MTC, 8 days out

Hola Mom, Dad, Sisters, brothers-in-law, (Camden), family, and friends!!

 

Hello from the MTC! I don't even know where to begin! Let's just start with the fact that I LOVE this place. More than anywhere else. Besides the temple. I literally have been realizing more and more each day about myself and about how well-run the Church is, and how much Heavenly Father really does have his hand in everything. So, I have very little time to write, but lots to say, so ignore my grammar and lack of proper sentence structure. I'm also forgetting English more and more every day. Is that a good sign? No se... haha :)

 

Here's the rundown about the LEGIT logistics:

 

My companion is Hermana Millet! She's almost my height, has almost red hair, and she is super awesome!! She is WAY organized and whatnot, but I still love her. hahaha. No I really love her a LOT. She's 22, from Salt Lake, graduated from Utah State, was a kindergarted teacher for a year, and here she is. She's so great. I'm a little bit immature and crazy at times, but she handles it well. She's way mature and teacher-like. She's great. Anywho, in my room is me and Hma. Millet, and another companionship-- Hma Alley and Hma Redford. All four of us are the Hermanas in our district of 10. They are SUCH CUTE GIRLS. Hma Alley is from Salt Lake and she's 19. She's super crazy. And awesome. Looove her. Hma. Redford is that girl I told all of you about that I met on a Facebook group for pre-sister missionaries!! And she's in my district! Who'da thunk. I LOVE HER SO MUCH. She is JUST like me. Super gangster and chill and crazy and works hard. She went to BYU-I of all places! And she's from Denver. Everyone from Denver is SUPER cool I've noticed. 

 

The Elders in our district are SO GREAT! One went to BYU-I! I always saw him playing Basketball in the I-center, and he's in my district! haha small world. His name is Elder Brown. Benjamin Brown. Whatta name. He's serving in Columbia though. Sad day. The other elders are so cool too! Elder Cline (from Salt Lake, HILARIOUS but humble, serving in Buenos Aires West) Pederson (HILARIOUS HUGE football player. Distracted easily. Serving in AUSTRALIA spanish speaking! hahaha so funny) Kelly (SO humble and Awesome, from Mesa Arizona serving in BAW) Danielsen-Jensen (FROM Australia, super cool accent, hard-working and funny), Ringwood (from SLC serving in Columbia). As you can tell, I LOVE my district. We have SO Much fun and we work hard. Me and Hma Millet work the hardest, and it shows. Hma Alley and Redford work SUPER hard too. The elders work hard, but girls just tend to be better at it. haha ;)

 

Our teacher is Hermano Lunt. He's about 24, returned missionary, served in El Salvador, from Illinois. HE IS SO COOL. I learn so much from him. The teachers here are all returned missionaries and not married (most of them). They are all STUDS. He teaches in a way that makes so much sense. I have learned more at the MTC in the past 7 days than I ever have in all of my spanish classes combined. And then there's spiritual learning. I have been learning SO much from the spirit. We got to go to the provo temple today and it was AMAZING. We only get to go this week. It's closed for the next 6 weeks. :( But Oh well! The temple is the best place in the WORLD. I LOVE the temple.

 

During mealtimes we sit together as a zone (4 districts of 10). I LOVE our zone. On friday nights we play sand volleyball, and it's the BEST. Ahhh I just love it here. OH! Muy importante. Hma Millet and I are teaching (since day 3) Gregorio Espinoza. He's a teacher, but acts as our investigator. But when we teach him, he in no way acts like he is even a teacher. He's "from mexico" and doesn't speak any english. So we've been teaching him every day except sunday and today. We knock on the door to a classroom and that's his house. haha. But anyways, he is a real investigator in our point of view. 

 

Cool story:

We usually bring in an outline of what to say (everything translated, so we know how to say it) and teach him important aspects of the gospel. We have been doing really well! But yesterday, we knocked on his door and he's been having some trouble with his family and he's really struggling. He was tearing up and just having a hard time. So me and Hma millet began by singing him a hymn in spanish (Come unto Jesus) and with a prayer. We were trying to follow our outline because we didn't know what to say. But the outline had nothing to do with what he was going through. So we just stopped and pushed everything aside. It was silent for a bit cause we didn't know how to make him feel better. But then out of nowhere I testified of Jesus Christ and how he can benefit our lives, our families, and that the things we had been teaching him are true, and that we can return to live with God again if we live the Gospel. I know that wasn't me saying that. Before every class, before every discussion, and every morning we pray that we'll be blessed with "el don de lenguas" (the gift of tongues). I know Heavenly Father blessed me/us with the ability to speak what "Gregorio" needed to hear at that moment. The spirit came in the room so strongly. I also know that that moment was for my benefit. I didn't realize that something like this would happen in the MTC of all places, not even out on the field! It was only the 5th day.

"Gregorio" is going to magically turn into our teacher at the end of this week. haha weird, I know. He's way cool.

 

OH! GUESS WHO OUR DEVOTIONAL SPEAKER WAS! Janice Kapp Perry. Ahh!  We all about died. haha! Her husband (Brother Janice Kapp Perry, he said. haha) spoke about how on his mission  of 3 years, he baptized 2 people, and 2 were excommunicated."Which equals 0." haha he gave us the motivation to keep pushing forward even if the results aren't there yet. He learned 50 years later that the place he served in now has 700 members! (I think a part of france or something.) and then Sister Janice Kapp Perry spoke about how she LOVES the missionaries and they live by the MTC. They often watch us play out on the fields. haha! She talked about how they met at BYU. She was warming up her clarinet reed (getting it wet with her mouth cause thats what you do) and her soon-to-be husband that she never met came up to her and said: "ya know, those lips look like they're meant for more than just warming up a reed!" hahahhaha. AND THEN, right at that moment when she was telling this story at the devotional, he stood up from his chair and hobbled up to her and KISSED HER very romantically I might add! hahhahaha. SHe was NOT expecting that. I could tell. That was not a script. The MTC was hooting and hollering like no ones business. hahahaha! Then after the crowed finally calmed down, she said,  "I know my husband like a book. I just sometimes don't know what page he's on."  hahahha. It was Hysterical!! :D

 

Then we all sang some of the songs she wrote and others. We sang a combination of primary songs about missionary work, and it was so powerful Then we stood and sang "Army of Helaman" and As sisters of Zion medley. We were all BALLING. It reminded me of EFY and when shelly told me on the phone that when you sing like that, you feel like you're the only one crying hahahah. Elder Cline in my district said: "I just have a soft spot for music, okay?!" hahaha our elders are SO masculine it's hilarious. All of them are taller than 6 foot. So funny.

 

I wish I could thank Brother and Sister Pickett for teaching me so many things about Preach my Gospel and missionary work. I honestly think about them and what they taught me daily. I love them!!

 

Oh! And sister Wanlass sent me a package, which was so nice of her!! I will be writing her soon.

OH! And Troy Hurren is in  a couple classrooms away from me! Isn't that funny!? Havent seen him in years.

Oh! and Dad! You know that guy that was "friends" with Mandy foote that came to Mission prep that teaches the teachers at the MTC? Well, he was the speaker at one of the first devotional-type participating classes we had on the second day. Totally said hi to him. And Jenny Foote's husband! I heard you got that picture of me from him. So funny.

 

Anywho, the MTC is better than I could ever imagine. I have so much more to say, but it's fine. haha.

 

Yo se que el Evangelio restaurado es verdadero!

 

I LOVE YOU ALL!

 

Hermana Gardner

P.S. I need to buy a converter here at the MTC for  7 dollars to upload pictures. So sorry, you'll all have to wait until next week :)

 

 

P.S. again! We're not allowed to say "guys" or anything of the like, so our punishment (that I created) is for each "guys" or "dude" I have to do 5 stairs up and down. Let's just say I have some MAD quads and glutes. HA.

 

Chao!!!

 Oh! And PS! I sleep on the top bunk in the middle of the room, and one side doesn't have a railing. hahahaha. I laugh every time I go to bed, and pray not to fall off. It's honeslty so funny to me. hahaha. There's 3 bunk beds, two are being used by us, and one is empty! haha maybe no one will move in this week ;)