Ahoj everyone! I hope that you all are safe and sound back home and throughout the world :)!
This week has been fantastic and I really have grown so much. I know I say this almost every time but I can't deny the truth. When you are being blessed and uplifted in so many ways by the Lord it's impossible not to grow exponentially. I'm so grateful for this and I'm so indebted to my Heavenly father and my Savior.
I'm working really hard here, just like every other missionary around me. Starsi Garlick and I have set the goal to SYL (Speak Your Language) for an entire week, except for certain meetings and times where English is necessary. I've also been studying my language, for the past two weeks, during gym time. After weight lifting for about 15 minutes on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, I'll hop on a stationary bicycle machine (oh my goodness, I'm so embarrassed that I don't know the specific name) and study one of the Slovak textbooks I have for about 35 minutes as I go. It's helping a lot! I wish that all everybody was doing this but I hope that it will start to catch on. I got a few people from my zone to start doing it as well.
For the past week I've set the goal to memorize a scripture everyday here at the MTC (17 days left!) and it's been such a cool experience. The scriptures that I have memorized this week...
- 2 Nephi 4:28
- John 14:15
- 1 Nephi 4:6
- John 7:17
- 2 Nephi 25:26 (I love this one)
- Alma 37:6-7
- Alma 32:21
Some of them are really short but all of them hold great power in their words. As I was thinking about this, I thought, "Why don't I memorize a scripture a day my entire mission?" It seems crazy, I know, but I'm totally going to go for it! I need/want to be much better with using the scriptures as a tool and inexpensible resource wherever I am at all times. There is great power in memorizing the words of the Lord and even just a simple phrase with the corresponding reference. My companion described it as having "little pockets of light" for when you are in need. So that's a commitment from me to you today, memorize a scripture... maybe not as extensive as to one each day but maybe one every week?
A crazy thing has happened this week with my companion and I. Probably, on this past Wednesday, we learned that our grandfathers (Jay Garlick and Jay Lyman) served together on the missions in Holland! I can't believe this! Our District really is one of the coolest and hard working here and we've been noticing a LOT of these "little coincidences" throughout these past weeks. Grandparents know each other, parents have been friends, 2nd cousins, grandparents baptizing other grandparents, and I won't really going into it much further... but there's a lot. It's really interesting and I'm so grateful to have been called to this mission and to serve at this time. I KNOW without a doubt that this is where I am suppose to be. Speaking about my district, I've been called to be the District Leader for the remaining days here in the MTC! I was in an interview with President Jones and I had no idea he was going to ask if I would be the District Leader. I'll be called this Sunday and I'm so excited. I'm grateful that I've been given this privilege (though it is just the MTC) and I just hope that I will be able to help progress my fellow missionaries in any way I can.
Another cool thing with my companion and is our first names. His name is Joseph and my name is Jacob (Of course you know that). If you ever have some spare time, look at the chapter heading of Jacob 1.
I had a lot more to tell you about this week but am now out of time again. I'll leave you off with some homework I guess ;). If you have the time, look through and read/sing the hymns 140, 142, 144, and 145... I'll leave the names for you to find out later.
I love you all so much,
Starsi Lyman
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