A P.S. about Sister C.:
She and Elder G. (from our ward) were in the same district in the MTC. Small world in the Church!
Showing posts with label MTC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MTC. Show all posts
Monday, June 4, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
Another letter -- 29 February 2012
Mama-sita!
Tell Aunt Cathi thank you for her prayers!
My roommates are looking forward to those cookies! :)
Thanks for the spiritual, uplifting thoughts!
Well, today is fix the world day for you, and I think you are munching, which I am jealous about!
...
Love, Breezy
P.S. When we first got here my comp wrote home for a lanyard. Her mom sent boondoggle, and Sis. D. had no idea what it was! :o Can you believe it? It was so nice to have something to do with my hands. I was done in 3 hrs. (I would have been done sooner, but my teacher didn't think I really was listening. So he made me put it away. Rude!) :) Please.
P.P.S. I had a funny moment in the classroom the other day. Sis D. and I were preparing a lesson alone in the classroom, and I am so tired of sitting that I got up and started walking the edge of the room. Now the room is only about 10 x 10 feet without the desks. Anyway there I am walking around the room and do you know what quote popped into my head? .....
"Eliza, take a turn around the room with me. It's SO refreshing!"
Haha! I started laughing and Sis D. looked at me like I was crazy! :) I am a little but it just struck me so funny!
Also, one of the Elders in our district could give us a real challenge as a movie quoting family. That's all we do at meals, is quote back and forth to one another to try to stump each other! He is super good!
Anyway now I really need to go!
Love you!
Tell Aunt Cathi thank you for her prayers!
My roommates are looking forward to those cookies! :)
Thanks for the spiritual, uplifting thoughts!
Well, today is fix the world day for you, and I think you are munching, which I am jealous about!
...
Love, Breezy
P.S. When we first got here my comp wrote home for a lanyard. Her mom sent boondoggle, and Sis. D. had no idea what it was! :o Can you believe it? It was so nice to have something to do with my hands. I was done in 3 hrs. (I would have been done sooner, but my teacher didn't think I really was listening. So he made me put it away. Rude!) :) Please.
P.P.S. I had a funny moment in the classroom the other day. Sis D. and I were preparing a lesson alone in the classroom, and I am so tired of sitting that I got up and started walking the edge of the room. Now the room is only about 10 x 10 feet without the desks. Anyway there I am walking around the room and do you know what quote popped into my head? .....
"Eliza, take a turn around the room with me. It's SO refreshing!"
Haha! I started laughing and Sis D. looked at me like I was crazy! :) I am a little but it just struck me so funny!
Also, one of the Elders in our district could give us a real challenge as a movie quoting family. That's all we do at meals, is quote back and forth to one another to try to stump each other! He is super good!
Anyway now I really need to go!
Love you!
Letter -- 29 February 2012
Dearest Hill family!
Well, the countdown has begun. This time next week I will have been in Indiana for 24 hrs! I can't believe it has already been two weeks! I don't know about you but the time has flown! After my laundry is done I am going to start packing.
We need to be at the travel office by 4AM! on Tuesday morning! It looks like we will be up at 3. Ugh. That is going to be a long day. Our flight takes off at 7am. We will land in Denver, CO @ 9AM then will leave Denver at 11:30 and touch down in Indianapolis at 4PM, where President and Sister Collins will be waiting for us.
It's going to be a bittersweet day. I have loved the MTC, but it's time to go, but I am sure going to miss the sweet people I have met here.
OK. News from the last week. We have been teaching several "investigators" and so far we have loved them all. I say "investigators" cause two of them are our teachers, just role playing, and the other two...We are not sure if they are members who are really good actors or if they really are real inactives/investigators.
The one lady we are teaching we are 98% positive she is a real investigator. She is from Guatamala, has 5 grown children. Her family is everything to her. She is the most humble and Christlike woman you have ever met! If she is a member, I am 100% positive she will be put directly into the highest glory in the Celestial Kingdom. If she really isn't, HF is going to have a hard time sending her to the Terrestrial Kindom! He'll be like..."If only you had gotten baptized!" She is very acccepting of the gospel, but she is waiting for her husband. We are not sure where he is at, since he is being taught separately by the Elders.
In other news. Last night we had our Tuesday night devotional. Well, let me back up.
At lunch yesterday Pres. Brown sat with our district at lunch. We were like...."Yeah, that's right! The MTC pres is sitting with us at lunch!" Then he started quizzing us on our knowledge of the Book of Mormon. Oh no!.....We did OK. It made us think how not prepared we really are to go out and teach.
Anyway then he asked us if we were all planning to go to the fireside. We said yes and he kind of got this mischievous smile on his face. He said: "Make sure you're early to get a good seat. And bring your notebooks. You will want to take notes."
Of course we asked who was speaking and he told us he can't tell us for security reasons but that it would be one of the Elders. Ch-yea! Get there early!
Sis. D. and I sung in the choir so we had great seats!
So before every devotional or fireside the whole congregation sings 2-3 hymns to invite the spirit to the meeting before it has even begun. So we are all singing (rather distractedly, as we are all watching the door that we know he is going to come through.)
All of a sudden Pres & Sister Brown walk through the door and onto the stand. Here he comes! (We all still don't know who it is yet.) As he walked through the door there was a collective gasp and an almost cheer! (We can't cheer, cause it would be like cheering in Sacrament if Pres. Monson walked through the door.) We all immediately jumped out of our seats to show our love and support for the apostle of the Lord who had just walked through the door! I was so cool! to be so close to him. We have been listening to his talks all week and we all love him and to be one in two thousand that he was talking directly to was amazing! We could just feel his spirit and his love! I felt so incredibly blessed to be in the presence of someone who is regularly in the presence of our Heavenly Father!
Do you have any guesses as to who it was?! .........................ready for me to tell you?................How about now?...You sure you want to go with that Elder? Going once? Going twice?
If you guessed Elder Jeffrey R. Holland...you were right!!!! AHHH!!!! How cool is that?!?
He totally chewed us out! :) In his way that makes you want to change and be better! So cool!
Thank you for my bathrobe! It makes showering a lot easier! And Daddy, thank you for your talk!
Taylor: P.S. If you get your mission call and I hear about it from Mom....I will get on a plane and come home just to kick your butt! I either want a letter or an e-mail from your e-mail address! Or there will be BIG trouble!
Landon: How are you doing? School? Friends? I heard you threw a party? That's cool! Who are you arguing with now that I am gone?
Ash: I am working on a letter for you so don't feel bad that I am not saying anything deep to you now. :)
I love you guys and hope things are going well! Play with Bella for me!
Love, Sis Bri
P.S. Please remember to put the dates on your letters!
Well, the countdown has begun. This time next week I will have been in Indiana for 24 hrs! I can't believe it has already been two weeks! I don't know about you but the time has flown! After my laundry is done I am going to start packing.
We need to be at the travel office by 4AM! on Tuesday morning! It looks like we will be up at 3. Ugh. That is going to be a long day. Our flight takes off at 7am. We will land in Denver, CO @ 9AM then will leave Denver at 11:30 and touch down in Indianapolis at 4PM, where President and Sister Collins will be waiting for us.
It's going to be a bittersweet day. I have loved the MTC, but it's time to go, but I am sure going to miss the sweet people I have met here.
OK. News from the last week. We have been teaching several "investigators" and so far we have loved them all. I say "investigators" cause two of them are our teachers, just role playing, and the other two...We are not sure if they are members who are really good actors or if they really are real inactives/investigators.
The one lady we are teaching we are 98% positive she is a real investigator. She is from Guatamala, has 5 grown children. Her family is everything to her. She is the most humble and Christlike woman you have ever met! If she is a member, I am 100% positive she will be put directly into the highest glory in the Celestial Kingdom. If she really isn't, HF is going to have a hard time sending her to the Terrestrial Kindom! He'll be like..."If only you had gotten baptized!" She is very acccepting of the gospel, but she is waiting for her husband. We are not sure where he is at, since he is being taught separately by the Elders.
In other news. Last night we had our Tuesday night devotional. Well, let me back up.
At lunch yesterday Pres. Brown sat with our district at lunch. We were like...."Yeah, that's right! The MTC pres is sitting with us at lunch!" Then he started quizzing us on our knowledge of the Book of Mormon. Oh no!.....We did OK. It made us think how not prepared we really are to go out and teach.
Anyway then he asked us if we were all planning to go to the fireside. We said yes and he kind of got this mischievous smile on his face. He said: "Make sure you're early to get a good seat. And bring your notebooks. You will want to take notes."
Of course we asked who was speaking and he told us he can't tell us for security reasons but that it would be one of the Elders. Ch-yea! Get there early!
Sis. D. and I sung in the choir so we had great seats!
So before every devotional or fireside the whole congregation sings 2-3 hymns to invite the spirit to the meeting before it has even begun. So we are all singing (rather distractedly, as we are all watching the door that we know he is going to come through.)
All of a sudden Pres & Sister Brown walk through the door and onto the stand. Here he comes! (We all still don't know who it is yet.) As he walked through the door there was a collective gasp and an almost cheer! (We can't cheer, cause it would be like cheering in Sacrament if Pres. Monson walked through the door.) We all immediately jumped out of our seats to show our love and support for the apostle of the Lord who had just walked through the door! I was so cool! to be so close to him. We have been listening to his talks all week and we all love him and to be one in two thousand that he was talking directly to was amazing! We could just feel his spirit and his love! I felt so incredibly blessed to be in the presence of someone who is regularly in the presence of our Heavenly Father!
Do you have any guesses as to who it was?! .........................ready for me to tell you?................How about now?...You sure you want to go with that Elder? Going once? Going twice?
If you guessed Elder Jeffrey R. Holland...you were right!!!! AHHH!!!! How cool is that?!?
He totally chewed us out! :) In his way that makes you want to change and be better! So cool!
Thank you for my bathrobe! It makes showering a lot easier! And Daddy, thank you for your talk!
Taylor: P.S. If you get your mission call and I hear about it from Mom....I will get on a plane and come home just to kick your butt! I either want a letter or an e-mail from your e-mail address! Or there will be BIG trouble!
Landon: How are you doing? School? Friends? I heard you threw a party? That's cool! Who are you arguing with now that I am gone?
Ash: I am working on a letter for you so don't feel bad that I am not saying anything deep to you now. :)
I love you guys and hope things are going well! Play with Bella for me!
Love, Sis Bri
P.S. Please remember to put the dates on your letters!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
23 February 2012 -- MTC
My dearest family!
It is Sunday morning at 9:20. We are waiting for Music and the Spoken Word to begin. I have been waiting all week for p-day to come so I can write you again! Not that I am homesick, but I have so much I want to tell you! Every night I find myself composing letters after lights out! It's maddening! I NEED sleep! I am so physically exhausted from being so spiritually fed, I can't shut my brain off. To give you any idea of what I am talking about read JSH:20.
...waiting...
Except I can't sleep!!! Anyway some W of W from this sister missionary:
Taylor: Read, Read, Read, Study, read, and re-read Chp 4 in PMG. I wish I had. Also pg 176 -- 177 are excellent lead-ins to sharing the gospel.
Everyone else: Start praying for missionary opportunities! Don't underestimate the power of example, and opening your mouth. I know it seems scary but it's easier than you think.
So now it's Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2012. P-day! WOOT! We had the opportunity to go to the temple today, such a nice break!
So here is the rundown of the last week:
Wed: Drop off luggage, pick up badge, books, get picture taken, get swipe card. Go to class, get to know district a little. Went to a meeting with all 380 new missionaries! Met the MTC Presidency. Dinner. Had our first teaching experience (which I think I told you about.) Met our zone leaders, unpacked. BED. (finally!)
Thur: 5:50 Arise, go do yoga, get ready for day, breakfast @ 7:20, personal study for an hour, workshop, personal study for an hour, immunizations (p.s. did you fax that thing?), another hour of personal study, lunch @ 11:50, into class at 12:30 -- 3:30, personal study, dinner @ 4:50, personal study, 6:30 meeting branch presidency, interview w/ them, fast tour with ZL's, 9:30 personal time & comp prayer. 10:30 lights out!
Fri: 6:30 arise & prepare, breakfast 7:20, service 7:50 -- 9:05, half hr to prep for next activity, district study for an hour, gym for an hour. Lunch at 11:50, class @ 12:30 -- 3:30, zone teaching*, dinner @ 4:50, class 5:30 -- 8:30, personal study time 8:30 -- 9:30, personal time, bed.
Etc. Etc. Etc. Etc! Etc!! Etc!!!
Talk about baptized by fire! I haven't stopped since I got here a week ago! To me it feels as if I have already been here a month! So cool! And overwhelming! And exhausing! And exciting! And any more interjections you can think of!
*So zone teaching is where about 3 different classes (districts) combine together, split into new companionships, and investigators and we teach them as though they are real investigators. Super cool!
Then, we have TRC. TRC is where we go and teach actual investigators, and inactives! AHHH! It has been SO cool! The two sisters we are teaching are such neat ladies! The one is from Guatemala. She is so humble and so loving. Her family is everything to her! The other is from Cali. She is a member but hasn't been active since high school. Her family also is the world to her. She is very logical and very eager to read about Joseph Smith. It will be interesting to see where both of these ladies end up.
So now that I have been here for a week, I realized there was some stuff I left home that I shouldn't have:
Love, Bri (Sister Hill)
It is Sunday morning at 9:20. We are waiting for Music and the Spoken Word to begin. I have been waiting all week for p-day to come so I can write you again! Not that I am homesick, but I have so much I want to tell you! Every night I find myself composing letters after lights out! It's maddening! I NEED sleep! I am so physically exhausted from being so spiritually fed, I can't shut my brain off. To give you any idea of what I am talking about read JSH:20.
...waiting...
Except I can't sleep!!! Anyway some W of W from this sister missionary:
Taylor: Read, Read, Read, Study, read, and re-read Chp 4 in PMG. I wish I had. Also pg 176 -- 177 are excellent lead-ins to sharing the gospel.
Everyone else: Start praying for missionary opportunities! Don't underestimate the power of example, and opening your mouth. I know it seems scary but it's easier than you think.
So now it's Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2012. P-day! WOOT! We had the opportunity to go to the temple today, such a nice break!
So here is the rundown of the last week:
Wed: Drop off luggage, pick up badge, books, get picture taken, get swipe card. Go to class, get to know district a little. Went to a meeting with all 380 new missionaries! Met the MTC Presidency. Dinner. Had our first teaching experience (which I think I told you about.) Met our zone leaders, unpacked. BED. (finally!)
Thur: 5:50 Arise, go do yoga, get ready for day, breakfast @ 7:20, personal study for an hour, workshop, personal study for an hour, immunizations (p.s. did you fax that thing?), another hour of personal study, lunch @ 11:50, into class at 12:30 -- 3:30, personal study, dinner @ 4:50, personal study, 6:30 meeting branch presidency, interview w/ them, fast tour with ZL's, 9:30 personal time & comp prayer. 10:30 lights out!
Fri: 6:30 arise & prepare, breakfast 7:20, service 7:50 -- 9:05, half hr to prep for next activity, district study for an hour, gym for an hour. Lunch at 11:50, class @ 12:30 -- 3:30, zone teaching*, dinner @ 4:50, class 5:30 -- 8:30, personal study time 8:30 -- 9:30, personal time, bed.
Etc. Etc. Etc. Etc! Etc!! Etc!!!
Talk about baptized by fire! I haven't stopped since I got here a week ago! To me it feels as if I have already been here a month! So cool! And overwhelming! And exhausing! And exciting! And any more interjections you can think of!
*So zone teaching is where about 3 different classes (districts) combine together, split into new companionships, and investigators and we teach them as though they are real investigators. Super cool!
Then, we have TRC. TRC is where we go and teach actual investigators, and inactives! AHHH! It has been SO cool! The two sisters we are teaching are such neat ladies! The one is from Guatemala. She is so humble and so loving. Her family is everything to her! The other is from Cali. She is a member but hasn't been active since high school. Her family also is the world to her. She is very logical and very eager to read about Joseph Smith. It will be interesting to see where both of these ladies end up.
So now that I have been here for a week, I realized there was some stuff I left home that I shouldn't have:
- My family quote/picture book
- My copy of the GC Nov Ensign
- Sticky notes
- SOS running shirt
- Sports bra
- Scripture mastery card
- Big bottle of contact solution
- Handkerchief
- Resolve laundry stick or Tide To Go
- Hand mirror
- Black tights
- Mechanical pencil (I have lead in my pen jar. I like the pencils that Mom uses for Sudoku)
Love, Bri (Sister Hill)
Saturday, February 18, 2012
First Letter! 15 and 16 February 2012
Dearest Family!
Today has been so long! I am so exhausted! So far all is well. I like my rommates. Two are going to Armenia and keep saying things I don't understand. My other roommate is in a threesome companionship with the Armenians but is going to Latvia, which I think is way cool too! My comp is Sis. D. She is also going to Indiana and so far I love her. We are very like. She likes to sew. She is always happy, and she is helping me be social and get to know everyone. Well not everyone, but other sisters.
At dinner we sat with two sisters. One was from Sandy, and the other is from England. How cool right? We have also met a sister from Scotland. Her accent isn't super thick, but still fun to listen to. And man, does she have an opinon. She is super nice, but tonight we taught our first discussions. We were all in a big group and taguht three different people. Anyway, when she got her turn she wasn't the least bit shy about telling it how it was, which is going to make her an awesome missionary.
Anyway, things are going well. Thanks for keeping it together when you dropped me off. It was helpful!
I love you!
Your missionary,
Sister Hill
So I have a little more time today. Yay!
The other sister companionship we have in our districts is Sisters B. and K. Sis. B. is from Logan and Sis. K. is from Hawaii! They are the only two in our district who aren't going to IN-IND. They are going to the Knoxville Tennessee mission.
You really get baptized by fire here. We got here, we dropped our stuff off, got a couple of packets and went straight to class, then dinner, then our first disussion. Then unpack and bed. We kept getting asked if we had this or that in our packets but we didn't have any time to look until about 9:00 p.m.! But slowly we are learning our way around. It's super hard, cause all the buildings look the exact same!
Dad, you were right, p.s., I did have a cold shower this morning. I was up at six cause they have workouts every morning for the sisters. Today was yoga and all my roommates wanted to go.
End of day now. We had a lot of classroom time today. I don't know why people complain about the food, I quite enjoy it! I am so tired I am going to bed. I am tired!!! Loves (again) -- Bri
Today has been so long! I am so exhausted! So far all is well. I like my rommates. Two are going to Armenia and keep saying things I don't understand. My other roommate is in a threesome companionship with the Armenians but is going to Latvia, which I think is way cool too! My comp is Sis. D. She is also going to Indiana and so far I love her. We are very like. She likes to sew. She is always happy, and she is helping me be social and get to know everyone. Well not everyone, but other sisters.
At dinner we sat with two sisters. One was from Sandy, and the other is from England. How cool right? We have also met a sister from Scotland. Her accent isn't super thick, but still fun to listen to. And man, does she have an opinon. She is super nice, but tonight we taught our first discussions. We were all in a big group and taguht three different people. Anyway, when she got her turn she wasn't the least bit shy about telling it how it was, which is going to make her an awesome missionary.
Anyway, things are going well. Thanks for keeping it together when you dropped me off. It was helpful!
I love you!
Your missionary,
Sister Hill
So I have a little more time today. Yay!
The other sister companionship we have in our districts is Sisters B. and K. Sis. B. is from Logan and Sis. K. is from Hawaii! They are the only two in our district who aren't going to IN-IND. They are going to the Knoxville Tennessee mission.
You really get baptized by fire here. We got here, we dropped our stuff off, got a couple of packets and went straight to class, then dinner, then our first disussion. Then unpack and bed. We kept getting asked if we had this or that in our packets but we didn't have any time to look until about 9:00 p.m.! But slowly we are learning our way around. It's super hard, cause all the buildings look the exact same!
Dad, you were right, p.s., I did have a cold shower this morning. I was up at six cause they have workouts every morning for the sisters. Today was yoga and all my roommates wanted to go.
End of day now. We had a lot of classroom time today. I don't know why people complain about the food, I quite enjoy it! I am so tired I am going to bed. I am tired!!! Loves (again) -- Bri
Friday, February 17, 2012
Entering the MTC -- Notes by Mom
 |
| Sister Hill with the MTC in the background |
 |
| The good-bye hugs |
 |
| Walking into the MTC |
The new elders went UP the sidewalk, and the new sisters went DOWN the sidewalk, which happened to be in the direction we were driving out, so I snapped the last picture out the car window.
Now we wait for the letters to start!
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