I'd totally try to call you mom in Arabic but a. I have no idea how to do that and b. I need the arabic keyboard!! I'm so excited to take on this language but boy, it's going to be hard. Yesterday I had my first official class with it and it was a bit of a shock! I got the okay from president last week, and immediately got my books and started trying to learn the alphabet! I didn't make much progress because I was just looking at squiggly lines trying to make them register in my brain as sounds! But that class...
We are a group of 8, that's a TON! There are 4 sisters, including myself, that are basically the first group to actually start learning it! It's me, Sisters Wood, Dempsey and Christensen. I'll probably be companions with one of them in the future. That'd be pretty cool! But yeah, I was the last person to sign up, so I didn't realize it but when I got to class, almost everyone was ahead of me. I was so confused! Our teacher, Elder Jackson, is super awesome! He's been studying it since he was 9 months out and he goes home at the end of this transfer! He's really good! But he's completely honest, which was surprisingly super helpful. He started off the class by spending 10-15 minutes asking all of us why we wanted to learn it, then explaining that this would be 10x harder than we think it's going to be. It'll push us to the limits and frustrate us, and it's probably going to be the hardest thing we do on our mission (I've done some hard things, so I was like, oh boy!) I was waiting for the part of him saying there was hope but hahahah, no, that didn't come. He just said that it would be extremely rewarding and that we would have wonderful, sincere conversations with so many of these people that are searching for the gospel, or the knowledge of Christ, and do not know where to find it. I want to give these Arabic-speaking, muslim background women a chance to hear the gospel, that is what us sisters are here for!
Okay, I could go on too much about Arabic, but I really love the challenge! It's fun to think that I'm like a baby right now. Just trying to make sounds and exercise the weirdest muscles in my throat! I laughed sooo hard yesterday when we were all practicing a hard sound, and I just heard over the video chat 8 different "ahhcaymmm" sounds hahahah I'm still laughing! If I didn't laugh I'd totally cry because it's hard, but might as well enjoy the newbie-experience!! :)
Those were awesome analogies relating to the Olympics!! Shows what I know, I had no idea that they were even going on right now! I feel like I know nothing that's going on in the world but ehh, I'm pretty okay with that! I especially loved the one about the guy that fell in the first lap, but got up and won the whole thing! I can just imagine that he was thinking the whole time "I did NOT train for years just to fall and drop out of the race!" Had that not happened, who knows, he may have not won or may not have given absolutely all and more than he thought he had! Goes to show that trials, and falling down in life, really make us stronger, make our will to fight even stronger and we can win the race! Awesome!
Awhhhhh that is SO adorable that you and Grandma went out for her birthday! I did see the one picture on facebook, but I'm happy you sent those to me! I have the best family! I'm totally serious and totally not bias... like at all! Melting Pot is yummy, and I bet you made Gma feel so loved by doing that!
Okay, I will see what I can do to make your birthday just a little more special! How old are you turning? 34? Oh sorry sorry, 33. Woah, that's a good number!
We did a ton of work to put together the musical night happening on March 3rd! (random question, can you get Libby Bennett's address somehow? I want to send her a letter for her birthday!) It's going to be so good! We even had choir practice yesterday. It's just so exciting and rewarding to see an idea come together and actually become something! I'm thinking that I'm going to stream the event from my facebook live, so you could even watch it if you want even though it will be in German! Music has no language though, and I think you'd love it :)
I feel like this email was really boring and random... I'm sorry... I love writing you long emails, but it's really boring to just report back my week, week after week! I'd rather have a conversation, you know? Where do you think you were at spiritually when you were 19 years old? What's the biggest lesson you've learned from being a mom? I feel like I just haven't gotten Mom advice in awhile and even if it isn't relevant right now, I just need some!?
You are totally becoming a cat lady ;-) Next thing we all know you're going to have Spliff trained to go for walks on a harness haha!
Love you bunches Mom! I really apologize for the lack of text and pictures this week.. Hopefully this one, Dads and the weekly email combine together for a decent email..? This week was tiring but I was proud I still got up 10 minutes early and worked out every day. Doesn't mean I didn't take a 2 hour nap at 8:01 today :D (that's when pday starts)
Loveeeee you more than a million, I promise for a better letter next week!
Sister Macey Ingalls
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