I LOVE BEING CALLED "HERMANA"

"I am glad to hear that my name will become a vain repetition in Scotty's prayers. "

Wed, Jul 27, 2011 at 10:17 AM

Hola Familia!

I am at the MTC.  Mom I think I might have Cheryl's license and zoo thing in my camera case.  I will look today and send it to her if I do.  Sorry Cheryl!  Thank you for all the good letters and emails.  It took me four minutes to read the emails - I sped read them - so I will have lots of time to respond.  Hopefully I can read them again before I get logged off the computer.  My companions are Hermana Murray and Hermana Neighbor. They are both great.  I really love them.  I haven't been sick or homesick at all this week.  So don't worry about me.  I mean I haven't been sick since getting to the MTC.  We have taught a "progressing investigator" three times already in Spanish.  We figured out that he is actually going to be our other teacher - haha.  He only speaks Spanish to us and doesn't understand us if we say a word in English.  so... that has been...fun :)  We started teaching him on Friday.  CRAZY!!!  We watched a video of him explaining who he was and what questions he had about the church and then we prepared a lesson for him based off of that.  We memorized some phrases in Spanish and taught him about the restoration.  He asked us why the gospel made us happy and we were all able to answer him even though we had only really learned to pray, bear our testimony, and about three other sentences.  I felt the Spirit really strongly and I was so amazed at the things I was able to say.  I told him that the gospel brings me happiness because families can be together forever.  I asked him about his son, Shoney, (Lloni?) and told him that they could be together as a family even after death.  I could not believe what I was able to say.  I'm SURE it wasn't perfect, but he understood me, and I think he felt the spirit, so that is good.  His name is Rigoberto, but we're all pretty sure that Rigoberto actually attends BYU and is going to be teaching us in a few weeks.  haha  One of my companions has been sick, so we weren't able to go to choir, but we plan on going in the future.  My district is really great.  The elders in my district are really sincere people who want to learn and study and be awesome.  However, we sometimes get distracted about other things and talk too much.  We eat together and have a good time.  Before I forget - Mom can you forward this to Mary Katherine?  Look on my gmail and send it to her gmail account.  I love you Mary Katherine!!!!  Thanks so much for your letter.  I have gotten a lot of mail since getting here and I feel really blessed.  I got a dear elder from Mom, a letter from Mom, a letter from Cher and the kids, a letter from Doug, a letter from Sarah Cotton, one from Rachelle Romney and all the emails.  Sorry if I forgot someone.  I love hearing from you all.  I loved the pictures Mom.  And I loved the scripture you wrote for me, Cheryl.  Thank you thank you thank you!  If you can, send me snail mail or a dear elder.  I get them faster and throughout the week instead of just on P-day.  I am so grateful for the mail.  It really makes my day.  I love you guys a lot. 

    The elders in my district are going to Long Beach, Baltimore, and Atlanta.  Hermana Murray is going to Honduras, and Hermana Neighbor is going to Guatemala.  Can you tell Sue that Elder Garfield is in my district and he's awesome?!  He's a really good guy.  He lived at the Clark's house for several months - one of Ben's roommates :) 

      Oh happy birthday Doug!  and Paul  and Dani pretty soon!  I hope they are/were fantastic.  Doug-  I am glad to hear that my name will become a vain repetition in Scotty's prayers.  I would feel privileged to be right up there with the Christmas tree and presents.  haha. 

     Last night we had a devotional by an emeritus general authority Dennis Simmons and his wife.  He talked about how it doesn't matter what got you to the mission.  what matters is:  what are you going to do about it now.  He talked about having patience - which is enduring faith. He said that missions are the most wonderful, awesome thing, and that we should take advantage of the opportunity to sanctify ourselves.  He told us that we can become something awesome if we work hard.  I've already been here a week - only two more!  and I need to take advantage of this time to study the gospel and the language. 

   They have a new curriculum at the MTC that is focused on helping missionaries learn the things they need for right now.  In other words - not a lot of explicit grammar at first.  They have a little red book that has verb conjugations, a little dictionary (mostly missionary vocab) and an awesome section at the front that outlines every subpoint of every lesson with vocab lists too.  So, there is a page called The Gospel Blesses families.  And under that it has four sentences in English that explain that in more detail with Spanish translations.  They have a couple of optional endings for sentences so you can form a few different sentences.  Then they have a list of vocab.  I have been memorizing the sentences in English and Spanish.  Hermana Murray has been sick, so I have been doing a lot of studying at home.  Yesterday Hermana Neighbor and I were about to go crazy so we walked around our dorm and talked about ourselves for a while and then quizzed each other on vocab.  I know a lot of the things they teach us. But I have learned how to pray and bear my testimony, so that has been awesome. I have also been able to practice a lot.  I have learned a lot.  I don't feel bored in class.  It is so nice to be able to go to the field to exercise.  I've played frisbee and volleyball and that has been so fun.  I never see the sun at the MTC, so it's nice to get out.  REALLY NICE.  Well, I have three minutes and I'm going to try to re-read some emails.  I love you all so much and I am so grateful for all the letters and emails you send me!  Hopefully you got my snail mail letter already mom.  Yo sé que José Smith es un profeta verdadero y yo sé que Dios es Nuestro Padre Celestial. 

Love, love, love! 

Hermana Tew.   (I love being called Hermana)

I HAVE A NAME TAG!

"If you treasure up knowledge, the Spirit will help you teach and express the truth of the gospel."

Dear Familia,
   I can't believe I'm a missionary.  I have a name tag!  I am feeling a little better today.  Yesterday I didn't feel completely normal.  Last night, we were talking about how tired we were and my roommates were saying how late they had stayed up the night before.  I didn't tell them how late I had stayed up - or how early I got up.  I thought it would be good to keep the vomiting statistics to myself.  Yesterday we had a meeting w/ the MTC presidency.  They are really great!  459 missionaries entered the MTC yesterday and 3 of them were from Wyoming :)   I have two companions - Sister Murray is from Atlanta & she is going to Honduras.  Sister Neighbor is from Cedar City and she is going to Guatemala.  They are both nice.  The other 3 girls in my room are absolutely hilarious.  They like to have fun.  They are always telling us really funny stories. I have seen 4 people I know, so far.  I saw my roommate Katelyn!  She lives in my building on the floor below me.  Yesterday we had Spanish class for only a few minutes.  We learned como se llama?  De donde es usted?  Cuantas personas hay en su familia?  Our district is part of a pilot program that is going to be implemented across the MTC in a few weeks.  One of the Elders in my district is one of Ben Clark's best friends.  I haven't actually talked to him yet - but Sue told me ahout him.  Last night the new missionaries were in a room & an "investigator" came in.  He sat on a couch & just acted like a normal person.  He talked on the phone to his daughter and then the missionaries knocked on his door.  He had met with the missionaries about 6 years before.  When he talked you could tell he was genuinely interested.  It was awesome.
     It has taken me so long to write this letter because I am very busy.   My district is great.  The elders seemed really uncomfortable around us for a while, but they have gotten a little more used to us.  haha  My teacher is excellent too.  I will be learning a lot. :)  I'm really glad that I studied a lot & I hope I can learn and apply a ton while I am here.  Our district is together a lot.  We meet in the same classroom everyday.  In fact, we just leave our stuff in there, or some of it.  I have learned to say a prayer, meet someone, & bear testimony.  We taught a lesson today in Spanish.  Yes, I know that that is insane.  We watched a short video of Rigoberto, our investigator, & we heard him talk about his experience with missionaries & his family.  So, we planned a lesson around that  (the Restoration), memorized stuff, and prayed a lot.  Hermana Murray wanted to go first (all companionships taught the same guy.)  So we did.  He spoke to us in Spanish & said stuff we didn't understand.  But we asked him questions & prayed & bore our testimony, and it was really great.  Hermana Murray ended our testimonies by saying that the gospel made her happy.  Then he asked why the gospel made us happy.  It took awhile for us to understand what he was asking.  But we all answered him & I actually talked a lot about how the gospel brings me happiness because through the gospel families can be together forever.  It was really crazy - I couldn't believe I was talking to him & that I could share what I wanted to share.  The Spirit really helped us.  If you treasure up knowledge, the Spirit will help you teach & express the truth of the gospel.  After we left the room (we didn't ask to set a return appt. - we didn't know how) but he (the pretend investigator) knew we were meeting tomorrow and said, can you come tomorrow @ 9:00?  :)  So we are teaching him AGAIN tomorrow (Sat.)  We spent about 2 1/2 hours preparing a lesson tonight & we hope it goes well tomorrow and that we have the Spirit.  We all felt really blessed.
    Well, querida familia, I am excited to be a missionary - now & later.  I would really appreciate it if you could send letters over emails if possible.  I can only write on P-days (except the first week - they said to write home and say "I am breathing, but I am so tired I have to check my pulse once in awhile to make sure."  I have had a letter from Rachelle (she wrote me before leaving the MTC - I think) & Mary Katherine.
    I hope all is beautiful in WY!  I sat by a counselor in the MTC pres. today @ lunch and he said that he used to be the stake Pres. of Gillette, when it was w/ Rapid City.  The stake split while he was pres. (He lived in RC.)  He was happy to know that Wright is a ward & that Gillette has 4 wards. :)
   At the MTC, everyone says Hola to the Hermanas & stuff.  Companionships come over and want to share things - testimonies - or make contacts.  It's great!
    I'm not homesick at all.  or sick.  I love you a lot a lot a lot a lot a lot.  Be good!
Love, Hermana Tew
     P.S. Make sure to tell Doug that I play four-square for part of gym time & I think of him.  I think he used to do that.  Love you!
     P.P.S. How did Paul's tests go?