Our shadow by day and our pillar by night

Ahoj,

So lots has happened so I will try to be quick and get it all in. I met a lady in the temple today that knew grandma! She was a wife of a member of the temple presidency I guess, her name was Anne Lamburt. It was fun to talk with her a little, I come from good genes she said! Our Starsi Payne is out of control, he now has the dip record, push up and sit-up record. He did 1700 sit-ups in 45 minutes this week, he is slightly crazy! Also I was talking with Sister Shakespear because I wondered what her tentative release date was according to her ministerial certificate. Come to find out she gets released the day before me. Mine is august 14 and hers is the 13, so we might give our talks the same day! We will have each other to be awkward RMs together and maybe we will live together since we will both be going to USU after, that could be fun since everyone else will probably be on missions or married.

Funny stories:

-Tuesday at dinner my companion had just sat down to eat and I was right behind her, I had just leaned over to set my cup of milk on the table when she quickly stood up and rammed her shoulder into my arm and milk went EVERYWHERE! so that was an eventful disaster that was kind of funny at the same time.

-A member of the seventy spoke on Tuesday and he was hilarious, he also taught a really good message, but he shared a funny story. He was talking about how before his mission he was dating the cutest girl in the stake and everyone wanted to date her, even his friends. He then said that after leaving he got a Dear John and she was marrying his best friend he then said, "with friends like these, who needs enemies?" it was hilarious, maybe it was just his great accent and personality or the fact that I have been away from most everything funny forever, but we were all laughing.

This week I finished memorizing the first vision, woot! I also started to memorize my purpose in Czech. So much easier when you know the meaning of the words! I can't believe that in two weeks I will be on a plane across the world, so excited, but not really ready yet! I don't know enough of the language, but I guess I will just learn it all the better when I have no option but to talk Czech.

Sunday was really good, they are always a wonderful Spiritual high here at the MTC. In sacrament meeting one of the Elders made a comment that really stood out to me. He was talking about how we have been sent to this earth and we know what the end goal is, to return to live with our Heavenly Father. He talked about how we haven't just been told good luck figure it out on your own, but that we have been given directions and instructions on how to accomplish this goal, we have been given commandments. Wouldn't you want all the direction and commandments you could receive to be able to win, to make it back to our Heavenly Father? As I write this I keep wanting to make an analogy with a board game and instructions and how to play and win and what not, but that is not how he gave it. Anywho I assume you can see that connection. 

Time is almost gone, but I want to tell you about what the 1st counselor in the RS said to us in RS yesterday because it ties into what the elder said. She taught all about commandments and told us about a woman who had the gospel, many worldly things a great family and everything you think you would need to be happy. Well she wasn't happy and when they discussed things she found she wasn't happy because she wasn't keeping the commandments as well as she could have. She just talked about how when we keep the commandments and rules with exact obedience we receive the blessings and are the most happy we can be. Like someone else said obedience brings blessings, exact obedience brings miracles.

The title of this e-mail comes from the song we sang in choir Redeemer of Israel. The chorister talked all about how our Redeemer is always there with us. When it is the heat of the day he will be are shadow to rest in and in the cold dark of night he will be our pillar of fire lighting the way, comforting and warming us. The gospel is true and I am so excited to go and teach the people of the Czech Republic.

Love you all!

Sestra Hicken