Sarah's First Letter

Day one: it was kinda sad saying goodbye to Tiff and Billy and those sweet babies, but I was really distracted by the fact that I was actually going into the MTC. I got to class, met my district, and teachers and they're all awesome! I love them so so much. I can't believe how much my love for my teachers and the Elders has grown in only a few short days of knowing them. It's incredible. So basically, Wednesday was kinda just getting orientated and getting settled into our room. 

Thursday, we had class and started talking about teaching investigators, and talking about the spirit. We also met our branch presidency (well....we got to meet their substitutes because one had just had knee replacement surgery and the president was at a family reunion) but they were all super nice and they just went over the white handbook with us and then gave us our assignments. Sister Lee and I are the branch greeters, so nobody gets into sacrament meeting without shaking our hands and us giving them a smile (which, of course, I LOVE! Cause I get to meet everyone and know their names. And I get to smile a lot, haha).

Friday was kinda rough. It started out great, but then went south, but then ended positively....kind confusing but you'll understand. Here's the story: We practiced teaching the restoration with the other district in our branch, and Sister Hughes (who is one of my roommates, was adopted with her sister from Russia, is the youngest of 9 children and has 35 nieces and nephews! She's really cool!) really felt the spirit as I testified of Heavenly Father's love and it was amazing. She told me that she felt I was going to be a great missionary! Then we got to meet our first Investigator, Selam, from Ethepia. She's portrayed by my teacher, Sister Gibson. The lesson went well and the spirit was really strong. But then in class, two elders (Elders Marble and Rogers) we being kinda rowdy. They were quoting movies, and singing camp songs- which is all well and good but the spirit left because we were supposed to be studying and we weren't. The teacher, Brother Barton, was with another companionship portraying their investigator, Paul, so the rest of us were alone in the classroom. I felt the spirit leave because we were getting distracted, except I didn't realize that the feeling I felt was the spirit leaving. Then Sister Lee suggested we go outside and study, and she expressed that she wasn't feeling the spirit and that she felt we were getting distracted. It was like a light went off in my head, and I realized that THAT was what had been wrong. I am so grateful that she recognized it and was able to bring it up. I know she is meant to be my companion, because we help eachother so much and we are already such great friends! I truly love her. Anyway, then I had the thought we should talk to the elders because we talked about the importance of obedience and standing up before I left. Sister Lee agreed, and I suggested we prayed. MAN AM I GLAD WE DID! We were able to talk to the elders during district study and bring up, very kindly and respectfully, how we'd been feeling. We also told them we loved them. They kinda moved on, and I was really afraid that they were offended. But then Elder Barker (who is one of our Zone leaders, and is really kind and so willing to help) said that he'd felt the same way, and expressed that he wanted the classroom to be a time for focusing and studying, not for playing around. he apologized for getting distracted and for distracting us, and everyone seemed to relax a little and were totally cool with focusing more. I told elder Barker that he was an answer to a prayer, and I was so so grateful that he stood up and said that. I felt like I wasn't alone because he had the courage and humility to apologize and try to help. He's awesome.

Saturday was the hardest day, except it started good, and ended rough. We met with Selam again and I felt like Sister Lee and I weren't on the same page. We both felt we were jumping around the lesson and trying to just teach the lesson, not focusing on what Selam needed (the lessons are not the important thing. the investigator and their experience and needs are. But we were focusing on the lesson, not her). But I still felt okay. I was like: Alright, that was rough. Now, how can we improve and what can we do to come back from that. But then that night, after studying, I felt like I hadn't studied enough. Then we went back to district study, and my brain was just so exhausted. I was so tired, I couldn't think. But then I saw Sister Lee studying and I just felt so guilty. Like: why am I not studying. She's so focused, she's still studying, she's focusing on her investigators, not on herself. I just felt so guilty for not doing more. I prayed to Heavenly Father and asked him to help me. When we got to the room, I had the thought to read my scriptures. I just opened up to the creation (since we were thinking about teaching Selam that on Monday) and I just read. I just simply read the words of the Lord, and while there wasn't anything in those scriptures that answered my feelings of guilt or my worries, I just felt such a sweet sense of peace as I studied. I am so so grateful for the scriptures.

Sunday. Okay, everyone says "Make it to Sunday, and you'll be okay!" and THEY WERE RIGHT! That day was the most spiritual day yet. We went to a meeting for New Sisters, where the MTC presidency wives talked about the rules in the handbook again and expressed their love and gratitude for us- and I met this sweet sister (Sister Carter) who is serving in Washington DC sign language speaking. She was gorgeous, and had this sweet, kind, happy personality and so I wrote her a note, telling her that she was a ray of sunshine, to keep it up, and that Heavenly Father was proud of her. Then Sister Lee and I went to the computer labs and I FINALLY got to listen to some music. Music isn't allowed in the dorms and it's been killing me. and the music brought such a peace to my heart, it was like I could breathe again. Then we went to relief society, where we talked about the atonement and all felt the spirit and cried. I loved it! Then we got to walk around the temple, and that was gorgeous and I took a bunch of pictures (I will attach them to my next email, okay?). Then we went to choir, and I think THAT was the best part of the entire day. We sang "A Child's Prayer" and the choir director had his son get up and sing, and I just saw this little boy asking if his Heavenly Father was there and I just started crying and I wanted to hug that little boy and testify to him that YES his Father was there. Then it hit me that that is how Heavenly Father sees all of us, as little, innocent children who are learning and growing and who have tons of potential. It's just amazing to me that the God of the universe would take His time to answer our prayers, even about silly things. I know that prayer works. I have never prayed so much in my life, and I am SO eternally grateful for the ability I have to talk to my Father in Heaven and know that He will hear and answer me. It's incredible. After choir, the mission director of the church got up and talked to us, and he was hilarious! i loved his talk. He expressed his love for us, and told us that feelings of doubt, depression, homesickness, fear, wanting to go home, and thoughts of leaving were totally normal (in his words: WELCOME TO MISSIONARY WORK)! He was great. I took lots of notes, so I will remember the talk! Then after that we watched a video from Elder Bednar, talking about the Character of Christ. It's life changing, mom. He talked about how the Character of Christ was simply that Christ turned out during His times of need, when the natural man in us would turn IN. he talked about how that does not come to us naturally, but that as we continue living the principles of the gospel the character of Christ will be a gift to us. It was incredible!