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| Best District Ever! |
Kamusta kamo??
This was my last full week of the online MTC and it was honestly so great. So many great experiences and so many great times with my district. We're actually having 2 more days of class on Monday and Tuesday because there isn't another district of missionaries being taught Hiligaynon after us. The teachers basically get a 6 week break haha joke lang. But Monday and Tuesday won't be with my whole district because Sister Toilolo leaves for her reassignment on Monday. It'll be just the elders for the last 2 days so we'll see how that goes haha.
It really has been so much fun becoming such good friends with everyone in my district. We get along so well and we mess around so much in class and it is so fun. I don't think I ever reached a point during online MTC where I didn't want to go to class because my teachers and my district are so fun to be around. I know a lot of my other friends that have done online MTC liked doing Zoom calls outside of class to just hang out with their district, but I thought we never really needed to because we had so much fun in class anyway.
That's not to say all we do is have fun all day (even though we do, joke lang). We continue to work on learning the coolest language ever. It is so fun to see everyone else in my district improving at Hiligaynon. We've pretty much gotten to the point where we can joke around in Hiligaynon too. It's fun to be sarcastic in the language because the teachers think it's really funny too. Not that I'm learning Hiligaynon to mess around with people, but my teachers do tell us all the time how much the Filipinos like to joke around. This week got me so excited to finally go to the Philippines someday. Anyway, we were learning the baptismal invitation one day this week, which is "Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding the authority of the priesthood of God?" The part with "someone holding the authority" in Hiligaynon is "isa ka nga nagakapyot sang awtoridad," but when Brother Cobabe wrote it out he put "sanD awtoridad" instead of "sanG awtoridad." Once we all noticed it we all started laughing about it, and then Brother Cobabe said, "Will you be baptized by someone holding sand?" Then we all kinda lost our minds laughing at that. The best part was that it really wasn't that funny, but we all really thought it was at the time. I think maybe my sense of humor has been dulled by the countless hours on Zoom. At the same time, one could argue it has become more sanctified (joke lang).
Kahoot update for the week: my companions and I did a clean sweeping of the podium, putting Brother Cobabe in 4th. Myself in 3rd, Elder McBride in 2nd, and Elder Rydalch claiming 1st. My mom even took me to Chick-fil-a to celebrate.
Another funny story: During our last class as a full district on Friday, I legit was thinking to myself "Wouldn't that be so sick if Brother Mariano came back for our last class? That'd be like the finale of The Office when Michael comes back." For our activity at the end of class we taught some Filipino people that speak Hiligaynon that all joined on our Zoom call, and Brother Mariano was one of them!! I saw him in our Zoom meeting and I said, "Wow this is just like the finale of The Office!" I don't think anyone else got it, but it was still super awesome to get to see him and talk to him again.
But seriously, online MTC has been so great. It has been so cool getting to share with my family everything I am learning. My testimony has grown a TON during the online MTC. My conviction in the truthfulness of the Church has grown so much, as well as my testimony of Joseph Smith. My love for the scriptures has also grown, as well as my appreciation for the Book of Mormon. I know that it has real power to change our lives for the better. All you have to do is read it, and give it a real chance for you to believe it. I promise that as you do so, you will come to know it is true, just as countless members of our faith have done too. I have become more and more excited to go be a missionary in the field as the weeks have passed. Moses 1:39 says, "This is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." The Lord's every thought and deed even now is concerned with His work of bringing immortality and eternal life to all who choose to accept the gospel. 100% of His time is devoted to helping us, and even though I'll never be fully ready for what I will experience in Orem, Utah and in Bacolod, Philippines, I am ready to devote 100% of my time to this work.
Anyway, I don't start my reassignment in the Orem Utah mission until October 6th, so I don't think I'll be sending weekly emails between now and then. However, I am giving a farewell talk for my home ward over Zoom tomorrow (Sunday, September 20th) at 7 pm (CA time). You are all welcome to join the call and hear more about my experiences with online MTC and about my decision to serve a mission. You can join the call at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7285846038 Meeting ID: 728 584 6038
Thank you all so much for reading my emails every week haha. Palangga ta kamo!!
Elder Snyder
