Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Her First Week in the MTC!

Mom! 

I have been absolutely loving my time here in the MTC. Much more than I ever thought I would! The schedule is so cram packed that they don't even give you time to walk between classes and buildings. They literally have every minute of the day planned for you. You were right about me loving the schedule. It's the best thing ever! 

So I met my companion after I sent my first email on Wednesday, Sister Foster. She is so great! We are getting along really well. She's from Georgia but really she's from California, she just recently moved Georgia. She's really laid back so she's been dealing with my obsessive need to be places on time and walk fast with grace. She also has a really calming energy which has helped me to relax and take things as they come instead of stressing about every little thing. She gets a kick out of the noises and faces that I make, especially when I hit my arm or shoulders on the toilet paper holders. So does everyone else 😄. It has been a great blessing to have Sister Foster as my first companion.

There are 6 companionships in my district. One of which is another set of sisters, Sister King and Sister Johnson. They are both so amazing and great. We all four share a room and we're all going to the same mission! I'm super excited about it, this means they might end up being my companion later on! Sister King is from Sacramento, CA and sister Johnson is from Great Falls, MT. We have all gotten very close in the last few days and become good friends. Not surprisingly, I have kind of taken on the role of a second mother to some of the missionaries in the district. I have been able to help some of the sisters here a lot and that has brought me great joy to know that I can do some good while here. 

Yes mom, there is one bathroom shared amongst the girls in my hall, but so far we haven't had any issues with the showers being full, and I take that as a great blessing. What the deal with the iPad is that we're a "pilot" district. I guess that means that they're trying out training missionaries on iPads and tablets and teaching them how to get the best use out of the technology that God has given to us and how to use it to preach the gospel. It's actually really cool. I don't know if this means we'll be getting iPads in the mission field or if it means that they might change it while we're out and let us use them. I'll find out when I get there I guess. 

Another great blessing is that I haven't struggled too much with being homesick yet. I think going off to college last year really helped me prepare for this part of the mission. Reading your last email about how you guys are doing and how Beau is made me a little homesick because I miss being with family and being able to talk to you whenever I want, but I have gained a second family here in my district. I think the homesick bug is going around within the missionaries in my district though. Some of these kids are struggling and it pains my heart to see them that way. 

I have been going through some intense changes and it's not even been a week. It seems like every day so far, I have had some big realization or some spiritual experience that I was in need of at that time. I get about 15 minutes in the evening to write about it in my personal journal and that is never enough time for me to write everything down that I wanted to. I'll share with you the first experience I had, which was on the first night I was here.

Wednesday night October 26th, my first night in the MTC, we did this thing called People and Your Purpose as a preparation thing. It was our first experience with teaching a lesson and as a large group of missionaries we met with three different investigators in big classrooms. A pair of missionaries "knocked" on the door and began teaching the investigator as a demonstration. What we as the observers were supposed to do was focus on our love for these three complete strangers. Knowing how I am and how hard that can be, to love freely and openly, I was shocked at what I felt. As I listened to these investigators talk about why they were there (they were all invited by a friend to come meet with us) and their stories and beliefs and confusions and fears, my view began to change. Suddenly I had related to every single one of these investigators in some way. I felt this unexplainable feeling for them. The thought that came to mind as I sat and listened was that what I was feeling and what I was seeing was Christ's love for these people. And at the same, I felt like God was telling me that that love I felt for these people was the same way he felt about me. It was such a strange and yet comforting feeling and realization. I felt like I was seeing these people not with my own eyes, but with God's. 

Oh I wish I could email you about everything that has been going on here but I just don't have the time. I will definitely be writing letters with the rest of the time that I have today so that I can tell you the rest. I love you all so very much. I know that this church is true! I know that God called Joseph Smith as a prophet to restore His true church back onto this earth. I know that the Book of Mormon is true! I know that God knows and loves each and every one of us. I know that he hears our prayers and answers them. He has been answering so many of mine and I feel Him closer to me every day. I love this gospel! I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love, 
Sister Conrad ❤


                                          Sister Foster and Sister Conrad, first companions


                                                                    Sister Conrad's District at the MTC

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