Hola familia,

Soo....noone emailed me today.....cool.  It's okay though because I just came from the temple so I feel happy!  This week has flown by...it's weird to think I'm leaving here in 3.5 weeks.  I sometimes forget that I'm not going to be in the MTC forever.  On Tuesday, while Hermana Varley and I were eating lunch, we heard our names being called on the intercom.  We totally thought we forgot our scriptures somewhere because usually they call you up if you get your visas or you forgot something.  We both don't need visas so we just assumed we forgot something.  We went and got a notice that we'll be getting a new companion.  Yup 5 1/2 weeks in the MTC, and BAM we're a trio.  I really think Heavenly Father seriously gets a kick out of doing things like this to me.  Our new companion is Hermana Garcia and she is from Farmington, Utah and she'll be serving in the Arizona Phoenix Mission.  Yup she's Mexican and is also learning the language....just like me.  Except she looks more Mexican than me (who doesn't?).  We're still adjusting to being a trio because me and Hermana Varley get along so well.  We came to the conclusion that Heavenly Father thought we needed more stretching to do in the MTC so he gave us this opportunity.  It's funny because every Sunday and Tuesday night devotional, they always talk about companionships and how we should love them and their differences.  To be honest, I didn't pay too much attention to it just because I didn't have ANY problems with my companion.  Seriously, our companionship inventories aren't very long because we don't have problems with eachother.  I really think me and Hma. Varley were BFF in the pre mortal existance or something.  It's just been different having a third companion to worry about it, but she has lots of great qualities and I know Heavenly Father put us together.  Companionships are greatly inspired....you can see it all over the MTC...I love it. 

         We commited our second investigator to baptism! Woo!  His father passed away when he was 9 so we really stressed on Eternal Families and the Plan of Salvation.  When we extended the invitation to be baptized, he quickly said "si claro que si!!"  I got so excited...I know it's not real and it's kind of a nerdy of me, but can you imagine how it's going to be out in the field?!  Our other investigator said she might get baptized....she just wants to know for sure if our message is true.  It is...duh! Just kidding...but seriously, I do want to say that sometimes :)  The devotionals this week were amazing! On Sunday Brother Stephen Allen (whos a director @ the MTC or somethin like that) and he spoke about hymns.  I LOVE hymns.  I'm pretty sure I feel the spirit the most when I'm listening to hymns.  We would sing different hymns that can help us become better missionaries/ better disciples of Christ.  So we sang: Be thou humble, Choose the right, I am a Child of God etc.  After we sang each hymn, he would explain how we could apply it in our lives.  Hymns are like scriptures.  Pay attention to the lyrics you are singing, especially the ones about the Savior.  The Spirit always touches my heart and I reflect on the Atonement and what it means in my life.  Hymns are definitely my favorite and I encourage all of your to memorize your favorite hymn and to hum or sing it whenever you are facing temptation or an evil thought is clouding your mind.  As a missionary, all the songs in my head are hymns and it helps me SO much because it always invites the Spirit.

    On Tuesday we had Elder Donald L. Hallstrom of the 70 come.  He was great!  He talked about the legacy we are establishing right now for our children and future generations.  He said "When I see you all...I don't see just missionaries...I see your children".  He also said that who he is, how he thinks and the desires of his heart are shaped because of his mission.  My mission really will shape not only my life but for eternity.  It really made me reflect what kind of missionary I want to be.  I've already made that decision a long time ago but saying it is alot easier than doing it :)  I want to be a great missionary because I love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and I want to serve them to repay just a lil of all the blessings they've given me.  i'm also doing this for my future children....they deserve it because I KNOW they are God's elect.  Serving a mission is the best thing I can be doing right because it's not only beneficial for the church but for myself as well.  I hope you are well! I love you all so much and pray for you. 

Love,

Familia!

It has been a great week, as always.  The MTC does has its ups and downs but its mostly ups :)  I went to the TRC last saturday (Jack you should volunteer...I think I go every Saturday at 10 or 11) and I loved it!  At first me and Hermana Varley were super nervous just because we were teaching someone other than our teachers.  They've changed the TRC since that last time I volunteered which was like a year ago.  When I went, I would pretend to be either an investigator or a less active and I would have a whole story set up for me.  Then the missionaries would teach me based on my needs.  So thats what I was expecting, but its actually members of the church and they aren't role playing.  We basically leave a spiritual thought and it's more focused on trying to know what the Spirit is telling you.  So we had two appointments.  One was with a girl named Bertha, she's from Mexico and is studying at UVU.  She had the Ensign magazine next to her and I felt prompted to ask her about it and we ended up talking about General Conference and what a blessing it is to hear it twice a year.  Then we taught the Kitchen family.  They are actually serving a mission but their mission is serving as volunteers at the MTC, cute huh? They are both returned missionaries so we talked about the blessings of serving a mission.  The lessons were definitely inspired by the Lord because together as a companionship we only prepared on teaching some of the Restoration.  But we ended up not talking about that at all.  I love how the Spirit works! So we LOVE the TRC. It's so less intimidating, for sure. 

I went to the temple this morning and I remembered Jeff telling me that their breakfast was good so my district and I ate there.....yup Jeff was right...bomb breakfast...we ate actual eggs today! I forgot what those taste like.  So I'm glad atleast one thing Jeff told me was right :)

So every Sunday and Tuesday night we have MTC devotionals.  Tuesdays is usually when General authorities come so my companion and I always join the choir hoping we could get good seats....that's basically the only reason because we both have horrible singing voices.  We just mouth the words...especially on the really high parts.  Theres a camera that films the choir and we always try to avoid it because its SO distracting seeing your face on two huge screens and then I forget the words and just look dumb.  So we've sang every week and never had the camera on us....until last Tuesday.  Yup zoom close up of mine and my compa's face....BUT it's okay....because Elder Richard G. Scott from the Quorom of the 12 was here! An apostle saw my face! Yup, I'm famous.  I guess its the only time thats acceptable to have my face that big. 

Enough about my face, Elder Scott's talk was AMAZING!    He really stressed on listening to the promptings of the spirit and writing them down so you won't forget.  What I really liked is when he said "The Lord will help you grow slowly on your mission".  It gave me so much peace because I've been kind of struggling with my own expectations.  I know I have to grow into the "mantle" but I'm just so dang impatient! I want to know everything! I know...ridiculous. I also loved when he was silent and I'm observing the room full of missionaries and he says "there is great power in this room.....I can feel it".  Goose bumps! He also somehow tied in marriage....I've actually received alot of counsel on marriage....never thought I would on my mission but that's the church for ya :)  Elder Scott always counseled us to find a quiet place to pour our your heart to the Lord.  We should all be doing that! As insignificant as we are, He wants us to converse with him.  Take time out of your day to talk to Heavenly Father.  He is always willing to help.  I know that He lives.  I can feel His hand in my life, more than ever and it is a privilege to be one of His servants.  I love you all! Keep writing me...I might take a while but just know I appreciate it so much. 

Love,

2 Weeks

So I've survived two weeks....well technically I'm in my third week because the MTC counts weeks wrong...so when I entered Wed. the 28th that was my first week even though I was there only half of the week.  This week went by way too fast....but slow at the same time.  Seriously I have no idea how
this time warp thing works here at the MTC.

My Spanish is coming along....we are now teaching two investigators and one of them commited to baptism! Yayuh....except she's just role playing....and shes my teacher but still...its excited.  Its funny the things we (missionaries in the MTC) get excited about here...for example tonight we get to go to sleep at 9:30 because our building is having a planned power outage...everyone was SO happy...seriously..it makes me happy everyone is as lame as me and wants to go to bed early.  I get up at 6 every morning and I'm totally fine through out the entire day....I know Heavenly Father is blessing me with good health because I honestly thought I'd be DRAGGING by now but I'm not.  The church is true!!

Anyways so on Sundays, they pick two missionaries to speak in Spanish at sacrament meeting ....but they pick your name on the spot. Jeff told me that they don't pick the newbies because our Spanish isn't proficient so they pick the ones who are about to enter the field so I wasnt worried about it (I'm not gonna lie...the thought of being randomly called terrifies me).  So I'm just chillin there at sacrament meeting and one of the counselors in the presidency says "we will now be hearing from Elder Lopez........and then after we will be hearing from Sister Ruiz" WHAT?!?!?! I'm pretty sure my heart stopped and I looked around with a crazy face.  I'm pretty sure I was sweating bullets.  So I got up there and gave my talk about how understanding the atonement can strengthen your faith in Christ.  I don't even remember what I said but apparently I did well because people kept coming up to me and telling me.....or they felt bad for the white mexican...whatevs.

Then a couple days later, we have a solo Elder in our zone (which means he doesn't have a companion because his companion left to the field so he has to be with either a set of elders or a set of sister missionaries) so he asked us to take him to the TRC which is where us missionaries teach members of the church (more role playing). The other set of sister missionaries were suppose to meet him there so that they could teach.  Welp they never showed up!! So we got pushed into teaching a lesson that we didnt prepare for AND with advance spanish speakers.  Heavenly Father really likes throwing me under the bus. He's hilarious.  But in all seriousness...I am glad I was given those opportunities because it has helped me become more confident, not only as a Spanish speaker but as a missionary.  Being a missionary really does take your out of your comfort zone 90% of the time.  But I love it.

So Julie B. Beck who is the General Relief Society President of the Church came and spoke to us for Tuesday night devotional.  It was awesome.  She talked a lot about temples and how the work is moving forward and how we are evidence of that.

The MTC is really an experience like no other.  We basically do the same thing everyday and literally you're studying your brains out for 12 hours and you're so exhausted but then you go to devotionals or sacrament meeting and it's SUCH  a relief and good reminder why you're out here serving.  The mission is NOT about me....this is the only 18 months I have that I will ever get an opportunity to solely serve others.  Satan does try to make me feel selfish but the Spirit ALWAYS wins.  I love being part of the work.  I thought I'd feel different wearing a nametag but I don't...it's feels normal and I feel missionary work runs within me.  We had a devotional on Sunday and it was about tithing.  It's so important to pay tithing...think of all the blessings not only you will get but the church! Just do it!! Or like a member of the audience said: "pay yo tithing or else the Holy Ghost will slap you upside the back of yo head" - 1 of 4 blacks guy in the MTC. It's true. Anywho I miss you all and love you so much! I pray for you and know that I think of you. Thank you for your letters!! Please send more via dear elder because its free AND i only get 30 mins. Amo!

My First Week

So I survived the first week of the MTC!  Forreals, I feel like I've been here FOREVER.  But in a good way.  I've never felt so busy in my entire life...study study STUDY and more study.  So Jeff told me that we would be teaching our first investigator 3 weeks in.....yeah we taught our first investigator the SECOND day we were here...I was TERRIFIED!!! They didn't give us any spanish lessons or even English lessons...we kinda were just thrown in.  Luckly I have the bomb companion! Her name is Hermana (Kara) Varley and she's from......COLORADO! Ironic, no?  So she tells me all the time how Colorado is the best state ever and I'm gonna love it so much :) She's serving her mission in Toronto Canada....yes Spanish speaking.

Our district is tiny (I'm assuming because we're in intermediate) and it consists of Elder Massey (from Yuciapa,CA), Elder Shirley (from somewhere in Virginina) , Hermana Pack (from Vegas) and Hermana Clark (from Bountiful, UT).  We get along so well and we laugh ALOT.  Maybe more than we should but I mean it's seriously what keeps us sane.  Our teacher is Brother Tidwell from Colorado (woo) and we just found out that our "progressing" investigator we've been teaching all week (4 lessons) is our other teacher...so that was intimidating.  Her name is Sister De Leon from Guatamala.  When we taught her, she would look at her phone and yawn and look bored.  Good times especially when you get frustrated with yourself when you cant for the life of you think of one word to bridge your sentences in Spanish.  But we taught full and complete 45 minute lessons all in Spanish!  Our second lesson bombed because we (or maybe just me) was SO focused on sounding proficient in the language that I wasn't listening to what the spirit was telling me.  I totally broke down in front of my district (it was a very solemn mood because everyones lesson was not so good) and that night I prayed so much that I would know the language of the Spirit.  The next day my companion and I taught so clearly and it just flowed SO well.  There you have it, I learned a very valuable lesson.  The language of the Spirit speaks to ALL children...I needed to not focus on myself and my weaknesses but I needed to focus on the needs of my investigator.  It's crazy how much you think about, worry and love your investigator....even though they're just playing a role and already a member.

So watching General Conference was AWESOME!! loved it.  On Sunday night devotional we sang a rendition of Called to Serve....seriously the spirit was so strong.  I knew Heavenly Father was so proud and grateful for all of His missionaries and that he definitely watches over us.  I am among those noble and great spirits that were reserved to do such an important and marvelous work.  I am so blessed!  A mission (or the MTC atleast) was NOT what I expected at all....I quickly realized that a mission is HARD and I can't do ANYTHING without the Lord's help.  Learning about the Gospel everyday for HOURS is such a blessing.  I love it...I truly do.

Im not sure what else to write.  I think of you all often and smile.  Thank you for all your emails, I can't print them out or write you all back as I only have 30 minutes so send me letters! :) Oh I know how to say "Our Purpose" and Joseph Smith's first vision in Spanish. Que suave, no? Apparently I can teach in Spanish too....who would of thought?! It's funny because me and Hermana Varley always say "Man if we were called English speaking, we would tear it up!!" but then we had the opportunity to teach in English at a workshop yesterday and totally couldn't find the words in English....ha funny how that works right?  I was definitely called to speak Spanish speaking and the gift of tongues is REAL.  I will send pictures home so you can see that im alive and well :) I love you all so much and you're always in my prayers.  Don't worry about me, I'm doing the greatest work possible so I am beyond happy!

ps funny things that have happened:
-my skirt was tucked in my garments after i used the bathroom and my companion could NOT stop laughing...seriously...embarassing luckly no elders were around.

- in a dicussion we had with a bunch of missionaries...they kept saying that Joseph Smith had his first vision in 1827...forreals?!?! I even know its 1820....ay elders. gotta love them.
- theres a big fan in the computer room where we use programs for our language study and some elder FARTED infront of it and the fan was blowing right in our face....and theres no windows.  So I had to smell that for like 15 minutes....yup lucky me.

Anyways I gotta go! I love you and keep writing me! my district is jealous that I get like 3 letters a day :) gotta keep my reputation.

amo!