Week #9

Hola!

     Sorry my letter is coming so late in the afternoon. The email system has been down all morning, which was a little bit on the annoying side because you have to be in missionary attire when emailing, so I  had to change a couple of different times. But that is okay! Because they finally got it up and working! We went and did sealings at the temple this morning and I loved it. This has been a pretty strange week for me actually because my whole district (except Hermana Cottrell) is heading out to the field. So we have had a lot of talks about going out into the field, what to do at the airport, when to pack etc... but I'm like ahhh don't talk to me about that! I can't be getting excited yet! haha. But it's fun. I'm going to be so sad when all the Elders leave. There's something about being in the MTC together for nine weeks that makes a district grow so close. We love them so much and I know they are going to be awesome missionaries. four of our elders were supposed to be heading out to Tijuana, Mexico, but they haven't received visas yet, so last night they received their temporary reassignment. They are going to the Colorado Colorado Springs Mission, which would be absolutely fantastic, except that they have been called English speaking. They are pretty bummed because they are worried that they will forget all the Spanish that they have been working so hard to learn, but they're trying to stay optimistic. Things will work out! On Tuesday morning Hermana Marcum leaves for Ogden, and Hermana Cottrell and I go back to being a normal companionship. We received a little bit of information about our visitor's center training that starts next Wednesday. We get to drive up to Temple Square for a couple of days to practice giving tours and such. I found out that Sister Andelin (a friend from my ward this past semester) is going to be one of my teachers, so I was pretty excited about that. It's kind of a bummer to have everyone leave a week before I go out to the field, but I think that it should be a fun week. So yeah... we'll see!

      Every week in the MTC you have to prepare a talk for Sacrament meeting in your mission language. And then when they are announcing the talks that are being given, you find out if you are actually giving your talk or not. Well as you may have guessed by now, I was called to talk this past Sunday. When they called my name my heart just started racing, but I went up there and it went pretty well. The topic was on prophets and I focused on the importance of having a living prophet. I read from President Monson's Sunday morning address this past October. It was good. And it's always good to remember that most of the people in the room can't understand you and don't know when you mess up! (most missionaries haven't been there as long as I have... and only one member of our branch presidency speaks Spanish!)

    

We have a workshop every Wednesday afternoon and this past topic was on commitments. We invite, They commit, We follow up. Pretty much just issuing commitments to people and the importance of them keeping their commitments. Not just on you issuing them. Something Brother Black asked was what do you when people do not follow up on... what do you say. And half of the people just said "esta bien." Like "oh it's okay." He was like "NO". You don't just tell them that it is okay. You are devastated! They missed out on that opportunity to come closer to Christ. So that just kind of hit me that if I do so oh esta bien then they won't really see the importance of doing it next time. If that makes sense. 

       I'm doing so well here. I'm just happy to be here and can see the light at the end of the tunnel of my stay here at the MTC. I have such mixed feelings about leaving. I'm going to be so sad to leave the people I have met... but I am more excited to get out to Arizona and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with REAL PEOPLE! haha. I feel like I am ready as far as my Spanish goes. I still have so much to learn... but I feel like I can get by with what I have while I continue to learn more. Tomorrow (Friday) all day we have in field orientation. I don't really know what we do during it, but everyone always has good things to say about it! So I'm looking forward to it. It's a change in the routine at least! 

      Sorry this letter is all over the place! I love you all! I love hearing from you! And I miss you tons, but I am doing so well and am loving what I am doing. 

Love Love Love,

Hermana Holly Larson