Sister Galli Goes to Washington: Another Week Flies By

This email was a bit harder to wait for this week because school is out and we are home relaxing instead of being busy. The past two weeks her emails had surprised me while I was at work and I had to find a minute here and a minute there to read them. Today I woke up and started waiting for it to come. Luckily she sent me a quick message at 8:30, responding to a few specific things I had asked her. I joked back with her that she was sure up and going early this morning, to which she replied she had already had breakfast and her laundry was almost done. Who is this person?

Anyway, her 'official' email came around 10:45 while I was at the UPS Store trying out their same- day MTC delivery service. Last night, we each chose something at the store for her and put a package together. Guy made his famous no-bake cookies (which was why I wanted to get it there ASAP), I found a chocolate orange (which she loves at Christmas time), Hayden chose beef jerky, Brandon chose Muddy Buddies, and then I also threw in some Five gum and some Werthers hard caramels. I suspect she stays full and can get just about any snacks she wants down there, but I just wanted her to know we are thinking about her and love her. And who doesn't love getting a box full of snacks?

Now for the real reason you are all here....her letter:

6/3/16 Week 3 - Days Flying By!

The days start flying by so so fast! It's crazy that I'm now the oldest bunch in my zone. Two districts below me.

I had the amazing experience this Wednesday to be a New Missionary Host. That's the person that grabs the new missionaries at the curb and takes them to their room and then their classroom. I was able to help two girls (there were 468 new missionaries on Wednesday). So that was super fun :) I love helping people.

I love TRCs (where you teach actual investigators). I love being able to address concerns and answer questions and teach them about hope. I love it. I got two new ones this week. They're both American and I just have so much love for them. So far, the two from last week and the two this week have all been committed to baptism :D

My district is truly the best. This week at dinner, we decided that we would all figure out what animals we were based on their personality. I got Honey Badger (Honey Badger don't care), Sister Escobar was a black leopard, Sister Green was a Ferret, Sister Little was a Fox, Sister Fuhriman was a hyena and Sister Erasmus was a bunny. Our Elders, we decided, were Timone and Pumba from the Lion King, which is so accurate that we hurt ourselves laughing so much.

The devotional speaker last Sunday said something absolutely profound that I'd like to share.

Every time a person experiences a significant change in their life, they go through four stages.

The first phase is the Honeymoon Phase where you love everything. This is the greatest experience ever and everything is awesome.

However only a few days later, you experience phase two which is the Hostile Phase. This is where you just wake up one morning and you hate everything. Everything is wrong and everything irritates you. It's characterized by the phrase "I want to go home." This phase has the ability to last until you drive yourself mad. This phase is where all you can think about is yourself and how YOU'RE not having fun and you hate everything.

The only way to escape that detrimental phase is to do something nice for someone else. Look outside yourself. Once you decide that you'll stick around, that leads into the Grin and Bear It Phase. This phase, you need to just forget about yourself and worry about nothing but serving others. This is also when you have to find something that you like about where you're at. Look for the good, that silver lining.

Eventually the third phase transitions into the Endure to the End where you realize why you're here and what your purpose is. It's also when you can be happy and continually look for the good.

A mission will be difficult. Not easy by any means. The speaker even went so far to say that you'll probably experience these phases every time you have a transfer even. However, it ultimately comes down to forgetting about yourself and getting to work and you're able to be genuinely happy.

But I have some really exciting news! This last Sunday in choir practice, we started to learn a new primary hymn that Elder Bednar wrote. It's about how Christ loves all the children and in the Book of Mormon, called them forth One by One. The MTC choir will premier it next Tuesday at a worldwide devotional (me included). What else is cool is that a few of Elder Bednar's grandchildren will be there to sing it with us. So that makes you wonder who the speaker will be (wink wink) ;)

Loving the MTC but can't wait to be in the field :D

~Sister Galli