2nd Week!!

Hola Everyone!

I can't believe its already been 2 weeks!  Life here at the MTC is super busy but GREAT! My companion and I are teaching a lot of lessons and learning more and more Spanish every day! We have been teaching both our teachers, 2 members (TRC) and an actual investigator:).  I'm picking up on the Spanish because I am constantly speaking it. I try to speak it throughout the day so that helps me learn too. My District and Zone are seriously the BEST ever! I came up with an idea for us to all learn the "Come Unto Christ Medley" and sing it for the MTC at one of the devotionals and they all agreed to do it!  We sound amazing (I think) and we all feel the spirit, well at least I do, every time we sing it!  I'm doing a duet during the song with one of the Hermanas in my Zone. She is from New Zealand and is Tongan and she has an amazing voice!  I'm nervous but I'm happy to get to sing with these amazing Elders and Sisters! My companion and I got to teach Relief Society this past Sunday and it went really well.  We taught a lesson on Exact Obedience. I like that everyone participated and it made it that much more spiritual because of everyone's comments and thoughts. I know that sometimes we don't like that there are so many rules to follow in life, but we have them to keep us safe.  I know it's important to be obedient and follow Christ's example.  Rosemary M. Wixsom (The General Primary President) came and spoke with us missionaries at the MTC last night and she gave an amazing talk!  I learned that being in the primary before I came on my mission was really a blessing in my life because I was able to learn and teach my primary class the basics of this church. Like who Jesus Christ is and how we are all God's children. Well now that I'm here I realize all these investigators are like children.  They are having to be taught from the beginning.....like who Jesus Christ is and how we are all God's children and that He loves us etc.  I love knowing that Heavenly Father is aware of us and He knows exactly what we need in our lives.  He has a plan for us, and wants us to follow Him.  I love my Savior Jesus Christ so much and I've really learned so much about Him through reading the scriptures every day!  I love that we can pray to Him any time we want.  When I feel down or nervous about anything I just pray to Him and I feel His love wrap around me like He is giving me a big hug! I want to share a scripture with you all that really hit me. Its in Alma 5:16, and after you read that scripture just think.......could you imagine your Father in Heaven seeing you again and saying well done my faithful son/daughter.  I think about that every day and think of how proud the Lord is of each and every one of us.  I know there is always something we could improve on in our lives but the Lord knows we are trying and He loves us.  I love learning more and more about this gospel every day and I know this is exactly where I need to be.  I'm also becoming more converted everyday and my testimony grows through each experience I have! I love and miss y'all! 

Love

Hermana Mann

 

First email

Its Me......Hermana Mann! I am doing well and having a blast!! This first week at the MTC has been crazy busy, stressful, and fun, but I have felt the spirit so strong within the time that I've been here so far. I'm learning so much and it's been a little overwhelming but the Lord has been by my side the whole time.  I don't know how to start out this email because I have so much I could share with you all!! But I will start out by saying I have the best companion ever!! The first day we met we just clicked.  We have so much in common it's like we are twins!  We get along great and we just love being companions! Her name is Hermana Enriquez and she is from California, but has lived in Smithfield UT for the past 5 years.  She loves SOCCER and is very outgoing and has such a great personality! She is going to the Nevada Las Vegas mission.  I also have such awesome roommates! Their names are Hermana Wagner and Hermana Rutledge, and they both are going to San Antonio TX as well, and cool thing is I knew Hermana Rutledge before we came on our missions! The first day I got here I got my books for class and went to my dorm, dropped of my luggage, met my companion and headed straight for class. We began learning Spanish and it was like being thrown into the deep end of the pool and not knowing how to swim.  I didn't get anything my teacher was saying and I felt super overwhelmed. But after a couple hours I began to catch on a little bit. We went to dinner and a super cool thing happened.  I saw one of my friends from EFY from 2 years ago and found out that he was in my same Zone (Elder Carr)! That night we went to a class called People and Your Purpose and it was such a neat experience and I felt the spirit.  Then we went and met our Zone leaders. They are all such awesome people with such strong testimonies. My second day was crazy busy and full of a lot of class and language study! We had to plan to teach an investigator the next day in SPANISH!  My companion and I studied our lesson so much that day and prayed a lot that we would be able to communicate with him.  Our first lesson didn't go so well, but jumping a couple days ahead, we were about to teach him for the 4th time. I had a really spiritual experience that day.  I was sitting in class and feeling down that I hadn't been able to really bear my testimony to our investigator because I didn't know how to say it in Spanish, and I wasn't feeling the spirit flow during our lessons very well because I was so worried about not saying the right thing in Spanish. My companion and I prayed before we went in to teach him and as soon as we sat down with him he asked a question about one of the verses we had asked him to read in our last visit with him. It was in Alma 32: 27 and his question was about how to have desire of faith work in him.  My companion and I shared Alma 34: 17-27 and after he read those words he paused and turned to us and said that he was feeling something in his chest and he asked us with tears in his eyes if we cry while reading the scriptures?  We said yes, when we feel the spirit sometimes we cry. He then explained that when he prays he doesn't feel the way he does when he reads the scriptures and that made him realize he needed to change the way he was praying in order to feel the same way. My companion and I got excited and I then shared a scripture with him that was Moroni 7:16.  I tried to explain in broken Spanish how that good feeling he was feeling of wanting to change and be better was the spirit talking to him.  He looked at me and it was at that moment I felt the spirit so strong, and words just started coming out of my mouth, and I was finally able to bear my testimony to him, and it was just so amazing. I asked if he would say our closing prayer and that prayer made me cry as the spirit overwhelmed me. My companion and I set our next appt with him and left.  We both felt amazing and so happy.  Another thing I want to quickly share because I am running out of time is that Elder Rasband, from The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, came and spoke at a devotional we had on Tuesday night and it was such an amazing experience! The devotional was broadcast to all the MTC's throughout the world!  My companion, myself, and my roommates joined the MTC choir and were able to sing for Elder Rasband that night! It was AWESOME! 

Well that was just some of the things that I've been experiencing and it has been amazing so far! I am also sending some pictures for you all and I hope you are all doing great!! I miss and LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! I know this church is TRUE with all my heart! I know Joseph Smith restored this gospel, and that the Book of Mormon is an amazing book, and that it is also so TRUE! I am grateful for prayer and that we have that communication with our Heavenly Father.  I know the gift of tongues is real! I have had a hard time learning the Spanish language but I know Heavenly Father helps me know what and how to say what I need to. En el nombre Jesucristo amen!

-Hermana Mann

PLEASE send me lots of mail!! I love hearing from you all and I love writing letters! I also would like to know your addresses so I can send you letters.

 

Off she goes!