Good Morning,
Today is my last P-Day at the MTC. Can't believe Monday afternoon I am flying out to Fiji. 6 weeks in the MTC really has flown by. Days feel like months and months feel like days. I have Video Chatted with a couple of Fijians, they're all so nice and keep telling me how much I am going to love the food. About ready to put this MTC food in the past. However, I will always be grateful for those 3 meals a day. This past Monday we had a FHE that was opened up with a supposed to be little testimony meeting. Turned out to run just over an hour and got very emotional as the reality of our zone break up started to hit us. I can't describe how blessed I have been with all these Elders and Sisters. Our zone Presidency has been in this Branch for just over 3 years and said they've yet to see a zone with such a strong bond as ours. This Wednesday we put together a farewell ceremony for our zone Presidency. Each District sang "God be with you till we meet again" in their own language then we all came together in English for the chorus. All of the Elders were practicing a Haka that we were going to perform at the ceremony. Tuesday night President Clarke saw us practicing and came up to say "Hakas are not allowed at the MTC"as nicely as he could. All of us Elders just looked at each other with blank faces, it was a big blow. My thighs and forearms are still very bruised from all the practicing. It was awesome!
This Tuesday night we had the privilege to hear from Elder Mervyn B. Arnold. He showed us a cool video clip of some Navajo reservation and their dance rituals. Younger generations showed little or no interest in these traditions. He spoke of how we can teach others how to dance (pray,read BOM etc.) but we ourselves have to learn to hear the music (the spirit). It is hard to dance without the music and can often times be unfulfilling. If our family or others learn how to dance but not how to hear the music, overtime they will either stop dancing altogether or only do so due the pressure of others dancing around them. The best way to help others learn how to hear the music is to be an example and make sure we're tuned in ourselves. Elder Arnold kept us all very awake as he was calling missionaries out of the audience left and right. Great talk.
I am feeling great. Can't wait to see something other than the MTC. Looking forward to the food at the airport. Hope they have cafe rio... Have learned so much here at the MTC that will definitely be very useful once applied in the mission field. We had a Sister in our zone tear her ACL this past week :( The day before surgery she asked if she could get a blessing and wanted me to deliver it. For some reason everyone in the zone likes to come sit in on blessings. Can be a bit overwhelming with so many people in the room. I was pondering/praying a lot beforehand. As I delivered it I started out deep in thought (not good) but shortly after I stopped thinking and took a couple seconds to let the Spirit take over so that I could speak from the heart. As I did this I noticed there was no longer a search for words but as I spoke it all continued to flow out of me. She had a good surgery and is going to be held an extra 2 months in the MTC. Hopefully she will still get to serve in the Marshall Islands.
I am not sure when my next email will be. Some transfers in Fiji won't allow for weekly emails. But I guarantee some awesome pictures next time you hear from me.
Have a great week!
Much Love,
Elder Richardson
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| Ran into a GOOD old friend. |
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| Zonin' |
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| Your favorite Fijians |
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| Gaba got his first fade (haircut) |
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| Working hard of hardly working? We're pondering |
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| Polynesian zone. First ones in and last ones to out. |
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