Hello Reader,
Thanks for being one.
So, "normal" Sundays in the MTC are awesome! RS if first, then stuff, then sacrament meeting is in the afternoon and there's a devotion in the evening. I feel like mom when she was a kid. They asked me to be the chorister in Sacrament meeting which is really cool but also harder than I thought because reading hiragana as swift as a coursing river can be a challenge. But I am so grateful for hymns because they really bring the spirit and it's great reading practice. Sacrament meeting is totally in Nihongo. All the missionaries prepare a talk on the same topic, then the Branch President chooses two people to speak at the pulpit. Relief Society was WONDERFUL. It was combined with all the sisters in the MTC, therefore in English. Our speaker was Sister Eubank, who taught me some things about my divine nature that really stuck. I am, I am a woman, I am a daughter, wife, and mother. I'm entitled to all those roles just because of my heritage! WOW! I really felt the spirit as she testified. I know for sure that being a missionary right now is the best character development for all those roles. That night our devotional was from Elder Droubay, who is the church media director. He had so many cool facts to share with us about how the church is "flooding" the earth with the Gospel. Let us all be sure to contribute what drops we have to the flood.
So a bit more about the MTC: I am sort of surprised about how much "agency" we have. Obviously we are all free agents, but there's not junior high principal marching around telling sisters their dresses are too short, or computer program that locks us out of the e-mail system after 60 minutes, or teacher to make sure we are studying what and when we should. Except for short class hours, we are totally by and accountable for ourselves. That totally makes sense, I guess it just surprised me because of how high missionary standards are. That shows the Lord really trusts us to be obedient, and almost every one here has the strong desire to be fully obedient, which is so powerful and evident of the sacred, essential nature of this work. I am so grateful to be a part of it and hope to make Heavenly Father and you proud. Also, every Wednesday they bring BYU ice cream. Subarashi desu.
Missionaries have like ALL the learning resources ever. It's so cool! We have six hours of class, but also 2 hours to work on TALL, which is the church-designed Technology Assisted Language Learning program. It has vocab, grammar, reading and listening exercises! You can literally listen to the missionaries teach every lesson to a real investigator to practice deciphering what they are saying. Japanese is coming along very slowly, but I know we can do it because we are so abundantly blessed with resources and the spirit! On Tuesday we have TRC, which is were we get to teach short lessons to members who speak Japanese in order to practice with less pressure. I loved that!
As you know, missionaries love letters of course! If you wanted to tell me what's up in your life and if I can help you in any way, please do! You can mail an good old-fashioned letter to
Sister Brooklyn Brewer
DEC01 JPN-NAG
2007 N. 900 E. Unit 53
Provo, UT 840602
Or you can enter that same address on DearElder.com and send me an e-mail that they will print out and deliver to me any day you send it! Wow, thanks MTC! Or you can always e-mail me at brooklyn.brewer@myldsmail.net. Which I will see on Thursday. Whatever you do, please include you physical mailing address so I can write you back. And I WILL write you back. Thanks! I love you and you words.
This work is very special and I am honored to be in it. This work isn't about teaching what we know, it's about sharing what we feel, and inviting our brothers and sisters to our amazing dance party of salvation. Then we make sure they RSVP by following up, and do everything we can to help them get there with sincere compassion. However, they can only dance if they want to. (Ssss...A a a a .. F f f f ... ha ha not sorry). Really. Everyone has their agency and when we do our best to help them use it well they will be blessed and we can be happy! Yay for happy!
Challege: This week read Doctrine and Covenants Section 6 and go and do good! Fear is unnecessary when you have faith in the Lord.
Love,
Sister Brewer
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