February 1, 2013 Maren

Hey Family!

 

To start off lets get some of the business out of the way.

 

Mom, I did get my lisence and Colby's package. Thank You! I'm so glad I finally got a new picture on my Driver's liscence. Colby gave me a Mini Spanish Preach my Gospel, personalized for me with small notes... I like it a lot.

 

Dad, did you get my letter with the scripture I want on my plaque? Jake... you should probably start thinking about that now because it is super hard to pick just one.

 

Mom, have you gotten the check in the mail for the last wedding I did yet? Its going to help a lot so I really want to make sure you've got that money. O and... I wish I didn't have to say this but have you paid my rent? Don't want to get late fees.

 

O and can you do me a favor? will you start sending Stephanie's letters to me in DearElder.com form... i never have enough time to read her emails when I get online but I want to know what is up with her.

 

Um..... I think for now that is it... I feel like there was more but I can't remember.

 

This week went by so fast. One of the districts in our Zone got their travel plans last week and they've been preparing to get out of here ever since. I know we're only a few weeks behind them but I am so so so sad to see them go. I have become friends with so many of them... I wish we were all going to the same mission. I think they need to have MTC Zone reunions... not just mission reunions... Haha. We got thinking about it and realized that we could have our travel plans in the next week or so. We've only got 2 1/2 weeks left here... really that is no time at all. Its a little scary and really exciting but mostly I just hope I'm ready. Our district has really been trying to step things up and stay focused a lot more, something our 18 year old elders have struggled with in the past, we're not perfect but we have an AMAZING district leader who is setting a marvelous example and really asking everyone to Become more. He is such a great example.

 

Jacob, you asked what a day in the MTC is like so I will tell you.... It varies a little from day to day but I'll give you the gist of it.

 

6:30 - Wake Up

 

6:35 - Grab breakfast in the Sac Breakfast line (basically its a line that we can get food in our pajamas so we dont have to be completely ready for the day yet.)

 

7:30-10:30 - Class... the first hour we teach an investigator, the second hour we do language, and the third hour we either study fundamentals together as a class or can get individual coaching and study whatever we need.

 

10:30-11:30 - Personal Study (my favorite hour of the day - study the scriptures and PMG especailly for your investigators)

 

11:30 - Lunch

 

12:25-1:45 - Gym and Get ready for next activity.

 

2:00-3:00 - TALL (a computer program to help us learn our language)

 

3:00-3:30 - Aditional Study (study whatever we want/need to)

 

3:30-4:30 - Language Study

 

4:30 - Dinner

 

5:15-6:00 - Additional Study (we also get mail after every meal and take time to read it if we get any)

 

6:00-6:30 - Daily Planning (plan for the next day's activities)

 

6:30-9:30 - Class... similar format to 1:30 class.

 

9:30-10:30 - personal time

 

10:30 - LIGHTS OUT!

 

It's an awful lot of studying but I am surpirsed at how easy it is to sit in a desk for 9+ hours every day... Especially for someone who couldn't focus in school before I came here. The Lord truly magnifies your capacity so that you can do the work he has called you to do.

 

I love learning spanish! I am so glad I was called Spanish Speaking. Concepts and rules that I could never seem to grasp in school suddenly make so much sense! Compared to English, Spanish is easy! I am surprised every day at how much I can say.

 

Family... I am almost out of time. Jk... i'm way out of time.

 

I just want to leave you with my testimony.

 

This is the Church of Jesus Christ restored upon the earth by Joseph Smith through the Holy Spirit. The principles and the ordinances of the Gospel are the literal road map to accomplish God's plan for us while we are here on the earth but also in the eternitites. It is the road map to be happy, did you know that is one of God's purposes for us? To be Happy here and now no matter what is going on in our life. If we live the gospel, Christ's gospel we will be happy in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. I know that Christ is here... he is very invested in his work and likes to remain close to his missionaries. I am not the only one in my distrcit who has shared personal experiences of feeling him near by. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be here, to be one of his hand picked soldiers to carry the powerful weapon that is the Gospel against the mighty adversary. There are days that I stil marvel that I am here, in the MTC, wearing a Name tag...! That wasn't part of my plan! But O how grateful I am that He knows better than I and that it was a part of his plan. I wouldn't trade this for anything.

 

I love you Family! I hope you are all okay and life is treating you well.

 

Love,

 

Hermana Maren Hale