Week 4  One word: SCRIPTURES!

[Parent note: Rachel speaking Georgian. A whole 38 seconds of  pure heaven. She told me I had to state that she knows she messed up on a part, but its good enough. I have watched it at least a dozen times since yesterday. Whenever I need my fix, I have this. She's darling.] 

გამარჯობა ოჯახი და მეგობრები,

I can't believe it is already Wednesday, talk about a fast week! I will go through each day like usual, although this week nothing too crazy happened. Wednesday was normal; wake up, email, temple, and night class. I got a package from my companion's mom which was super sweet. The Kohn’s sent me a package as well, so if you are reading this, THANK YOU! The pumpkin bread was great, I shared it with all the girls in my zone. Thursday was interesting, I had TRC that day and I did it alone-alone. Meaning my teacher, Sister Reese, left for a medical reason a little bit before it started, so I didn't really have anyone at TRC with me. [Parent note: remember TRC is when you teach a pretend investigator who speaks your language. Usually volunteers in the area. Usually a companion group does this, however Rachel has no one so she will do this with either teacher, Sister Reese or Bro Muir] However, even though I was all alone, TRC went great! I still had no idea all what they we’re saying, but I remembered what I needed to say. PROGRESS! I didn't have a break in-between TRCs, like usual, just went right next door and did my lesson again. Hopefully tomorrow my next TRC goes just as well. Friday wasn't really that interesting I had a sub that morning since Sister Reese wasn't feeling well still. The sub served in Russia and she talked about how she got arrested on her mission, quite a funny story actually. Saturday I played 4 square with my companion’s district. I saw a dog and about died. [Parent note, Rachel loves dogs] I think I freaked my companions out, Oh well. Class was interesting, after I taught my lesson, Brother Muir proceeded to tell me that I can no longer bring any more notes to lessons. The only thing I can bring is a word book and my verb packet, that is it. Before I had every sentence planned in my notes, and now I just got to go with it. Also I teach everyday now, because my teachers are trying to get me used to making up lessons really fast, so that's.... nice. [Parent note, Rachel sarcasm] Basically if a sentence takes me 5 minutes to incorporate it in a lesson, then it takes me 5 minutes. They want me to go through the process of making a sentence on the spot since it is a little bit more complicated than English and if I get used to making sentences on the fly than I will really improve. That I will say is true. It is just a struggle. My teachers say that I am really good with grammar and I usually get all the sentences right when I write them down. So they believe if they have me do it this way my language will “sky rocket”. The thing is grammar is like a math formula, super easy, however remembering all of it on the spot and saying it verbally is a whole different ball game. There is so many ways to conjugate, so many subject charts, and object marker charts...it's insane. Georgia, why? We will see how this goes....

Companions, Sister Johnson and Sister Burrap

Armenia Sisters

Armenia/Russian sisters

Then Sunday, my favorite day of the week! Seriously, Sundays are like a breath of fresh air. You are just so spiritually uplifted all day, its soooooo nice. My companions were called as the new sister training leaders during sacrament! I hung out with my district all day since you are technically supposed to be with your district that day. I waved goodbye to the companions (which by the way it is so hard to say in English now. I automatically say "my companions" in Georgian) and joined the Armenian sisters. My district is pretty dang awesome though, not to brag but like....it's ჭეშმარიტი [translation: true]. We took a picture with the zone that day since so many of them left Monday to Russia and the Ukraine. Hopefully they are all doing well. And then Monday and Tuesday morning happened......I was not feeling oh to well those days. I don't know how to describe it, I just felt...meh I guess. Lessons didn't go well and I felt a little overwhelmed. Georgian is a little complicated at times. There are days when I read Georgian and I am like "Wow words!" And other days the words just revert back to being squiggles. My companions also had a rough time on Monday, and we didn't know what is was to be quite honest with you. Tuesday morning was  worse I think for me. I did some service and class went okay. I learned some grammar, and I almost cried in class. It wasn't that I wasn't getting it, although sometimes I think oh great more things to know and so little time to learn them. I do feel that I have been stagnant recently because I can't remember a lot of the grammar I’ve learned as well as words I needed to have memorized. Sometimes is just all gets jumbled together. Like I said, sooooo many subject marker charts and that's only one step in the 7 step process of making a conjugated verb. However after class, the day really improved. I was with the Armenian sisters since my companions had a workshop. I just stayed with the Armenian sisters the rest of the day since we had district devotional review that night it worked out great. I played basketball with the district which was really fun. And that brings us to today. Not too bad of a week. Today is Halloween and me and my companions are dressing up like each other. So I will be a Russian missionary for half the day. I will take pictures, but you probably won't see it until next week. I made a video of me saying the Missionary’s Purpose in Georgian, so you guys can have a taste of what it sounds like. Hopefully that sends. [Parent note: it didn’t send we had to download it from her portal. She did want me to state that she knows she messed a little...for those of us that speak Georgian, LOL!] 

Zone Sisters. Consists of Russian, Ukraine, Armenia and of course 1 Georgian Sister.

The Whole Zone. So many left this past Monday for Russia, Ukraine and Armenia

I want to end on a spiritual note before I close this week's email. One word: SCRIPTURES! Do you know how cool the scriptures are? I can't believe it took me this long to realize this!  I LOVE foot notes they are soooooo cool. I just go down the rabbit hole and BOOM! Knowledge! Talk about an epiphany. I have been studying humility and diligence these past few week and the two have really helped me with being a better missionary. For me I really need to work on diligence. I think sometimes I am stuck between being compelled and being anxiously engaged in my mission. My mission, at first wasn’t really something I necessarily wanted to do. The main reason I went was because in my heart Heavenly Father was like, "yeah Rachel, I'm gonna need you to go on a mission." So getting fully over some of those feelings is sometimes a little tough. I am really starting to love my mission, so my compulsion is starting to switch to being anxiously engaged, it’s just a slow process sometimes. Some days I'm like "Heck yes I am missionary!" and other days I'm like "Oh yeah I'm missionary".  It's confusing at times, but the scriptures have really helped me through all of this. I need to continue to be patient and keep doing what I am doing, putting my all into it, and I know the Lord will help me with the rest. 

  

     That basically was my week, I teach every day this week besides Sunday of course. So kinda of a busy week, hopefully my lessons continue to get better. I am doing good, so nothing super crazy to worry about. Until next week!

-და ჯენსენი