What the What??

What the what? I'm still blown away by how fast time is going. It literally feels like two days since my last P-Day but it also feels like 567 years so that's nice and weird. This week has been soooo good. So good. Guess what? I GOT TO HOST SISTER MECHAM. Okay. I'll tell you the story because it's the coolest thing of my life. So, Wednesday Sister Parker and I got to host new missionaries coming to the MTC. We went to this meeting at 11:00 am and they told us how to be good hosts and not super bizarre and freak everyone out. So last Wednesday, 798 new missionaries eneterd the MTC. So round that up to 800 and I'm here for nine weeks so I will see 7,200 new missionaries enter the MTC. Isn't that crazy? Anyways, so they said that most likely we wouldn't be able to host our friends just because it would be highly unlikely we would be able to find them because 100 missionaries were entering every 15 minutes starting at 12:15. So, I started hosting. Sister Mecham wasn't supposed to come in until 1:30 so I knew I would have time to host more sisters than just her. So I hosted a couple of sisters and it got to be around 1:20. I was like, "This will be perfect! I'll totally get to host Sister Mecham." So then I get back to the curb and this car pulls up and there is no one to host except for me. I was so sad. I was happy to help this sister but I really, really wanted to host Sister Mecham. So I take the new sister around, show her where she'll be living, get her books, and take her to her classroom. By this time it's like 1:50. So I dejectedly walk back to the curb and am just so sad I didn't get to host Sister Mecham because surely they would have already come by now. Then, I hear "Sister Harris!!!" and I turn around and leaning out the window of the next car to come in is Mother Mecham. I lost it. The Spirit was so strong. So I ran all the way down and was able to host her. We both cried like leetle babies because it was such a tender mercy. Seriously, I felt so much love from Heavenly Father because it's not like hosting her was some life or death matter. I had been praying for it though and it mattered to me. How cool is that Heavenly Father listens to every prayer and cares about everything we care about? And then, to make things even better, we live on the same floor. What are the odds? That is not a coincidence. Out of the 1258 sisters at the MTC Brittany Mecham and I live on the same floor. How cool. Holler at the ladies of the Unit. We have little nightly chats and leave each other cute notes on our doors. I love being in the MTC at the same time as my friends. Totally the biggest blessing of my life.

 

A couple days ago we watched the Kiev Temple Dedication Mormon Message. Everyone, stop what you're doing right now and go watch it. 1. It's so good and it will just brighten your day. 2. The Russian people are so great. I feel like this magnetic pull towards them. I cannot wait to actually be there. 3. I CAN UNDERSTAND THE RUSSIAN BEING SPOKEN. Without the help of the English subtitles at the bottom. Haha. But really. I could understand a ton of what was being said and it blew my mind. Who would have ever thought that Amanda Harris would be speaking Russian one day? Not me, that's for sure. But I am so happy I get to learn Russian. It's the coolest language. What's hillarious is that we always run into English speakers at meals and gym time and they're like, "I don't understand why everyone talks about how hard it is here. It's just like Disneyland." Hahaha. Oh my gosh. I know they will have their own hard times and that everyone is called to their missions for a reason. I just want to be like, "We say it's hard because we're here to learn Russian. In nine weeks. That's kind of a big deal." Usually, I just smile and laugh because english. Haha. But in all reality, I am constantly surrounded by absolutely stellar people. There are some truly fantastic missionaries heading out into the world. In other news, choir continually proves to be the coolest thing of our lives. Right now there are about 600 people in choir. They announced on Sunday that they're expanding and it's going to be 1100 people. We're going to be having this special something (it's a big secret right now) in the Marriot Center that will be open to the public. We suspect the First Presidency will be coming because it's the same week all the new mission presidents are here. The choir gets to sing for that devotional though and we're all super excited. This week we are singing my favorite hymn, Lead Kindly Light. Which is perfect because I was having a hard time on Sunday. Elder Neely and all the Hungarians are moving to the new MTC on the other side of Provo today. So we had to say goodbye for the next 23 months on Sunday. It was sad and I wasn't prepared because I thought we would have a few more weeks of randomly running into each other. So I was having a hard time and then we went to choir and they handed out the music and it was my favorite hymn of all time. Heavenly Father is just the greatest. It was cool that three fourths of the Unit got to be reunited for a week and we did get to all talk to each other for about five minutes. I loved it though and it has been so good to see each other even for a short time. We've all got some pretty important work to do. I see Sister Reber around occasionally but she's leaving tomorrow! I'm so excited for her. She's going to be so great. Elder Fuller left this morning and I didn't get the chance to say bye but I ran into someone from his district and they gave me a message from him. I'm so happy we're both speaking Russian and we'll totes be able to talk in Russian together when we end up back in St. George someday.

 

Today, we went to the temple to do sealings. Missionaries are only allowed to be daughters or sons but it's still the coolest thing. There was this absolutely darling little old couple that was being the parents. I have never seen two people more in love than them. They just knelt there and smiled at each other like newlyweds the whole time even though they were easily at least 80 years old. Our entire district loved them. They were so cute. While I was in there I kept thinking about how grateful I am for eternal families and for the happiness the gospel brings me. And then I got excited all over again to be going to Russia and to share what I have with the people there.  In one of the devotionals a speaker talked about picturing everyone you talk to in white and how that helps you to feel love for them and get excited about their progress towards eternal happiness. And it's true. I pictured the people of Russia in white and happy like the people in the temple or the people in the Kiev Temple video and it made me stoked out of my mind to finally get there and start working. I'm ready to be there now. We had three districts leave yesterday and today so we are now the oldest Russians of the bunch. Weird. I remember coming in five weeks ago and being so impressed by how much Russian everyone knew and feeling like a freshman in high school all over again. And now we're the Seniors! So weird. I definitely do not feel like I'm old enough to be the oldest Russians here. I also do not remember a time I wasn't learning Russian. Haha. Tricksy Russian. I'll get it though. I'm determined and I know Heavenly Father is helping me a lot.  I love being a missionary. I love that I get this opportunity. It's the greatest thing. I'm grateful for all of you and I love you so much. Thank you for the impact you continually make in my life. You're the best of the best. Truly. I hope you have a most wonderful week!

 

 Love, Cectpa Harris