First Week in the MTC

Wow first week!!!!!! This week has flown by but I also feel like I've been
here for months. I feel very at home here and just love being a missionary.
My tuhngbuhn (companion) is Bik Ji Muih (Sister Briggs). She is from Midway
and is gorgeous. She cheered in High School and is so kind. I love her! We
get along really well. My district has NO Elders, just 6 Sisters. It's kind
of nice. We all know each other really well and I love them all. We are the
only people in the MTC learning Cantonese, and our zone calls us "the
Cantos". Our zone (5 districts going Asian speaking) is all learning
Mandarin and has been here awhile. They are the nicest humans! Bik Ji Muih
tuhnmaaih ngoh (and I) share a room with 4 sisters, going to Texas and
Ohio.
The food is good, there are salads and personalized wraps and fresh fruit
every meal and even almond milk and Life cereal.
Cantonese is extremely difficult, but Heavenly Father has already helped us
so much It is truly amazing how He has helped me remember, understand, and
get by.
We taught our first lesson in Gwong-dong Wa (Cantonese) on Friday. Yes
after TWO days. It went pretty well, even though we mostly just bore our
testimonies and read from our little brown book. I prayed in Cantonese on
Sunday and we've had 2 lessons since Friday. Tonight we're teaching our
investigator Katie about the Restoration and Joseph Smith.
Our teacher is amazing, he served in Hong Kong, and is so patient.
Yesterday our district had a laugh attack (like it was the weirdest
experience of my life. We could.not.stop.laughing) and he was so nice and
patient. I think we had just been studying for hours on end all week and we
just snapped. It was pretty hilarious, but it will not happen again! At
least in class!
The devotionals here are amazing and I have never felt closer to Christ.
The doctrine of Christ is everything we do here, and the Spirit is so
present wherever you go. It is incredibly hard. So incredibly hard. But it
is worth it. More than worth it!! Sometimes I feel like my heart is going
to burst from so much love and understanding. Yesterday after our laughing
attack, we had the most powerful lesson I have ever had. We talked about
how the doctrine of Christ should influence our teaching, planning, and
living. Everything we talked about was centered on Christ and I feel like
my testimony of the Savior has never been so strong. There is something
special and unique about teaching and bearing testimony as a representative
of Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are so generous and kind to allow
teenagers and young adults to be Their representatives. Even with all our
weaknesses, fears, and shortcomings, They are still able to use us as
instruments in Their hands. They know that we are able to help our brothers
and sisters if we just rely on Them, and I am eternally grateful for Their
trust.
I will try to send pictures later today.
My address is
Sister Golda Cristine Dopp
AUG 30 CHN-HK
2005 N 900 E Unit 12
Provo, UT 84602
-- Love you all SO SO much.
"It is not an event of learning the language, it is a journey of loving the
people."
*Sister Dopp Douh Ji Muih*