Mission Conference

Hey. I got some email time today so I could let ya know what was going on tomorrow. Today a lot of our zone left to different places. Weird to say goodbye and such.

I will be able to call you tomorrow morning and maybe afternoon. Please keep your phones on!

I still haven't received anything from Aubrie, so I don't know what to do. They don't sell those kinda of memory cards here in the book store...

I am going to write what I can in fifteen minutes and come back and check on it later.

Oh! Have you gotten my letter yet? I wrote you a bunch of random stuff... Thanks for the box! I loved it.

I went to the clinic and they had me try Tylenol PM. AKA, Tylenol and Benadryl. No good. I was drugged until one the next afternoon. Tried a different kind, and am still kinda drowsy. And I have gained five pounds.

Last time I talked to you, you said you wanted to hear about spiritual experiences. Yesterday was fast Sunday here. SO we started our fast after dinner. On Saturday we did it. 24 hours! It was awesome. I kept Eric in my prayers. He has been on my mind a lot here. He needs to be here. Elder Holland says, "Not for God's sake, not for the churches sake, but for your sake. Come and stay on a mission." We listened to a powerful powerful talk he gave here some years ago. So good!

But yesterday was mission conference. Amazing... in all our meetings there have been fabulous musical numbers. Some of the most gorgeous arrangements I have ever heard that just speak to the soul.

Oh, rundown of my day...

Mission Conference 10-12

Sacrament Testimony Meeting 12:30-1:30

District Meeting 1:35-2, but this went to like 2:30

Interviews

Temple Walk 4:30

Dinner 5:15

Departure Fireside 5:30-6:30

Fireside 7-8

Films 8-9

It was an intense day!

In mission conference there was some amazing stories told of repentance, of prayers or humbling...

Remember God says to us, "I chose to see the good things i you. And I chose to ignore the bad." Remember to look for the good in all people. The only way to learn with exactness is by revelation. Listen to the Spirit. Learn his language.

Memorize 2 Nephi 33:15. - ...I must obey, amen. - And live by it.

Obedience brings blessing. Exact obedience brings miracles.

Keep the commandments... in this there is safety and peace.

And Dad! The hymns are AMAZING in Spanish!

Oh I bore my testimony yesterday... it felt so good!

Well I gotta go! Loves.

Hola Everyone

Linda - Thank you for the card and pictures! Made my day! I didn't have a family picture, but now I do. I almost forgot what Daniel's round head looked like, but now I can't forget! HUGS!

Daniel - WHAT THE?!?! You met Malcom in the Middle? What was he doing at Wal-Mart in Tempe... I mean I know he was getting Halo, but why in Tempe? That's awesome though. Thank you for your letter. Love you bro. :) I'll keep praying for you. Don't psyche yourself out. You are smart. Find ways to study that work for you. :) And ALWAYS pray before a test. You remember how it is here... pray pray pray. Implement it in your life at home! Chelsie, I hope your class gets better!

Annie - Your letter made me so happy. Good luck with Halloween costumes. PLEASE send me pictures! Glad you got your boot off. :) JACK! You got a big TV! Woot woot! Nick and Lindsey have to be Jacob and Bella. It'll be classic.

How's the rest of the family doing? What's going on?

Sophie! I heard your talk was great. Send me a copy. I want to read it! :) Keep being amazing!

Dad! I loved you letter. It was good to get real mail! Made me so happy. I never thought getting a letter would mean so much. Our district leader doesn't give us our mail until the end of the day. So we get it all at the same time. It sucks when you don't get anything, but feels great when you do. So good to read your letters and feel your love.

I don't need a Spanish dictionary. I wish they would have told me what they were going to give us. I got here and they gave me a hug bag of everything you could think of in Spanish. Could have saved money there. Sorry. How was the temple after you dropped me off? Can you believe how fast that was. Crazy. Oh! We have a temple walk every Sunday. We get an hour or so to go and walk around the temple and take pictures and meet other missionaries. I saw a security guy and asked if I could take a picture with him. Instead he took off his badge and let me wear it. I got a picture. I asked him about the cameras. President Monson wants all the temples to have them within the next few years. Over the next ten years it is expected that membership will double. But, there will be the same number of employees so they want the cameras up to help keep them safe. Cook huh? Love you.

Oooh. Tell Nani and Laura thank you for their letter and best wishes and encouragements. Tell them that they need to read the Book of Mormon. Start with the last two paragraphs of the introduction. It's either true... or it's not. They will either gain knowledge and peace, and joy and love, and hope and goodness because it's true, or they will be right where they left off before they read it, if it's not. What do they have to lose. <3

Tell Ginny Taylor her letter made me happy. Thanks for thinking of me and letting me know.

Friends - What's going on out in the real world? Watchin' movies? Playin' games? Eating? Havin' a good time? I know something exciting and juicy has to have happened in the last couple of weeks. I need to hear it! Everyone! I miss you!

Mom - I am glad you are doing better. I figured you would be a little sad, but I am glad the Lord is helping you though this time. Don't worry too much about the box. I have plenty of snacks and food. Hermana Douglas doesn't live too far from the MTC so she gets boxes of goodness like twice a week and shares with us. I didn't know what to do about money and I needed another bag. Hermana Benton covered me this week cause I didn't know where we stood with money. So I just need to make sure to have cash for the airport next week.

We got our flight plans and we're all excited and then I realized I had a extra sheet of paper. I was made travel leader of our group to Guatemala. It is Hermana Benton and me, and eight Elders. We are flying American Airlines from SLC to Dallas. Then to Guatemala. We are blessed. Hermana Douglas gets to go from SLC to Chicago to Florida to Guatemala. Yuck! Our flight leaves at 8:30ish, Tuesday morning and gets into Guatemala that night around 6:50. I hear we might be able to call on Tuesday before we leave. It's a rumor, so not sure, but keep your phone on! And with you! Oh did the mail get out to Ben and Samantha? What do you want me to do with my camera card? Are you sending another one? Just put some small stuff in the box. Save money where you can. Don't waste it. I am doing good here.

The MTC is Amazing

Okay... so.

The MTC is AMAZING! I know that everyone was warning me that there would be so much Spirit here, but my o my. I think this is where He resides. I have felt the Spirit so strongly so many time. Yesterday Sister Dalton, the Young Womens General President came and spoke to the Relief Society. So like three chapels full of sister missionaries stood and said the Young Women's Theme. Incredible. Sophie, remember, one virtuous woman, led by the Spirit, change the world. She said that over and over, and I can tell you it is true.

My district has four hermanas and seven elders. We are so close already, apparently it doesn't always happen like this. But, we have all really come together and are learning quickly. My branch president is one of the most amazing leaders I have ever met. I had an interview with him yesterday and it was so good to hear him share thoughts and feelings. It was very uplifting. I also had a blessing on Sunday from my district leader. I needed some strength in some things I was struggling with and I can testify that the Lord really does know the secrets of our hearts and really is there for us.

I am the most happy I think I have ever been. I know without a shadow of a doubt this is where I am supposed to be. It is the right place, at the right time. My comp and I are one day apart, we figured less than twelve hours apart. We get along great. Four sisters from the district all help and strengthen each other. Each of us has had our breakdowns and we've all helped each other through it. Please keep Sister Douglas in your prayers, she has a huge decision to make...

Oh! Hermana Benton is my companion. She is from Sacramento, CA. We get along fabulously...

Oh man! Seventeen minutes left... Uh, uh, uh, what to say. Oh! Mom. You asked about my schedule...

Pretty much it's like this.

Wake up at 6:15-6:30

Breakfast 7:00

Class or gym. Personal, companion, or language study until 11:30

Lunch 11:30

Class 12:15

Dinner 4:30

Class until 9:00

Planning until 9:30

Pre Bed 10:00

Quiet Time 10:15

Bed 10:30

It's insane. there is something to do EVERY minute. Yesterday our district was talking about how it feels like class, cafeteria, class, cafeteria.

It's amazing though. To be so tired at the end of the night, and knowing you learned and did so much.

Today we have temple after lunch. We are going as a district. It will be goo to unify us.

My Spanish is coming along.

I pray only in Spanish now. Well Spanglish. We are still learning words obviously, but we start and end prayers in Spanish. We learned to bear our testimony in Spanish and only sing hymns in Spanish. I am playing the piano on Sunday!

The food. Uh... yeah the food. I am kind of a vegetarian slash carbs only eater here. The meat is... sketchy. But as usual... desserts are great. Yesterday they had this peanut butter chocolate thing... Hermana Benton and I ate it in line. Haha.

But mom, be proud I have a salad at every meal minus breakfast.

It's good though. I don't think I will gain too much weight here. Mi companerias are helping me not eat too much junk. But the cookies are so good and ice cream is only two days a week. So we have to get it. Not to mention the carmel and chocolate come in these HUGE pots. Make a circle with your arms. Imagine chocolate in that. Yup. That big.

I LOVE having a planner. I think I am going to go crazy when I come home without it.

I also feel like its been a lot longer than six days.

How is everyone doing out there?

Daniel, that food box... is great. Chelsie, how's your class going? Sophie, how is school and the boys? I challenge you this week to put the phone down and turn the TV off for just five minutes and read the Book of Mormon. Sister Dalton is challengeing all the YW to do three things one hundred percent. One, pray morning and night. Two, read the Book of Mormon for at least five minutes a day. And three, smile. Genuinely smile. You can do it and it will change your days. I promise. I wish I would've given more time to the Lord. It's amazing what having the Spirit with you all the time feels like.

You know... It's weird here at first. Everyone's so nice and waving and saying hola and fighting to open doors and asking question, but then you realize this is how it's supposed to be. Plus I have been praying... Geeze I don't even know how many times a day. It's amazing, praying all the time! Haha.

It's great.


Anyways, time is short. Please, please, please use Dearelder.com until I get to Guatemala at least. Getting mail every night feels so good. We get it at the end of the night and it is a good boost.


Tell tell the elders I said hi if you see them around. Oh ma! Did you get Ben's Book of Mormon out and Samantha's card?


Oh man... Well I love you all! Miss you!


Mi testimonio es que Jose Smith fue un profeta. Yo se que el Libro de Mormon es la palabra de Dio. Testifico que Jesucristo es nuestro Rendentor y Salvado. El es real. El vive, El evangelio es verdadero. El  nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.


Love you familia! <3


P.S. The branch president loves my jungle cruise jokes. Bah ahahahaha.


Oh Dad! I met a teacher from Madrid that served in Mesa, Brother Maciego. Do you remember him? I think you met him. He knows Susi y Paco.


Loves!


P.S.S. Did you get my letter? Let me know about shots.


Ah! It's BLINKING RED. Better go before it doesn't sent.