Oh my goodness!! These past two
weeks have been the hardest, most rewarding weeks of my life! When I imagined
going to the MTC I imagined the most amazing peaceful place where I would learn
the gospel and feel nothing but Joy. And yes this is the most amazing place to
learn the gospel and I love it SO MUCH, it has also been a challenge!
After Mom and David dropped me
off, I met my district and we jumped right into the work. I love my District
with all my heart, I never thought that we would become so close in such a
short amount of time, but these missionaries are like family to me! I love the
gospel so much and I wanted nothing to do but study my heart away, but the Lord
decided he had other plans. He wanted to soften my heart and prepare me for the
mission field by preparing my heart. I have learned the law of sacrifice more
now than ever in my life. My companion
has Asperger’s, which has been a bigger challenge than I first thought. There
have been many days where we would miss half of class or other activities like
the temple, because my companion needed a break or got too stressed out so she
would just shut down. At first I was having such a hard time because I thought
that I was not getting all the information I needed to from my classes, because
we had to go take a walk so she could distress. Sometimes it was only 10 min,
but there were other days it lasted an hour or more. As I have been praying for
help to be able to put my companion first, the Lord has blessed me to see her
as He does, and to be able to Love her unconditionally, and to serve her. Every
day I learn something new from her, whether it be, patience, sacrifice, or love
and humor. She is a convert to the church and has a very strong testimony, and
she has been through more than I could ever imagine. She is so strong and that is something that I
am trying to learn from her.
Sister Barlow is another sister
in my district who I just love. She is
deaf. She has had cochlear implants so that she can hear pretty well. Her
strength amazes me SO MUCH!! Every day I strive to be more like her. She is
also from Las Vegas! I promised her that I would go and find her family; she is
from a family of 14 kids! So I really hope I get the opportunity to serve in
her ward. Oh and the funny thing is, she and sister Morgenthaler are going to
serve in Florida! So we have all been
swapping stories! And Sister Peabody, my companion is going to Idaho, so I have
lived everywhere that everyone else in our district is going!
We have the Best Elders! Elder
Patterson reminds me a lot of Michael; he is just the biggest sweetheart you
will ever meet. And Elder Onkst, who is going to Vegas with me, is a surfer
from Hawaii. He amazes me, he has been through so much in his life and he gave
up everything to come out on a mission. Anyway, I could talk about my
District for hours. They are the best!
We have been though a lot
together, and I mean a lot! Everything
with Sister Peabody, and just all the stress of learning everything, we
wouldn't have been able to do it without the power of God, the Holy Ghost, and
each other.
Elder Nelson came and talked to
us on Tuesday!! It was amazing! Sister Morgenthaler and I sang in the choir and
it was suuuchhhh a spiritual experience. We also got a new MTC presidency this
week, President Burgess! The old president was President Nally. Both of them
are amazing, and it’s been interesting to see the change.
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| Our Branch President |
We had our departure devotional
last night, it was so good! We are the first group of missionaries to leave
with the new MTC presidency.
All of the other sisters leave
tonight at 3 am for the airport, and I don’t leave till Wednesday morning with
the two Elders who are coming with me. I am the travel leader....ooooo so fancy
ha-ha. We leave at 4 am on Wednesday morning so I will be a "solo
sister" for a day, my companions will be the two other elders in my
district, and we will just join the other district in our zone for classes that
day.
The MTC has been amazing, and
the relationships I have made here I will cherish all my life! I can’t believe
I am leaving this week. It feels like I got here yesterday, but at the same
time if feels like I have been here for a month!
Teaching has been an interesting
experience with Sister Peabody, because most of our lessons result in me
teaching and her reading whatever I ask her to read or chiming in when she
feels comfortable. But over these two weeks as she has learned to trust
me and confide in me she has allowed me to teach her and help her, so I was overcome
with joy when the last lesson we gave together on Saturday she taught 1/3 of
it!! I am so proud of the progress she has made, and I pray that she will
always have companions who are kind and understanding and patient, so that she
can have a great experience on her mission.
I feel like I have grown SO MUCH
these past two weeks that it’s indescribable. But I know a few things for
certain; Heavenly Father loves us, we are his children, Christ died so that we
could use that precious gift of the atonement, and Joseph Smith translated the
Book of Mormon! It’s all true! Let the gospel change your life!
I am so nervous to go out into
the field, but I am excited. I know that if I do the best I can the Lord will
take care of the rest.
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| My District and the new elders from District B they are awesome |
I love you all!!!
I miss you like crazy,
Know the Lord is watching out
for you!
Love,
Sister Loveless
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