September 13, 2011

Dear Family and Friends,
Sounds like things are still going great at home! That is all good! This week at the MTC went by really fast, but really slow at the same time! In some ways it feels like I have been here forever, but really it has only been 2 weeks! But let me tell you about my last week. On Tuesday after I emailed you I went to the temple and did a session with the other sisters in my district. It was really amazing and it was the turning point for the week! I seriously LOVE the temple so much! I really hope I will be able to go on my mission! I cant wait to go again this afternoon. Also that evening we had our Tuesday fireside and the speaker was Jay E. Jensen of the Seventy. It was really good and he talked a lot about missionary work and recognizing the spirit and being obedient. But that is all that really happened that day. On Wendesday we just had class and stuff. Which meant a lot of sitting! It really is hard to sit for that long in uncomfortable chairs! But we also met a new investigator. Her name is Brigitta and she is a less active member. Really we are just trying to help her rediscover her testimony! We bore testimony a lot to her and just listened to her and her concerns. That day we also had to teach in zone teaching and we taught our other 2 investigators Matt and Annika. Things are going pretty good with them. But on Wed we weren´t the new missionaries anymore and we got another district in our zone. They were all elders so the sisters in my district are still the only sisters! But we will get new ones this week. Then came Thursday. On Thursday we taught Hely again! I seriously love her! She is so excited about the gospel and is just soaking everything up! She is so awesome!! She commited to read the Book of Mormon and is pretty excited about it! That day I saw Brother and Sister Brown. She gave me a huge hug!! They both said Hi!! Another thing that happened that day was we had a firedrill in our classroom building! It was a nice break from class! Friday was a pretty exciting day too! We had service at 6 AM and we cleaned windows and helped set up classrooms in one of the buildings here. We taught Annika again and she is going to read the Book of Mormon. We also taught Matt about the plan of salvation and committed him to baptism, but he wouldn´t commit to a date. So that is our next goal with him. That day for gym, we went up to the missionary field (off the MTC campus) and played Bocce ball. it was a lot of fun and we were laughing the whole time!! We also found a tree that smells like cream soda. I know you probably think I am crazy, but I promise I am not! Everytime we walk past it, we always stop to smell it! it is so crazy! We also got our travel itinerary that day!!! We leave for Canada next Tuesday at 4 AM!!! our flight leaves around 7 I think and we have a really quick layover in Colorado and then fly onto Canada. We should be there around 1130 or 12. I don´t know if i will get to call, but if I find out I will try and let you know! I can´t believe it is already time for me to leave! It is crazy!! On Saturday not much exciting happened. At gym I ran into Elder Carling (Preston) I talked to him for a bit and it was fun to see him! Now I swear I see him all the time, but it is nice to see a familiar face! I wrote my talk on Faith in Jesus Christ as well. We have to write a 3 to 5 min talk everyweek, because you might get called on in Sacrament to speak. I didn´t, but my talk is ready. That way you also have 3 talks prepared for when you get in the field. Oh and that day I got a package from the Summers! They sent me some treats and Diet Coke!! They have caffiene free here, but it just doesn´t compare to the real stuff! They are so great!! On Sunday we had online study time where we watch those district movies and do quizzes and other stuff and then we had RS. The speaker was Rebecca Thompson from the RS board. She did a really good job. Then we got to get out of the MTC for a bit and walk up to the temple! It is so nice to be on the temple grounds and just have a little bit of time to relax! After that we had Sacrament and then the other sisters and I went to choir practice. I haven´t been in a choir since High School so it was really neat!! We will sing at the fireside tonight! For our devotional that night they showed us the special Music and the Spoken Word, because it was dedicated to the memorial of September 11. I can´t believe it has already been 10 years. It still seems like just yesterday! Then we got to watch the movie Legacy! It had been forever since I had seen that! Once again that movie was never funny or cheesy until you watch it with a bunch of elders! On Monday we taught Annika again about the Plan of Salvation and hopefully she will commit to baptism on our next visit! We also taught Hely again and she is still so great!! She is really progressing and I think she will commit to baptism this week as well! For gym we went up to the field intending to stretch and do some ab workouts, but we all fell asleep in the sun for about 20 min. it was so nice! Oh and Elder Mortensen broke his foot! he was playing basketball. he will find out tomorrow if he needs surgery or if he will be able to leave with all the other elders! i feel so bad for him! Today has been good so far! Just did my laundry and wrote a few letters! I get to go to the temple in a few hours!! My teacher told us a good quote by President Hinckley that I want to share with you! He said ¨More and more sisters are going on missions today. Not because they aren´t getting married and have nothing else to do, but because he needs them to raise his priesthood army.¨ Isn´t that so true!! I am so excited to be a missionary and to share with others the knowledge I have!! I love you all and am so grateful for you!! Oh and we are witnessing history at the MTC this week. They are moving a bunch of things to a new building, like the mail and other stuff, so if you tried to send letters or a dear elder letter i probably won´t get it until thursday! And remember I am leaving the MTC this week!! Love you all!! Hope you have a great week! I don´t know when i will get to email again because I don´t know when my p day will be!! anyways my time is almost up!! love you so much!!

Love, Sister Marchant!!