Here is her letter for this week...
So my whole entire district left this morning to go out into the mission field. The only ones left here at the MTC are Hermana Sanft and I. It was a really sad day yesterday when we had to say goodbye to one another. It was really weird having to stand to the side of the Elders when we took pictures though. Usually in pictures you put your arms around each other but we had to stand a foot away... I don't know I just found it weird. Then when we said goodbye we shook each others hands. I just wanted to give them all a big hug! They are all going to be amazing missionaries! Hermana MacDonald also left with the group this morning. I felt bad because I wasn't feeling well last night so when she woke me up to say goodbye I gave her a big hug, said good luck and fell right back to sleep. I know that she will be just fine! I hope she has a blast in Louisiana! I hope I will see some of them again one day.
For our Tuesday devotional last week we had Craig C. Christensen from the Seventy come and speak to us. He gave a really good talk about the things that you should be yoked to. You should be yoked to the Savior, knowledge of the missionaries who came before us (PMG and the White Handbook), your companion, and the members of the wards we serve in. He was a really good speaker.
On Wednesday for breakfast I decided that I really wanted a bagel. So I went over to get one, but they only had raisin bagels. So I sat down waiting for them to re-stock the bagels. After 10 minutes I gave up and got the main meal. And of course it was just my luck that right as I sat down with my food they restocked the bagels! I was so mad! My companions made fun of me!
One of my best friends from the Hill Cumorah Pageant arrived this week to the MTC! Michaela Jones! Since I was getting over a cold, during gym time we just hung out around the residence waiting for new people to come in and see where they were going. I thought that I probably wouldn't see her at the residence hall, and that I would have to wait for dinner to see her. Then randomly the elevator opened to drop someone off while she stayed on to go to the 4th floor. We saw each other and totally freaked out! It was fun to see a friend that I hadn't seen in a long time!
At choir practice last week there was an Elder who gave the closing prayer who said he was going to Germany Turkish speaking. Hermana MacDonald wanted to know if he already knew German since he is going to a foreign country and learning the less popular language for that area. So she decided to ask him! "Do you speak German?" He said yes. Hermana MacDonald thought that was so cool, but as she continued up the stairs and I passed him, I heard his companion ask if he just lied... And he said YES!!! I told Hermana MacDonald and she was so mad! Every time she saw him after that she would say, "There is the Elder who lied to me!"
So as ya'll know my companion is Tongan, so the other day our district decided to ask her what our names would be in Tongan. Here they are!
Taryn: Teleni
Kody: Koti
Miles: Malie
Gabriel: Kepiolo
Katie: Kaati
Landon: Leiteni
Brandon: Panitoni
Christian: Kilisitoni
Diana: Taiana
Kawan: Kavani
Our names our different in Tongan because the Tongan Alphabet only have 16 letters in their alphabet, so some letters have to change. I also learned how to say Hello: Malolele, How are you: Fefehaki, and Thank you: Malo.
One of the Elders in our district apparently has a huge problem with sleep walking and talking. The Elders said that one night this week he got out of bed and put his bed sheet around his shoulders like a cape, and walked around in circles for about five minutes. Finally he stopped, walked over to Elder Mooney's bed and stared at Elder Mooney for about another five minutes. Elder Mooney was sleeping and didn't even know that was going on! Finally he took off his "cape" and started stuffing it into his laundry bag. "DISGUSTING!" He said. Apparently his cape got dirty and he needed it washed!
We had an infield orientation this past week to help us prepare for going into the field. A lot of people said that they were not excited for it and that it was going to be really boring. I prayed to my Heavenly Father that I would be able to pay attention and get some things out of the orientation. It worked! We talked about the Doctrine of Christ that we will be teaching about while out in the mission field. Then we talked about goal setting. And lastly about working with members. The members are the best source for us to find people to teach.
On Saturday, our last day in class, I told Hermana MacDonald that she could straighten my hair and do my make-up. She had been pestering me for quite a while to do it! So I finally gave in! It was so weird seeing my hair strait for the first time in more than 6 months! It was funny to see all of the Elders faces when I walked in with my hair being totally different!
On Sunday, you know how they always announce the people who are going to be giving talks at the last second (right after the Sacrament). Guess who had to give a talk! ME! I totally knew it! I was so nervous and I could hear all of the "ums" I was saying! The only good thing about it was that Brother Nay (one of the people in our branch presidency) said that my conjugations were right on!
For the Sunday night devotional we had the BYU Mens Choir come! What an amazing opportunity! They sang beautiful songs! Right as they came out I noticed on young man that looked exactly like Elder McCombs in our district! I pointed him out to my companions and they agreed. Later that night we asked the Elders if they had seen McCombs's twin. They had seen him too! So it was a fact that he did look a lot like McCombs!
So I am headed out tomorrow to San Jose California! I am so nervous, but I know that the Lord will give me peace. I hope that I will be able to catch on quickly to what I need to do out there! We leave at 6:20 a.m. and fly out at 11:20 a.m. I also get to call home, which I am so excited for! I get to call my family on my sister's birthday! I bet she thinks that that is a great blessing and miracle! Then in about 11 days after that I get to Skype them! It is crazy how these little things make you so excited!
I love you all so much and can't wait to write you next Monday about what is going on in the warm weather of San Jose!
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