Week 1/2 (MTC) First Letter home!

Familia!! I love you I love you I love you!!! How exciting. Over the past couple days, I find myself thinking "Ooh, I need to tell them about this." Or "Ooh! I could say that!" And here I am. I'm sorry I didn't even look back and wave at you- I realized that on Wednesday night and felt bad. But I love you!! So here comes the general email.

Dearest family and friends-

I'm here in the MTC!!! And I LOVE IT HERE!! There are so many things going on and so much to do, and so many things to feel and think about and learn. As for the general news, Wednesday was crazy. They pushed us through a giant assembly line and then stuck us in a classroom, and I met my companions! Yes, there is an "s" at the end of that word. I am in a triple companionship with Hermana Call and Hermana Holland. Hermana Holland is 21, from Iowa, and an English major. She has a boyfriend that SHE SAW IN THE MTC!! Not on purpose- he was volunteering in the TRC and they passed each other as we were walking to our classroom. Poor sister. Hermana Call is 20, from Mexico/Utah, and her younger brother is in our district. Needless to say, they are struggling a bit to call each other "Elder" and "Hermana".

  Hermana Call's Spanish key is perfect, which is intimidating and soooo helpful, but she is trying to be patient with me and all my questions. Hermana Holland's mother is Bolivian, so she was raised with some Spanish in the home. Most of my district have either grown up with Spanish in the home or have lived for an extended period in a Spanish-speaking country, but there are two others that just learned it in school. Our district has 11 missionaries- 7 sisters and 4 elders. The tables really have turned, no?

I am learning SO much here. From my teachers and in class, but mostly just from the experience of being here and being with companions. That was a big change, but I feel much better about it now. We pray together, work together, buy candy from the bookstore together. (Well, they buy candy. Believe it or not, they felt more tired than I did and it was their precaution to keep them from falling asleep in class!) They like to chat and joke around, and they talk about how they're tired all the time or how long class is. But I love them and love being with them. I'm the Senior companion, which really doesn't mean much in the MTC- as Hna Call put it "You'll just initiate things, like you already have been!" The good news is that they both love our "Companion Trivia" during lunch- whew!

My dear people. I love the gospel so much. Already, I have felt your thoughts and prayers, and I'm so so so blessed to be here. The longer I'm here, the more I realize that this is exactly where I need to be, exactly what I need to do in order to become the person that I can become. I love my Heavenly Father with all my heart, and I love the idea that I can be his missionary. I love all of you, and I pray for you daily.

The Spanish Detail of the Day: (Yes, sisters and cousins, I was serious when I said I was going to do this! I love Spanish and want to help you learn. Everything that I say may not be perfectly correct, but it will be Spanish!)

"Me como mucho aqui! Me encantan las donas!"

 

p.s. Hermana Holland is in the blue striped sweater in our map picture.

All my love,

Hermana Oldroyd