Elder Marcus Olsen Arrived

Wellllllll guess what!!!!!!! SUPER COOL NEWS!!!!

I saw Elder Olsen and 2 other of my friends here who arrived this past Wednesday!!  I didn't get to see Elder Misa'alefua, yet but I'm keeping my eyes open!   But guess what?!?!    SO it turns out that Sunday, they asked me and Sister Merrill and Elder Ross to perform -- ON WEDNESDAY for the new missionaries!!   It was soooooo scary, because I KNEW there were people I knew there!!  AND THERE WAS A MIKE AND CAMERA ON MY FACEEEEE AKSFDLSAKJDFLKSAJDFL ... just kidding .....   I also saw my other friend from BYU working the cameras and mics there so he was like checking and moving and adjusting stuff while we practiced and I was like ahhh... heyyyy theree.... hahahha. but it was cool cause I got to see familiar faces!   :) always nice.  Yeah sooooo it was pretty awesome!  I saw 3 of 4 friends who entered Wednesday and I got to talk to them! Super fun!  And I think I did better than I expected in the performance.  The solo vocalist was AMAZING and the piano too!  Sooo good. and I had a solo in the beginning and I was so scared I'm pretty sure I didn't even vibrato, my hand was just shaking so much it sounded like it,   hahhaha.  Just kidding, but I was seriously shaking so bad haha.  What a memorable experience :P haha. but im definitely really glad I did it. 

During the devotional after this performance we got to hear the MTC President talk a little about missionary stuff to the newest missionaries.  It was really cool because he said something I never really thought about before.  He said that we are the 2nd most prayed for group in the church--obviously there isn't like some survey or something, but its true!!  We always pray for the general authorities/prophet and then the missionaries throughout the world!  This was a super cool thought for me--a comforting thought knowing that no matter what I'm going through or how alone I feel, I can take solace in the fact that there are thousands of members everywhere keeping me in their prayers because they know just how important this work is, as well.    Just a cool thought!

IM SO SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR SHOULDER MOM!!!!))))))):

I was actually really sad about not having anyone at home to write to me this week, but I thought "ehh its no big deal. theyll come back."  But then I heard about your shoulder and I felt REALLY BADDDD hahhahaha I mean like I'm suuuuuper excited you can still write to me and send me uplifting thoguths, but I felt really bad you couldnt go with the young women to camp. )):   I sure hope Rusty and Maryann are keeping you busy!! Just know I am praying for your quick recovery every night!!!

And if it makes any difference, I think having you home and writing me letters helped me more this week than any other week.  It was a quick week, yet there were a few nights where I realllllyyyyyyyyy needed a letter from home.   Thank you so much for that :)

I'm keeping Keilyn in my prayers as well!!!!  I really hope she's doing well!

I learned a lot this week about faith.  I never thought there could be SO much more under that topic to learn! It seems SO simple yet its really deep!  I don't have a LOT of time but basically we all know that faith is a belief in something you can't see that is true.  We also know we have faith in Christ and in the guidance and love of God, yet what I hadn't really thought of before was that faith isn't just "belief," but its a motivating power.  Faith is action.  Those who don't believe, don't experience miracles, because of their unbelief (there is no action).  This doesn't mean we have to have absolutely no doubts and no fear at all, but just that we have to have enough to motivate us to act.  Unbelief is when there is not enough belief or faith to act.  If we can exercise enough faith to act, even if we can only hope things will work out, and when we take action, that's when the miracles happen.   I'm kinda forgetting English, and it was better put in the lessons taught this week, but you get the point.   Basically, God can't push the car to the destination for us, or rather, he won't--we have to turn the car key on and press on the gas, THEN He will tell us to go left or right. but not until we demonstrate our faith in him by moving, first.  SOOooooooo its starts with prayer and then we choose something, and listen for His guidance after that.  It definitely is easier said than done. but it/s the truth, and it/s what I need to do definitely so much while on my mission.

We didnt find out our reassignemnerts yet but we will today i THINK. and I will send another email quickly later.   ahhhhh.  I am so scared and stoked and afjsdsaljkdflksjdf idk!!!

One more thing before I go, I wanted to thank you all, again,  for the letters you wrote in my journal before I left home.  I was having a tough day today.  During personal study I decided to read a chapter from the Book of Mormon and then some old notes and then my journal.  I saw the letters in the front and decided to re-read them.  I don't know if it was inspiration, but as I read them I remembered all the amazing things you all said and the advice and everything. but most of all I remembered all the good things you all had to say about ME. you all mentioned how loving and compassionate and patient I was.   I was definitely not being that person today. It was a bit of a wake up call to me showing how selfish and self-pitying I was today.   I was so absorbed in my own problems that I stopped caring about everyone else's.  After personal study I just felt like a whole new person.  Thank you all for reminding me of who I am.  It's a good reminder that I should always be this way because I am now a representative of Jesus Christ, Himself.   I have to remember who I am NOW and that is someone representing what the Savior would do. and THAT alone should govern my actions. 

Just one more bit of enlightenment from this week :)

... or more of a kick in the bum. haha
 

LAST THING.  I/m almost out of time for now ):

Thank you, Sister King.  I got her Dearelder letter and it made me laugh!!! hahahhaha! I loooove stories of back home and how things are going so thank you so much. I miss your kids.  They are sooooo adorable!!! I love that!  I told my district and they all laughed. hehe.

Also, thank the Bertagnolli's as well!!  They are soooo sweeet!!!  I get letters from them periodically with comic strips in them and I always laugh and we pass them around,  because everyone loves comics! :)  The support from the ward is so amazingly helpful so thank you all so much!

I can't WAIT TO HEAR WHERE EVERYONE IS GOING!!!!!! AHHHHH!!! so excityinggglaksjdfljk!!! I'm dying to know here!! ... so tell me QUICK! hahaha. I can't wait for everyone to be out here like this! It's the most amazing thing ever! ... and as soon as you enter the MTC, just remmeber--MAKE IT TO SUNDAY!  ... and it'll all go by so quick! :)

Love you all!!!!

Sister Yoshimoto :)