MTC Life 7-8-14

So first off, my mission president apparently made a rule that were only allowed to email family.  So friends, write me letters! The rule might change once I get to the field, because we get a new mission president, but for now its only letters.  So this week has been a rough one.  Its been hard being away from my family with
virtually no contact and such a rigorous schedule. We literally study all day.  But I know the studying will help me in the end. 

Mom, I don't feel like I'm getting enough sleep but Im getting about 8 hours every night, so that should be enough.  But I get to take a nap today!  Woohoo! The little things that make you happy here.  But even though this is hard for me, I know I need to struggle, because from this I turn to my scriptures so much more now. They are SUCH a huge comfort to me. Alma 17:11 is a scripture that I came across and it brought me so much peace.  A lot of the beginning chapters of Alma have because they're all about missionary work. I gave a 10 minute devotional to my district and talked all about that.  

Our schedules are crazy.  We wake up at 6:20 or 6:30 everyday.  Then have study, breakfast, gym time (which I LOVE), then we have a teacher teach us for a couple of hours, lunch, personal study, and studying for hours, we each an investigator (all in Spanish! My companion doesn't know any Spanish so I do a lot of the talking.  But its nice.  It makes me realize how much Spanish I actually do know), dinner, more studying, then we get to go home to bed! 

Dad, our house has a lot of pink on it so I call it La Casa Rosada, which reminds me of you, because the original Casa Rosada is in Argentina! 

Sundays are great! We get to kind of relax and just be spiritually uplifted in all the meetings.  And we have a devotional, which is probably the best part of the day.  Sundays was on missionary work by elder Holland (it was an old one), and we get another one today! It was such reassurance that I'm doing the right thing by being out here, even though its hard.  A lot of people have told me it gets better after the first week so I'm holding out for that.  But I can already tell Im so much closer to the spirit.  I tear up and an overwhelmed with the spirit at almost anything spiritual. My companion has been a great help to me. I know a lot more Spanish than her so I have to help her with that.  And shes not ever homesick, which is good and bad. It makes me feel bad for feeling homesick, but shes a good supports. Oh also on Sunday we got to watch the Joseph Smith movie that plays in SLC! I love watching movies and that's one of my favorite church ones so that was great! And on the fourth of July we all sang the national anthem at lunch, which made me tear up.  It was incredibly powerful. And they had apple pie them! (Usually most the food is Mexican food, with the exception of the option of cereal always). And the mangos here are SO GOOD.  I eat them whenever they put them out.  

One thing that I've realized since being out here is how RIGHT my mission call is for ME.  At first, I had really wanted to go foreign, but since being here I know that my call is perfect for me. I'm so excited to get to California! Despite the difficulties here, I know I've already grown so much.  I've found so much peace in my district of elders (even though Hermana Carlson and I are the only Hermanas, which is kind of hard).  But I love them already! I can see the Lords hand in my life.  Its incredible.  I love you guys!

Top Ten this Week: 

1.The support and love of my family and friends! 

2.District Meeting Sunday night (we were all bawling, and such a strength to each other. 

3.Elder Hollands Devotional 

4. The Joseph Smith movie 

5.Singing on the 4th of July
6..Mangos and apple pie 

7.The view from our front door (there's so many cool houses up on the mountain that are so colorful!) 8.Teaching lessons in Spanish 

9.THE SPIRIT HERE 

10.Finding so much peace in the scriptures.                                  

Con mucho amor, Hermana Horne