Any wise person may tell you that you must not help a baby chick as it prepares to hatch. If you aid in breaking the shell, the chick will not be strong enough to survive in the world; hence, adversity is a part of becoming. The last few days at the MTC were my egg shell. I got super sick, and I'm STILL sick! I've had a fever, cough, and cold, and it was not fun to arrive in the field so dissheveled. I believe the most discouraging thing as a missionary is being too sick to do the work. But I'm a FIGHTER and I haven't stayed home once! On top of that, we arrived in Nashville SUPER late because our plane was delayed 2.5 hours. We have just run into so many obstacles--it's crazy how Satan tries to oppose the work. But it's not about what happens to us but how we deal with what happens to us. I needed to be put in the refiner's fire one more time before I could go to Tennessee.
And I'm here! I'm in the Clarksville 3rd ward, which is northwest of Nashville. We're in the Hopkinsville zone, and my area goes all the way up to the Kentucky state line. The area surrounds Fort Campbell, an army base, so 85% of the ward has some sort of Army involvement, and there are many moms raising kids alone because their husbands are deployed or at the base 24/7. My companion is Sister Jensen, and I'm pretty sure she's already been exalted. She is AMAZING. Everyone has told me I have the best trainer in the mission. She's from Idaho Falls and has been out 10 months. She just came from the singles ward in Nashvile and has met a TON of famous country singers (she didn't even know who the JaneDear Girls were and the brunette was her Relief Society president!!!! I went crazy.) We are white washing the area! That means that Sister Jensen is as new to Clarksville as I am. It's been a HUGE blessing because the missionaries before us established some habits that weren't too admirable. A missionary's purpose is NOT to hang out at members' houses, or do Bible study with non-denominational Christians they've been visiting for 4 years who have no intention of being baptized! Sister Jensen and I are a REALLY good team.
We live in a super nice apartment complete with a washer and dryer in the bathroom. We love to fluff up our towels while we shower so we have a warm towel....are we spoiled or what?! We also have a full-time car, and we wouldn't survive without it. This is what Tennessee is like: there are NO sidewalks. The streets are narrow, two-lane, windy country roads that aren't lit. And on each side of the road you will find a WALL of trees. Basically, it feels like we are in the mountains, although we are only a few hundred feet above sea level. The weather is gorgeous. Today it's sunny and warm--probably high 60s.
My mission president and his wife are perfect. He is a therapist so I already have a personal interest there. His wife takes care of us as our second "mom." The members of the Church in Tennessee are unlike any Mormons I've ever met. They will bend over backwards to serve you and serve each other. They are selfless and they don't mind driving 50-100 miles a day to take missionaries wherever they need to go. We had dinner lined up every night our first week here and someone is taking us to the Nashville temple Wednesday. (I get to go to the temple Wednesday!!!!) The only problem is that church attendance is VERY low. Something like 10%? Sister Jensen and I have met more inactives than anyone else and are calling a lot of people back. Oh, and more than half the people here have southern accents! "Y'all" has officially become part of my vocabulary and I know I'll be drawling in a few more months. Knowing the mission president, I'll probably be here at least 3 transfers. So that means I'll be here in Clarksville until at least the end of June.
Teaching is the best. Everyone here knows and loves Jesus Christ, which is the best foundation. We have a baptism coming up with a man named Jerry, who came to church yesterday. He is just SO ready to become a member of the Church. We taught him the third lesson about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He has so many questions. I love being a missionary. I hope you are doing well. I pray for all my friends and family.
Note from big sister: Rycee has been unable to upload pictures yet, but as soon as she does, you can bet that I'll post them! Also, write and send packages to this address:
Sister Ryceejo Nordstrom
Tennessee Nashville Mission
105 Westpark Dr. Suite 190
Brentwood, TN 37027
Monday, February 27, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
I Wear a Name Tag
So I'm here at the MTC! It's been a very long week but the Spirit is great here and I have so much to tell and so little time. The drop off of missionaries is very systematic and orderly. They take a picture of you and put it on an ID card that you have to carry everywhere with you and swipe at every single door of every single building to get in. The security here makes me feel like I'm in a prison. I've already run into about 20 people I know here! You meet in a small classroom every single day for classes, study time, and investigator teaching. The people in the class with you are your district. There are nine of us in my district. I have two companions, Sister Mapu and Sister Aebischer. Sister A is from Riverside in the Jurupa 2nd ward!! My companions are going to Jackson, Mississippi. Five of the six elders in my district are going to Nashville! The other elder is going to the West Indies and he leaves next week! We have two teachers, Brother Gruninger and Brother Hepworth. They are AWESOME. Brother Hepworth was in all the District Preach My Gospel Movies so he really knows his stuff.
Every single minute of our day is scheduled. We get up at 6:30, have daily planning, personal study, companionship study, and teaching, and either one or two 3-hour blocks of classes, and somewhere in there we eat. The way we learn is we teach our TEACHERS as if they are investigators. They each take on a roll of someone they know/taught, and over three weeks we teach them different lessons. We are also investigators and we teach at the TRC. That is crazy.
The funniest part to me was on the first day, people kept poking their head into our room because we were new and talking to us. They started going off and giving us advice (unsolicited), and went on and on. Then we'd ask, "So, how long have you been here?" "One week!" They reply. I'm going to be honest, it's a bit annoying. I promised myself I would not be that missionary. The hardest part is being exactly obedient, not because I don't want to, but because not everyone around me is. It's hard to be in bed by 10:30 and on time to everything when the rest of your district and your zone leaders don't take it seriously. I actually hit a wall on days 3 and 4 because I was teaching everything I knew, bearing my whole testimony, and it wasn't enough. It was difficult. But I learned that I will learn little by little and I need to be patient with myself.
Okay, everyone wants to know about the food. The main options they give you are super unhealthy, but you can ALWAYS find something good to eat. It's hard though because they offer you dessert at every meal and dinner is REALLY early. But I'm staying strong. My highlights are Gym time. We have 50 minutes to do whatever we want and we dont have to stay with our companion (the only time of day). I have been running a lot! Sundays missionaries do a temple walk and take pictures. I wish I could send some but you'll have to wait until I get to Nashville. Sundays are the best because it's a day for self nourishment spiritually, so you can focus on your own growth.
Sunday night we have movie night, and we watched the Joseph Smith movie. Imagine yourself being in a room full of hundreds of 19-year old boys who start cat-calling when Joseph kisses Emma. WOW. Haha but these elders are incredible. They have strong testimonies and will do amazing things. I love wearing a name tag every day with Jesus Christ's name on it. It's still weird and I'm getting used to it, but I LOVE being a missionary. Write me a letter!
Every single minute of our day is scheduled. We get up at 6:30, have daily planning, personal study, companionship study, and teaching, and either one or two 3-hour blocks of classes, and somewhere in there we eat. The way we learn is we teach our TEACHERS as if they are investigators. They each take on a roll of someone they know/taught, and over three weeks we teach them different lessons. We are also investigators and we teach at the TRC. That is crazy.
The funniest part to me was on the first day, people kept poking their head into our room because we were new and talking to us. They started going off and giving us advice (unsolicited), and went on and on. Then we'd ask, "So, how long have you been here?" "One week!" They reply. I'm going to be honest, it's a bit annoying. I promised myself I would not be that missionary. The hardest part is being exactly obedient, not because I don't want to, but because not everyone around me is. It's hard to be in bed by 10:30 and on time to everything when the rest of your district and your zone leaders don't take it seriously. I actually hit a wall on days 3 and 4 because I was teaching everything I knew, bearing my whole testimony, and it wasn't enough. It was difficult. But I learned that I will learn little by little and I need to be patient with myself.
Okay, everyone wants to know about the food. The main options they give you are super unhealthy, but you can ALWAYS find something good to eat. It's hard though because they offer you dessert at every meal and dinner is REALLY early. But I'm staying strong. My highlights are Gym time. We have 50 minutes to do whatever we want and we dont have to stay with our companion (the only time of day). I have been running a lot! Sundays missionaries do a temple walk and take pictures. I wish I could send some but you'll have to wait until I get to Nashville. Sundays are the best because it's a day for self nourishment spiritually, so you can focus on your own growth.
Sunday night we have movie night, and we watched the Joseph Smith movie. Imagine yourself being in a room full of hundreds of 19-year old boys who start cat-calling when Joseph kisses Emma. WOW. Haha but these elders are incredible. They have strong testimonies and will do amazing things. I love wearing a name tag every day with Jesus Christ's name on it. It's still weird and I'm getting used to it, but I LOVE being a missionary. Write me a letter!
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