Wednesday July 31, 2013 (1st letter in Boise)

Hey everyone,

    SO my Mission President is allowing us 30 minutes today to e-mail our family.  SO yesterday I had to get up at 330 in the morning and we took the front runner to the tracks to get to the airport.  We landed in Boise a little bit before 11.  As soon as the plane hit the ground I was so overwhelmed with the spirit that I knew this is where I was suppose to be! Our mission President and his wife(The Winders), met us at the airport and they are such a darley little couple.  We met at the Boise State singles ward building and had lunch there and had our meetings with our Mission President.  After that we were thrown into the field and had to go knock on doors, and I can tell you that I knew from there that my mission was going to be tougher than I expected.  There were maybe two people that open their doors to us, but did not want to accept our message.  I learned quickly that tracking is defiantly the least effective way to contact people.  They fed us pizza for lunch and we got pulled pork sandwiches for dinner.  We went back to another sisters apartment to spend the night and I was blessed to have Sister Farley with me.  She was in my district and I lived with her in the MTC and we just get a long so well and are super close.  That definitely brought me a great deal of comfort to know that she was there and that we were going through this together.  I have seen the Lords hands in my everyday life, it is so amazing that He is so aware of my needs and concerns.

   So this morning I got assigned to my trainer!!!! And since their are not that many training sisters and a lot of new sisters came in, I am 1 of the 5 sister trios.  My other companion is Sister Thompson, who was also in my district at the MTC and I lived with her as well.  My trainer's name is Sister Dickey, and she is from Ohio.  I actually talked to her a little bit last night when I saw here and she knows Nathan.  Nathan I don't know if you remember her or not, but she went to lake powell with all of you and was the one that was dating Eric.  Small world right?!  She is the 8th child of 16 kids and has been out for 14 months.  I am so excited to learn so much from her.

    I told the Mission President that my sister lived in Merridan and I actually got assign to the Meridan West Stake.  It's so weird that I am this close to Jensa.  We actually got off of ten mile road and I am actually writting my letter to you all from the Library that Jensa goes to on Cherry Lane.  We only cover two wards in the stake and we actually live at a members house on Barrett road.  That is so funny to me because my MTC teacher's name was Brother Barrett.  They had just moved in there last night, so I havent met the family yet or my trainer. I know that they are a couple that is in their 50s or 60s and have three children that are all grown up and they have 5 grandkids. I did see that they have a dog which is defiently nice and makes it seem more homey.  We are all squeezing into a small room, so it will probably be a tight squeeze for the next 6 weeks since there is 3 of us.  We have a car, but we plan on walking more since are area is smaller.  They think that by next transfer that there will be a lot less cars for sister missionaries and they will have to bike or walk more.  I am so excited and nervous at the same time.  I have no clue what the Lord has in store for me.  I know that it is going to be a lot of hard work and I am going to try and get a lot of help from the members because tracking is no fun!!!  I love you all and I hope all is well.  Send this out to everyone.  I will e-mail pictures on p-day which is on Monday btw.  Pray for the people in Boise and Spokane to open up their homes to Megan and I and pray for both of us as well!!!  I still can't believe that I am finally here out in the field, I don't think it has fully hit me yet.  I love you all.  Oh and before I forget mom I did get your "greene" package and I love it, i don't think I will need the cleaning supplies tho hahaha  Until Monday...

 

Love

Sister Metcalf

 

P.S. what is amy's address? I do not have it written down for some reason :(

P.P.S. You will heve to tell me where you move to Elise, and find out who the missionaries are in your ward(you too Jensa) and I will see if I know them

P.P.S. I forgot to tell you some quick facts our area covers 500,000 people and there are 12 stakes.  Right now there is 100 missionaries out, but they expect a big baches of missionaries every six weeks.  And we were the first transfer of missionaries for our Mission President.

P.P.P.S.  Mom I will probably sending you my mp3 home because I can for sure not have, unless I can mail it to Jensa or Elise and they can put that music onto CD's some how.

Pictures July 29, 2013 (week #2 in MTC)

Cream soda smelling tree

Cream soda smelling tree

Elder Esplin

Megan's district boys

Package from mom

Elder Johnson

More packages in the mail.

Knock out

Tempe Arizona group

Famous bobbing for apples picture

Present Sister Farley and I wrapped for our teacher

Monday July 29th, 2013

Okay, so i don't know if you all forgot or what, but my preparation day is on Monday here in the MTC, Megan's is on Wed. Apparently you all forgot because there was zero e-mails in my e-mail today.  I got the picture of mason which was very cute and then Megan's e-mail.  Ya I will just let that sink in for a little bit for you all. You what is super weird is that on my way to go check my e-mails I turned to Sister Farley and was like "What if I don't have any e-mails?" and she just laughed and said "of course you will".  I guess the Lord was preparing me.  But that is okay because I got some mail this week as well as a package, it was so awesome!!!

      So this week has been super up and down for me.  Days where I feel so strong and then other days where I think that I am a better missionary than I feel.  I have grown really close with one of the sisters that is in my residence, who is in my district and going to Boise as well, her name is Sister Farley.  You heard a little bit about her last week, but I seriously love her to death!!! We just get along so well and we can just goof off(like at night or at dinner).  She is a convert of 2 years and is amazing!  We are both hoping to hopefully be companions when we are in the mission field together.  This week with my companion has been a little rough, I think that she is bipolar.  One minute she will be all chatting and what not and the next she will just be mopey.  She kind of gets snappy with everyone and wants lessons and everything done her way.  She was "sick" this week, which our training sisters think it was a lie because she was just looking for an excuse to take a nap in the middle of the day.  So it was frustrating at times when I had to mission out on certain things because we had to hang out at our residence (apartment).  It is also a struggle for me to get her up in the morning or on time to anything.  The Stake President knew everything that was going on this week and talked to me on Sunday.  He said he really appreciates my patients that I have with her and I am not letting it effect my companionship, which let me tell you is hard.  I broke down Monday night to the other two sisters going to Boise.  We had taught Leah for the first time and it did not go well at all.  There were parts that were good, but I felt like it was not all that great.  So all us sisters were talking about it and she just blew up and just vented to me about being negative and what not.  It has been super tough, after each lesson we teach she is always telling me what I am doing wrong because she knows how to do it since she was the ward mission leader back at home.  The Lord has seriously blessed me with the patience and love I have for her.  The other sisters tell me how they don't know how I do it and they don't think that they could be as patient and strong with her as I am, so that gives me a little comfort to know that.Okay enough venting on that.  She is good, just really difficult at times.  I have gotten to know our district pretty well and I gotten pretty close with another district going to Tempe, AZ.  One of the Elders, Elder Johnson went to USU which I love, although they are all pretty much straight out of high school they are so awesome.  There is one Elder from California, Elder Renindon who got baptized a year ago, and seriously you would of never guessed.  He knows so much about the gospel and has such a strong testimony that I am usually going to him for advice or questions I have.  It has been pretty good here and I am actually sad to go.  It is weird to think that I am going to be in the mission field tomorrow.  I am so excited, but still a little nervous at the same time.

      The food here at the west MTC is pretty good, the only sad thing is, is that we get the same thing for breakfast and lunch EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! Donuts, muffins, and cereal for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch.  That's why we try to come to the Main MTC on our P-days or whenever we can so we can get some variety in our life.  They are opening up a cafeteria but it opens up on Wednesday, the day after we leave for Boise.  It was weird at first to get use to have class in an apartment living room, but I am use to it now.  I don't know what it is but our AC is broken in there so it always gets super hot and everyone that walks in tells us how it smells like wet dog....which it really does.  But that is okay since tonight is my last night there.  I got to see Megan I think 3 times which has been awesome. She is doing so well and I love her, her companion is awesome as well.  I can't believe that she is already in the mission field.  It really has gone by fast, but at the same time I have also felt like I have been here for a month.  This past Wednesday I got to be a host for the new coming missionaries which was weird.  I had only been there a week and I was suppose to tell all these missionaries things?  We had about 100 different missionaries come in going to Florida, Arizona, California, or Montana.  It brought back some memories see all this missionaries say goodbye to their families and the mothers beginning to cry. 

        Each day is packed with so many things to do that I am so exhausted by the end of the day.  I am learning so much here and I can not believe that I am leaving to go out into the field in less than 24 hours.   My teachers are super awesome and I feel like I am learning so much each and every day.  Last week we had a TRC investigator, which just means there are actors that come in and they are either converts or actually non-members but you never know.  We taught this lady named Leah who was an Evangelical Christian.  The three sisters and I in our district taught her four lessons total.  The first three were a struggle.  We just could not see eye to eye with her.  Whenever she had a question or anything we would try to show her a scripture from the bible and would just interrupt it totally differently.  She also has anxiety so that was a little difficult to deal with.  I just not finding what her needs were spiritually.  We all had pretty much given up hope on her since we only had one lesson left with her and we hadn't gotten anywhere with her.  I prayed so much during the day just to  come to love her and be able to some how teach by the spirit.  So when we got there we were making small talk and I felt like I needed to tell her why I choose to go on a mission and I thought that was random so I just disregarded it, but I felt that same impression again to talk about that.  So finally I just did and I invited the other sisters to do the same, and honestly it invited the spirit so strongly to the rest of the lesson.  I did find out until 10 minutes left in the lesson that she did not feel like she was loved from her father in heaven and our savior.  We just bore our testimony's and putting little bits of information here and there.  I seriously could see the change in her and I knew that she could feel the spirit.  I felt like my heart was going to burst, from all the love I felt for this woman.  We asked her to be baptized and she sat there for literally 45seconds thinking about it and I was praying so hard in my heart for her, i felt like this was a real situation to me.  She shook her head no, which broke my heart, but it was such a testimony builder to me.  Because that whole week I was feeling inadequate as a missionary because I wasn't able to help Leah out.  I learned that this is where I am suppose to be and that I can teach by the spirit.  But let me tell you, it is super hard to have the spirit for every lesson.  If we would of had one or two more lessons with her I know she would of said yes.  But honestly that doesn't matter, as long as I leave everything out on the table and try my best and know that I just have to leave it up to the Lord's hands.  My companion and I were teaching someone different for the first time and we were not on the same page at all.  I was talking about the atonement and then she went off about the three different glories and what not.  I knew that we were not teaching anything valuable to this guy(who is a teacher here at the MTC).  After wards he told us that the lesson we gave did nothing to help the investigator to come closer to Christ and I knew that.I definitely do not want that to happen again.

     Overall things have been amazing here, I do miss all of you and everything, but sadly I am not really homesick.  I usually don't think much of you all unless I get a letter or when I pray at night of course.  Although many people have heard all about you and how much I love you all.  I brag all the time about my nieces and nephews and the amazing family that I have.  The MTC has changed me so much already, I can't even imagine what it is going to be like in the field.  We fly out tomorrow at 9:30ish, so expect a phone call from me mom at about 730 to 930 utah time.  I don't know how long I will have since there are going to be A LOT of missionaries trying to call home, but I will spot out some random spot in the airport for you.  I love you all and I hope to hear from you next week!

    Pray for the people in Spokane and Boise as well as Megan and I.Sorry I don't really have much to say, hopefully there will be more to talk about next week.

 

Love,

Sister Metcalf

 

P.S. Expect a call between 730 and 930am Utah Time

Monday July 22, 2013 (1st Letter in MTC)

Familia and friends,                                                                                   Monday July 22, 2013

So much to say and so little time I feel like.  Just to let you all know that Elise did write me Wed. morning, but that was when I was still at gma and gpas, so Aaron was the first one to write me in when I was in the MTC.  I loved reading all your letters and I appreciate all the love and support that you have shared with me!!!! I love you so so much!!!! The first couple of days were like a roller coaster for me.  Feeling so good and prepared and knew this is where I am suppose to be and then the next feeling homesick and wondering if I could hack it!! But the last few days have been amazing!!! The Lord has truly blessed my life and has been answering my prayers as well as everyone that has been praying for me.  I am so focused in the work and our "investigators" That I do not feel homesick.  I mean I miss you all so much, but its not to the point where it is distracting.  I did cry twice while being here,but I promise it was only for a minute before I forced myself to focus back at the work at hand.  But seriously do not worry about me, homesickness is not an issue for me anymore and I just love being here. Well sometimes I just want to head out to the field already because it feels like it has been forever!  But I know that there is still so much that I need to learn.     My companion's name is Sister Burke and she is from Tucson, Arizona.  We get along pretty good and we know how to laugh when it is needed.  Sometimes she is a little late and wants to do things here way with our lessons or what not so I have learned to be patient very quickly and not be so quick to anger. She also likes to talk.....a lot hahaha My district has 4 elders and 4 sisters total all going to Boise, Idaho and of course I am the olderst :)  I have been learning a lot about everyone in my district and helping them out because they are all either out of high school or are 19.There are from st.george (Elder Phillips), two for Texas (Sister Thompson and Sister Farley), two from AZ(Sister Burke and Elder Hunt), Ut(Elder Blackburn), PA(Elder Szendre), and then me!   The sisters and I became really close with the district next to our classroom, they have 8 elders and are going to Tempe, AZ and they seriously have made things so much fun and easier.  I am meeting more and more people each and everyday and I feel more and more blessed when I hear about other peoples struggles and family situation.  I have ran into a lot of USU people and I love it.  Before I forget, so today is my P-Day (Monday) so I will have one more P-Day before I leave Tuesday the 30th and I am at the Main MTC visiting because I wanted to see what it was like and guess who I ran into? MY SISTER!!!!! The Lord had answered our prays because today she has been feeling nauseous.  Don't get nervous tho she has been good these other days other than waking up sick today.  Her P-day is Wed. so she will only have one before leaving!  I did tell her/comfort her that there are a ton of older sisters on my side, 23, 24 , and even 25 year olds so she is not alone! And mom yes I got the scones, but I didn't get them till Friday because we are not allowed to pick up the mail, our district leader has to and he did not get assign till Thursday night hahaha so i stuck them in the fridge and I have been snacking on them.  Nathan I will try and remember to take that picture you told me about...does it still count if I am at the west MTC? Aaron thanks for your short messages I appreciate them!   Sorry I feel like I am just rambling here with random thoughts but let me tell you a little bit about my days.  I actually have to get up early at 530 or 6 because our breakfast time is at 630 in the morning, so I guess I will be sleeping in out in Boise hahahaha.  My companion is an insomniac so sometimes I get waken up in the night by here tossing and turning, but last night I was out the whole night so hopefully it will continue to be like that! So far I have been able to stay a wake during the day, but I will let you know how that goes latter in the week.  We have classroom instruction and probably at least 4 hours a day of personal study or additional study time.  The first day this was super hard because I had no clue what to study, but Thursday night we got assigned a "investigator" who is really our teacher acting like someone the converted out on their mission.  So we have taught a few times and it was amazing and horrible at the same time.  I have truly been humbled.  It was weird to pray at first about what we should teach our investigator that isn't really real, but it is crazy how much I can still feel the spirit guiding me to what they need to be taught and during the lesson as well.  Tonight will be our first night to teach real people that do not know us.  There are actors that come to the MTC to be taught .  They are either converts, less actives that became active again or actual nonmembers.  I am super excited, but also nervous at the same time.  Its nice getting to walk back and forth between the two apartment buildings and it is a little strange having a living room as our classroom while in the bedrooms there are other districts also in their "classrooms" just a few feet away.   The food at the west MTC is pretty good we just get the same thing everyday and if there is stuff left over they put it out at the next meal.  I haven't seen many of my friends at the MTC, but as soon as I stepped on the Main campus I have ran into so many, it has been awesome.  We have gym time which honestly I feel like I am back in Elementary school because I am playing 4 square all day hahah I love it.  Our options are either to play basketball, volleyball, four square or running(which I is not a good option at 2 in the afternoon).  It really is true what they say..The days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days.  Our days feel so long and when I look back at something that happened in the morning I seriously think that it happened a few days ago.  But now that I look back I feel like these last few days has flown by.  I feel my testimony and love for the Lord growing each and everyday to bounds that I could of never it expected it to be!  I am learning so much its, I am like a sponge trying to soak it all up and let the spirit guide me to what I need to know, but I feel like my sponge is so filled to the max that it is hard to write everything down while I am taking notes or at night in my journal.  I feel like my days are go go go.  I have breakfast at 630, lunch at 11, and dinner at 4.  It was hard at first eating dinner so early, but it is all good now.  My Branch President is President Gubler and he is amazing and makes me want to keep striving to become a better person.  I have learned that we always need to be strengthening our Faith in Christ and that our testimonies, which is good to keep increasing, should not be the end point.  Testimonies is not is what is going to keep you strong in the Gospel.  Being converted to Christ will.  I have learned so much that when the natural man hits we should turn outward towards others and not inwards towards ourselves!  This is the Lords work and I am just his mouth piece.  My prayers have been answered daily and I seriously love how much I feel the spirit each and everyday almost like my chest is about to burst constantly.  My Branch President challenged us each and every night to write down how we have seen the lords hand in our life that day and how it has increased your faith.  I'm sorry that it feels like I am just writing just all these spiritual things but I feel like I am on spiritual overload right now.I love you all so so much!!! and I pray for you all daily, know that I am good and loving life right now and am reading to hit the ground running in Boise!  Well I do not know what else to say and my time is running low on my e-mail time so I will say bye to you all and can't wait to hear from you.  I seriously love you all and that love grows stronger each and everyday knowing that the Lord is taking care of you!  But most important I love my Father and Heaven and my Savior, they have showed me so much love and support these last few days and I can feel my prayers changing and become so sincere.  Let me know what all you want to know about the MTC!!!!

 Love,   

Sister Metcalf   

P.S. I don't know if you want to put this on the blog, but a really cool thing my Branch President told me(hopefully this will make sense).  He said that he was talking to the MTC President who had a Meeting with Elder Neilson and it seemed like he was hinting at all the time the Second Coming is closer than we expect.  It shows me just how important my mission is and so exciting to think about.Anyway totally random, but start preparing...not saying it is gonna be super soon, but who knows maybe 50 years?I am giving you a little assignment... try to find Elder Bednar's talk he gave to the MTC on Christmas Day called "Characters of Christ" It is seriously life changing, although I feel like everything I learn here is life changing.

Pictures from 1st week in MTC

My companion sister Burke and I

Elder Tate

Girls in my district  left to right Sister Burke, Sister Thompson, and Sister Farley then me

Running into Megan at the main MTC

New missionary name tag

End of the first day taking off my orange dot to let others know i was a new missionary

Sister Salgado

Dropping Breanne off at the MTC

Wednesday July 17th, 2013 we dropped off Megan and Breanne at the MTC.  The actual drop off is pretty quick so we all met up on the lawn by the Provo Temple to say our official good-byes and do one more "Metcalf Family cheer" ;)

Breanne will be in the Missionary Training Center for 10 days before flying out for Boise. Idaho!

We are all so proud of you Breanne!

Mission Farewell

Since Breanne didn't get a chance to blog about her Mission Farewell on Sunday July 14th, 2013 before she left you can check out some pictures over at her sister Megan's blog!

Link HERE

My first and last post

I have never really been into blogging, but my sister convinced me to get one just for when I am on my mission.  My older sister will bhe posting my e-mails and pictures up here weekly for anyone who is interested can keep up with what I am doing.  If you would like to receive my e-mails or for me to write you please write me or email me your info, my contact information is on the right hand side.

I can not believe that the day is already here, I enter into the MTC tomorrow!!! It is crazy how fast time has flown by.  Deciding to go on a mission was a tough and long decision for me and even after receiving my call I still had doubts and became super nervous.  But right now I am 100% positive that this is what I am suppose to be doing for the next 18 months of my life.  For those of you who do not know, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or also known as Mormons.  I have never been super open to others about my religion unless I was asked, so it was a surprise to some when I decided I was going to go.  This gospel has brought so much peace and joy to my life that I want to share it with others.

It is hard for me to sum up what my beliefs really are in just one quick blog post, if you are curious what I will be doing the next 18 months of my life go to this link http://mormon.org/values/missionary-work .  I would love to hear from each and everyone of you.  I will be e-mailing my family every week so I will check my e-mail then.  If there is time in my busy days I also will try to respond to those who e-mail me or write me.
My information is on the right had side and you can also go to www.dearelder.com as well.  These next 18 months are going to blow by quick, but I am ready! I love and will miss you all!

Sister Breanne Metcalf