Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Merry Christmas!

yup! Today is the technical birthday of Christ! And we are all excited about it! And about 20 minutes ago I got to See Jennie Adams, as I was walking home from the temple!! It was sooo awesome! I didn't think that I was going to see her until 3 years, so that was a sweet treat! And I also found out today that I have a brand new nephew!!! Yay!!! I am so excited! Today is such a great day! And to top all of that we had christmas for 2 whole days this past weekend aka CONFERENCE! I really enjoyed it! I did things differently than I ever have in the past! We were teaching one of our "progressing investigators" And we told him to write questions down that he wanted answered at conference. So I figured I should do the same thing and I got some great answers! My favorite talk was by M. Russell Ballard about the small and simple things that we can do! It just really touched me for some reason! Then later on Sunday night we had a fireside with Vai Sikahema he is a sports announcer in Philadelphia. He brought one of his converts from his mission with him to illustrate some of the greatest rewards we can receive on our mission! It was really powerful! I enjoyed it tons! It made me that much more excited to get to California which is just 3 weeks away! This week our district became the oldest distict in the zone it's way weird! Also me and my companions are now the only sisters in the Zone! Because the other sisters left 2 for their missions, and 1 suddenly had to go home for medical problems but she was supposed to leave for her mission hopefully she'll only be home a week or 2 but no one really knows!, and then our roommates left for Guatemala, so now we don't have roommates again! It's very weird! Anyway well I love being here on my mission, and I'm grateful for the Love and support of everyone!

Love, Hermana Love

1 Month Left!!

So I guess I've been in the MTC for a while because absolutely everything is blending together and I don't really remember what happened last week! Crazy! Well with that being said this will probably be short due to the fact that I have no idea what to write about. Anyway well it was our second and last fast Sunday here in the MTC and it was really great! All but 4 out of 28 in our entire  zone bore our testimonies on Sunday it was a really spiritual experience, plus it was really great because the night before we studied more about the true meaning of fasting, and so fasting had so much more meaning for me, I'll be honest most fast Sundays in my life I have just gone without food, but not truly fasted. So this time was one of the best experiences ever. We also had mission conference which was really great! our MTC president talked about the atonement it was a great talk. Also for the fireside that night we had Brother Allen who was our first fireside speaker when we got to the MTC I really enjoy hearing from him, he talked about expectations and told us how as missionaries our expectation should be directly lined up with the Lord's expectations, and we must have his purpose in mind it was great! So yesterday morning I got up and told my companions that Elder Perry was coming that day, since we have devotionals on Tuesdays, and we got to the devotional and it was.... not Elder Perry but it was James M. Dunn a emeritus of the 70, his talk was great on finding people as missionaries and loving people without judging. However when I realized Elder Perry had not come I realized he really did because we watched a clip of him earlier that day! So prayers really are answered. Anyway that's pretty much what's been happening in my life, it's really great!  Oh and ALL the prophet and the apostles will be at the MTC this weekend, Saturday and Sunday!!! And us missionaries cannot wait! Oh wait I guess they'll be on your TV's too so watch it!!! Well I love you all, and you know what I also love? Letters, so PLEASE write! The gospel is true!

Love, Hermana Love

Monday, March 28, 2011

Pictures

Getting ready to pack for the mission. The bags are packed! This is what I am taking!

Our districts nametags!

My awesome District! Top: Elder Bayles, Elder Rauckhorst, Elder Smith, Elder Miller (District Leader)
Bottom: Elder Johnston, Elder Dennis, Me, Hermana Thompson, Hermana Cruz

Me and my awesom comps!

My companions and roommates at our Temple walk.
L to R: Hermana Tippetts, Hermana Holder, Hermana Spiller, Me, Hermana Thompson, Hermana Cruz

1 Month Anniversary!!

That's right! I have been in the MTC for a whole month now! Time is flying by soo fast! I feel like I am running to keep up with time, and I also feel like that Spanish is leaving me behind as well, until I remember that the only important thing is that I am learning more Spanish everyday, even if it is just a little bit more. Anyway this week has flown by like crazy! I'm trying to remember what happened this past week, oh we got a new district in our zone last week, and the sisters in the district are our roommates! And our zone leader's district just left on Monday so we are on to our 3rd set of zone leaders and we have been promoted to the 2nd oldest district in the Zone! Also on Saturday night one of our teachers Hermana Harrison, showed us a recording of a talk that Elder Holland gave at the MTC years ago that really has and will change my entire mission! I don't even know how to explain it. I was really sad when I heard that only the MTC has access to this talk, because I wanted to study it more, luckily I took good notes. Here are a FEW things he said. He said that all we have to do as missionaries is be our best selves not the best! He talked about how missions are the most important thing you will ever do, and that we should not come home early ever!! Because we will regret it and there is nothing worse than living with regret! The part that really got to me is he said many of you will ask at some point why is a mission so hard? I'm being obedient, I'm teaching the truth, why is it so hard? He answered that it was because salvation was not a cheap experience. It was not meant to be easy nor will it ever be easy. It wasn't easy for the savior, nor will it be easy for us. We won't even experience a fraction of what the lord went through for us. Anyway it was really amazing! It made me think who am I to say that waking up at 6:30 is hard or that learning a language is hard, I did not go through the atonement! And my attitude has sky rocketed since then! Anyway so that was the exciting thing, oh and last night for our devotional Elder Costa from the presidency of the 70 came to speak to us, it was awesome! He taught about the spirit and how he was baptized 2 days after his first missionary discussion! It was great! Oh also it's the MTC's 50th anniversary and so you might see us in the news or something because ever since we've gotten here there's been camera people like crazy! Well time's almost up! The gospel is true! Jesus Christ did atone for us, and I love you all!!!

Love, Hermana Love

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

1/3 a way finished!

Hello everybody!
Well yet another week has gone by in the good ole' Provo MTC! It's been a crazy and exciting week! Through this week me and my distrcit have decided we are the district of change. Because On Sunday we showed up to our 2nd sacrament of the day, our district actually had the opportunity to put on the sacrament for the cafeteria staff in the morning, both my companions gave talks and they were great! Anyway so when we went to our regular zone sacrament, I knew something was up because a counselor in the MTC presidency was there, and a few couples were there as well, and then we found out that are branch presidency was going to be released, our branch president had served for 4 years so it was time, but our new president seems great and one of the counselors is the same still! Anyway so we start off a new branch presidency. Also we normally have a large group meeting but they are changing the curriculum so we found out our meetings are canceled. Also 2 of our elders in our district just left for the Guatemala MTC yesterday and one was the district leader, so we have a new one, now and now there's only 7 of us! And then shortly after we get to Arcadia we will get a new mission president! Pretty crazy! And on top of that today we got a new district, and there are 3 sisters in the district and they are mine and my companions new roommates! I'm excited to get to know them! It will be fun I think. Also last week our district was chosen to be part of a recording for a health and safety meeting that will now be online in all the MTC's because currently they only have the meeting here, so I'm pretty much famous now! Anyway I'm still trying to learn Spanish and the gospel and I've felt the spirit soo strongly this past week, and our district has really bonded! It's really great! I LOVE being a missionary! Well take care all! Love ya, and remember the gospel is true!
Love, Hermana Love

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Week 2 down!!

Well hello family and friends!
Well I've had quite a great week this past week, The MTC is awesome! I love it! Anyway so not sure what I've already said so far, but on Sundays as a zone we get to take a temple walk and go to the Provo temple and take pictures! It's a good time! But anyway I guess it must feel like I've been a missionary for a long time, longer than I really have. Because this past Sunday we were just beginning our temple walk and crossing the street at The MTC, well at the same time there was a couple walking towards the MTC in the middle of a bunch of missionaries. Well this couple was holding hands, and I swear all the missionaries took a double take, and then we realized that they are not missionaries and they were indeed aloud to do that. So I guess I really have been a missionary for a while now to think that is weird. Anyway me and my companions are enjoying getting to know each other better, it's super fun, especially since we are a trio we get to cover more distance and be in 3 different places at once by having one person stand in the middle of the hall or something it's great! Also we have these progressing investigators so we can practice teaching lessons, who are actually are teachers pretending to be actually investigators they had on their missions, and having those experiences has really brought the spirit into our lives. Yesterday me and my companions even committed both our investigators to be baptized. It felt soo good! I can't wait till we have real investigators to bring the happiness and gospel to them! It will be awesome! Anyway also the Spanish, well it's coming a long slowly but surely. Also we used to have 3 roommates living in our room with us, but last week one left and she found out only the day before that she was leaving, and the other 2 left this week, so now it's just our companionship in our room till new sisters room with us, which is good because we can get to know each other better now. Oh also we get a new district in our zone today, which means we are no longer the babies, which is exciting, but now we don't get any excuses because were not the youngest. Anyway, I guess that's it for now. Oh P.S. did I mention that you all are aloud to write me at the MTC, I think most of you missed that memo.
 Well I love you all lots! until next week!
Love, Hermana Love
oh also I guess I'll bear my testimony in spanish to prove that I really am learning some things
me gustaria testificar, yo se que el libro de mormon es verdadero y es palabras de dios. Yo se ques Jose Smith fue un profeta. Yo se que Thomas Smonoson es la profeta en la tierra hoy. Yo se que mi padre celestial vive y nuestro padre nos ama. En el nombre de jesucristo amen.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

1 Week Down!!

Well hello family!

You should be excited! Why? Because this is your first email from Hermana Love! Yay! And I survived my first week, Thanks to my 2 companions, Sister Cruz, and Sister Thompson. We have been having a great time. Also I have already learned a lot! I've learned to both pray and bear my testimony in Spanish. However it still needs improvement. People aren't joking when they say you go and go and go all day long. But it's great I feel so productive. My district is way awesome as well. We are like family. This district includes me and my 2 companions, and 3 sets of Elders. All but one companionship in our district is going to California, Arcadia. Me and my companions as well as our whole district joined the MTC choir, which is funny because whenever we sing in class we don't sound so good, because we are concentrating, so much on how to say the words instead of on how the tune goes, but I think we do better at choir where it's English. Anyway those rumors about the MTC food being gross, is not true! I mean it's not the best but it's still good. On Sundays we have firesides, so this past Sunday our fireside was given by Scott B. Allen who is the missionary director. Anyway it was exactly what I needed to hear, he basically talked about how as missionaries we experience all sort of turbulence and said not to let it get us down. It was great! Then last night we had our first devotional where we, the MTC choir sang come thou fount. Our Speaker was Brother Richard G. Edgley who is a counselor in the presiding bishopric. He gave a great talk as well, telling us how important our call was, and that we are all equal because we all hold the mantle to carry and share this gospel. he said we are the most prepared missionaries because of all the resources we have. Also I love all the letters you wrote me which was no one, except Stacey and Troy oh and apparently I have a package which I'm going to pick up after this which I assume is from Mom, but I could be wrong. Well we don't get a lot of time and my time is almost up, so I'll probably write a letter as well today! Love you all much!!!!

Love, Hermana Love