Email: chelsea.buma@myldsmail.net

Address: Sorella Chelsea Buma
Via Flavia 21
00055 Ladispoli (RM)
ITALY

Address for the mission home in Rome:
Italy Rome Mission
Piazza Carnaro, 20
00141 Rome RM
ITALY

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Week 5--Getting what's most important

Hey!!! can you believe that i am going to italy pretty much one month from today?  we dont' have our travel plans or anything but we are probably leaving april 5.  italians usually leave on a tuesday!  So crazy!  Time just keeps flying by my face.  i can't believe how fast it is going.  it kinda scares me because i feel like my mission is just going to fly by.  our teacher told us that one day he was walking and he stopped and kinda freaked out because he didn't know hwere the past 7 and 1/2 months had gone!  SOOOOOO scary.  but i think that is pretty much going to happen! the mtc is flying by.  the new missionaries come in a week from tomorrow and i don't feel like i am ready for it!  Oh well!  Ready or not here it comes!  

I went to a meeting sunday night with the zone leaders for our training on making sure the new missionaries get told what they need and feel at home.  we also have a meeting that we teach them on thursday night that we need to start working on.  im so excited!  I have not idea how many sisters there will be but i know there are at least 2 coming!  so it will be really fun!  Last tuesday night at the devotional there was a guy from the New york times taking pics of missionaries because there is apparently an article coming out that they are writing.  look for it!  I think that is so cool!   I hope that it is something that can help the church be seen in a positive light.  Who knows!  But look for it and let me know.  

that night after the devotional we had our tuesday night devotional review with our district.  a member of our branch presidency pointed this scripture out.  romans 1:15-16.  verse 16 was a scripture mastery but i had never really paid attention to the verse right in front of it.  it was such a cool moment because paul announces he is going to preach in rome.  I don't know, it just really hit me hard that work has been going on in rome for so long and i am going to be a part of it.  I kinda wish i had put that scripture on my plaque.  anyway, read it.  its sweet!  it really sums up my life for the next 18 months.  

We turned into a three-some last week, like i said.  I think it has been hard for all of us to adjust, especially in teaching.  it takes work in lessons to make sure everyone has a fair chance and can talk when they feel prompted by the spirit.  we will get better im sure!  it is just going to take more prayer, patience, and practice.  sorella bishop is really struggling with the change.  she just was so comfortable and doesn't like that things are different now.  that is just kinda how life goes though. you get comfortable and then heavenly father makes you stretch.  The mtc is like a constant stretch.  satan works so hard at making us feel like we aren't good enough and it just very discouraging.  We also were told by our teachers that we are going to hit a wall in the language this week.  i can kinda feel it!  But he told us that that is when we really have to push harder because if we let ourselves slack at all, we are going to find ourselves freaking out in 2 weeks when we only have 2 weeks left till we are actually in italy.  Sorella swensen, one of the italian teachers, subsituted for us this week.  She told me that i don't give myself enough credit about how much italian i know.  I know a lot more than i think.  I was teaching sorella lewis about prayer and then teaching her how to pray and was SHOCKED at how much i could say.  I need to speak it more because that is really how it is going to come.  especially this week before the new missionaries get here.  I really feel like it is so important that i try my best to be the "ideal" missionary they are going to see when they come.  The brother that gave us the instructions on sunday night told us that these new missionaries come in and they look up to the older districts so much! I really did look up to our older missionaries so much. and i want to be like them!  They knew so much!  So that is my goal this week.  Speak italian way more!  i have gotten better at speaking it but there is always so much more room for improvement.  

Im trying to think what else happened this week.... oh!  Let me tell you about sunday.  You will be so proud of me.  I was sitting in fast and testimony meeting and my heart was just pounding.  i knew i needed to get up and bear my testimony but it was so scary because i have to say it in italian if i go up and people just know when you mess up and stuff.  Well, i was brave and got up.  My testimony was short and simple but i did it.  Really as a missionary that is my greatest tool i can take.  people can't take away my testimony.  That is so comforting to me.  and im so grateful that even if that is the only thing i can say when i leave the MTC, i can tell all the italians this... io so che la chiesa e vera.  io so che gesu cristo il nostro salvatore.  io so che padre celeste ci ama.  Sono multo grato per questo.  Io so che padre celeste ascolte le nostre preghiere.  Possiamo a ricevere la risposta allle nostre domande mediante lo spirito santo.  nel nome di gesu cristo, amen.  That is really hard to type in italian on the computer haha.  im just really not used to that at all.  

well, i think that that's my week pretty much.  Thanks again, as always, for your love and support.  i feel so blessed that my family is so great to me!  You are all in my prayers every night!  I miss you dearly but i know that i am doing what i was called to do!  I never pictured myself here but i am so grateful heavenly father gave me this opportunity to serve a mission.  I am sorry that i can't write everyone back each week but know that a letter will be coming to you!  I will have much more time when i get to italy!  Thanks for writing me anyway!  Even though i can be bad at writing back...  Have such a great week!  I can't wait to hear from everyone.  LOVE YOU!!!!!!!
 
Love,
Sorella Buma

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