Kait in Colorado: First Week Down!!

HERRRRRO!

Oh, where to begin! It feels like I have been in the MTC forever judging by how many things have happened. Being dropped off was great! Sister Lloyd was there to help me every step of the way and I was late to the first meeting of my district so I was privileged to miss all those awkward first intros.

My companion is THE BEST! Sister Gregerson is from Cali, went to BYU last year, and laughs at all the same things I do. Lots of time we have to leave the classroom during personal study to get a hold of ourselves. Plus she can put up with all my weirdness and even sometimes thinks it's funny. It's too good. My district is all going to Denver South and there are 10 of us: 4 sisters and 6 elders. Most of the elders are 18 (BLAKE'S AGE, although some of them look 12) and I've convinced some of them that I am 29. Eighteen=gullible. Also I've convinced some that I know French. You know how good I am at pretending to speak other languages. We are so busy all the time here and I thrive on it. We are expected to do a lot! Every day is chockful of places to do, things to study, lessons to attend, devotionals, firesides, classes, appointments...Sister G (as I will refer to her here on out) and I have really found the stride in our companionship. We are just loving it because we work together like CHAMPIONS. We have taught four lessons: three to our "investigator" Bob Nash (who is our teacher Brother Lester who is an amazing actor pretending to be his friend) and Ivelisse, from Venezuela. Our first two with Bob were not so hot but we really found it yesterday while teaching Ivelisse. We relied less on our planning and more on the Spirit. It's really hard to find the balance between planning and teaching by the Spirit and also how to incorporate my rather sarcastic personality into our lessons and not be a missionary robot. But we are getting better each time we teach. With Ivelisse we taught by the Spirit. I felt it so strongly. We invited her to be baptized. She said no but she did say she loved us coming and the happiness we brought into our home so just give us time and it will happen!

I have seen Sister Jardine (who left yesterday to Wisconsin), Sister Wells (my freshman roommate), Sister Van Wagenen (from my ward), and, of course, Elder Bridge. I see him ALL THE TIME. We have class in the same building on the same floor and his comp looks identical to Michael Freeze. We always have such a good time when we see Elder Bridge (I am dying that I have to write that and not Peter). It's so fun to see people I know!

I've drank way more chocolate milk than I ever have in my entire life. On that note, the food is not great but it is not horrible. So I'm staying full at least from chocolate milk.

I have even received some mail! Janie and Sarah sent me letters and Auntie Jo sent me a box of baked goods today!!!!! How sweet is she? Don't worry I already wrote her a thank you letter.

My district has four sisters. Me and my comp and Sister Noakes and Sister Duprey. Sister Noakes is from Washington State. She is 19 and so nice! Sister Duprey is from North Carolina! She has the best accent! They are both so good and we all get along great! We all share a 6 person room but there are only four of us so we have all the room in the world! One of the others sisters from our zone was ill and her district is leaving the MTC today so she is staying with us to make sure she's well enough before she leaves. So Sis G and I will now be in a tripanionship with Sister Beck. She is a riot. One other district in my zone is going to Denver South and the other to Provo, but they are leaving today. An Elder in the DENS district is from Calgary and is Verla Wilde's grandson? How are we related to her again? Anyways I figured we were related somehow so I told him and it's great. We get to welcome a new group on Wednesday! They are going to Denver North and Tampa. Sis G and I were called as Sister Training Leaders so we get to welcome, teach and help them. Missionary work is pretty stressful but honestly I would be lost in the field without all the things I am learning here. We had an amazing fireside on Sunday night with Jenny Oaks Baker, Dallin H. Oaks daughter! She is a diva and the best violinist I have ever heard! It was so incredible! There are just too many things to write about, you know? Also this email is incredibly disjointed.

We ship out next Monday to Denver at 4:30 AM!!!!! This is going just way too fast. There are so many funny moments. Elder Welck in my district is identical to Will Arlett and I love him for it. Elder Matson gets way stressed out over the littlest things and it is hilarious. It's pretty hilarious being around such young (read:immature) Elders. I hear the strangest things. We were talking about an investigator named K'min and one of the elders goes, doesn't that sound like gay man? And everyone said no way! He goes, "why does it sound like that to me then?" I said, "Because you are 18!" It was perfect comedic timing and we busted up. Elder Goff in my zone is cousins with Bailey Fletcher too! So many connections everywhere. I always got taught by one of the Elders from the district. Say what?! haha

One of the most important things I've learned is that we really need to be continually converted unto Christ. It's not just enough to have a testimony and it's not enough to be converted to RS, or church activities, or hometeaching. It's Christ who we should center our lives around. Here at the MTC, we have a lot to be obedient about but it really does all bring blessings. Lights out at 10:30 hasn't been too hard. A couple of nights I have woken up at random times but it's been all good. Sis G and I have even gotten up early and gone to the exercise classes that are just for sisters! Woot! We have the best time in gym becuase we all pretend we know how to play volleyball really well and we walk around the track while everyone else runs. On sunday we had a great walk around the temple in the scorching heat, a great testimony meeting, and I got to play the piano!

Cool experience I had:

We were roleplaying and I was being Bob Nash, our investigator, before we actually met him. Well as Sis G asked me questions I answered them how I thought Bob would answer. Turns out I got a lot of things right, like he only sees his kids every other weekend, he loved the lesson of fatherhood in priesthood meeting, and that he had been divorced about a year. It sounds just like happenstance but I really felt that missionaries can receive revelation for their invesigators to receive the Gospel. Everyone is prepared we just have to help them come unto Christ.

Other funniest story:

We were in class and Elder Matson talking to the teacher goes, "So if we go this one direction..." Then he pauses, starts chuckling and says, "One Direction!" It was too good. We busted up laughing and could not control ourselves. Now we love that he will forever be the One Direction Elder of our group.

Well my time is up!