MTC Update - Week 2

Hey everyone, this week has been great.  Still tons of ups and downs with Russian but I'm starting to pick it up more and everything.  I'm gonna dive right into the big news this week...we always have devotionals tuesday nights and supposedly now that it's fall we will have some apostles coming in, so last night we are in the room waiting for the speaker to come in.  Me and some of the girls had excellent seats because we sing in the choir every week.  So we are singing and guess who walks in.......JEFFREY R HOLLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I started crying and I was so happy, he is my absolute favorite.  He spoke a lot about our duty as a missionary and what we can do to better ourselves continually.  He spoke very very boldly about how we should act after our missions.  He was practically yelling into the microphone and saying that we have "NO right to defile the divinity of this calling"  I could feel so much love behind this because he was so passionate about our missions and how much it will bless our lives forever.  Here are some favortie quotes/thoughts from him:

We are the chosen dispensation.  Prophets of old testified of this day and how much we will change the world.  Their missionary efforts were partly unsuccessful, but they had hope and kept going because they knew one day our missionary efforts would be successful.  This is the last dispensation of missionary work, we will finish delivering the message to "every nation, kindred and tongue"

There is no other religious organization that does what we do.  We go out and spread the word of the gospel, which some would consider a sacrifice.  We have support from all of our church, and people look up to the missionaries.  If the LDS church had an icon, it would be two missionaries walking.  We have so much support, and because of that we are so so blessed.

He shared a story about an old lady in her 70's that was a recent convert to the church.  A priesthood holder in her new ward was trying to help her ease into the ward, so he asked her a question in Sunday school one day.  "Who is the most perfect person you have ever known?"  He expected her to answer, The Savior, which would lead into his lesson.  But she replied, "The most perfect people I have ever known are the two missionaries who converted me into this church."  Amazing right?

We had a Q and A section where people had submitted questions earlier, here are a few.  These are his answers.

What is the most important thing Christ wants us to know?----That he told the truth.  Every thing he said, did, and prophesied, happened. 

What is the best advice you ever recieved?---Go on a mission, Get married under the right time, circumstances, and carefully choose; and Get as much education as possible.

What is the comparison of being a missionary and being a General Authority?-----Nothing really! I am an Apostle, you are an apostle.  I am a Missionary, and you are a missionary.  I have a divine calling, and so do you.  (notice the difference in the capital letters) All I do all day everyday, is try to spread the gospel, and so do you.  I don't have any money, and neither do you! (haha).  We are both witnesses sent with a message. 

The best thing was how much love he had for us missionaries.  He talked so much about how the whole church prays for us, and how we have a divine responsibility.  We are called of the Lord to do a special work.  Man I loved every second of the hour and 20 minutes he spoke to us.  The spirit was so strong when He walked in, and we noticed there were no teleprompters, he came and spoke by the spirit.  Everyone was in tears.  We truly felt the love and the spirit that he brought.  I am so grateful to be here as a missionary.  An elder in another district asked me yesterday why i went on a mission, and then said he is impressed by women who go because it is a sacrifice.  But I don't look at it as a sacrifice, I feel so lucky to be here and feel of God's love for me, and every person on earth.  I love you all, and I can feel your prayers, I appreciate it more than you will ever know. 

Love, Cecpta DeMille

Week 1 update

ok so there are 2 new branches here of russians.  3 elders in my district are going to Nepper, so they will be my traveling buddies.  the girls i met going to my mission have been here for 8 weeks and leave in 3.  our schedule here is insane, but we are getting used to it.  we had an amazing devitional last night by Bro Claudio Zivic of the 70 and supposedly it will be Apostles here on out (hopefully!) we sang in the choir and its really cool.  thanks for everyone's emails by the way and letters!! i was so lucky, i have gotten mail everyday here.  please keep it up, you all are awesome!! i love everyone here.  i talk to everyone i see, i love everyone in our zone and especially the 2 new branches.  there is one kid in my district named Elder Lyons, he brings so much joy to my days in the most awkward way possible.  hopefully i can send a picture of him soon to illistrate the great son of God he is hahaha.  russian is....difficult.  we have pretend "investigators" and we have already taught him 4 lessons.  he is actually a teacher here but we're not supposed to know that.  sundays and tuesdays and wednesdays are by far my favorite days.  Wednesdays are cool to see all the missionaries come in, and it's P-day.  tuesday's schedule is just awesome, ending in a devotional.  sundays are just wonderful in every way.  our zone gives talks in all russian, and they announce the speakers when sacrament meeting starts, so everyone has to prepare a talk everyweek.  i will die if they call on me on sunday, so let's hope they don't.  i wish i could call and speak to you in russian or something, because i will tell you how a few words sound but the letters are all different, and that's what is really frustrating.  i can't even read my own name tag!! me and sister lewis have lots and lots of goals so we are always busy.  by the time we are out of the MTC we want to: have read the BOM in English, and the Kniga Mormona (that's how it's pronounced) in russian.  we want to have read all of preach my gospel.  we read the white handbook everyday.  i am reading Matthew right now before i start reading the living christ.  goals are excellent though.  just pleaseeee pray that i can catch on to russian fast.  it is so hard.  i learn so much everyday, but it's hard remembering everything.  but on a bright note, i can already say plenty of greetings, give a prayer, bear a simple testimony, and read a little bit.  there is this thing called TALL (technology assisted language learning) and it is amazing.  you hear natives say words, then learn the letters, record yourself speaking it, and take tests about them all.  it is such a great help.  before i forget there is something i want you guys to watch.

go to lds.org.  go to menu, youth, videos, and watch the ukraine temple celebration.  my zone leaders showed it to me and i tried really hard not to cry the whole time. these are my people! and most of the time they are speaking russian.  it is only 6 minutes, and it is incredible.  let me know what you think.

sister lewis and i are best friends already.  she is not normally someone i would associate with (she likes bug collecting and plants) but i learn so much from her everyday and she always brings my spirits up when i'm down.  the other 2 sisters we came with are also amazing and i love all of the girls i room with.  i see so many people here that i know.  3 friends from USU, McKay Lindsey, i haven't found elder austin yet, becca ricks, and a few others.  i love it it's so fun.  i have grown so much this past week.  i have been stretched beyond what i thought i could do, i learn so much from my district and people around me, the spirit here is incredible.  one of my highlights of this last week was: i ran into this cute elder and he had an accent and i asked him where he was from and he said malaysia. i made a funny squeaky sound and said my best friend was serving there and long story short, lisa was serving in his branch!!!!!!!!! small, small world.  man i love it.  there is this elder named elder brinton in the other district going to yekaterinburg, russia, and i try really hard not to flirt with him. he is great.    i wish i could tell you more, but i will try to write another letter soon.  thank you everyone again for the emails and letters.  it brightens my day.  i loved all the stories about kate and dance haha tell the kids hi and i love them.  i love you all!!!!!!!!!!  this place is great, just keep me in your prayers i'm trying to work so hard.  tell megan to write me or something, i dont have time to email everyone back.  i'm gonna send a copy of my schedule too so you guys can see what my day is like.  thanks again for everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!      dasvedanya (goodbye)

cectpa demille

Called to Serve

Amanda DeMille has been called to serve in the Ukraine Dnepropetrovsk Mission