Art and Mapagpakumbaba

Kumusta po lahat!

Nothing very exciting has happened besides the fire alarm going off twice in a 12 hour period. Once at 9:30 at night while we were all getting ready for bed and the next morning at 6:30 as we were all getting ready for the day. At least I wasn't one of the girls who was showering when it went off. 

My favorite part of the day is when my kasama and I go to the "ponder rooms." They are basically rooms that have 3 walls of windows and one wall that has a huge nature picture on it. The real treasure of the room is a little brown box that plays music when you press a button. It's so very relaxing! The downside is that it might be too relaxing because my kasama dozed off yesterday during language study.

Note the Little Brown Box of Wonders

So this may come as a surprise, but I really like art. (WOOAHHH, WHAT?!) For companionship study, we have started going around and looking at the pictures of Christ and the amazing pictures in the new buildings. All of them are based on a scripture and so we will read it and talk about it. It's probably the most enlightening study I've done. There's so much spiritual power to be found in art.

And I was led by the spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.

My favorite picture of Christ has a lot to do with what I have been studying throughout the week and I wanted to talk about it. Here is the scripture that it does with: 

Whosoever, therefore, shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Mathew 18:4

I have been studying a lot about humility. Humility is not synonymous with passive or weak. It is a power that comes when you trust in God's abilities instead of your own. Fear can be a product of pride because you are trusting and doubting in your own abilities instead of God's. 

When I think of humility of the council in Heaven. When God explained the plan of happiness to us, Lucifer shows up and says, "Here am I" the perfect example of pride. he goes on to say " Send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor". I have seen countless missionaries with this same attitude. We show up to the MTC saying "here I am!" thinking we deserve some honor for serving a mission.

The first recorded words of the Savior are what I have written on the inside of my watch: "Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever."

I have decided to put everything on the altar of sacrifice, my whole soul. I hope by the end of my mission I am exhausted mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually so I know that I really did give everything to God. 

Fun Fact:  "humble" in Tagalog is mapagpakumbaba

I hope my thoughts have made sense. I decided to talk about the things I am studying because I have the time while in the MTC. In the field, my posts will probably change a bit. Speaking of which, I only have 2 more weeks here.  I will know by next week if I got my visa or if I will be temporarily reassigned. 

Magmamahal ako sa inyo lahat!

Siege po, bye!

-Sister Gray