Tessa in Thailand: 7/21/14

I want to so start off with the exciting news that I found out my sister, Caitlin, is expecting her 3rd baby! I am so happy for her and can't wait to find out the gender! Well, I made it another week here in the MTC--2 more to go!! The MTC consists of studying and studying and eating and STUDYING! I have never studied harder in my life! Sorry if my emails consist of my study insights, since that is all I really do here!

On Tuesday we started off with personal study! Right now I am studying the Book of Mormon but I decided that I needed to study LOVE! I was studying in 1st John 3 and 4. I love love love these chapters! It talks about how love and God are combined. We can't hate our brethren and love God. "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." "If God so loved us we ought to love one another." "We have the love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for our brethren." Then I went on to read a talk called "The Love Of God" and he clearly stated:
"LOVE is the center
LOVE is the bond that unites
LOVE is the power that insinuates friendship, tolerance, civility and respect
LOVE is the source that overcomes divisiveness and hate
LOVE is the fire and warmth that fills our lives with unparalleled joy and divine hope
LOVE should be our walk and our talk."
Studying this made me just want to love so much more!! Everything always comes back to love. Later that day we were walking around MTC campus and we saw a gold investigator (real and fake investigators that walk around the MTC). We went and talked to them, it was awesome because they told us about sports and we just talked like friends! Then we started asking him about prayer because his grandma was sick and we wanted to help him feel comfort. He told us he thought it was weird but we committed him to pray. That night we had an amazing devotional at the Marriott center. He talked about how when we say prayers or bare our testimonies we do it in the name of Jesus Christ. He talked about how sacred that name is and to not use is to get a prayer finished or a testimony finished. When you say it, really think about what you are saying. You are literally putting all the words you said in the name of Jesus Christ. For me it has made my prayers a lot more meaningful and sacred. It reminded me that I am wearing his name on my heart. Anything I say is in the name of Jesus Christ and what a privilege that is.

On Wednesday WE WEAR PINK! We walked into class and Sister Hershi was wearing pink! We were all so happy and excited. It is crazy what can make us really excited and happy here in the MTC! We taught N))n a lesson and it actually went really well. I was nervous because I was trying to explain the Fall, but it went well--thanks to the Spirit! And plus it is easier to explain in Thai because we can only say it with super simple words which actually makes a lot of sense to investigators! In Thai class we were laughing the whole time. Our teachers are just SO funny! In personal study I studied John 12-15. IT WAS AWESOME! It was talking about how the MASTER serves us so much we need to be following him and serve others as well. In Chapter 14 it talks all about the Comforter and how he will not leave us comfortless. You should just read those chapters because they are so good and uplifting and make you want to serve and love so much! That night President Jackson came in and told us that he wanted to switch some companionships around. It is cool because it's like we were getting transfers to a new area. My new companion is Sister Brown. She is the sweetest girl ever!

Thursday was an exciting day because it was the first day with my new Khuu. My personal study was bomb like always! I decided to continue in the Book of Mormon. I love how many times there is the phrase, "I prayed unto the Lord and the Lord answered me" or showed me, etc. It also is so amazing to me how stupid and mean Laman and Lemuel were but EVERY TIME they were humbled and repented and God forgave them. I think that happened like 6 or 7 times! Then I remembered "oh wait that happens to everyone daily.” I love verse 9 of chapter 19. It talks about how before he was crucified Jesus was treated horribly BUT he “Suffereth all things because of Love.” It reminded me that even when we get treated like crap sometimes we have to suffereth it because we need to have "loving kindness" like Jesus Christ. One thing I love about the scriptures is that we can relate everything to our lives. As it says in verse 23, "He likened all the scriptures unto them for their profit and learning." So so so cool. That day I got a package from my sister and it was so cute and made me really happy! We meet the new Thai's and they are so cute! I loved seeing Sister Grover from college. There are only 3 sisters and but 16 elders that came in. They are all so nice! That night Sister Brown and I decided to have additional study outside. We were sitting on the grass and we started with a prayer and as I was praying I opened my eyes for .2 seconds and saw a spider climbing on Sister Browns arm. I hit it off and ran away screaming! I felt bad that it interrupted the prayer but then I finished the prayer. Later at the end of the night I was baring my testimony to her and all of a sudden she comes up and slaps me on the back because there was a huge spider on me! We were freaking out because they were attacking us. I guess you had to be there but it was really funny!

On Friday Sister Brown and I were trying to plan our lesson with new investigators that day. I was nervous because I didn't know her Pl))y and she didn't know me. Brother Thrap helped us and we brainstormed for awhile and then decided to use an object lesson to help her really understand! We were super excited about it and the lesson went so well! She was so nice and she completely understood because of the activity! Next time we are committing her to baptism. That night we had our usual study time on an assigned talk. When I think of enduring to the end it means working and applying continually! We have to keep praying, repenting, reading the scriptures, etc. or we will fall away. In 2nd Nephi 27 it says, “Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more.” If we have that attitude we WILL fall away! Then I was reading in 2nd Nephi 31:19-20 and it talks about how once we are on the straight and narrow path we need to continue doing those things that got us here and we can't stop! I was thinking of Joseph smith and how he struggled and suffered so much but through it all he stayed faithful because he kept doing the things that kept him close to the Lord. It reminds me of D&C 121: 7-8 “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.” I know that if we keep diligently following God's plan and keep doing things that help us stay close to the Lord and in tune with the Spirit we will receive strength and help to endure anything! I loved studying this topic. For Khuu study we saw our golden investigator friends and we talked to them about sports and their lives and then we followed up on our challenge to pray. He told us he didn't so we were bummed but he told us he didn't because he thought it would be weird because it looks like you are talking to yourself. We talked to him more about it to help him realize that he isn't talking to himself and then we committed him again. He finally promised he would. I really hope he does! We planned our lesson for N))n the next day and were really excited to use the new teaching method Brother Thrap helped us with. Sister Brown and I have a very similar sense of humor so we laugh at all the same things so all the quirky dumb things we do are so funny to us but no one else! When we tell anyone else our funny experiences throughout the day they just look at us like we are weird!

On Saturday it was very normal as Sister Brown and I got locked out of our building because we forgot our keys. We taught n))n and it went well! I love teasing him about things and it is crazy how attached we get to our investigators. When I had to leave my pl))y I wanted to cry! We got taught by Brother Uan. He is an amazing teacher! That day I was hurting because I had a bad canker sore. I went to the front desk and asked if I could get some medicine I’ve taken in the past for them. They told me I could call my mom and ask her to drop some off. I called her and it was so good to hear her voice. I felt bad because I really wanted to talk but I knew I couldn't so I just talked fast and stayed on the subject and said, "OK, love you, bye!" I also felt bad making her drive all the way to Provo! I am so grateful for her. She is so willing to help and serve me with anything! At dinner I talked to Sister Aom and introduced her to the new Thai's and she started going off in Thai and I could actually understand most of what she said! I love Sister Aom! She told me that we are going to be friends forever and that I am her favorite! After dinner we did this thing where we split up into 2 groups in our district and read and talked about a chapter. It was so insightful hearing everyone's thoughts! That night we made microwave s'mores! We know how to have fun in the MTC!

Sunday we all ate breakfast as a district and since we are so loud we got asked to be quiet a lot. We were just whistling and laughing. The meetings were amazing! My favorite was sacrament meeting. The talks were so strong and helped me want to be better person. It was all about enduring to the end! Going to the temple was great and I talked to Sister Aom who told me a lot of funny stories of things that happen in Thailand. Later my district sat around the piano singing church hymns and the heard a devotional about the pioneers. The speaker had everyone who was a descendant of a pioneer stand up and almost 3/4 of the people in the room stood up! It was amazing to me. If those pioneers decided following the prophet was too hard then 3/4 of those missionaries wouldn't be there! The speaker was the producer of all the pioneer movies like “17 Miracles” and “Ephraim's Rescue”. He answered a lot of questions and told us some really interesting things about those movies.

The MTC is such a spiritual place. I feel the Spirit constantly here. It is such a happy place :) I have been really trying to follow the doctrine of Christ and use that as an example of how I should live. I have learned so much about the Savior. He was a friend to everyone. He was always serving and loving others. Matthew 5, "Love your enemy; bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you." Christ did all this. He is THE perfect example. Look to him and his example in everything. This gospel is amazing and I am learning something new about it each and every day! I am so blessed to have the opportunity to serve a mission! I want to learn and grow and become a better person!

I want to give a shout out to my parents for sending me an awesome package with everything I ever wanted! Also to my Grandma Bennett for making me a big box full of delicious cookies! My district ate them all up in 5 minutes. And to my sister, Rachel, for sending me a cute package that I loved so much. ALSO, thank you all who write me letters and dear elders! They literally make my day! THANK YOU ALL :)

-Sister Herrmann