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.
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