Week 2 at the MTC!

At the Provo Temple.
Great way to start the day!

March 21, 2013

Hola Mama!

I have been here 2 whole weeks and a day!!! I am no longer new! YAY! It is so fun when the new people come in (And you know they are new because they have a giant orange sticker on their name tag) So we always shout at them "Bienvenidos al CCM!" it is so fun :)

Funny things that happen at the MTC

Spotted: Elder smuggling 5 bananas and 6 oranges out of the 2 M building (cafeteria and sacrament building) and he says "Hola hermanas!" as he walks past us... hahaha what!

So our classroom is on the 5th floor... that is a LOT of flights of stairs. Seriously. Hna Lockheart and I were studying at the top of them and so many people that get to the top act like they are dying. One guy dramatically collapsed on the floor haha. We have to be silly or we will lose sanity :)

After gym we got a sack lunch and ate outside because it was so nice out.  In one of the walkways there is a part with uneven concrete that EVERYone trips over. So we sat there and watched everyone trip, and curse the concrete as they walked by. It’s funnier in real life, I promise.

Also on the wall of the 4th floor of the stairs- it is like bricks... but one of them is hollow.... so everyone knocks on it when they pass it on the stairs, so it has like a oil mark of people touching it... its kinda weird.

I also hear there is a tree here that smells like cream soda? maybe its a joke. But I havent found it yet.

Also- Elder Clarke´ has a girl writing him... and during study time... he just sniffs his letter... the whole time.. HAHA Tommy... dont let girls do that to you. please.

Also whenever you walk by the bathrooms at night... you will hear a chorus of girls singing hymns in the showers :)

Also, Elder Evans wrote Hermana Lockheart a poem, asking her on a date in 2 years... hahaha only at the MTC. (Don't worry, she said no of course)

I just want to apologize for my last email being so negative. I think I was struggling with adjusting. And although I still am, I realized that I am here for a reason and that I need to get over myself. So I have been praying so hard that I could have the spirit be with me, and be able to overcome my weaknesses. Here in the MTC they teach you the importance of goals. So my companion and I always are coming up with goals for our investigators and goals for ourselves. Goals of what we want to study, goals of things we need to work on, ect. So I decided to come up with my own personal goals. And I have a lot of them. But one I want to share with you is my goal of ¨¨Everytime I find myself thinking ¨¨I wish¨¨ I change it to ¨¨I am thankful for¨¨. ´´ and you know what? It is super hard for me. BUT. through earnest, and somewhat desperate prayers, and studying, I know that the Lord is able to turn my weaknesses into strengths. I prayed that I would be able to find scriptures to help me and you know what? I sure found em! Alma 32:41 and Alma 36:3 (Alma is the best) If I trust in the Lord, He will help me in my trials. I know I can get through them with His help. Also Ether 12:27 He will make my weaknsses strengths.  and Ether 12:12 God cannot give miracles to me unless I have faith. Wow! Those have totally changed my whole attitude. Then there is also Joshua 1:9- the Lord is with me wherever I go! Even in Texas! and Deuteronomy 31:6-8 -Be strong and of good courage. Also on Tuesday night I had a cool experience. We have devotionals on Tuesday nights. Tuesday morning was when I read all those scriptures and decided to change my attitude. Then Tuesday Night at the devotional, Sister Whiting said "Whatever you do, do it with your whole soul. Just go and do. Swallow your fear and give yourself completely to the Lord." DUH KRISTA. I mean hermana. But yeah. also during that devotional the spirit was speaking so strongly to ME personally, and the things I learned that night were completely different from what was spoken in that meeting. I've heard of that happening before but I have never really experienced it. So I thought it was pretty neat. Ah there has been so much I have wanted to tell you and now I just forgot it all. I will make sure that I write it down next time. Sorry!  I have learned so much here. I still have SOO much more to learn. I so much look forward to the day when I can confidently speak to someone in Spanish, and even change their lives!

Another thing I wanted share was something that Bryce told me. "For everything that you don't do that you're supposed to, a blessing is withheld.  I just thought that was cool because we can all always be a little better at being obedient, and I realized that when we are not obedient, we are only hurting ourselves. I can’t do this work alone without the Lords help or His blessings, because without them I am only Krista. But I know that I have the potential to be so much better than that! Just think of how awesome I already am... I could be so much more awesome if I obeyed exactly and had His help in everything.  J  It’s just cool to think about haha.

So in the temple today... we go at 7 am... so I fall asleep often... but the power of prayer is SO real! I prayed to have understanding and inspiration come to me so that I could learn more- and it is so incredible that although I was not 100 percent conscious the whole time, I still learned! I learn more and more every time I go, and I think that is so incredible.

You are right.... I don't have to eat so much haha I am trying to be better at that. But for SOME REASON... hem... I feel like I have to finish my entire plate. haha so I am working on not eating so much. But yes! I would love a bottle of vitamins! Sorry this email is so long. But thank you for sending me those pictures of Tiffany!!! She looked so beautiful I wish I could have been there!!! That is so neat that she was in the same sealing room as you and Dad!!! I can't wait to go to the LA temple when I come back! That was sweet of Christian’s mom and dad to say that about me :)

I am so glad that Dad loves his job and only has a 5 minute drive! What a blessing!! I miss running with you up that giant hill!!! I really miss it a lot. Sitting all day drives me insane. I wish that I had that hill to run up still. .I also like how you compared me to running up that hill.  You are so right and that is an awesome way to think of it :) The hill didn’t change, I did. My trials won’t get any easier but I will get stronger! woo hoo and I canNOT wait for that to happen. But ever so patiently, I am waiting... I am sorry I didn’t have a chance to respond to everything you said, but I am out of time, I will continue to write letters! I love p day!!! And I love you all so much!!! thank you for always writing me! Also, Will you tell Julie thank you so much for the CD and the package of cinnamon rolls! And the letters everyday!! She is too sweet to me. I will write her back though :)

I love you and thank you for everything!

Don’t forget to read your scriptures! They change lives :) like mine

Much love

Tu Hermana Krista

What a great lesson to us all.  Choose to be positive.  Choose to be obedient.  Search the scriptures and pray with all your heart.  Then watch the Lord's hand touching your life.  I love my girl!   Thanks to those who have written her.  It helps SO much.  If you have not tried the website, DearElder.com, check it out!  It's fast, it's easy and it's free!  Her address is at the top of the blog on the left hand side.