MTC Laundry Day

Sister Sly and Me doing laundry

Elders in my District going to Jamaica

G'day everyone!! (hahaha things get weird at the MTC)

I'm so excited! I leave the MTC at 6:20am on Tuesday. I'm shaking so badly because I'm so excited and scared to finally leave. I've been kinda stressed out with thinking if I'm ready or not to go out in the field but hearing from my fellow sisters and teachers I feel reassured that I got this. We had our in field orientation yesterday and it was so much fun! We talked about how you need to believe that you can baptize to baptize. I know that I need to have confidence in myself and mostly in Heavenly Father that he knows his children and that the fields are white and ready to harvest. There ARE people out there in my mission that are ready to hear the message of the restored gospel, the spirit has been preparing them for me to teach them of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I keep telling my fellow Sisters in my district that we're going to make it a goal to make a new ward in Scotland/Ireland. Just need 2 people right? 

I feel so bad for the 2 sisters and 4 elders in my district that got called to Jamaica, one of the Elders had to go home because there was a signature missing from his release papers with the Army, and so he's currently A-wall (something like that right?) I hope that he can get everything sorted out quickly and get back out here. Everyone in my district has been praying for him and I think I'm going to fast for him on Sunday, he was such a great missionary and he has so much potential, he was so excited to serve a mission...The other Elders found out yesterday that they are all visa waiting in Denver Colorado, It was so out of the blue because they all have there travel instructions last week given to them and now they have to wait for who knows how long? Sister Afamata also got visa waited in Ogden Utah! and Sister Swindle in New York New York north mission too. I really really hope that they'll all go out to Jamaica soon  All of the Sisters going to Scot/Ire mission are fine and we're leaving in the morning on Tuesday. Thinking about it stresses me out... I get such bad motion sickness and I plan on not sleeping or eating at all on Tuesday. 


I decided that my 2 favourite Chapters in the Book of Mormon is 2 Nephi 2 and 9, I love teaching about the atonement, Yeah I'm embracing my nerdy religion side now. 


So funny story. DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU GO TO THE MTC! My zone last week got pretty close we all eat together in every meal so I don't remember what day this was but we decided to hold Ice cream Sandwich competition, Some unnamed members of my district would eat an ice cream sandwich as fast as the could and another missionary would time the seconds. The fastest was a tie between this huge new elder and this sister who is so lady-like you would be shocked that she did this. Guess how fast it was, 24 seconds!! It began like this, we gathered around together and watched these two missionaries unwrap their ice cream sandwiches. They stared at their sandwich, mouths wide open ready to take the biggest bite. An elder with the watch yells GO! and the big elder opened his enormous mouth and took a bit of HALF THE SANDWICH! We couldn't hold back the cheers, we all were shocked and/or impressed as these two missionaries consumed the sandwiches with ease, the elder took bites out of the sandwich without chewing and then started to chew when he had most of the sandwich in his mouth. The sister nibbled at the sandwich, chewing it quickly and effectively with her hand covering her mouth. Some of the cooks and workers went over and asked us to quite down as the Missionaries speedily finished off the sandwiches in 24 seconds. Next to our table was the Japanese speaking missionaries and they just stared at us as we laughed and cheered... It's awkward but funny.

Yeah I love my district, I feel kinda bad that we disrupted the eating hall and weren't being very respectful. But I thought this was the only bad thing my district ever did, we're usually very respectful and make good use of our personal study time. I think my zone has the best Missionaries in the MTC, not joking. 


It's so weird that after 3 weeks of being here my district is the oldest one in the zone, I feel so much more mature and prepared than the new missionaries. Well maybe not more mature, I just know what I'm doing... 

This Tuesday was a MTC Broadcast and we had one of the 12 Apostles come to the MTC!! It was Elder Reniund (new one) he and his wife talked to us. Also not to brag but I was in the program too... In the choir... BUT I WAS ON CAMERA, so every one in all the MTC's around the world can see this really pale sister with dark brown hair and bangs/fringe. Kinda embarrassing... He talked to us about how be should teach, what we should teach and what we need to tell our investigators to do to build faith in Jesus Christ. Main points I got from this is though, The power of the atonement is why we repent and why we change, Quote from Elder Packer (the apostle one)  
"the Atonement leaves no tracks, no traces. What it fixes is fixed. … The Atonement leaves no traces, no tracks. It just heals, and what it heals stays healed", Faith must be centeredon Jesus Christ to receive salvation, Faith is initiated by hearing the testimonies of other's who has faith but it only develops when we act in faith such as obedience to his commandments, reading the scriptures, praying, attending church...etc. I want to invite you all the read Elder's Packer's last talk he gave, on the atonement.
I love and miss you all so much and I love readying the emails you send me! Keep bring them in I may not get much time to respond but I just want you all to know that I love hearing about home and funny things or if you just want some one to talk to.

This is Mom writing:
I had such a pleasant surprise phone call from Sister Swindle's mother, Rebecca. Sister Swindle is Sister Johnson's companion in the MTC. She is going to Jamaica on her mission.  They live in American Fork.