It's been another great week at the MTC. I hope you had a happy birthday! I sent pictures home along with my old name tags. We got our new, all Mongolian nametags and they are SWEET. Now no one but the Mongolians and people that already know me know what my name tag says. I like it. Oh, and I forgot to tell you but for that singing thing I did, I ended up in the Church news from a week or so back. page 6. haha, you know it's big when it's in the church news right? anyways...
Elder Fisher is already gone! It was awesome to have him here but now he is out doing what he's supposed to be doing and I'm really excited for him. He told me something about Ben being on crutches? Do you know anything about that? I'm going to write him anyways so we'll see. Oh, and Elder Spencer Quinn is here now! I've run into him a couple times and it seems like he's doing great here. He's only here for three weeks and then he's off to Spain to the MTC there.
Whenever I get on the computer to write an e-mail it's like everything I remember about the week slips out. It's probably because I keep seeing the ticking clock at the top of my screen and it unnerves me.
starting at the end of this week, our class is going to be speaking nothing but Mongolian and I am excited/worried. I can speak Mongolian alright, and I know a good amount of grammar rules and vocab, but do I have enough to speak nothing but Mongolian? I'll find out soon i guess! Anyways, over the past week I've started to love the Mongolian language so much more. As I understand more bits and pieces, I just look toward the day when I can speak it fluently and I can't wait. The teachers said that if you can speak the language well you'll make so many friends with the Mongolians and that being their friend is one of the biggest contributions to bringing them to the Gospel. That's kind of the position you're in Mom. You're friends with Jackie then you just nudge them along on the right path. Maybe sometimes they need more than a nudge, but maybe sometimes that's exactly what they need. The good thing is, we don't have to make that decision by ourselves. The Spirit is there if we invite it and he will guide us in the best course of action.
So, next week we could very well get our Travel Plans which is very exciting. We finish out this week, then we have two more full weeks and then the week we leave. Can you believe it? I sure can't. I've started to feel as if this MTC experience is my mission and i'm about to finish it and go home. Maybe in a lot of ways I will be going home though. Mongolia will be my home for the rest of these next two years and I hope and pray it feels just like home.
One thing that I've been thinking about while I'm up here is just ho important family is. In fact, I've had a lot of regrets about not spending as much time with you all when I had the opportunity. I think back to the times when I had the choice of spending time with the family and spending time with my friends and wish I hadn't chosen friends. I really miss you all. I miss your smiles and your sad crying faces when I beat you in fooseball. :) Most of all, I just miss being in the house with you. Sometimes it's on the computer with one of you at my side or its eating dinner or its out in the street trying to catch Hopper or Phantom. Whatever it is, I miss it. So I actually want to apologize for that. For not spending as much time with the family. Being on a mission definitely chages priorities and makes you realize the truly important things. and YOU, my family, are the most important to me! So, I'm sorry. If I could rewind, I definitely would make different choices and spend more time with you.
However, I'm here on a mission and this is where I need to be, so there no coming home to spend time with ya. But, I know one thing that we both could do to feel of each other's presences more. If we will both strive our best to cherish the scriptures, to read from them each and every day and to read lovingly, not grudgingly, I know that we'll be able to feel together as a family. That's what this Gospel does, it brings families together for time and eternity. And reading the Book of Mormon will accopmish that in more ways than we can imagine. It's kind of hard to imagine that huh? That a book could do so much for a family both here and in the eternities. However, I testify, as one that has been blessed to experience it's wonderful truths day after day, the Book of Mormon is powerful. It is God's true, pure, restored Word. It points to Christ at all times, that constantly flowing fountain of everlasting life. I urge you Mom, Dad, Crystal, Amy, Joseph, Cali, and anyone else who reads this; go to the Book of Mormon, read it's teachings. And once you've read them, live them! That is the way it was intended to be! If we could just live all that the Book of Mormon taught us, what a wonderful place this would be.
Family, I love you so very much. I've come to a deeper realization of that. I also love my Savior immensly. He is the way and the means wherein we can acheive exaltation and eternal life. I know it, and I know that there is no other way. I know that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God and I know that is was translated by a chosen prophet of God, Jospeh Smith. I know that the priesthood was restored through him and that I now hold that priesthood. I know that all the keys of the priesthood are in the hands of President Monson who presides over this Church on the earth. It is true, I feel it and i know it. I hope everything is going well with all of you and I hope to hear from you soon. I will probably write some letters to the family as well. Have a fun summer vacation!
~Elder James Cappuccio
No comments:
Post a Comment