"Don't be half when you can be the best!"

So, this week has been so crazy awesome. It honestly feels like we've been here since the dawn of time. And now we've only got about 2 1/2 weeks left of life at the MTC. I'm totes trippin'. When did all of those weeks pass? What'er. I'm going to Korea so super soon.

We sent the older dongi to Korea early Monday morning! Sister Glauser and I had the pleasure of sending off Sister Park, the Korean Sister that was here for two weeks. (She's the coolest. She's fluent in both Korean and English... and her English is perfect. You would have never guessed she's a Korean. So basically she became my idol-- I wish I was fluent in both languages.) Anyways... we're the big kids 'round these parts. Holla. We received 33 new Korean-speaking missionaries yesterday, so we're once again the largest branch at the MTC. And we get 11 more missionaries straight from Korea next week! They're OUR natives!! I can't even believe that. We're going to Korea. (Pardon me, no matter how many times I say that, it doesn't seem real. I don't think it will even feel real when I'm stepping off the plane in Korea.)

Sister Driscoll (my new co-sister training leader) and I matched perfectly on the day we welcomed in the new missionaries. And after seeing us matching, Sister Lynn, Sister Anderson, and Sister Glauser all wanted to match too. So we made it a "red skirt" day for the Korean-Speaking sisters and got lots of weird looks. We blame it on the fact that we've been here for way too long. You've got to do SOMETHING out of the ordinary to mix things up a bit.

Sister Glauser and I sang in Relief Society this past Sunday! I was scared out of my mind. I have never sang in front of such a huge group of people. I think the biggest group of humans I've ever sang in front of consisted of about.... 20 people. But we preformed in front of every sister missionary at the MTC. You know in cartoons when the characters get really nervous and their knees start shaking in a ridiculous, non-realistic manner? That was us. I didn't know that it was even possible for my knees to move like that. But don't worry, I did it. Cross that off my bucket list. We've had complete strangers coming up to us and complimenting us on it ever since. A couple people have told us that we should make a CD. Others just claim us as their new BFF's. I'm fine with it because all of them hug me and I love hugs. I honestly feel like you can never get enough hugs as a sister missionary. 

We had a huge devotional on Tuesday night because of the training that's been going on here at the MTC over the last week. There were a bunch of new mission-related callings and so there were general authorities here training all these newly-called individuals. So not only was the auditorium full of missionaries on Tuesday, but all of the people getting trained, as well as several general authorities. Elder Bednar made another appearance! He gives the most fantastic talks. Best part of the meeting? The fact that it was broadcasted to every MTC across the world... and Sister Glauser gave the closing prayer. I guess she can check, "praying in front of a general authority" off her life bucket list. I was a proud companion. 

Anyways, I've been really focusing on the concept of "love" and trying to understand what it means to truly love. I just feel like learning to love the people around you is such a vital part of becoming a true representative of Jesus Christ. In 1 John 4:7-9, it talks about how God IS love. So my whole philosophy is that when you come to really love and understand the people around you, you are able to better understand and love God as well. In verse 11 it says: "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." Each of us is loved by the very being who created us-- He sees the best in each of us and wants us to be able to see that in others and ourselves. So my biggest goal has been to learn to love. Not just the normal, everyday, casual kind of love that gets tossed around these days like it's nothing; I want to learn to love as He did. I know that I am not capable of such love, but I know that I am capable of trying. 

In the temple today I came across this scripture: Moroni 7:48. I'm not going to go into detail about what it means to me, but I want you to take the time to read it and figure out what it means to you. In one little moment, that became my all-time favorite verse. It claimed my whole heart-- but only because it speaks to my soul. My challenge this week is to strive towards becoming the kind of person that this verse describes. It's up to  you to decide what that means.

I met an adorable old man today that I will remember for the rest of my life. I hope I get to meet him again someday. I think I'll wish for that on every shooting star I see until the day I die. I sat next to him at the temple and he was so kind and so loving towards me. His entire testimony shone vibrantly in his eyes and he shared it with every word that escaped his mouth. I liked him. He said lots of wonderful things to me that I'll keep locked up in my heart so I will always remember them. The last thing he said to me before I watched him hobble away was this: "Now sister, remember, always remember... don't be half when you can be the best." And as he said it he pointed his wrinkly finger up and down at me and I was so full of love for the man that I could barely contain it. If I ever grow up, I want to be just like him. 

My love goes out to all of you. Thank you for your love and support.
I feel it every single day, I pinky promise. 

Hey, better get Dear Elder-ing. I'm only here for 2 1/2 more weeks.

xoxo

Sister Bagley