MTC Letter #2

Hello all!!!

I love you so much and I have loved all the emails and letters and packages I have received. This past week has been wonderful filled with amazing experiencing. I have a slight cold but it is getting better. Hooray for Sudafed!!!

My district is amazing I am sure I have raved about them a lot. I have not told you all who they are.

Anziono Klemm - he was the elder that went to chicago with me! It was so much fun to come in the first day and already know someone

A. Edwards - He is from St. George and is the sweetest kid ever. He is always crying (good tears). He always says the sweetest things to us and says he thinks of us as his actually sisters.

A. Tymczuk (pronounced tim-chuck) is from Canada and He is hilarious! He always finds a reason to laugh!

A. Day - is like a big cuddly bear. He has the deepest voice I have ever heard! He is always positive and happy. Whenever we receive correction he takes it in stride and starts to change. He is never stressed except when you talk about stress :) We figured this out during our stress management class. He was so upset by the discussion about stress :)

A. Robinson - is the sweetest guy. He is from Texas. He had some stuff he had to do before he came on his mission so he is 20 ish. But he has a very deep testimony of his Savior.

A. Bryant - is our DL. He is hilarious as well. But he is very diligent and wants to learn the language very bad. I always see him studying.

Our district is super close. We tell each other everything. We are open about our feelings. We started district appreciation and went around telling each persron what we love about them. When it was my companion and my turn, they said some of the sweetest things and sincerest compliments I have EVER heard. I wrote them immediately in my journal so I can have them for a rainy day when I am feeling bad about myself.

This sunday was my first normal sunday it was amazing. The sisters watch Music and the Spoken word and then have a speaker for RS. This week it was Rosemary Wixom the General Primary President. We also have a mission fireside every sunday. After the fireside they have 4 films we can go see. I went to go see Elder Bednar's MTC christmas devotional entitled "the Character of Christ". It is the best talk I have heard in a very long time! His main point is that we need to take upon ourselves the character of Christ. He described the character of Christ as: He turns outward in love when we would turn inward. The natural man turns us inward. We grieve for the dead and complain about our suffering. Christ never did. Elder Bednar went on to list a few experiences that show the Character of Christ. For example Christ fasted for 40 days and nights and was tempted by Satan we know throught the JST translation that He sent angels to John the Baptist who was in prison. Christ needed angels to minister to him but He thought of John first. On the cross He asked for God to forgive his persecutors and many other experriences. Elder Bednar says the only way we can have the character of Christ is if we are converted to christ. NOt just have a testimony because a testimony is not enough!!! We must be completely converted to christ! He told a story of when he was a stake president. A RS president called him telling him that 3 YW in the stake has just been in an accident and one was dead. They needed him to go and identify the bodies because he was closest. During the conversation on the phone he realized that the RS president had two phones and was talking to 2 people at the same time. On the other phone was the nurse. The nurse told this woman that they had successfully identified the girl that was dead and it was her daughter. Without a moments hesitation the woman said to Elder Bednar you need to get to the hospital and identify the other two girls so we can call their mothers. This story moved me so much. In that moment of extreme grief Her first instinct was for the other mothers. This made the character of Christ real to me. Because I cant become like Christ but I can become converted to him slowly and surely until I am like that RS president.

I wanted to share my thoughts on that talk because it can only be heard at the MTC. It has not been released anywhere else. It affected me soo much!!

My companion and I started TRC teaching volunteers who come to be taught by Missionaries to they can practice it was a wonderful experience. Also Lorenzo our "investigator" I told you about last letter agreed to be baptized. We later found out it was our last lesson with him. But out teacher said the teachers won't say anything they don't mean. I don't know if he said yes to be nice to us but it was a wonderful experience.

I love how my testimony has been strengthened so much just from being here 2 weeks. I know that God hears my prayers and all the prayers that are being said for the missionaries. I can feel them and I can feel the Spirit teaching me. I have been so blessed in my life. I have not had any trials. As I have been getting to know people and seen some of the things they have had to deal with I have realized how easy my life has been. I have never had trials that I can think of. I sometimes fear that that might mean I have some big ones coming my way but I am not worried. I am excited to teach the people in Italy. I know it will be hard but I know that God will be helping me. I want to enjoy every minute here at the MTC. It is a time in my life that I will never relive. We watched a wonderful MTC talk by Jeffrey R. Holland. He talked about how his mission meant everything to him and charged us to embrace every moment. I plan to do that.

Sorella Preston