Hello!!
So, I've survived my first week at the MTC... It's been crazy busy, a little overwhelming, but awesome at the same time. I've learned so much in just one week, it is incredible! Part of me just wants to be sent out to Houston right now, because I feel so on fire with the gospel and I want to share it with anyone and everyone I meet, but the other part of me is glad that I have another week to learn and grow before I am sent out into the field.
I love my companion, Sister Laws, so much! I honestly don't think I could have asked for a better first companion. She loves the gospel so much, and I am learning so much from her. The other people in my district are awesome too - there are 10 of us, 6 Elders and 4 Sisters. We all get along and have become close friends really quickly. The Elders in my district are all going to Washington, and all of the Sisters are going to Houston. It is weird to think that we have less than a week left together, and that I probably won't see any of the Elders again... hopefully I will run into the Sisters every once in a while in Texas!
Sister Laws and I don't share a room with the other two sisters in our district, but the four sisters we share a room with are in our zone. I'm glad that I have an opportunity to get to know those sisters better - they have become such good friends as well.
The welcome devotional was awesome, of course. Standing and singing "We'll Bring the World His Truth" with that many Elders and Sisters was so powerful. We changed the words of the chorus to be "we are NOW the Lord's missionaries..." and that's when it really hit me that I am a missionary... guys, I'm a missionary!! :D
Most of my time has been spent in various classes and in devotionals. I'm kinda used to the schedule now, but the first few days were rough - sitting all day, learning so much that I felt like there wasn't any space left in my brain to learn any more, and then learning more on top of that. We didn't get our first exercise time until Friday afternoon - I don't think I've ever been so excited to go to the gym! Mom and Sister Oliverson, you should be proud - I spent most of my 50 minutes running, yes, mostly running, just to get rid of all the extra energy that I had. It felt so good. But since then we've had time to exercise every day.
The schedule on Thursday was just weird because of the 4th of July. And that's probably why Wednesday was so overwhelming - we got everything that was supposed to happen in two evenings all in one. But it was worth it - at the 4th of July celebration devotional we got to watch 17 miracles - I love that movie! and then we got to go see the stadium of fire fireworks show. It was very entertaining - the fireworks show was great, but more entertaining was the clapping and cheering of the missionaries. It seems like we are a bit starved for a little entertainment - especially those who have been here for a while!
Guess what - remember Brother Hobson, the patriarch who gave me my patriarchal blessing? He's in the presidency of my branch here at the MTC! Small world, huh? It's cool to talk to him and get reconnected. I talked to his wife, and she said that he loves it when he gets to see people that got their blessings from him. It's pretty cool for me too!
Sister Laws and I were called as the Sister Training Leaders (basically Sister Zone Leaders) for our Zone. Which meant that our Sunday was full of meetings. Not necessarily a bad thing, except when it's fast Sunday and you have meetings until 5:40... Yup, we were hungry. But we learned a lot in our various training meetings, and hopefully we'll be good leaders to the Sisters in our Zone. There are 21 new missionaries coming today that will be in our Zone, and we and the Zone leaders are in charge of getting them all oriented to MTC life this evening. Hopefully we'll be able to do a good job and not make anyone more lost or confused than they already are. ;)
We got to have our first teaching experiences over the past few weeks. Because I am senior companion, for this past week anyway, I think Sister Laws becomes senior companion today... anyway, I've been leading out in the lessons which is a great experience. I'm getting over my fear of talking to people I don't really know, which is a huge blessing. Audrey, our first investigator, is one of those golden contacts that missionaries talk about. She has been attending our church for two years, and wants the missionaries to come teach her so she can work towards baptism. I love teaching her, because she is really open to sharing her experiences with us. She is just having a hard time gaining her own testimony, so Sister Laws and I have been trying our best to create an environment where she can feel the spirit.
Sister Laws and I had an... interesting experience during our first lesson with her. After we teach, we spend a few minutes to talk to each other, find out what went well, what didn't, what we felt, etc. When we were talking after our first lesson, we realized that we had both received a prompting from the spirit and neither of us had followed it... we both felt so guilty! And since then we have been working extra hard to recognize the spirit in our own lives and to follow the promptings that we receive right away.
I've learned so much while I've been here - and it's hard to convey that all through an email. One thing that I've really learned is the power of prayer. Here at the MTC we pray for everything - I lost count of how many prayers I had said in one day at about 25... and it wasn't even dinner time yet. But I love it. Praying brings the spirit, wherever you are. And it brings you closer to Heavenly Father. Sister Laws taught me something interesting, and I've applied it to my personal prayers, and it has really helped me to stay focused and not let my mind wander. She said that every time she says her evening prayers, she starts by asking God to let her feel of His love for her, and then she waits until she feels His love, and then she'll continue with her prayer. I've tried it for the past few nights, and it really works! If you ask to feel God's love, you will feel it, even if it takes a few seconds for you to open your heart to it. You should try it sometime!
Most of my district went to see a recorded MTC talk by Elder Bednar on Sunday after the regular Sunday evening devotional. The talk was titled "Character of Christ." And it was INCREDIBLE. Really. Life changing. During his talk, Elder Bednar talked about how our mission is not about us. It is about others. Christ always turned out towards others when others would turn in and be selfish. Elder Bednar can say it so much more powerfully than I can... but I, and all of my district, really enjoyed it. If you can, and I don't know if you'll be able to, because it was a talk given at the MTC, you should find it and read it, or listen to it. And Elder Ruesch, if you didn't go watch it last week, you should go this Sunday, if they're showing it again this week. Hopefully they are. It really is very powerful.
I've seen so many people that I know here at the MTC - both from high school and college. It is fun to see everyone as servants of the Lord. And don't worry Sister Oliverson, I saw Sister Williams and she passed on your message. :)
I love you all so much! I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to learn so much and then go out and share the Lord's message with the people of Houston. Love you!!
Sister Ririe
Also, I wish I could send some pictures, but I'm having some troubles with the computers here. So stay tuned, hopefully I'll be able to send some soon.
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