A drive by shooting at the MTC?

Wednesday is Megan's p-day so we awaited the cherished e-mail. Well, we didn't get one, but we did get a phone call from the MTC. I was at work and Bridget called me to tell me the MTC called. She was sobbing so hard I could only understand the part, "The MTC called..." Of course, I thought it must be dreadful news to have upset Bridget so much. So I am trying to ask questions and listen through her tears, but I start thinking the worst...(How does someone die at the MTC... run over in the crosswalk on the way to the temple... reaction from an immunization... drive by shooting...). Then I start to tell myself, that wouldn't happen, but maybe one of them went a-wall... Finally, I piece together in between Bridget's sobbing that Sister Hatch just called to say she had the privilege of taking Megan shopping for a coat and that she was a wonderful girl. Oh, be still my little heart (it really was pounding by now). What a relief! I asked Bridget why she was crying so hard about that and she said that Sister Hatch just made her miss Megan soooooo much!

How to speak Cebuano:

Per Megan: "Cebuano sounds like you're dribbling a basketball in your mouth! Ha ha. It has lots of nga's nad mga's (sounds like manga) so lots of gurgling motions-like if you were to gurgle with water and how your tongue would be at the back of your throat. It's Fun!"

Megan's 8 page epistle

This picture is called Heavenly Hands, by Greg Olsen and I thought it was just what Megan described in her letter.

The time limit on Megan's e-mail was too short, so she sent a follow up letter (actually two letters) to catch us up on all the details. She said everyone that knows Josh says, "He's the best! He takes all the sisters trays over at meals and makes all the other elders look bad." He is definitely polishing the Dustin name! She also said when she speaks Cebuano people around the MTC think she is speaking spanish. Hello is 'Kumusta'-sounds much like 'Como esta?' She said Cebuano is not a written language so to teach it they write it out phonetically. She has learned that it is not her job to convert someone, but only to invite them to come unto the gospel. She said she feels the spirit all day in the MTC. She said she can feel the angels all around her. "I am here on my mission FOR Jesus. I am here on my mission BECAUSE of Jesus. I am here on my mission TO TEACH ABOUT JESUS."

Josh' 10-5-09 e-mail

I realize I didn' tell you about the elder I fasted for! He is definitely staying. I am positive about it. I knew it was between him and the Lord, but I am glad he is here. It brightens my day.How was conference? Pretty amazing huh? I had questions that I brought to conference and one of them was, "how do I develop love for everyone, no matter who they are and what they have done?" President Utchdorf and President Monson solved that question in the first session! Megan gave me some advice. First that Michelangelo created David by first breaking him and then creating him. On the Joseph Smith movie we watched last night, Joseph said the Lord brings us down so that we might be brought higher. Life is hard sometimes, but that doesn't mean we are weak, just that we are learning...I still study the language in most of my free time, but I feel improvement and the Lord's hand in my life.

Megan's Postcard

Megan mailed this homemade postcard to tell us she is a 'solo' sister. She does have a companion, but she is going to a different mission so they don't spend hardly any time together. However, she has 19 elders in her district that are all learning Cebuano! Her postcard also said, "This place is great! It's way easier than everyone says! (at least right now...knock on wood...eek).

Megan's 1st e-mail

i am so happy to be here. I feel the spirit every day...You will never know just how much letters are gold to a missionary until you are one! It is just like a ray of sunshine in my day...Ok, I SAW JOSHHHHH!!!!!!! It was the happiest thing in the whole entire world!!! I was on my first little tour around with this sister who was my host and i heard MEGAN!!! From across the hall and there he was!! HE RAN over to me with his hand stretched out as far as he could with the rest of himself as far away from me as he could...haha! He was so cute! So i was telling my host about him and the whole no hugging situation and so i was giving him a handshake and he just looked soo happy to see me that i looked over at her and i said, "can i hug him???????" and she's like, YEAH!! and so i did and it was soo happy!! As hopefully you got my postcard-i'm a solo sister in my discrict of 19 elders!!!!!!!!!!!! No other sisters. Its crazy!! I have a kaubon (companion) but she's in a different district and she is going to hong kong speaking kantonese!...The language will obviously take work, but it truly is amazing how i am literally filled with hope and faith. Missions are like this: You have all this pressure, you have somtimes a language to learn, to have peoples salvation on your heads, and yet-the burden seems light!!!!!

4th e-mail 9-28-09

Yes I did hug Megan and that was only time allowed. :) Now we just do hand hugs.(Megan's e-mail had the good details!)...The elder we fasted for is staying. :) sigh. He just thinks the mtc feels like a prison....Somedays still feel hard! I am trying to lose myself in the work and I think I am too hard on myself! Any suggestions? I promise I won't be offended! I need help and I can tell Heavenly Father isn't happy when I am too rough on myself. but where is the borderline? (I told Josh once that if he had ANY weaknesses, this was it.) Anyways! We had zone conference this week! It was really fun and inspirtaitonal. My favorite topic we talked about was charity. I believe if charity is in our lives, then we will develop slowly but surely all the other Christlike attributes in our lives... As a district this week we wanted to memorize the first vision in spanish and our entire district did it!