I learned at the end of last week how to add pictures to
emails, so here are a few :) The MTC is pretty much the same every day, and
lots of people have cameras, so I haven't taken many pictures yet. But I do
have some. Among these are pictures from Temple Square with Anthony, pre-nametag,
Erin Brady (yay!!), also pre-nametag, my district (my camera was the last to
get pictures taken on it so the district dynamics are coming out - it's pretty
funny), my companion and I with our Branch President, President Call, me and
the giant map on Main Campus (had to get the traditional picture) and the gym
domes for Dad.
Ok - Mom, I always blamed Anthony if that phone went off
anywhere where people could hear it... Yet I never changed it. I guess I just
subconciously liked it or something. Thanks for the goofy anecdotes, I
appreciate them. They both made me laugh.
Dad - The two elders from my district that have already left
were native speakers, one from Costa Rica and the one from London whose parents
were from Ecuador (They're both in their mission in Bakersfield, have been for
a week). The rest of us learned it in various places, with varying levels of
fluency. For the most part everyone has less experience with grammar and
vocabulary, still speaks very well, but are less confident than they should
be.
Because our teachers got a new district, we were moved into
a different classroom in the same apartment. But we still see our old teachers
everyday, and we've been helping them by acting as "roommates" or
friends who are visiting during their progressing investigator portion of the
class. It's really cool. I've learned a ton about what works, what not to do,
how to include members in the conversation, and perhaps, most importantly, seen
that sometimes what missionaries say doesn't make sense, but the Spirit is
still there, or that what the missionaries say is completely different from
what the investigator learns from the Spirit.
It was also fun because we got our teacher, Sister Williams
to come eat lunch with us yesterday. She was telling us about her mission (she
didn't start loving her mission until her last transfer) and about how much she
loves working at the MTC, and we were telling her what we've learned. She said
she loves watching the missionaries grow, and it's amazing because I've felt it.
Her brother, Hermano Williams told us on the first day that we had been endowed
in the temple and then set apart as missionaries - our limits aren't the same
anymore. I have absolutely seen that in myself. There are some things that I
KNOW I would not have been able to handle previously, but that I've
managed.
We checked the mail after lunch (we walked down to Brigham's
landing with the Burger Supreme to eat, I had a guacamole burger which was eh,
but the frys were great). So far, we haven't gotten travel plans. Last chance
is tonight at dinner time - we'll see! The problem is, since it's P-day, travel
can't track us down in our classroom.
Last Thursday we went to the consulate, and we went via
Frontrunner/Trax, then 5 blocks of walking in Salt Lake. There was 5 from our
district (an Elder was added to our district because he's in the same boat) and
Elder Stephens in our district received the instructions as the assigned travel
group leader. He read the paper which said "Travel Group Leaders will be
assigned to groups of four missionaries", and looked up at the group of 16
missionaries... no one else had a travel paper. But we got there fine.
We sat on an upstairs floor for about an hour (in the more
comfortable chairs, instead of the metal row chairs like in the Social Security
office - remember those Mom?) because they were really busy, then they moved us
downstairs, lined us up, sat us down , we said our names, they took our
pictures then scanned our index fingers electronically. Usually they interview
missionaries as well, basically to make sure that we won't be working and can
leave if we want, but for some reason they didn't do that with us. So we got
back on the public transportation and headed ack to the MTC.
It was interesting being on public transportation in Utah,
because people either saw the tags and avoided us or they saw the tags and
smiled and chatted with us. I like to think it won't be as hard to talk to
people when there isn't a giant mob of missionaries.
We've been playing volleyball every gym time since we popped
over there to try it last week. Sister Oliver had never ever played before, and
now she loves it. Yesterday we started out with 5 people on each court, and
there was not "volley-ing". It went serve, smack the ground, serve,
smack the ground, serve. We got more people eventually, people who were
actually good, and everyone who had been playing started to get better. By the
end, we were going back and forth and back and forth like a normal volleyball
game. Sometimes one team would hit it like 6 times, but it would eventually go
over the net and we would keep playing. It was fun.
It snowed this morning! We were starting to get worried that we would freeze,
but then we came out of the temple to blue sky. It's windy again now, and kind
of cold, but I don't think we'll need to huddle inside permanently for warmth.
According to missionary portal I have an assigned area:
Cacohoata. I know nothing about it, but google away for your own enjoyment.
I love you all! I'm so excited (and terrified) to be in
Mexico and teaching real people. I know that it's going to be really really
hard, but I also know that I'm not the one who actually does any of the
teaching, I just need to create an environment where the Spirit can be there to
testify. The Spirit is so, so so important for effective missionary work. This
is not something that I am capable of doing by myself. Good thing I don't have
too! as long as I stay worthy.
Les quiero,
Hermana Sophie Juliana
