NPR and Surgery?!

Dearest Family,

This week went by so quickly!  Let me just say that I can guarantee that my MTC experience is so unique.  Haha.  So last Monday (P-day), my companion went to the doctor, who referred her to a surgeon. Well the next day, we went to the surgeon for her consultation. We later found out that she'd be getting surgery on Thursday. So as you may guess the rest of the week has been very restful and I've been in the residence hall almost the whole time with my companion. Luckily, we're able to go on splits with the other sisters in my district and I can go to class some of the time.

I remember asking Heavenly Father last weekend, "what more can I do for my companion?"  Well, He surely answered that prayer.  I realized that I'm on my mission to help all those around me.  Not just members or investigators but also other missionaries.  As I was sitting in the waiting room, the thought came that there is a reason I'm companions with Sister Jackson.  I have no doubt that even though none of us knew she'd be getting surgery on her mission, let alone in the MTC, the Lord knew that she would and He assigned us to be companions during this time.  One of the things that I'm learning about myself, that I kind of caught onto before, is that I love taking care of others.  It's hard for me to see people in pain, but I know that I would do anything for them to either bring happiness to their lives or to make their lives a little easier.  The Lord is helping me see that.

I was talking one-on-one with one of my teachers yesterday and she asked me how things were going.  I expressed how I'm afraid that my Chinese may be plateauing and that I 'think' I have the doctrines covered and that I wish I could just focus on the language.  She said that that's how she felt when she was at the MTC.  She thought she knew all about faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.  Then she reminded me the purpose of the MTC.  For her she realized that the MTC gave her a solid foundation in the doctrines, which allowed her to withstand the trials and failures in the mission field.  Yes, we're learning Chinese, but majority of that will come in the field.  We're here in the MTC to personally repent, to be better than before, and to build a personal relationship with our Savior and Father in Heaven so that when we get to the field, we'll have Them to lean on and nothing can bring us down.

That is my goal for the last few weeks while I'm here at the MTC.  Although it took me longer to figure that out, I'm so grateful I learned it while I'm still here at the MTC.

NPR went really well! They mainly talked to the sisters in our district since their main focus was on the spike of sister missionaries in the field.  But I hope that they splice it all right. I spoke from the heart and hopefully something of what I said gets put into the program. Haha.  And the Chaplain went well also. His name was Colonel Pendleton and he was an Episcopalian chaplain. He was very impressed with the missionaries and said how much of an inspiration we were.  I'm very grateful for these opportunities to do missionary work in the MTC.  Although we're not allowed to proselyte to these visitors, I hope that our spirit is enough to let them know our love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our sacred calling.

I love you all!  Thank you for your prayers. Remember that when God is your priority, everything falls into place!

Love,

Sister Sagisi

I only took one picture this week. But this is when we were on our way to her consultation. One of the few times that I'll be in a car on my mission. But since the surgeon wants to see her every week, I'll be riding in the shuttle for the few remaining weeks that I'm here.  Haha.