Capitulo 1, Semana 1

Hola Familia!

WEEK #1 IN THE MTC - CHECK! What do we do in the MTC? Study. Eat. Study. Eat. Study. Eat. And when the leaders are feeling really crazy, we have a devotional! You laugh, but it is AWESOME! 

Recap of my week:

TUESDAY- I got to the MTC around 12:00 with one of my two suitcases (thankfully the one with the things I needed most - being blessed already), said bye to my grandparents (thanks again!), and checked in - let the fun begin! Because I went in with the "international" missionaries, my district/companions were from ALL over the place - it was so cool. Also, I think the Aussies are taking over the MTC because there are a TON here! Anyways, I got my passport copied, picked up my nametag (awwww:)), and dropped my stuff off in my temporary room. Then we ate lunch (so many choices) and had a lesson about the gifts we have been blessed with and power we have been given as missionaries. Then...I met some of my zone! There were only a few but on wednesday we got 11 new missionaries (aka my districto)!! I talked with my zone for a bit and then we went to dinner. I think it was the fastest I've ever downed dinner because rumors were floating around that an apostle was coming for devotional and my companions wanted to get good seats. I got to sit with the international missionaries - special treatment:) And it was an apostle!! Elder and Sister Nelson spoke about using our ancestors as guides to find those that are ready for the gospel. We sang Called to Serve (the first of a thousand...) and it was great. Went back to our room and the temperature in our room was stuck at 85 degrees and the windows are sealed. Arizona might kill me because I was dying. That night I went to bed exhausted - spiritually, physically, and mentally - but in the best way. 

WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY- Your first day in the MTC you get an orange dot that screams "I'm new" so everyone says hi to you and is super friendly but by the end of the day, I was ready to burn it. Being singled out and getting tons of attention is not my favorite thing.  It was a crazy day though! I met my district and my companion! Her name is Hermana Richards - a born in England, Canadian citizen, blond haired beauty of california and the proudest Texan I know...Different from me? Just a little. But in a lot of ways we're a lot alike! We get along SUPER well (almost too well). We keep having to remind ourselved to get to know the other hermanas of our district and not just stick to us two. All of my district is wonderful though! Our elders are so fun and humble and hardworking. I'm older than all of them but I feel like they are teaching me and being examples to me. Fun fact - my Spanish teacher's name is Jordan (Hermano) Clarke. I walked into class the first day and we recognized each other from somewhere. It took a while but we remembered we went on a group date together!! hahah HE IS AWESOME. His testimony and faith in the gospel and us as missionaries is unreal. BLESSED! We met our Branch Presidency - Pres. Wilkins, Brother Monson (T. Monson's nephew), and Brother Driggs. This last week has been the craziest/busiest/most productive week of my life. Hermana Richards and I had to take multiple breaks our first day during study time just so our brains wouldn't explode. I literally felt like I couldn't think another thought. It was great. Food here isn't all that bad and I'm learning self control. My whole perception of food has changed - it's not enjoyment purley anymore; it's energy and sustinance essential to functioning properly. 

FRIDAY- We taught our first lesson....IN SPANISH! Holy smokes. Our investigators name is Enrique and I think I learned more in that 30 minutes teacher than the entire week I've been here. Hermana Richards and I were first to teach. We had our lesson all planned out, said a prayer and knocked on the door. We introduced ourselves and said we had a message of love and peace to share. The lesson went great but he started asking questions about the Book of Mormon - where it was from, who wrote it, why we have it today and it's the same gospel as when Christ was on the earth when it wasn't needed in the time of Christ?"  We answered the questions then Hma Richards gave him her BOM and committed him to read a chapter from it. He agreed and we left. BUT then Hma Richards turns to me outside the door and said "i need my BOM back!" We knocked again and asked for it but just acted confused and apparently wasn't breaking character...! haha The most frustrating part of teaching is knowing how to say something in English and not being able to translate into Spanish. But one of the teachers there said "did you commit him to something and did he feel the spirit? What else matter?" 

SATURDAY- To give an example of how great my teachers are I have some great insights they gave me today - 

-Life (missionary work) isn't easy because salvation isn't easy.

-Spanish is like a muscle - you have to work it every day to get it stronger and it is painful BUT as more and more weight (knowledge) is piled on, that muscle just grows stronger. 

-Be the missionary your mom thinks you are! 

-The Lord has set certain standards - you're not authorized to raise or lower them. (Don't set your standards so high that you feel like a failure but don't set them so low you won't acheive anything either.)

-To learn a language you have to make a million mistakes - start making them!

In one of our lessons with Enrique he asked "why do i have to get baptized INTO A CHURCH? If I'm baptized to be cleansed of my sins, being righteous and living a good life, why is church required?" Hard question, huh? Baptism is an ordinance performed to make covenants with God. Because we aren't perfect and make mistakes, we have to constantly renew our covenants...through partaking of the sacrament which is done at church! It's crazy how much I feel I've grown and seems impossible that I could be blessed enough to grow more! But the more I learn/grow the more I see I have suuuuchhhh a long way to go! I want to serve a mission because I want to serve the Lord. However, there is this dang cycle that as I even just PREPARE to serve Him, I am being blessed SO much! I am excited to see the ways I grow in the next 19 months and the person I become.  I have felt the Spirit so incredibly stong today as well as the Lord's love for me.

SUNDAY- Best days in the MTC are sundays. If i left the mtc now, In some ways I feel like I could leave the MTC without even going into the field and be a completely changed person! Then I think of all those in Arizona ready and waiting to hear the gospel and think "just kidding!" One of the elders in my district (Elder Dunn) is really struggling with Spanish so Hma Richards and I fasted for him on Sunday and are already seeing changes. He works so hard and I just know he is going to one day speak better than all of us! Brother Bulloch (most of/all the great quotes and inspired things I've written have been from him) talked to Elder Dunn and explained in an amazing way that communication doesn't have to be words. One of the general authorities said "Preach the gospel and if necessary, use words." We had a fireside by a lady names Sister Mary Edmunds. She's about 70 and is my new role model.  She is a HOOT! She started by saying, "We are here because we believe in meetings, we hope in meetings, we have endured many meetings and hope to be able to endure all meetings. If there is anything like, or resembling a meeting, we seek after these things." It was the best. Then we watched Character of Christ by Elder Bednar. EVERYONE WATCH IT! I am changed because of it. Seriously, your next FHE is planned. You're welcome.:) Oh, also, first prayer in spanish in church! ahhh yeah! 

MONDAY- Today was pretty typical except we had a crazy lesson. We taught Enrique for a third time with the hope of committing him to baptism...! We went in and the entire lesson went awesome....except the last 3 minutes. We taught about sacrament, covenants, ordinances, the priesthood, and baptism. BUT in the last few minutes he asked "So if my mom was baptized by immersion into another church, can she be saved?" We wanted to tell him we are only accountable for what we know but neither Hma Richard or I could think of the word for accountable. Yes, we tried "accountabilidad". Not a word. We tried to get around it by saying "judged" but couldn't think of the word for that either. (Why we didn't think of responsible, who knows.) It was the first time in a lesson (1 1/2 hours of teaching) that we couldn't find a way to express what we wanted to say - and it was so frustrating! We sat there thinking for what seemed like forever and then our time was up so we said sorry our Spanish isn't very good but we'd have the anser for him next time. AND we didn't get to commit him to baptism or say a closing pray. A little annoying. But 3 minutes of being stumped out of 90 is pretty dang good, i think! And now, we'll always remember the word for accountable and judged. 

TODAY- First p-day! We studied this morning, had breakfast, and then did a session in the Provo temple! it was SO great to go again. 

We're trying to speak in spanish all that we can so the other day in line for food i bumped into someone and automatically replied "lo siento!" basically pro. I'M READY NOW. SEND ME TO AZ! My date to leave the MTC is June 24 (thanks for the b-day present Maren!) Mom it was my worst fear that you would have another kid while I was on my mission...you just couldn't say no to Maren, huh? (she is talking about a baby kitten ;) Glad to know I have another sister!:) Congrats Madi and Sara on being inducted into NJHS- just fyi, once you're in that cult, it's hard to leave! I'm so glad Carol is doing okay! She's in my prayer and I put her and her family on the prayer roll. Send me pictures of Madi's smile! Is it worth it?!:) Also, thanks for the letters sistas...!! get on that! I have seen a lot of people I know and it's always awesome when that happens! 

You wanted details mom...hopefully that sufficed! if not, sorry because I'm about to be kicked off! I love you all SO much and love hearing from you! PEACE AND BLESSING!;) 

Hermana Stewart