You'll be glad to read a short email this week since there's not a lot to report.
As mentioned, our flight plans for Thursday the 18th were cancelled because our Finland visas have not come through yet...and so we wait.
We checked out of the MTC on Wednesday and moved to Sherry's (Bridge) house where she has graciously allowed us to camp out whilst we wait. We're still hopeful that this arrangement will last just another week or two, but it's impossible to get any updates---just sit in quiet desperation (it's the English way).
We talked the local Distribution Center into allowing us to volunteer two days a week because we were in there to get something and helping them out seemed like a good thing to do. The Temple Square greenhouses have some grounds-care for us to do on the other days. So, we try to keep busy with that and helping the fam and others and act like missionaries by doing service. It's still too much to offer to serve at Church Translation---Stewart needs a lot more humbling before that could happen. :)
We're still "in the MTC" as far as the Missionary Department is concerned, so we plan to go to the Tuesday devotional there because those are so awesome.
Love to all,
Vanhin ja Sisar Bridge
Bountiful, Utah (for now)
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
MTC Week 2
It seems like we've been here much longer than just a week. We've come to know some other couples and it seems like we've known them for years. I guess the common bond has something to do with that, plus the intensity of the classes we share in and talking about personal stuff.
Our mornings and afternoons have been filled with classes lead by two different 21 year-old sisters. There are 4 couples in our group plus we're assigned another companion couple to get to know. You'd think that would be weird, young sisters teaching old folks with years more experience. But, they handle it extremely well. They're full of the Spirit and are humble enough to listen to what some of us geezers pontificate. Plus, they recently returned from being missionaries full-time so there's lots they can answer from our questions about the practicalities of what we'll do, day-to-day. They push us to extend ourselves and our efforts and that's a good thing. Really it just makes us all the more excited to get our there and start working with people.
We had a little disappointment. Because our visas to Finland are not approved yet, our flight plans for this Thursday got cancelled. In talking to the young missionaries who just flew out to Finland today, most of theirs took about 4 weeks. Our last communication with the consulate was 3 weeks ago, so we're hoping and praying it'll happen within the week and we can get new flights booked. In the meantime, we're not sure if they'll assign us to do something, like in SLC, or if we'll just wait. We're disappointed but not stressed. It'll work out just fine.
We had some free time Friday night so we went to the BYU Homecoming SPECTACULAR
!!
You'll be so jealous once you realize that performing, just yards away from us was...that's right...The Cougarettes!
And, not only them, but Vocal Point! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxIILbNMTHY
I know, can you stand it? Oh, and Colbie Caillat and David Archuletta were there too. 😏
Our mornings and afternoons have been filled with classes lead by two different 21 year-old sisters. There are 4 couples in our group plus we're assigned another companion couple to get to know. You'd think that would be weird, young sisters teaching old folks with years more experience. But, they handle it extremely well. They're full of the Spirit and are humble enough to listen to what some of us geezers pontificate. Plus, they recently returned from being missionaries full-time so there's lots they can answer from our questions about the practicalities of what we'll do, day-to-day. They push us to extend ourselves and our efforts and that's a good thing. Really it just makes us all the more excited to get our there and start working with people.
We had a little disappointment. Because our visas to Finland are not approved yet, our flight plans for this Thursday got cancelled. In talking to the young missionaries who just flew out to Finland today, most of theirs took about 4 weeks. Our last communication with the consulate was 3 weeks ago, so we're hoping and praying it'll happen within the week and we can get new flights booked. In the meantime, we're not sure if they'll assign us to do something, like in SLC, or if we'll just wait. We're disappointed but not stressed. It'll work out just fine.
We had some free time Friday night so we went to the BYU Homecoming SPECTACULAR
You'll be so jealous once you realize that performing, just yards away from us was...that's right...The Cougarettes!
And, not only them, but Vocal Point! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxIILbNMTHY
I know, can you stand it? Oh, and Colbie Caillat and David Archuletta were there too. 😏
It was indeed a spectacle!
It's pretty great to be focused on doing one thing and when that one thing is done for the day, to have time to do something like attend a performance. We've lived in Utah County 30 years and I don't think we've ever gone to the Homecoming Spectacular, so it was fun. Also, it was fun to walk home afterward amidst all the cars waiting to exit the parking lot. Another perk of being a missionary.
Something odd about being "seniors", Sunday they had us attend the meeting for new missionaries, those newbies who arrived last week. I'd guess there were about 350 in the meeting. Then, later that day, they had us attend the good-bye meeting for those leaving this week. Since seniors are only here about a week, we're new and we're old all at the same time. Funny.
Can't think of anything else funny, at least nothing that wouldn't be at the expense of somebody else, and missionaries aren't supposed to think like that, so we'll leave it.
We realize that we're in a protected and spiritual environment here, like a bubble. It's easy to have spiritual feelings and seeing so many young people trying to do their best is really inspiring. They're still 18-20 year-olds, so they act goofy sometimes, like at the dining hall, but they're sincere and really trying to be good. We love seeing that. They also remind us often to be examples of a happy married couple and walk together holding hands. That's another easy thing to do and maybe some missionary will see that who didn't see it in their home life. We hope so. It's easy to love here, especially your companion.
Our love to you all,
Elder and Sister Bridge
It's pretty great to be focused on doing one thing and when that one thing is done for the day, to have time to do something like attend a performance. We've lived in Utah County 30 years and I don't think we've ever gone to the Homecoming Spectacular, so it was fun. Also, it was fun to walk home afterward amidst all the cars waiting to exit the parking lot. Another perk of being a missionary.
Something odd about being "seniors", Sunday they had us attend the meeting for new missionaries, those newbies who arrived last week. I'd guess there were about 350 in the meeting. Then, later that day, they had us attend the good-bye meeting for those leaving this week. Since seniors are only here about a week, we're new and we're old all at the same time. Funny.
Can't think of anything else funny, at least nothing that wouldn't be at the expense of somebody else, and missionaries aren't supposed to think like that, so we'll leave it.
We realize that we're in a protected and spiritual environment here, like a bubble. It's easy to have spiritual feelings and seeing so many young people trying to do their best is really inspiring. They're still 18-20 year-olds, so they act goofy sometimes, like at the dining hall, but they're sincere and really trying to be good. We love seeing that. They also remind us often to be examples of a happy married couple and walk together holding hands. That's another easy thing to do and maybe some missionary will see that who didn't see it in their home life. We hope so. It's easy to love here, especially your companion.
Our love to you all,
Elder and Sister Bridge