WEEK 1

Dear Mommy,

I can't believe I am here at the MTC and that it has already been a week!!! It is so amazing and I am so glad that I made the decision to serve a mission. I am so excited to continue to learn and progress in the gospel and in Spanish. I live on West Campus because everyone here is learning Spanish. All we do is talk in Spanish. My teacher has never said a word in English to us, unless we ask him what a word means. It is crazy of how quickly my life has changed for the better. I am so glad that I am here! I am very glad that I took three years of Spanish. They are definitely coming in handy.

We go to three classes a day. I love when we have personal scripture and companion study. I learn so much from the scriptures, pamphlets, preach my gospel, and all the other tools they have given us here to learn from. We also go to two devotionals a week. They have both been awesome!! I sang in the choir for the Tuesday devotional. We were broadcasted to all the other MTCs across the world! We sang, "Lead Kindly Light" with the choir from the main campus and us. I also saw a tons of people that I know from Davis High! I saw Sister Linford, Seour Nelson, Elder Oldham, Sister Jordan, Elder Wilcox, Seour Watkins, Sister Southwick, Hermana Palmer, Elder Martineau, Sister Mackelprang, and lots others. It was so great to see all these amazing people that decided to serve missions! I'm so glad that all my friends are so great. I look up to all of them so much. :)

At the devotional, Sister Ellis, the wife of a seventy, gave the most amazing summary of missionary work:

Faith=Power

Obedience=Price

Love=Motive

The Spirit=Key

Christ=Reason

Joy=Reward

There you have it. Missionary work in twelve words. It was so powerful and I know there is a lot I have to do on my part to have the best experience I can, but I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for being so merciful and helping us. He let's us labor with Him, and He lets us feel the amazing reward that comes from it. That is definitely the most powerful thing I have learned here so far.

We have already started teaching people completely in Spanish. The woman we are teaching right now is named Cynthia. It was so hard and crazy! I felt so inadequate. As we got to talking to here, she told me that her grandma was sick and that she was really worried about what would happen to her. I told her in my broken Spanish that my grandpa was sick too and that it was really hard. I testified that families are eternal and she started crying. I am so grateful for the spirit to make up for what I cannot say in words. I am so grateful for my family and friends for the love and support I have already received. I know this gospel is true and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else!

Love,

Hermana Wood :)