Conference, Christmas, & Caridad

Hi Everyone!! 

So it was General Conference weekend which is basically Christmas here. I've enjoyed conference before but it is SO much better as a missionary. We get a break from our normal schedule and we get to listen to prophets and apostles! I took notes on a lot of things, but one thing I really took away was that this work is not about statistics, it's about love. And it doesn't matter how statistically good I am if I'm not loving the people, the gospel, and this work. :) Also, how cool was it that people spoke in Spanish!!! We were so excited...and then a little bummed out when they voiced over it. But we watched them later just in Spanish and they were so much better!! There are some things that just sound better in Spanish. ;) 

We taught Raul (the man from Ecuador) again this week. He still speaks really fast, but I totally understood him. We had a really good lesson on the Plan of Salvation and then discussed a little bits about the Trinity and his understanding of God. It was the perfect lead in to teach him the Restoration next time and...we got switched to another investigator. :( It's kind of sad because I really love Raul and I loved being challenged, but our new investigator is great too. 

Fun fact, I met an Elder McKenna this week. Spelled exactly the same way. Hahah how random? Also, he said he's always wanted to marry a McKenna so her name will be McKenna McKenna. Hahhaha. 

Some funny stories for the week: the five hermanas share a room so we always say prayers together before bed, and normally they're in Spanish. Hermana Cook was saying the prayer and said "Por favor bendice nos con castidad..." Hahah she meant to say caridad which is charity, but instead she said 'please bless us with chastity' hahahah we were all dying laughing. Oh the perils of Spanish. Hahahh. Also, Elder Lyons in my district made up this saying "Que en el mundo" which means what in the world, but is NOT actually a saying in spanish, and our Maestra Hermana Iroz has told us over and over again that that is NOT a thing, and it's never going to be a real saying. But the other night in class the elders managed to get tangled up in each others' keys and as she was untangling them she said "Que en el mundo.." quietly under her breath and then looked really ashamed. hahah it was the best thing ever. Also, the elders have also decided that it's officially Christmas time... -_- So we sing Christmas songs and they spray Pumpkin Spice Glade in our classrooms. For the record, I would just like to state that Christmas songs should not be sung before Thanksgiving. Bah humbug. ;) (Although we sang Angels We Have Heard On High staccato and it was the coolest thing ever. Try it.)

We had a really awesome Devo Sunday night. Vai Sikahema came and spoke to us. He played football at BYU and then in the NFL, and he was so great! He talked about how missionary work should just be a natural way of life, it shouldn't be weird or awkward. He was great; Dad you would have loved it! After our Tuesday night Devo, we had district devo review with Pres. & Sis. Doman, President Doman had just spent the day with Elder Holland, and so he shared some really cool things with us. He talked about fathers, and father's love. I know that my dad loves me and misses more than I know, so I can't even begin to imagine how much my Heavenly Father loves me and wants me to return to Him. I'm trying every day to be someone both my earthly and Heavenly Father can be proud of. Also, I finished the Book of Mormon this week, and after I prayed about it I got that quiet confirmation of its truthfulness like I always do, but that night we had the best lesson with Hermana Iroz about testifying of the BoM and inviting others to read it, and we practiced that over and over. I knew that that was an answer to my prayer, and that my testimony of the Book of Mormon is to be shared. 

I'm halfway done here at the MTC how crazy is that??? I love you all so much!

Vale la pena,

Hermana Wilson

Thanks for all of the packages!!

Scripture Marking

I've heard lots of opinions on getting new scriptures before your mission.

Some people think you shouldn't get new ones, others think it's a good idea....

I'm not sure either way on that one. 

I got new scriptures last Christmas so I kind of have the best of both worlds

They don't have all my scribbles from when I was 9, but I have had time to mark them.

When I got these I knew I was planning on going on a mission, so I tried to come up with a marking system that would be helpful while preparing for and serving a mission. 

I looked through a lot of different scripture marking methods and eventually I just came up with something that worked for me.

This is the front cover of my quad. I put little notes to myself in here.
I wrote some down when I didn't have a journal handy,
and others I just like to look at every time I open my scriptures.

These cards are the key to my color coding system, it seems really complicated but it's actually not.

I have 14 highlight colors that all correspond with a different topic. (I got a list of topics and corresponding scriptures in a Mission Prep class.) Some verses have several principles in them and are highlighted with two or three colors.

Then I have colors that correspond with all the Young Women Values and Scripture Mastery scriptures that I use to circle the verse numbers.

This is what my pages end up looking like:

Here's an example:

This is 2 Nephi 32:3

It's a Choice & Accountability scripture so it's circled in orange, it's also a Virtue scripture so it has a pink (half) circle too, and finally it's a Scripture Mastery Scripture so it has another (half) circle in brown. The contents of the verse refer to the Holy Ghost so it's highlighted in dark pink which corresponds with 'Ways the Holy Ghost Can Influence Us'

The other thing I like to use in my scriptures are mini sticky-notes.

I write quotes, definitions, and teaching helps on them.

I keep my sticky-notes in the back cover of my scriptures. I usually have about 10-15 of each color stuck in the back and put more in when I run out. (I've also heard that these are helpful to write scriptures/appointment times/etc. on to leave with your investigators so they don't forget.)

I also keep a list of important topics (Christ, the Atonement, Baptism, etc.) on an index card in the back too. Eventually I want to have these references memorized but until then I have a cheat sheet if I need a quick scripture.

Well, that's it. It's kind of a unique system but it works for me! :)