MTC letter No.1

Well hi there!!

Gosh, I feel like I've already written this email twice because I had time today before now to write letters haha.

Anyway, it's wonderful here! The Spirit is very strong ALL the time. I'm lucky to be able to suck it up for 9 weeks straight. I've also been amazed at how much I've grown in just 5 days. So much so that I love the idea that I'll be on my mission for 18 months so that I can have lots of time to keep growing and be able to solidify what I've learned. It's very true what people say about it being the hardest, happiest time of you life.

I actually have 2 companions, just like Trevor did! Hermana Birch and Hermana Vickers. Hna Vicker's orginal companion got moved up to a higher Spanish class (and therefore out of our room, district, and zone) and so we became what we call a tripanionship. :) I am very lucky to have the companions that I do. The past couple of days have been a little rough together because we were each dealing with different things, but today has been wonderful and we are very close. Our district is very close, really. These elders love us and watch over us like brothers. On Saturday morning, our teacher shared experiences that touched us and our emotions got the best of us. Then, we all found we couldn't stop them. All the pent up pressure of mission life broke through and there the three of us were on our side of the room, weeping quietly. Hna. Vickers missed her family very much and hadn't been feeling well. Hna. Birch was feeling overwhelmed by all the things we have to do and about learning the language--she feels she's so far behind but she's really not. And I felt spiritually inadequate. We eventually all decided to tell each other what we were all feeling. Then the elders accidentally kept walking in on it. Finally, we just told them too and later that night they gave us all (and one elder) blessings. This was an amazing experience in many ways. Previously I'd wondered if inexperience with giving blessings would freak them out a little, for lack of a better phrase, and that the things they'd say wouldn't be pertinent. But I was oh so very wrong. I'm thankful I had the opportunity to go to Ervin's patriarchal blessing because there I the patriarch asked me to say a prayer before we began and in it I was prompted to say certain things, which I later learned were exactly what Ervin needed to hear--in fact was waiting to hear--and which were also repeated in his very blessing. This experience helped me to have greater faith in these elders truly receiving what the Lord had to communicate instead of anything else. The words that were spoken to me in my blessing were very personal and pertinent. And I know that it was the same for the others who received blessings. This brought us closer as a district. And, in fact, we have a rare closeness. We really care about each other. Everyone's so unique and brings something different to the classroom that we all benefit from. There are 9 of us in the district. Us 3 hermanas and Elder Snasel, Elder Simmons, Elder Thacker, Elder Kakau, Elder Dalley, and Elder Cooley.

That whole of Saturday was spiritual overload it felt like to everyone. We were glad for the Day of Rest.

In my blessing it said something about leadership... which puzzled me a little--I'm not even senior companion. Then right before sacrament meeting the branch president called me to be the CS (coordinating sister) for the zone. Dear me. My first meeting is tomorrow so we'll see how it goes. I'm still trying to understand what all goes on here and to get the hang of things myself so be responsible for orienting new sisters, having them report to me, doing orientations with the zone leaders, and having all these extra meetings is a little scary, but if it's what the Lord wants.... nothing else has to be said, I guess. :) The last CS was amazing. I have big shoes to fill. She was a great example to me, though, as a missionary so I hope that I can have as much of a good influence on other sisters as she had on me. Sister Clark...

Umm I'll be honest, I really don't even remember the first three days. Like I'm dead serious. I remember bobbing up and down, singing, "I'm goin' on a mission!!..." while hugging Mom as she dropped me off at the curb and being so happy and excited the whole day Wednesday, but other than that.... no idea.

Oh boy, only 6 more minutes left!

I love you all so very much and thank you for your prayers in my behalf. They truly help.

Hope to hear from you all SOON! Have a wonderful week.

Un abrazo,

Hermana Underlin