MTC Week 7...I Think

Yeah, I think it's week 7. The time here is just all blending together now and I hardly even know what day it is. On the plus side, I'm leaving soon! In fact, when I e-mail you next week it will be the last e-mail I send from Provo. I'll be getting my flight plans tomorrow and will know exactly when I leave. So for all of you who write letters, DON'T send me anything after next Monday, unless you're positive it will be here by Friday or Saturday. And don't send me any dearelders past next Thursday night because they aren't printed on Saturdays. As much as I hate to say no more letters... well, no more letters. At least here in Provo. After next Thursday-ish you can start sending letters to Albuquerque. I don't have the address with me right now, but it should be on my blog. If not, mom would you get that updated por favor?

Okay. On to my week. It wasn't too bad of a week.

Wed: We went to the temple--always a highlight! I'm going to miss being able to go every week. We also ate breakfast up there and consequently ate ice cream for lunch. So much better than MTC food. I'm starting to get sick of it all, and my stomach is really excited to get to New Mexico so I can stop eating mass-produced food. We were on our way to the cafeteria for our ice cream and I couldn't find my blue-card (necessary to get meals). I thought I'd left it in my wallet, so back to the classroom we head to get it. We get almost back to the cafeteria and I open my wallet... No blue card! I think I must have left it on my bed after we went to the temple. Nope. Not there either. I'm really freaking out by this point. We go back to the classroom and I open up my bag, and there it is. Right where I always leave it. Way to go Hermana. Our TRC was horrible... we're not going to talk about it. Let's just say that we could hardly understand a word our "investigator" said and he was "muslim". Recipe for disaster. We sang "I Know that My Redeemer Lives" with our zone, as the last 4 Elders from District A were leaving Thursday morning.

Thurs: Solamente hable en espanol. We were playing a game in our district called "Nativo" where there are 2 "native" speakers and the others had to guess who it was. I wasn't it, but everyone thought I was! Go me! We had the RC that night. I had an inbound call to whom I sent the missionaries, and Hermana Waldrop had an outbound call to a 16 year old boy who had read the BOM and prayed about it and realized that it could change his life. He'd given it to his friend to read and wanted another. Hermana W told him that she'd call his mom and see if she could send the missionaries to visit him (his mom was already in bed--9:30 Alabama time). Our new roommates got their flight plans that day. They leave Tuesday morning. Good grief! We also auditioned again to sing our Song "The Olive Tree." (I mentioned it last week). Sister Beeson told us that she wants us to sing it at our departure devotional next Sunday night. That's a recipe for disaster knowing how much I cry, but I'll make it. I made it through my talk the Sunday before I left without crying, didn't I?

Fri: Much better day. I got a package from my family who had all been in town for a reunion. Thanks for the cookies and candy bars. I did cry when I saw the family picture (though that wasn't anything new for this week because every time I thought about my family being in Utah and not being able to see them I wanted to cry.) We took some language assessments that morning. We'll be taking them another time or two before we leave, but I didn't do too bad. I saw Elder McRae that afternoon and told him goodbye in case I didn't see him again before he flew out this morning (Wednesday). Yep, I'm now here without any family, though I have many friends, and at least one more coming in today! I also got my first volleyball injury. Mom, I can see your face. Don't worry. It was just a bruised knuckle from hitting the ball funny. It didn't even swell up. ;)

Sat: I was so out of it all day long. I don't know why. Actually, our whole district was out of it. Our teachers HATED it. I'm blaming it on the fact that it was overcast and rainy... and I just plain want to leave. I'm really getting sick of MTC food and sitting in the same desk in the same classroom all day, every day. Anyone who knows me well knows how much I hate to sit in desks. Hermana Waldrop and I made the call back to that boy's mother--she's allowing the missionaries to come over! I think we're going to call him back tomorrow night when we're in the RC to make sure they did visit him. I got a letter from my favorite Jamie Moon (I can say that, she's the only Jamie Moon I know!) It made me smile! I loved the quote... and the memories... and the randomness. Yes James, we are still in the same city, for another week and a half before I take off down the road on a bus to the airport. Keep those letters coming! Hermana Waldrop y yo also made our appointments for our final week here! That was exciting!

Sun: I spoke in church, en espanol, about knowledge. It was kinda fun. We took one final temple walk, because this week we'll be at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Dedication and next week we'll be busy saying goodbye and doing a sound check and getting ready to leave. We did our study in el Libro de Mormon at the temple. That made for a nice afternoon. Sister Susan W. Tanner was our speaker in Relief Society. She gave an amazing talk about the Relief Society. She has always been one of my favorite speakers. Our fireside that night was also really good, though I don't remember who spoke. He spoke about "Our Purpose" (See pg. 1 Preach My Gospel). He went 25 minutes over, thus causing the Sunday night movies to be canceled, but we had an extra hour to unwind in our rooms. That was amazing and so needed.

Monday: It was Hermano Downs' last day. He is getting married on Friday so we'll have subs for the last 2 weeks. We took a district picture with him. We did service that morning. Hermana Waldrop y yo did stocking in the bathrooms and took out the trash. I got letters and pictures from my family. Again, the pictures made me cry... and I really enjoyed reading the novel from Mom. Thanks for sharing the details, as much as it really made me wish I could have been there with you. It didn't make me cry though... I don't think. I also got the dearelder you sent me from Sister Sorensen's blog. What a story! Joy, if you're reading this, and I know you are... well, first off Hi! Tell her hi for me. I'm going to try to write her soon, but can't guarantee when I'll get around to it. Preparation day at the MTC is quite busy with not a lot of time, and like I said, I've got a novel to respond to :) But I like those long letters, so don't start writing less because you think I don't have time. I have plenty of time for reading letters from my family and writing back to them. My friends can wait for a few weeks, but my family can't.

Tues: We taught Lesson 2 twice en espanol. They went pretty good. We weren't able to sing in the choir because too many people showed up to the rehearsal so anyone who wasn't there on Sunday was asked to leave. We were at the temple so didn't go. Whatever. We still got good seats... and were able to sit on the FLOOR in the hallway while we waited. You have no idea how good that felt! I saw Elder McRae--who was able to sing in the choir-- before the devotional. I told him goodbye. That was no fun, but I didn't cry like I did when I said goodbye to Sister Sorensen. No offense to Elder McRae... I can't hug him and I've been used to not seeing him on a regular basis. I still miss him, but he'll be a great missionary, and I'll follow that path to the airport in less than 2 weeks! I got a dearelder from Kayla. I'm going to try to write you back today, but no promises. Mom had actually told me you were engaged, and I tried to send a card but it was returned to me twice, so I threw it away and gave up. I am thinking about you though! I loved hearing from you. Oh yeah. The devotional. Our speaker was Elder Spencer V. Jones from the 2nd quorum of 70. He spoke about Ammon and King Lamoni in Alma 17 and 18. If you have time, go read those chapters. They're amazing!

Well, I'm almost out of time. Mom, sorry you're going to have to wait another whole week to get my flight plans, but I figure that you'd rather wait for those and get my letter. I won't stick it in the mail until tomorrow, so if you get this in the next hour and a half and want me to wait to send my letter until I have my flight plans, let me know in a dear elder.

I love you all!

Hermana Good