Well family, it is that time. For the record, my p-day (preparation day) is usually on Mondays. However, yesterday was a bank holiday so the library wasn't open for emails. In the future, you can expect to hear from me on Mondays.
To start things off, I need to make a correction to one of my first emails. Thanks to my mom I realized I made an incorrect mathematical calculation. Apparently there are 52 weeks in a year not 56, so my bad. As a result, I will be gone a total of 78 weeks not 84 weeks. Hopefully this error is not representative of how my math will be when I get home because then I may be in trouble.
I have been out in the actual mission field for under a week now, but it honestly feels like forever. It is simply crazy how fast the time flies by. I am learning a lot and loving the people I am meeting. One thing I especially enjoyed was meeting the Wigan ward (the church congregation where I am serving). It reminded me so much of Georgetown, my home ward. Everyone was really friendly and welcoming probably because there are under 100 members so you know everyone! I already feel at home, and I have only been here a few days. I know that they will be great people to work with and get to know. There is a lot of energy and enthusiasm about missionary work, which makes our job all the easier. I will tell you a bit about the church members once I get to know them a little better.
Next, I have met a ton of people. We are basically encouraged to talk to anyone/everyone, which is sometimes an easier task than other times. It definitely takes a lot of courage to be able to say hi and strike up a conversation with random strangers. As a result, I had to rely on the Lord a lot this week. I prayed for strength and courage to be able to talk to people. Through the process I have noticed a change within myself. I can talk to just about anyone now. Some people are a little nicer than others when you talk to them; however, it is still a wonderful experience. I find it really interesting to discuss with others about their religious beliefs and differences/similarities between our religions. I am learning a lot about how to have direct conversations and ask good questions. From these experiences, I have come to meet some wonderful people. I haven't had much contact with anyone after our initial conversations, but I hope in the future I will be able to tell you more about some random person I met in the street and then got to know better. I am sure it will happen sometime in the next year and a half.
One person I have got to know well is named Hayley. She is 23 years old and has the cutest baby, Dylan. Dylan is 18 months old and the most adorable baby. Hayley takes really good care of him and is a wonderful mother. She is very humble and teachable as well. Hayley is not afraid to ask questions, but is also very accepting of everything we teach her. The amazing thing is you will ask her to do something and then she goes and does it. It is clear that she desires to know for herself the truthfulness of the message we share rather than just taking our word for it. I feel the same way as a missionary. I remember from a talk I heard at the MTC that the first person missionaries need to convert is themselves. It is only after I have a testimony about the doctrine that I can teach others about what I know. In a lot of ways, I am learning myself. As I study the scriptures and doctrine, I am learning things that I didn't know before. I am coming to a better understanding of what I already knew as well. It truly is a wonderful experience.
Now in response to some questions I had:
I explained a bit about my companion. Sister Davis and I are still getting to know each other, but I will tell you more as I learn more. Sister Davis is very musically talented and has a ton of energy. She told me that she has had a new companion every transfer, except for her trainer. I am hoping that I don't run of out of energy. Although I will say that I am making sure to let her know how I am feeling; that way I don't get run into the ground. Who would have thought? I always expected that I would be the super active companion. I guess this is a nice way of humbling myself.
The MTC life was amazing. I truly enjoyed learning from my teachers and the people around me. One of the best things was that I learned to truly love all the missionaries. Since there were only 50 of us, I got to know all their faces and most of their names. (It's okay if you forget their names because then you can just look at their tags.) As a result, it was truly a wonderful experience to be able to look to everyone as an example. Everyone had a different talent and strength that I was able to learn from and desire to be more like.
Finally, I have not heard of the new exercise classes for the Sisters. I am thinking that maybe they were implemented in the Provo MTC. Although, I did play a lot of football (otherwise known as soccer) in the MTC. Our teachers even came out and played with us, so that was some fun competition. Who knows maybe I will be a football pro by the time I get home. Although probably not because I haven't played much football since.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks for all the love, support and prayers! I am truly grateful for it all. Hope all is well in your lives.
Love always,
Sister (Becca) Jack
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