Friday, April 19, 2013

MTC: Week 2


Awkward picture with Elder Anderson
Awkward picture with Elder Murphy
   Hey! What's going on?? So finally it's P day and it's been such a crazy day. I wrote a list of things to tell you so hopefully I don't forget anything. First of all, dad the news about Kobe Bryant. I'm so depressed. I can't believe that happened with 3 minutes left. 6-9 months. I'm glad I'm not there to see that. Let me know how they do. Also... Sassy is mine and always will be. Mom yes I got the package! Thanks so much. I've slept a lot better having those sheets. So you asked if I get to be a greeter missionary. I'm not sure how it works but it's possible I'll get to be one once I've been here longer. They usually have missionaries with more experience but I'll let you know if I get to! So every Friday we go to the temple around 8:00 and every Sunday we walk to the temple at 3:30 or 4:00 ish. Just FYI :) I always look for Ryan or other people I know! So this week in one of the devotionals they told us that 42% of the missionaries at the MTC right now are sisters. They expect it to be 50/50 soon. Crazy huh? There are so many of us now. Okay don't take this rude at all. I really appreciate the candy but... Our entire district gets package after package full of candy and we just can't eat it. We're going to get fat! So if you want to send a snack make it like carrot sticks or something :) But I really do appreciate it! Dad you wanted to know what we do during gym time. It just depends on the day but they have basketball, volleyball, four square, running, bikes, alypticals, weights, and then an area to work on abs and stuff. So we switch off. They don't let Elders and Sisters play soccer or basketball together though so I usually avoid playing with the sisters who shoot the ball with both hands... hahaha. Oh mom you wanted me to take a picture in front of the MTC sign. I actually think they took it down because it was causing traffic jams with so many missionaries. That's what I was told and I haven't seen it anywhere. If I find it I will let you know. Oh my blisters are healed and I haven't gotten any more with those shoes so thanks for sending the moleskin! Everyone keeps asking about the singing/dancing sister haha. She is in my district but she is a lot more mild than she was in those videos. She's a nice girl! I've improved on the language a little bit but obviously still not confident in it. Sister Gidney still teaches most of the lesson. I just do the door approach, get to know them, pray and bear my testimony. She does the lesson part haha. Hopefully I can get it. 

    Um... You wanted to hear our Sunday schedule. We had Relief Society which was awesome this week. The lady who spoke was hilarious and we loved it. She has served like a million missions. She's not married so that's why but she was really good. Anyway then we have "Sunday School" which is just our district getting together and the district leader gives a lesson. This week we just had testimony meeting together though with our Branch Presiden because the DL didn't know he was supposed to teach. But then we have sacrament and it's the scariest part of the whole week because you have to prepare a talk ahead of time in Portuguese not knowing if they will pick you or not, and you find out when they announce it over the pulpit if you have to give a talk. I REALLY hope I don't have to give a talk. 
   Mom good luck in finals in the next 2 weeks. You will do great. Hey tell Kelsey to write me. Everyone else has haha. The little punk. Dad it was weird talking to you this week. I felt like a rebel even though the lady handed me the phone. I've been super homesick this week but the busier we are the less I think about home so it's been good. I should be getting my glasses in a few days. I'm excited I'll be able to see like I used to! Leaving the MTC was so weird though. We were driving around Provo and I was just feeling super weird. I looked for everyone I know but didn't see anyone! I hated leaving though. Haha I don't think I would ever again until I go to the airport. 
   Oh Elder Beckstrand and Elder Frasure were made Zone Leaders and Elder Cluff is now our District Leader. They're all really good kids so they do a good job. This week in a devotional they asked everyone to stand up if they are only on a mission right now because of the age change. You should have seen how many people stood up. It was definitely the majority of the group. I feel like an old woman here. All the Elders in the other district thought I was 19 up until a couple of days ago. I guess I don't act my age? Our roommates are all leaving to Chile on Monday so we will be getting 4 new ones. I hope they are cool! I might actually start being able to sleep. One of my roommates now snores SO loud and another talks in her sleep. It's hilarious. Sister Gidney has to sleep with earplugs. 
   Hey send me pictures I would love to see what everyone is up to. Oh they won't let us use candles here because we can't use fire obviously so this place stinks. Haha seriously. Some of the Elders just have no cares and let things slip in front of everybody. It's gross. It's crazy in less than 4 weeks i'll be living in Europe! Never thought I'd be able to say that. But time is flying. Feels like I just got here but also feels like I didn't have a life before the MTC. I can't explain it. Oh man shower time is like a giant American Idol audition. I seriously hear girls belting songs every time. The opera singer is what got me... 
   Oh I never told you. In Portuguese when there are two r's in a row it makes the sound of an h. So people in Portugal will call me Sister Cahol instead of Carroll. Funny huh? Oh you are going to be shocked to know that my companion is a bigger germaphobe than me! She won't wash her skirts with her shirts because the skirts touch chairs. I laugh so hard she does like 5 loads of laundry. I saw Shayla Wood when she got here! She seems to be just fine so far. I thought her companion was a teacher at first because she looks so much older! Haha it was weird. 
   We had a substitute in class yesterday from Scotland who served in Portugal. Both of our teachers served in Brazil so they speak completely different Portuguese than we will. (And this teacher teaches the Brazil missionaries so that doesn't really make sense.) Turns out we've been pronouncing everything wrong that we've learned so far! Haha so wish me luck when I get there. No one will understand me. He was able to answer a lot of our questions about Portugal too so that was awesome.
    Oh coolest part of the week. We had a devotional on Tuesday and we always show up super early to get good seats. We noticed a bunch of things were different this time like signs telling us all these rules and extra security, so we thought maybe a general authority is speaking. When we were let in we sat down and we were on the 3rd row! There were telepromptors and so we were like it's definitely a general authority. We all started making our guesses and then Richard G. Scott walked in. The room got silent and we all were so excited! He gave the best talk about prayer and I swear he looked at me like 3 times haha. But then the coolest thing at the end he said I feel impressed to give you all an Apostolic blessing. He blessed those of us learning a language that we will MASTER it. He didn't just say learn. We all felt like the talk was meant for us. He gave the rest of the talk, sat down and we sang the closing hymn. The girl giving the closing prayer stood up and Elder Scott walked up to the pulpit and cut her off and said I forgot a couple things. Then he just said a couple more things that we should not get discouraged and stuff and closed his talk again. It was so awesome! So that was encouraging for sure that I'll be able to learn Portuguese! Yay! Anyway, I'm out of time but I hope everyone had a good week! I hope to hear from you all soon. Miss everyone!
Love Brittany (Sister Carroll)

2 comments: