Semana Cinco

Hola Familia!

Today is my last P-Day in the MTC. I can't beleive it. The days here have slurred together so fast, but I feel like I can barely remember a time when I wasn't here.

The number of days I will be here at the MTC is exactly 40. I feel like that is a significant number because 40 symbolizes "completion." These past two weeks were a little bit more rough on me because I realized that I will be in the feild so soon and I became so much more aware of my deficiencies. I don't think it was enough to bring me down too low, but it was enough to make me realize how much there is for me to learn. I felt like there has been a lot for me to reflect on how I can be doing better, but I just keep continuing in Faith. I hope that I can live up to the 40 days of "completion" I was able to spend here at the MTC. I know that everything I learned here will be a reflection of what I learn and encounter in the feild--- to the extreme of the hard and the good. There is a quote by Marjorie Pay Hinckley, "Everything you are learning now is preparing you for something else." I know that this is true and that my MTC experience will turn out to be a miny microcosm of my mission, and that my mission will also be a microcosm of my life. I hope that I can thus live it up well and be the best I can!

Last night our teacher asked us to reflect upon what we have learned from the scriptures during our MTC experience here at the MTC. I bore testimony (in Spanish, thank you very much) about how I have learned that the Book of Mormon is TRULY a testimony of Jesus Christ. I beleive that every word testifies of Him. Our purpose as missionaries is to "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." I know that the Book of Mormon has the EXACT SAME PURPOSE. There is none other book more true than it. I know that it probably does a much better job of bringing souls to Christ than I would with my words alone, but I know I am so glad to have the Book of Mormon as my companion these next 17 months. On page 100 of the Book of Mormon the scripture is 2 Nephi 25:26. Are Mormons Christian? 100%, yes they are. I don't think it was too much of a coincidence that is on page 100 of the English Book of Mormon. A scripture that has become a comfort to me before I head out to the feild is Moroni 10: 32-33. It states that we must come unto Christ and be perfected in Him, denying ourselves of all ungodliness and love God with all of our might, mind, and strength.... THEN by His grace can we be made perfect and thus nowise deny the power of the Holy Ghost. I feel like this is a really applicable scripture because I feel like that is what I am learning to do as a missionary. Not only am I trying to bring souls unto Christ, but I am also bringing myself unto Him as well. I know that I am not perfect, but that through His grace if I do all that I can do that I will become perfected in Him and that I will NOT be able to deny the power of God. 

Thank you family for all of your love and support while I've been here at the MTC. I am also so grateful for my friends who have written me while I've been here. I know that I have written a lot more than I have received, but I am grateful to hear from my friends who have written me because I know that they are such great examples of faith to me and I know that they are there to buoy me up.

I'm nervous to be in Tennessee (but who knows, I could be in Kentucky or Illinois) next week, especially knowing my Spanish could be so much better and who knows what kind of Spanish I will be encountering  out in the South. I'm expecting to come back with a Tex Mex accent, with a Southern slur, so I hope everyone is getting excited for that....

This time next week you might have a postcard from Tennessee! I will be able to call on Monday, so please let try and answer the phone in the morning. I will try and send you more information about my flight plans soon!

Con affecion,

Hermana "Kristy" Rica

P.S. I have found TWO Elder Riches since I have been here. Both were Stateside Spanish speaking.

P.P.S. I got to host on wednesday and I hosted Becky Rhoden! It was so fun, she is headed to Costa Rica so we got talking a lot about what I know. Crazy to think that I am experienced enough here at the MTC to be hosting!