got dads package! Seriously getting even a letter is like Christmas. The package was awesome! Towards the end of the day my companions were really struggling. They were frustrated and had attitudes about not learning the language, and not having a desire too anymore. I was able to bear testimony to them that I knew Heavenly Father can change our will. He changed mine to want to go on a mission, and I couldn't be happier. I love the way we strengthen each other.

 

Thursday was my hardest day so far. I know how important this work is, and felt a lot of weight on my shoulders. Plus classes were very hard, missionary work is draining, and my brain started to shut off to learning. Actually we all had a mental breakdown, but nothing new right? Our teacher stopped class and shared Ether 12:27 with us. It is about overcoming weakness through grace (context is actually when Moroni dint speak a language he was writing in). Grace equals enabling [power of the Atonement. Then we read Moroni 24:14. My favorite example is when Nephi is bound by his brothers. He doesn't ask for God to take away his trial or fix it, but he asks that God give him the strength to to it himself (1 Nephi 7:17). This is how Christs atonement works. 

Friday was awesome! I felt very humble, and renewed from the day before. We learned sentence structures and it made the entire language make so much sense to me. It is awesome because it clicked very easily, and it gave me the power to actually say what I want to, not just know 1000 vocab words. My teacher told me to just speak like Yoda, thank you Yoda for helping me speak Tagalog. Thankful I am, Nagpapasalamat po ako! After our long day of lots of hard work and study, we went on an adventure. We walked to every floor of our residence hall and looked what was in these bins they have. Then we went to our room and ate candy on the floor while studying together, and then took some pictures and talked before bed. It was great to have a Friday night, party animals I know! 

 

Some other random things...

Sis Sulunga has never seen snow (shes never left Hawaii), and today we walked to the temple. We walk outside and she days "Oh no, I think Im getting sick! Im breathing smoke!!" It was hilarious

In the middle of class one of the Elders was staring off into space, and was asked a question. He didnt answer and we were laughing when he realized we were tlaking to him. He told us "Sometimes I focus on the language so much, I loose focus."...Um ok!

My dresser and part of the room is the cleanest, and I clean the rest of the room when I have time. I cant stand having it messy because I have so much to do, I need to be able to be able to go fast. And it stresses me out. Thank the MTC Mom and Dad!

 

I love you guys, and really start to miss you most when things get hard. I love being here, I didn't know there was so much I could learn, and so many ways I could grow. I better go, my laundry is done...sounds so adult hahah!

-Sister Ashlyn Goodwin
Oh, Volleyball at the MTC...BOMBBBBB!!!! I love it! Everyday I get an hour of gym time and I play volleyball with the elders in my zone. We are very competitive!

 

P.S.S. I keep forgetting things! I found out i will leave this MTC after 7 weeks (Dec 10th) and then go to Manila MTC for a week (until the 16tth)

 

please seed this to Brent and grandpa. Tell him thanks for helping me expand my vocabulary.

​One of Ashlyn's MTC Companions wrote us this letter today as well:

KUMUSTAAA PO BA KAYO!!!!! 

  

   hahaha...Brother and Sister Goodwin!

                                              Thank you so much for the sweetsyyy treats...it was the most amazing thing i tasted so far in my life. i ate so mostly everynight and by the way it's finish...hahaha...i know u send i like this past wednsday...it was just to good...Your daughter (my companion) is the most loveable, the sweetest, and the biggest enforcer in our group bwahahaha...she is full with so much love not a day she leaves her room and doesnt think about or talk so much of her parents and especially JACOB......THE YOUNGEST OF ALL. SHE HAS BEEN SUCH AN AMAZING BLESSING IN THESE PAST TWO WEEKS. for sure she is not a QUITTER. shes a pusher that wants to learn, love, give service to everyone and i cant thank you enough for being the most amazing parents to her. nd your wife so much stories of her...welll  SALAMAT PO!! FOR UR YUMMY TREATS....INGAT!!!

                                       Sincerely, Sis. Sulunga