Dear family,
The MTC is a blast! Well. Actually. I don't know how
to describe it. It's nothing at all like I expected it to be.
We got here, the host sisters took us up to get our nametags and keys and such,
and then we delivered our luggage to our rooms. Then they sent us
directly to class. It's CRAZY here. For the first few days, we were in
class for six hours a day, studying for four hours a day, and then the other
time devoted to various workshops, orientations, etc. Also not very much
time for meals, and some gym time a couple of the days. This week we
still have six hours of class per day, but some of the time that was devoted to
study now goes to practice activities, like the TRC. Point being, we are SO
BUSY. We have 16 hour days, and every hour of them there's something we're
supposed to be doing. (Well, except for today. There's some unscheduled
time today, since it's P day.)
Speaking of the TRC (I have no idea what this stands for--we
show up at an appointed time, and we get assigned a practice investigator), we
had our first "progressing investigator" yesterday. I
think ours went pretty well, all things considered, but some of the other
sisters in our district had a really rough time. One of the sisters cried
during their visit. Her companion cried later during class.
We did have a "teaching experience" our
first day, but all of the new missionaries did it together, and it was in
English. It was really great, actually. We split into groups of 75 ish
missionaries, and each group met with an "investigator". They
told us about their problems, and we told them about the Gospel. We had 3
"investigators", but one of them really had an impact on me.
His name was Jose, and from the beginning, he seemed really sad. He
talked about how he moved here from (...wherever he was from. Guatemala, maybe?)
to be near his daughter. Someone asked him if he believed that God loved
him, and he said no, but "I know that I need Him". Several
missionaries then bore testimony to him that God did love him. He started
talking about how difficult his life had been in Guatemala (or wherever), and
how even as a little kid he had to work. Then he talked about how his
father had left his mother and him when he was a very young child. If his
own father could look at him, know him, and leave him without looking back,
then how could God possibly love him? Then several missionaries shared
their own personal experiences, one of whom had felt the same way when his
father committed suicide, and one whose mother came from a war-torn
country. The Spirit was SO STRONG. (Which was good, because I was
legitimately worried that I just wasn't going to be able to feel the Spirit.)
In my mind, I felt the words "let Me bear their burdens".
That changed my perspective on why I'm here and what the purpose of missionary
work is. The Savior loves the people who are suffering. He wants to
bear their burdens. But He can't bear them if they don't come unto Him,
and they can't come unto Him if they can't find Him. Even writing
about it now I'm getting kind of emotional remembering it. That's why we
do this. That's why I'm here.
The Spirit is strong here, but not all at once. Sam
described it as kind of a quiet hum in the background, and that seems about
right. You're not overwhelmed by it all the time (though we are
sometimes), but it's always there (well, if you're doing what you're supposed
to be doing.)
Things have been mostly really good. I was a little
bit homesick on the fourth of July (we got to watch the fireworks, and the
movie 17 Miracles, which was SO SAD. JUST SO SAD.), but since then I feel like
i haven't really had the time to be homesick. Classes are great,
studying is great (although I need to work on being more focused so that I can
get more done), my roommates are great. My companion is Hermana Juarez,
and she's from California (her parents are from Guatemala). She's headed
off to Salt Lake City West. The other girls in our district (well, our half of
the district. In our class. I can't keep it straight.) are Hermanas Soto and
Butler. They're both from Utah. Hermana Soto is headed to Pocatello
(Spanish speaking. I didn't know there were Spanish speakers in Pocatello, but
apparently there are.), and Hermana Butler is headed to Rancagua (spelling?),
Chile. The Elders in our district are Elder Garcia (from Richfield, UT,
but originally from a latin American country that escapes me now), Elder
Peterson (our district leader... from Utah, I think), Elder Moraza (from Puerto
Rico--he speaks English really well, but sometimes his language errors are
really hilarious. The other day he said he was frustrating. Not
frustrated yet, but getting there.), and Elder Johns (who is super white and
super blonde, from Tennessee and headed to the same mission as Hermana
Butler). They're great. We do basically everything together, since we do
class and study in the same room with everyone.
I know I'm forgetting to mention a million really important
things, but my time is running out, so I'll try to close. Thank everyone for
sending me DearElders and emails! The sisters that sent me DearElders are
getting letters back (except for Caroline, but thank whoever helped her write
her email to me, because it kind of made my day). I love
DearElders. Send me lots. All of the days.
Much, much much love! I pray every night that Heavenly
Father will take care of you guys while I'm gone, and I have faith that He
will. I'm loving the MTC, and I'm safe and happy. I'm learning SO
MUCH! It's hard, but awesome. Don't forget about me! And keep me in your
prayers, please.
Love,
Hermana Crum
