Good-bye MTC

Aloha everyone!

The time has finally come when I get to leave the MTC!! Yayyyy!!! I can't believe I'll have been here for a month. So, I think many of you were confused about my Visitor Center training. We don't actually go live in Salt Lake, just on Wednesday (this past wedenesday) and Saturday (tomorrow) we go to temple square all day and give tours, then come back to the MTC. So yeah, just thought I would clear that up!

 

This week has been so crazy. I cannot even believe it's almost over!!! So, on wednesday morning I had to say goodbye to my disctrict...lets just say, it was a good thing it was early in the morning so I didn't have any mascera on to run down my face. Bah, but they are all going to be so amazing in Independence, MO and in Nauvoo! So now I have a new companion, who is pretty much the best thing in the world. I don't know how I have been so lucky or blessed to get such amazing companions, but I'm sure glad. Sister Halle Johnson and I are now companions; being that we are both going to Hawaii together. We have been freaking out just ready to go already. During personal time we find ourselves drawing and coloring pictures of the beach and of palm trees in our planners...hah, whoops. She is from Salt Lake, and also goes to BYU, and is just so cute and bubbly. We've kind of been weirded out with how similar we are. We tend to say the same things at the same time, all the time, as well as for the past two nights when we are saying our prayers we just so happen to finish literally at the exact same time. It's so fun.

 

So let me tell you a little bit about the Visitor Center training! So on Wednesday we went to temple square, and were given a short little tour, and then we went t and had the VC director talk with us. He was so awesome. He helped put the mission, as well as serving in the VC (Visitor Center) into perspective. When we got back, we went to the TRC (Training Resource Center) with our companions, where volunteers came in as investigators, who acted as if they were walking around the VC. We were to get to know them, answer any questions, share a brief lesson and testimony, then invite them to commit to whatever we felt they needed in their life. It was pretty cool. Sister Johnson and I are praying that we get to be companions at least once in Hawaii, because we teach so well together, and feed really well off of eachother.

 

When we did TRC again yesterday, we taught these two girls wanting to know more about the gospel. One of them said that she didn't believe in God, because if God loved us, He wouldn't let bad things happen to us. We gave her an analogy to think about. We asked her if she remembers when she first learned to ride a bike. She said yes. We then asked her if she remembered falling because her parents let go of the bike. She said she had. So then we asked, why would your parents let go if they knew you were going to fall the first couple of time? She then said, well, I guess because if they never let go, I wouldn't be able to learn how to ride a bike. She was totally right. So we then explained how our parents, or God, our Heavenly Father, don't just let us fall or get hurt because they don't care. We fall and skid our knees a couple of times so that we can learn to ride on our own, but knowing that our parents are there to support us and patch up those scratches. God is the same, if we rely on Him, He will be there for us when we fall, but we must know sorrow to know joy. That seemed to really hit home for her. It was pretty much amazing. I don't know if I was able to explain that very well, but when the spirit is teaching, I feel like everything comes out so perfectly in the moment.

 

Along with Sister Johnson and me, is Hermana Rivero and Sister Baniato! Hermana Rivero is from Uruguay, and just the cutest, most spunky, and sassy person I have ever met! She is trying to  teach me Spanish, and enjoys telling me how bad I am at it, haha. But she continues to teach me more and more every day. It's pretty cool. Today she told me she is only going to speak to me in Spanish. Then Sister Baniato is from Kiri Beit (I think I spelled that right...?), they are islands near Hawaii. Pronounced Kiri Bess. YUP!!

 

I wish I had more to report, but it's just been more training and such! But I am determined to get a lot of letters sent out today! I love gettting letters from everyone and just hearing about whats happening on a day-to-day basis. Thank you everyone for your prayers and as always, your love and support!  My next letter will be from Hawaii!!!! ALOHA until then!!!