Area: Provo MTC
Hello!!!
This has been the longest, hardest, happiest, most exhausting, most spiritual week of my entire life!
It has been so long since I have talked to you, it is crazy! So much has happened!! Okay so Wednesday was pretty much all a blur, we had a great devotional by the MTC president and his wife who are literally my favorite Texans in the world. I met my district and they are all super rad! Thursday we had some good classes with one of our teachers, Sister Lee, went to some workshops and had some good study time. We me tour branch presidency and everyone in my zone/branch all went around and bore our testimony's which was awesome. I have felt the spirit so strongly here in the MTC, it is amazing, like nothing I have ever felt before. Sister Brown and I have so much fun together! We are basically like the same person and it is amazing!! We get along so well, laugh A LOT, tell too many puns, and just keep each other happy. She is the best and I am so so thankful to have her as my first companion! Couldn't ask for better!
Anyway, on Saturday we met our other teach, Brother Potter who is exceedingly tight like unto a dish. Something about his classes are the best, the spirit is like no other. It is really cool and I love his classes the best. We also met our first TRC (which don't ask me what that stands for because literally everyone I have asked has no clue) but basically it is where we teach an "investigator" (the 2 we have taught are obviously mormon, one was wearing a CTR ring but still a good experience) Sister Brown and I have to plan our lessons really thoughtfully and we are teaching real lessons! It has been good. It is interesting because we get a review thing after our lessons and Sister Brown and I either think we did terribly but actually did great or we think we did okay and we actually didnn't do as well as we thought. So I guess we gotta work on reading people I guess? But it is still a great learning opportunity!
Sunday was incredibly busy, We had class starting a 7:30, compared to the normal 8:30 start every other day. We had relief society first, then district meeting, then sacrament. Oh! Sister Brown and I were called as our Branch music coordinators! So that is cool! We pick the hymns on Sundays and that is good. We had a devotional that night by one of the members of the MTC presidency which was about tackling our goliaths which was real good and then I heard the LITERAL BEST TALK I HAVE EVER HEARD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE by Elder Bednar that he gave a few years ago at the MTC called Character of Christ. IDK if y'all can access it, but if you can find it, I HIGHLY suggest watching it. It honestly touched me and spoke to me so much and made me totally want to reevaluate my life. It was awesome.
This week has been busy, full of workshops, TRC's, and classes. My district has gotten close and we all now sit together at meals and get together throughout the day. There are 12 of us, 2 sets of sisters, (all the sisters in my zone are going to Pittsburgh so that is awesome) 2 sets of elders going to Boise, and 2 sets of elder going to New Hampshire! My room is Me, Sister Brown, Sister Heirtzler, and sister Laub. They are great girls and we have so much fun together! It is so hard for us to turn off the lights and go to bed at 10:30 because we just want to sta up talking and laughing! They are wonderful.
Sister Brown also got a box of Krispy Kreme donuts sent to her the other day and let's just say, those did not last very long lololol Thank you for all the notes you have sent me!! It has been great! Keep them coming! I love sitting at lunch and getting a letter handed to me from one of my siblings, or an email from a family member or friend. I really appreciate them and all the support!
The fire here in Utah was INSANE. I took a lot of pictures of the mountains and they didn't turn out that great but literally walking around the MTC campus everyday seriously felt like the spirit of God like a fire is burning. It is way better now but yeah it was crazy.
Also, I have worked out at the gym!!! Be proud of me! I am not making this up, it is true fact!!
Also ya girl is totally sick. I started feeling sick on Tuesday and it has now formed into a full blown cold. So that stinks. But I am keeping my head up and pressing forward! All is well!
Cool story: A few nights ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with the most sharp and painful pain in my leg. It was terrible. I have never felt something so painful! It was like 2 am and I didn't know what to do, and I was basically bound to my bedbecause of the pain. So I said a prayer asking Heavenly father if not to remove this pain, to at least lessen it. Before I was even done with my prayer, the pain gradually lessened until it was completely gone! I felt it a bit in the morning but other than that, I was completely healed! It was a miracle! I know the Lord hears and answers our prayers. It may not always be exactly like that but He truly does answer them. I have seen the Lord's hand in my life these past 9 days than I ever have in my entire life. The MTC is amazing and I am so incredibly grateful I am here!
Oh yes one more cool story!! It was Sunday night, Sister Brown and I decided to do the MTC choir, excited to sing some good hymns and feel the spirit. They has us all fill out lil surveys about your choir and singing experience and I didn't reallly think anything about it until after I had submitted it, it was because THE MTC CHOIR IS SINGING AT GENERAL CONFERENCE!!! The only problem with that though, was 1,200 or so people showed up to practice that night and the Conference center only has 364 seats. So I definitely did not think I would be chosen to sing with them but ya know, I prayed super hard that either I would be chosen, or that I would be okay with not being chosen. Well, like 2 days later, I got a note that said I GOT CHOSEN!!! YA GIRL IS SINGING AT GENERAL CONFERENCE!!! Even thinking about it right now makes me want to cry, honestly. I am so incredibly grateful, and I have felt so blessed being here.
Thank you all for the love and support, you are the best, I miss you a lot, I especially miss being able to talk to you all at any second I want but that is okay, I will get used to it. Keep sending me emails! I can read them any day of the week! No promises about responding to them on Pday but they will never go unappreciated. Send me letters and Dear Elders (ask Marie) too! I really appreciate them!!!
Love,
Sister Bates
