Like the MTC again

The fever turned out to be a result of a minor infection in my eye. Once I got an antibacterial eyewash at the local drugstore my overall health began improving rapidly. It's now drained to my sinuses, but I'm much less concerned about my sinuses than my eye. The fever's gone, so all is well.

This week was a doozy. Frankly I haven't really been in my area for 2 weeks now. I had a three day leadership training in Busan. They are makinga new simplified curriculum for the MTC which will start in May next year, but they want it to already be in full swing in all the missions around the world before then. So I basically had the MTC on speed this last week. IT WAS AMAZING! If every mission in the world takes this new program and really embraces it and applies it there will be miracles around the world. I learned the doctrine better, became a better teacher and got better at Korean and the rate of progression was astonishing. I'm really excited to teach this stuff to the other sisters on splits this transfer. Missionary work is still directed by Preach My Gospel (which is designed to get you in the scriptures) but they have taken out 8 core principles to focus on in the MTC. The first 5 have to do with the things you want the investigators to do in order to receive their own spiritual witness of the truth and the last three basically focus on teaching skills that have always been a little elusive to missionaries. The program is definitely inspired. Before seeing the new program there's no way I would have thought that a three-day training meeting was at all a good idea, but it was definitely worth it. I'm really glad I get to work with this new program, even if it's only for 5 weeks. I wish it'd come out 6 months ago. I'll do the best with the time I have, though.

Another really exciting thing that happened this week is that Sis. Peterson came down to meet her family. It was really weird for me to go back to the "MTC" and then when I got home my MTC companion's stuff was in my house! It was great. I met her mom and dad and her older sister and her twin brother. It was unlike any other experience of my life, helping a friend as she encounters the emotional rollar coaster that is meting your biological family. They are really wonderful and nice people. I think everyone didn't exactly know how to react. How could they? It wasn't really awkward at all. Just different. I really feel like God has a great plan that just needed Sis. Peterson to have two families to influence and love. I think she completes this other family in a way that they didn't even know they needed completing.

On another perspective of things---it was so GREAT to have Sis. Peterson around. Funny that she's probably one of the companions I got closest to and she was my MTC companion. I can't believe how much Ive learned from her. She and I think on such a similar plane--it's relieving. She's such a wonderful example to me. It was funny, because once she was back I felt like she'd been with me all along---that we'd been together our whole missions. There wasn't anything outstanding about it, it was just comforting. I'm excited that she'll be in Provo when we return.

As far as the work...I'm a little frustrated. I feel like I want amazing miracles so desparately this last transfer, but things keep falling through the cracks. All of my investigators have sorta stopped progressing. Time is a little insufficient. I keep praying to find new people---and for the faith to help my investigators overcome their concerns. The miracle's gotta be just around the corner, because I feel like missionary work has suddenly gotten really hard. I've noticed that it's only hard RIGHT before the big flood of blessings (because it's your testing period). Continued prayers for me, my investigators and those people I'm called to teach that I haven't yet found would be much appreciated.

Just as always I'm lovign the work. Korea is wonderful. It's funny how it really is just a part of me now. It'll be weird as this all comes to a close. I'm afraid it'll all just feel like a dream.

Say your prayers. Read your scriptures. Go to Church.

~R~