Don’t worry about me… I’m fine.

"I’m not homesick & I hope I stay that way." 

About August 3, 2011

Provo MTC

Dear Mom & Dad,

I forgot to mention Grandma.  Will you please tell her thank you thank you thank you for her letter?  Thanks for your email Dad and thanks for all your letters and emails Mom.  I really loved reading them.  I’m sorry you guys have been sick- but I’m glad you’re feeling better.   Dad, stake conference sounds great.  Let me know how it goes.  I was glad to hear that Girls’ camp went well too.  My district is really fun.  Elder Parker, Elder Garfield , Elder Tolman & Elder Dickerson are going to Long Beach.  Elder Hansen is going to Atlanta & Elder Young, Elder Gill and Elder Johnson are going to Baltimore MA.  Everyone is going Spanish speaking.  We spend a lot of time together .  We do all our personal companion study in the class room.  We have class in the classroom and we discuss devotionals and have district meetings in the classroom.  Funny Spanish mishap of the week:  Elder Garfield was trying to say that in 3 weeks he was going to be fat because of the MTC food, but instead of “semanas” he said “hermanas” and because the sentence was kind of broken up, it sounded like he was saying 3 sisters are fat.  And since we are in a trio (three sisters) it was extra funny.  We all got a good laugh out of that.

I get to get out of the MTC today! And go to the temple!  Sometimes I feel kind of stuck.  It’s nice to see the sun.  I like the MTC.  It’s fun to be with so many missionaries who are so individual, but are all here for the same purpose.  Don’t worry about me… I’m fine.  I’m not homesick & I hope I stay that way.  The first couple of days were a little rough because you don’t know your district very well and you don’t know what you’re doing, but everyone told me to just make it until Sunday.  And then everything gets a lot better. And it has.  I can’t believe I’ve been here for a week!  Aaah!  Crazy go nuts.  Elder Young said something kinda profound last night.  He said, even though this time at the MTC isn’t really spent on serving others, it we use it well, and change ourselves, the time will be worth it.  It won’t be a selfish use of our time.

Yesterday, Hma. Neighbor and I were quizzing each other on vocab and she said “fallar,” and it was like, one of the 2 words I couldn’t remember.  She started laughing at the irony, because the word means “to fail”.  Haha.  I’m excited for the rest of my time here.  I imagine I will be getting travel plans pretty soon.  Actually I am tired almost  all the time.  I guess that’s how everyone is.

I have written Kevin & Cheryl & Doug and Dani and Sarah Cotton today.  I don’t know if you’re desperate for news from me, but if you are you can pick Kevin & Cher and Doug & Dani’s brains.  I forgot to tell anyone this:  On Tuesday morning, at 2:15 the fire alarm went off .  My other 5 roommates thought it was an alarm clock and tried to go back to sleep until I climbed out of bed and turned on the light.  Then they asked, “Is that the fire alarm?”  We all had to go outside and wait.  Something is wrong with the system – we weren’t in danger or anything.   We all laughed about it, but there were also some threats if it went off the next night.

I’m so glad the Spanish Elders got to use my phone.  Tell them hi for me and tell them they’re awesome, too :)   Tell the Spanish folks that I’m doing well and thanks for thinking  of me.  Thank you for posting my address on facebook!  And I’m excited to hear about Hannah Morse’s mission call.  And just in case something went wrong with the email I sent you today, you can log on to my email account (myldsmail.net) and read it.  I just sent the email to ryantews@tewk.com or whatever that address is.  Okay?

Thank you so much for the letters and emails. Dearelder.com is awesome – we get it super fast, but I always love the letters that come in an envelope w/ pictures and also the emails.  The letters are my favorite. 

Have you talked to Sara Bingham yet?

I love you Mom & Dad!  Mom good luck w/ Spanish.  It sounds like your lesson went well.  They teach us to prepare lessons for people and then be completely willing to ditch the entire lesson and teach something else if that’s what the investigator needs.  I’m impressed with how much you practice!  Dad – good luck with visiting the Stake more.  I know you love to visit people & they love it too.  :)

Love, Hermana II