February 27, 2013

Hello everyone!! I'm Hermana Madeline Cleveland's sister, Mette, and I am going to try to keep up a blog for my beautiful sister. I know I'm started pretty late, but better late than never.

Hermana Cleveland is currently serving in the Utah Salt Lake City Mission (Spanish speaking). She has been waiting for her visa to come in for awhile for her to go to Argentina.  However this drawback, Madeline is staying positive and is cheerfully serving the people in the Salt Lake. She is amazing!

Here is a snip-it from one of her letters from when she was in the MTC:
 So pretty sure I had the best day this week. Here's my journal entry...

Today I had THE perfect day. and it was nothing like what I thought it would be. What started out with all this bla, bla bla, bla bla (aka nada da best day) turned into a day of person growth, bonding with my comp and the district, a day of learning, and a day filled with promptings from the spirit.

MY DEFINITION OF A PERFECT DAY:

first, some points

1. it IS possible to have one

2. you WILL NOT see it coming

def: A perfect day is a day that appears to be the worst day ever and suddenly without warning becomes the BEST. DAY. EVER. It is a day you  never want to forget.

So yeah, I'm just going to tell you everything I've loved about that day and this week. Some of it is really simple, but it means a lot.

- laughing at gym

- acting out the story of the Brother of Jared in front of the class by my lonesome on the spot. In spanish. I had to pretend I was teaching the CTR 5's. It was a nice having everyone laugh.

- Lesson preps with Hermana Miner are the best! We're really getting the hang of teaching together. Our investigators are progressing. We're learning a TON.

- Singing, as tradition call for, "Hasta ver" with the zone the past two sundays as people depart. I know it's only been 2 weeks, but I feel close to these people.

- as a district, we prayed to the Lord with a specific question in mind. We read Ether 12, really great experience. Took forever to read through together because ever verse benefited and answered our question. Can't really describe the feeling in that room, it was a special moment for me here at the MTC.

- Memorized the first vision in spanish.  Taking the time visualize it. Having a question, a desire, walking in to the woods, looking around before kneeling and offering a prayer to the Lord. What it would be like to see, for them to call me by my Name. It's a sacred experience. A pivotal moment.

- Elder Ballard spoke last night at devo. Devotionals are basically like BYU basketball games. Jam PACKED. He talked about internalizing the atonement, and the enabling power that comes when we do that. It was the small details that got me. Just the way he  held the scriptures showed his love for them. When he bore his testimony of Christ, it was simple, but it rang true. Powerful. Pretty sure everyone's testimony was strengthened. I know mine was.

Well I guess I could go on forever....

Isn't she just amazing? Well, more recent letters are to come. I wanted to start with one of my old favorite ones