Can you believe this is only my 4th day in the MTC? Because I definitely can't! Let's start from the beginning shall we? So I got terrified right before coming to get dropped off in front and thought I was going to die.
And the first 30 minutes of finding my room and running around with big heavy bags was sweaty and hectic, but after that I was always with my district and it all calmed down.
This place is AHmazing. Prayers, songs, and studying 24/7. It's a lot but it's great! Meet my district! We really are a family. Four Elders and my companion and I are all going to West Virginia and we are all completely different but we still find ways to have fun together. Elder Stoddard is a freshly graduated 18 year old from Syracuse, Utah. He's our silent leader and doesn't make too many jokes, but when he does they're dynamite. Elder Clawson is an 18 year old that graduated a year ago from Springville, Utah. He's....interesting :) He comes up with these super random stories that really have nothing to do with what we were talking about and we all sit there looking at him trying to figure out where that story came from. He's also done a lot of really crazy stuff so they're usually good ones. Then of course little old me! Seriously, compared to these guys I am old. Then Sister Wonnacott! She is from Death Valley area and comes from a very small religious town. She always has something to say and always seems to be crying :) We work pretty well together and have fun teaching together. Then there's Elder Bingham. He actually knows Hyrum Packard and just graduated with him. This kid is a STUD. Tell his Mom that he has got this and she does not need to worry a second about how he'll do on this mission. When the rest of us want a few more minutes to prepare lessons or something he's just ready to go and do it! He's definitely the spiritual "leader" and is always on top of everything. Next is Elder Neilson, and he might be my favorite. The first 2 days he hardly said a word and just sat there. Anytime we're walking together we'll be talking and then realize he's said the same thing 10 times and just keeps repeating it til someone notices. He always tends to walk behind all of us and likes it there. He is hilarious! He has started to open up a little bit more and he is quarky and says the weirdest but funniest things. He and Elder Bingham teach so well together it's mind blowing. Elder Bingham just loves everything about this and knows how to make everyone feel loved and he just throws that love in your face like a bucket of water. But Elder Neilson sits back and gives you the basics of how the gospel works and is very calm and balances out the intensity of his companion. These boys are GREAT missionaries. Sister Wonnacott and I love to be their investigators as they practice lessons and we just feed off of their energy. We are a family. We spend pretty much every second of the day together. Class, walking to breakfast, eating, walking back to class, any meetings, our gym time, and anything else you can think of that doesn't involve our residences. We love each other. And it's evident. And we like it that way. We have great discussions about the gospel and how to teach. Companionship study is really district study a lot of times.
And the first 30 minutes of finding my room and running around with big heavy bags was sweaty and hectic, but after that I was always with my district and it all calmed down.
This place is AHmazing. Prayers, songs, and studying 24/7. It's a lot but it's great! Meet my district! We really are a family. Four Elders and my companion and I are all going to West Virginia and we are all completely different but we still find ways to have fun together. Elder Stoddard is a freshly graduated 18 year old from Syracuse, Utah. He's our silent leader and doesn't make too many jokes, but when he does they're dynamite. Elder Clawson is an 18 year old that graduated a year ago from Springville, Utah. He's....interesting :) He comes up with these super random stories that really have nothing to do with what we were talking about and we all sit there looking at him trying to figure out where that story came from. He's also done a lot of really crazy stuff so they're usually good ones. Then of course little old me! Seriously, compared to these guys I am old. Then Sister Wonnacott! She is from Death Valley area and comes from a very small religious town. She always has something to say and always seems to be crying :) We work pretty well together and have fun teaching together. Then there's Elder Bingham. He actually knows Hyrum Packard and just graduated with him. This kid is a STUD. Tell his Mom that he has got this and she does not need to worry a second about how he'll do on this mission. When the rest of us want a few more minutes to prepare lessons or something he's just ready to go and do it! He's definitely the spiritual "leader" and is always on top of everything. Next is Elder Neilson, and he might be my favorite. The first 2 days he hardly said a word and just sat there. Anytime we're walking together we'll be talking and then realize he's said the same thing 10 times and just keeps repeating it til someone notices. He always tends to walk behind all of us and likes it there. He is hilarious! He has started to open up a little bit more and he is quarky and says the weirdest but funniest things. He and Elder Bingham teach so well together it's mind blowing. Elder Bingham just loves everything about this and knows how to make everyone feel loved and he just throws that love in your face like a bucket of water. But Elder Neilson sits back and gives you the basics of how the gospel works and is very calm and balances out the intensity of his companion. These boys are GREAT missionaries. Sister Wonnacott and I love to be their investigators as they practice lessons and we just feed off of their energy. We are a family. We spend pretty much every second of the day together. Class, walking to breakfast, eating, walking back to class, any meetings, our gym time, and anything else you can think of that doesn't involve our residences. We love each other. And it's evident. And we like it that way. We have great discussions about the gospel and how to teach. Companionship study is really district study a lot of times.
We are led by our fearless teacher, Brother Belliston. He teaches in a way that is so easy for us to understand, yet it's always mind blowing and awesome! He can always reign us in when we're getting burnt out and need help focusing again. He knows how to help us feel the Spirit and understand what our investigators will be feeling. He is awesome. The Spirit is awesome. Day 1 we had an experience with investigators in a class setting with all the new missionaries. 4 hours in to day 1 and I knew, without a doubt, that this is exactly where I'm supposed to be. I can help people. I know I can. And I know that everything I have ever gone through was so that I could help these people. There are always investigators with gold name tags wondering around campus so we can practice talking to people. We're pretty sure they get paid, but HEY! It works! Many get baptized. It's so much fun to stop and talk to them and get to know their stories a little better.
The food is ok. I really don't think it's that great. We have great options but sometimes I really wish I could make my own food. Especially since I haven't been feeling well at all. I do not know how to attach pictures. But I'll figure it out I promise. On another note, my shoes turn the bottoms of my feet orange. Both shoes. It's exciting.
This is all just so cool. I get to do the Lord's work. And I love it. I am tired though. Sleep does not come easy. We only get an hour to write in journals and do everything to get ready for bed. And then you lay in bed for at least an hour just trying to get your brain to calm down and stop running through everything that happened during the day, because there's a LOT for our poor little brains to process.
Nate and Dustin. I see Elder Mika several times a day. He absolutely towers over everyone else here. Dustin, I know you're jealous.
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| Cousin Jonathan, who works at the MTC |
Other than that life is good, except that I'll have to figure out how to get pictures to work. I love you, the Lord loves you, and the Lord loves me!
-Sister Packard
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