Dearest Friends and Family,
Having just left the Temple about 20 minutes ago, I'm literally about to burst open with joy as I read your emails! You all are the best, you had a part in changing my life and I hope I can have a little part in changing yours. All of you just need to get on a mission asap, I already don't ever want to go home, I don't think its possible to be this happy all the time anywhere else.
So I've been waiting for that moment when my bad Tagalog haunts me and I say something terrible to someone, I just didn't think it would come this early into the mission. We were teaching our investigator the Plan of Salvation pretty impromptu as we went in with the intent to teach about something else, but she asked us what her purpose in life was so we were like, here goes nothing! It was all going well, even I was impressing myself with the words I was saying, until it got to teaching about the spirit world. What I meant to say was, 'when we die...' but what I actually said was 'when we kill you...'. She freaked out then asked if thats what we meant, and I was like 'Opo, opo!' meaning yes. Then she freaked again and I realised what was happening and was like no no! And started screaming the word for death in Tagalog, which didn't make it better. We eventually realised what was going on and corrected it and then we were all laughing about it, maybe she was nervous laughing, nobody knows. Anyway, we still got invited back again so its all good apparently! The words death and killed came up too many times in lessons over the next couple days so I made sure I was using the right one. Awkies as, but great times.
I must tell you all a little story. I recieved a revelation that I was to learn piano for my mission, I think a few of you know the whole story so ask me one day if you want to know the whole thing. In the nine months between deciding to go on a mission and leaving for my mission I actually attended a total of one piano lesson. My disobedience has already come back to haunt me as literally no missionaries in the whole MTC can play the piano, so when there was no leaders at our Fireside that could either, guess who was assigned! It was only a little bit terrible, but everyone loved it. I promptly went to the distrubution centre and bought an easy play piano Hymn book and practice them whenever I can. So my advice to you is, don't ever ignore a revelation, or you will be filled with regret and have to awkwardly fail at piano in front of a lot of people.
Being a Sister Trainer is way harder work that I ever thought it would be in the MTC. You'd think because everyone here is a missionary that obedience wouldn't be a problem and that people would get along and love each other? Not always hey. Dramas all over the place. Sometimes it feels like I'm an EFY counsellor and constantly having to tell people off and prowl the halls at nighttime to make sure people don't sneak off. Other than those issues, everyone here is great and has great desires. Theres just a lot of young kids who haven't finished growing up yet, but I don't doubt that that will happen quickly, and having said that, my District Leader is 18 and my companion is 19 and they're the best examples of missionaries that I can imagine.
This place, man. I have never laughed so much in my life. I have never loved people so much. I am learning more and more about this Gospel and my Saviour every day. Word to the pre-mish kids especially, and to everyone who hasn't. Read Our Search for Happiness, read Our Heritage and when you're mentally prepared to process some big words and deep doctrines, read Jesus the Christ. Theres a reason these are the only books were allowed to have out here besides the scriptures, because in all of our time out here will still never be able to understand enough of them, so we must do our best.
I love you all, and I want you all to be happy so I exhort you all to be your best selves, to feast upon the words of Christ, to love your fellow man and to not waste any time.
And laugh and cry and tell somebody you love them at least once a day.
Love always,
Sister McKim
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