Weekly Email... week 3? errr 4?

Dear World!

 

First great story of the week. The people that are here long enough start talking to the  ceilings. Its true they have literally gone crazy :-)

Well that's not true they haven't gone great but they do talk to the ceilings. The ceilings have the loud speakers that double as microphone. I didn't believe it i thought it was just a joke that people talked to other people... but i finally gave in and spoke once it didn't help the lady on the other end but i felt special briefly.

 

BEST RELIEF SOCIETY EVER. Sunday Sister Dalton YW General President came and spoke to us. We were front row slightly off center it was so great. She brought it home when she reminded us that we all grew up together. She has been in YW as long as we have. How special is that? She called us her daughters and she wanted to impart her last words of wisdom before we head to the field. She shared one thing I used the very next day. When you are half way up the hill, don't stop and turn around finish at the pace that you can but don't stop! She had her husband take her hand and help her up the mountain, I got to give my gym buddy a hand while we were doing a 10 min work out and we almost gave up half way. And Christ is the one that will always reach his hand out to help us reach the top. Sister Dalton talked about how she got to see the most beautiful sunrise ever. I believe it; and I got to see the benefit of finishing a work out and feeling so awake and happy the rest of the day. I know Christ helps us through trials. It is all worth it in the end, and the view is great.

 

Something else that I've been loving hymns!!! "Heaven's view" is the line that caught my attention. I have been able to see little glimpses of heaven through the service and love and unity here at the MTC.

 

I love you all take care!

 

-Hermana O

 

PS Thank you all who have written me :-) It makes my day. Thank you Echo Ward YW for your wonderful letters I read one when I need a pick me up! ANd to all who write I'll write back eventually! Its a promise :-D

Week number... no se... 3? 2.7?

Week number... no se... 3? 2.7?  Oh well!

 

We sit around a ton.

 

Yup that's it...

 

Oh ya then we learn a ton!!!! We have a different schedule every day but the schedule is the same each week. So like mondays are the same and what not. We have three square giant meals a day. I get whatever looks good, a salad, and a desert or just chocolate milk. two cups of water and a fork knife and spoon. Sound exciting yet? :-) Its really not that much diffeent from the cannon and a byu dorm lifestyle wise. We have gym everyday excpet today thursday (p-day) and sundays. We have gym after meals and it varies on what time of day. We have class which is a mix of language leanring with a teacher and we have it for three hours straight. We split the hours up by language learning and progressive investigator learning and MTC/spiritual learning. The teachers are great and we laugh and learn and its way fun. we also have at least two hours a day of personal study which is our time to study in english any topic and i have used it for Book of Mormon reading and reviewing for lessons. Something one of the teachers said that sums up all the studying we do. The more we are focused on the purpose as missionaries and how we can help our investigator the studying will be guided. In other words as I study for myself-ish, it is ultimately for the investigator. Its like a double inspiration, I learn and grow in my life while I get to apply the same principles for the people I want to learn and grow in their lives. Its good. Oh ya and we have a Language study hour which is our own study of the lang and then an hour at the TALL lab that is computer program with studying the language stuff.

 

So this week Elder Stephen Hallstrom of the 70 spoke to us and it was great. He talked about becoming the missionary that we can be and letting a mission really be the best thing in our lives. It was great and his wife spoke about exact obedience and it was grand. All good stuff! Someone spoke on Sunday and it was good too, but i don´t remeber who. I am sure it was good. On tuesday at choir we sang precious savior its a great song.

 

Not so great news: two elders from our zone left yesterday. Its sad but true.

 

Well friends and family ciao and write if you have any questions! My goal is to write back anyone who writes me!

 

PS I see missionaries and random ppl I know everywhere its fun

 

with love and prayers,

Hermana O

The MTC experience

So I realized I grossly under described the experience called the MTC. Or CCM for us spanish speakers. So here I go again with only 16 minutos to do it justice.

You get throw in right away getting your bags to your room get your picture taken then off to class. My teacher wasted no time literally He spoke in Spanish pretty much 2/3 of the class and only english near the middle end. Is good though. I know my bro in law said that just hearing it helps and it does. Things start clicking a little faster if its well... shoved down to your brain. However, there is plenty I have to study. Obviously!

 

A little about my district. 9 ppl currently. 3 hermanas (my companions) and 6 elders. All but one are going to Texas McAllen. The odd ball is leaving in two weeks for Spain's MTC for Spanish Mission... Barsalona?

My companions are great: one from sandy one from bountiful. We;re teaching an investigator which is really our teacher but we weren't really suppose to know? Its kind of a new thing and its pretty cool cuz we will be teaching him for another week or so before we'll ever meet him as our teacher. for now he is our investigador.

Tuesday we had our first devotional guess who came? Elder Richard G Scott. He was amazing and I was in the choir so I got a great seat. Hermana H. from my old BYU ward was a  soprano with me while mis companeras were altos. But ya its great. He taught a ton but the things I got were: I am in my own place at this time and I get the chance to become better from where I am at, the censure? or correction comes from the spirit and to be a better missionary I am trying to find the areas where i can improve spiritually. Its all bout being converted myself. How powerful a truth that is! First seek to obtain my word. It was great. He also did he usual pl;ug for missionaries to keep in mind the goals after a mission of marriage and how this mission preapres for that and diligently seeking an eternal companion will be good, it may not be right away but it will be good. So ya as always he was great very down to earth.

There are some great leaders and teachers here at the MTC so many that challenge us to strech our selves and then others that give us the chance to be ourselves and feel the spirit work through us. All of it is amazing.

One last thing,.... everyday sorts of things. The weather has gotten cold at night and in the morning so we are lucky our classes and dorms are in the same building. Meals are good always eat plenty and listen to my stomach :-)

At gym time I go outside as long as its not a super cold morning. I have played volleyball literally every gym. Outside in the warm sand like around mid day is perfecto! and then the one time I played inside i did one forward dive and my knees got skinned up and raw in two small circles so its hard to kneel. But i love having fun with my zone and the other zone that is outside with us. Hermana S. is my dorm neighbor (she was my roommate in college) so that's cool.

We all sing in the shower after gym and my companions now have labeled me as the one that loves to sing and they love it when I serinade them! ha! all my family members that hate it when i sing a ton ha! well i don't sing all day just during service, showers, and apparently my companion hermana h. heard me singing in my sleep last night! oh well!

Well everyone I love you and good luck where ever and with whatever you are up too!

-Hermana O