First Week MTC

Hola! Coma estas? Bien! Wait...wrong language. Hello! How are you? Good! I have to admit, that when I got my mission call, I was kind of disappointed that I wasn't speaking a language, but now I'm grateful. The language speakers just have to stay so much longer and they have to learn so much more. I know that I would've been able to do it, but it's nice that Heavenly Father was looking out for me in my MTC experience.
I don't know if you got my other letter, but the MTC has been great so far! My companion is Sister Patterson and I know that we were meant to be together as companions. Our personalities are pretty similar and we have gone through a lot of the same challenges, so there is a lot of understanding and empathy in our relationship. It wasn't always that way, we had to do a Companionship Inventory to kind of clear the air and get a kind of block down when we are teaching together. Everything is all good though now and I know what to do if I have problems with a companion in the future.

The food is probably on a scale from dirt -- manna from heaven...probably an "eh". Sometimes the food is really good, and sometimes the meat is green and you're afraid to eat it. The bed's are really nice! I sleep on the bottom bunk of a bunk bed and I've never felt so cozy. It's kind of like I'm sleeping in a warm little cocoon. I like it a lot and will be expecting a canopy bed upon my glorious return. ;) The showers are interesting. Sister Farnsworth, on the the sisters in my district, told me that when her mom was in the MTC, she went barefoot in the showers and got some kind of a foot fungus that's been going on for 20+ years...hence I have been wearing socks to the showers but I'm still kind of freaked out. But hey, the Lord will protect me in all my doings. The first time I went to the showers, I accidently used the handicap shower, and let me tell you, that was a much more pleasant experience than the non-handicap ones. The normal showers have no lovely little chair in which you can sit to take your socks off or to rest your clothes on while you are showering. The normal showers don't have an adjustable shower head in which you can choose your shower pressure. Showering has become a weird little dance in which I hop from foot to foot trying to get my socks off and am juggling my clothes as I try to place them on a tiny shelf provided to hold them. I need to take a deep breath before I turn on the shower because the hot stream of water that comes at you is frightening at best. It's like a jet of water trying its best to push you over. If I have to keep using this demon shower, I may not make it to the end of my stay here at the MTC.

I've been learning a lot while I've been here. I've heard a lot of good speakers, felt a lot of the Spirit, and have learned more than I thought that I would for sure. It's not like I'm learning new things really, but I'm reviewing the Gospel in a different way. I never knew that the Holy Ghost could be so powerful but it truly does influence us in everything that we do. I have learned that you can't teach lessons to people, you can only teach people. Everyone is different and some thing that will touch one person will mean nothing to another. My job as a missionary, is to listen, discern, and teach by the spirit. Its been hard trying to learn how, but I think that I'm getting better at it.

My travel info is in! I leave September 2nd on the 7:30 am flight to Atlanta, Georgia. I then have a layover in Georgia for about an hour and go on the 1:30 flight to South Carolina. In order to get to the airport at 7:30, we have to get up at about 2:45 am...it will truly be an adventure, but I'm excited to get out into the field and start helping people.

Well, this letter's going to have to be kind of short. I've got to finish doing my laundry. Anyways, I love all of you, and I'll see you all soon.

Remember, God loves you!

Love, Sister Jones