Terima Kasih- 2-24-11

Subject: Terima Kasih

Dear Family,

Termia Kasih or Thank you so much for the package!!! It was awesome and I loved the sweater. I wear it all the time especially since I probably won't take a white, long sleeve sweater to Indonesia so I should get all the uses in now that I can! Thanks so much!!! This week was another fast one. I feel like they all are and the day to leave for Indonesia is fast approaching. Kinda Scary. But this week I felt like I had a breakthrough with the language. We taught the first lesson again in Indo on Saturday and as I was teaching I noticed that I wasn't reciting memorized sentences but rather forming sentences and phrases and teaching what I wanted to say exactly. It is very exciting and encouraging as I continue. And then on Tuesday we had our first SYL-Speak Your Language-Day. We could only speak Indonesian to anyone till 4:00 PM. It was pretty hard and I felt like I was pretty quiet at some points, but I was amazed at how much I knew and how much I could speak the language. It was pretty exciting to see! But at the same time I continue to find thousands of words and phrases that I need to still find out what they say and integrate them into my Indonesian Vocabulary. It's kinda crazy to think that in less than 4 weeks I will be using this language all the time and my english only to write emails home.

In other news, we got another new elder join our district this week. In less than a week our district grew from 6 missionaries to 8. Our small classroom is suddenly becoming overcrowded. But, its fun and when you spend well over 10 hours a day with each other you grow to be friends pretty fast.

A normal schedule is pretty much wake up at 6:30, have personal study, eat breakfast, go to class, eat lunch, more class, eat dinner, even more class, and then go home at go to bed as fast as you can. So yeah, we have 3 class times a day, but usually we only have teachers there for 2 of them. The other one is spent doing MDT or Missionary Directed Time and I can choose how to spend that time. Usually I study vocabulary and flashcards, and I get frustrated with that I switch and study Preach My Gospel for 20 minutes and then I go back to vocabulary. It is a pretty good system. We get an hour of gym time 5 days a week which is really fun. We have two teachers and they are both white BYU students who went on their missions to Indonesia. So, no they aren't native, but there is a native Indonesian who lives in Provo and will come in and let us teach him. The last time we taught him he said that me and Sister Nicholes didn't sound like natives yet, but it did sound like we had been to Indonesia at least 3 times. I take that as a good sign. But other than that the days are slightly redundant and can get draining, but I've found when you work hard and do your best they go by really fast. That's my plan for the next 3 1/2 weeks. I am taking pictures Mom, don't worry. They aren't too exciting since we don't do much. I'm not sure if I can email them home. I might print some out and mail them home soon so you can see them.

Probably the biggest thing I have learned here at the MTC is how quickly the Lord answers prayers for His missionaries. I've had countless prayers answers while I've been here that my testimony has been really strengthened, but this past week my biggest prayer was answered. So... In gym time each day there are 6 basketball hoops to play basketball on, but sisters can only play in a game unless there is another sister to play and guard her during the game. It has been very frustrating these past few weeks because there hasn't been another sister who wanted to play with me. So usually during gym I just shoot around, practice my free throws, and practice spinning the ball on my finger (I'm getting really good at that). Not the most fun thing in the world so I've been praying for sisters to come to the MTC who will play basketball with me. It has taken awhile but last week 3 basketball playing sisters came in! It is awesome. So now each gym time I actually get to play games of basketball. I love it!!!! Probably one of the biggest blessings on my missionary service!! (So that story was slightly exaggerated, but my testimony on prayer is still true!)

Here is my joke of the week, Dad:

Q: What did the Polar Bear eat after the Dentist fixed his tooth?

A: The Dentist!!!

HA! Oh, so funny!

Sounds like all is well there at home. That is so cool that Bevan got to go to California! I'm just a little perplexed that no one sent me to Indonesia for a mission tour before I left! But that is still really awesome. Glad to hear BYU and the Mavs are doing well. And I would appreciate no more news about Mavericks Play-Off tickets for everyone else. That makes me a little sad... But that is still pretty awesome that y'all can go! I love you all and hope y'all have another great week. This church is true. I know it! I know that God lives and Jesus Christ is my Savior. I cannot wait to share this Gospel with the people of Indonesia. It is going to be such a blessing for all involved. I love you!!

Dengan Kasih,

Leah