Week 3

Hello from Utah!

   I am really sorry that you haven't been recieveing my e-mails. I promise you I write one every week. so if you don't get them, just dear elder me and I'll write you a letter.

Thank you so so much for the music. I got home yesterday from a devotional and there were three packages on my bed! I was so excited! One was from Heidi and Grandma and Grandpa Stoddard, One from Ashley and Cody, and then the one from you guys. Thank you Ashley and Cody, I was soo excited to see the contact book! and q-tips! haha (I forgot to bring some) and we will be sure to use the party horns and glowsticks tomorrow. :)

   Happy 4th of July by the way! Its really weird being in here at this time of year for me. I want to celebrate with fireworks and a parade! But oh well. We will however get to go to the feild and watch the byu firework show. From what I hear its pretty good, but I don't know if its as good as yours and the Webster's. ;)

   So I have to tell you, when I opened the box you sent and turned on the music, my whole district was basically gathered around. so we turned it on and the Mo Tab started to sing. There was a spirit that suddenly entered the room. One that I have not felt since I left. Oh how I have missed it so! As I pondered about this, I thought it strange that in such a place as the MTC where you are going to devotionals every week, teaching the gospel, and praying every hour I have not felt as I do by just listening to music. I realized just how close I can get to God through music. And just how much of an impact it can have. There is a reason why God has concorses of angels that sing without end. I'm not quite sure the exact reason quite yet but I do know it can change the mood in a room in a matter of seconds. Its funny, the feeling I got last night was different then just the spirit, it felt like an old friend.... does that make sense? I mean, I feel the spirit here but to me the spirit feels different through music. I really made me realize how much I need to utalize music in Italia. It has a power of healing and comfort I cannot give people any other way.

   This last sunday I watched a talk by Elder Bednar entitled, The Character of Christ. Hoooolyyy coowww. What an amazing talk! Unfortunatley you cannot watch it anywhere but the MTC because it was a devotional he came and did some time ago. He talks about how the Savior dealt with trials and hardship. When the natural man would turn in (meaning think of himself, or pity himself) Christ would turn OUT. He spoke of a woman who called him early one morning with an urgent plea. Three young women had been in a horrible car accident and were being transported to a hospital near president Bednar. (he was a stake pres at the time.) She needed to have him go and Identify the girls they knew onw was already dead but they did not know who she belonged to.. He said he would and was about to get off the phone when he heard someone else talking. This lady was talking on two phones at once and through the line he heard a nurse tell this lady, "I'm sorry, but the one who died is your daughter." Without hesitation, this mother turned to President Bednar and said. "we need to find out who the other girls are and notify their mothers as quickly as possible." He was shocked. That after recieving such news that her own daughter was dead, she was able to turn out and help others when anyone else would have cried in despair.

   He explained that through Christ we can do things we cannot otherwise do by ourselves. Through Christ we can learn to turn outward when the natural man turns inward. It was seriously a talked that has changed my outlook on how to serve. I highly reccommend looking for it online, If you can find it, it is and amazing read.

   This week has gone by so fast. I am starting to realize just how short two years can be.  We are teaching lessons pretty much everyday now. And I am slowly getting better at the language. I can understand more and more each day. One of our teachers told us "Italian is not a wall, it is not a block." Meaning Italian is not what brings people to the gospel, it is the spirit.

Anyway, I have to get off. I love you all so much! and I love to hear how you are all doing! Stay safe and always strive to keep the spirit. Love you!

 

    Love, Anziano Rigby