March 14, 2012 letter from Mary

Բարև ծեզ ընտանիկ:

Ես մտացում էի գրելու մասին բոլոր սա հայրենով բայց չեմ գրի-I thought about writing all of this in Armenian, but I won't.  It takes a bit to long for me to find all the right keys, it would be really short, and I might not be able to say all that I would want to.  I'm sure I could find a way-and it would be fun for you.  Maybe one of these times I will  :)  I know I've told you at least the last 3 times that I am sending pictures-and I really am-as soon as the printing machines will cooperate.  I reprinted them, so hopefully by next week you'll have them-as long as I actually get them back :)

This week has been so GRAND! The weather has been գեղետցի (beautiful)! Last Tuesday we asked one of our teachers if we could do our lessons outside-he responded promptly with "no", but then Thursday, he took us outside to practice street contacting.  It was amazing to watch him do it, because he had a bunch of things he would say that would easily get us to ask why he was in Armenia, or as some question that allowed him to talk about the Church-I'm sure I will be a pro by the time my mission is done. 

We've learned some interesting things about the Armenian culture this last week.  After teaching Գագո a couple times in a row, our teacher explained that in Armenia when you say that something is true-like the Book of Mormon is true-they will often agree because to them, if it exists then it is "true" so we have to explain what we mean by true.  They believe that a remission of sins is going to their church and lighting a candle.  And that resurrection is when our spirit ascends into heaven.  We're learning that we have to define every word so that they understand. 

We decided to sing in the choir for the devotional this week-and we plan on continuing because there is going to be a choir from the MTC for conference :) We're hoping we get to do it :) It is always great to be able to bear testimony through song.  This week Elder Steve Cardon and his wife spoke-she touched on how no matter what we go through or how hard it is, the Lord can help us make it a blessing.  And he spoke a lot about how we are children of God-and how that knowledge provides us so much strength-to withstand tempation, to testify and teach better, and to stay strong through challenges.  It was just great. 

We've been talking about sanctification and being sanctified.  What does it mean to be sanctified and how do we become sanctified? 

Just a couple of funny things from this past week-after we taught at the TRC last week, Bro White was talking about pictures and he said "When we get home, I'll show you some."  He realized what he said and we all laughed-but truly-our classroom is our home-we spend so much of our waking time there!  Then, Bro Carlson always drops things-usually chalk and books and such-but yesterday he fixed a stack of flash cards that one of the Elders knocked off their desk, he went to put it back on the desk and he barely missed the edge-which sent them flying all over the floor.  He was SO embarassed, but it was HILARIOUS!  I wish you could meet our teachers!  They are AMAZING! I'll try and get a picture to send home so you can at least know who they are.

Լավ: Ես պետկ է գնամ: Բայց արաժին ես շնորհակալ եմ բոլոր բաների համար դու անում ես ինզ համար: ծեզ շատ եմ սիրում:

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