Halfway There, Living on a Prayer

Rakas friends!

My companion Sisar Owen and I in front of the Provo temple.

We've been here for four weeks and we have just under five weeks to go. This last week has been mostly uneventful, so this email will be short. Our lessons with our investigators have been going pretty well. My Finnish has gotten to the point where I am pretty good at communicating gospel ideas, and I can give a pretty good simple testimony. I have a pretty good grasp on the grammar, but putting it into practice is what is kicking me. Practice practice practice! Fun fact, Elvish from Lord of the Rings was based on Finnish grammar (but the words are a smattering of all sorts of stuff). As for the investigators, we have one who would like to be baptized, but is baptized into another church. We didn't have time in the lesson to talk to her more about it, but this evening we are teaching her all about baptism and hopefully will be setting a date. And so no one is confused, this is still our teacher posing as an investigator. This is only for practice. But it's good practice!

We had a special devotional last night an Elder David A. Bednar come to speak to us again! At the Christmas devotional, when he passed out the cell phones so we could ask questions, they received around 1000 questions, so he spent the evening answering more of those questions. All of his answers were so inspired and he answered a lot of things I've been thinking about. I have no doubt that he truly is called of God!

Sisar Owen and i have been called as Sister training leaders, so we have been attending leadership meetings for our district. Today, we are getting 8 new Hungarian missionaries. There is only one sister in that group, so she will be moving into our room and will be in a "tri-panionship" with me and Sisar Owen when she isn't in class. We are very excited to have a new sister!

Well, that's about it this week. I am doing very well and am really enjoying my time here at the MTC. My testimony is growing so much. Jesus is the Christ, and this church is so true!!

Love you all!

Rakaudella, 

Sisar Hillebrant

The view from my residence hall.

In front of the Los Angeles temple. It is huge!

At the Los Angeles temple Visitor's Center. Notice the awkward appropriate space between me and the elders.

At Santa Monica beach. You would not believe the amount of sand I got in my shoes!