Oh How Time Flies

My time is drawing to a close here, 10 days until I leave for California.  Not much has happened this week but I do have some things to share.  First is my travel plans.  My flight leaves Salt Lake at 11:00 AM and gets into the Burbank airport at noon on the 29th.  I'm really excited for a plane ride it's been almost a year.  I will be calling home from the Salt Lake airport.  Not sure what time.

Another fun thing this past week was that my district got to usher for the fireside on Sunday.  Hectic but fun and there were no empty chairs so we did good.   After the devotional we watched The Testament which was great, though I think that movies like that are 10 times better at the MTC than they are at home.

 

So I have been requested to write about a typical day at the MTC which I guess makes sense now I've been here for what feels like a life time.  Over view: up at 6:30, leave the room by 7:15, return around 9:30 and lights off at 10:30.   We have breakfast at 7:15 and an hour of personal study after that.  The remainder of the day we are spiritually fed in 2 three hour block classes.  We also have 2 hours of language study and an hour for gym time.  We only have maestros during the three hour blocks.  Tuesdays are a bit different because we have a 75 minute service assignment in the mornings and Devotionals, at the Marriott Center, in the evenings. (As we walked there the other day some students where holding signs in one of the building windows.  One said "write me," another "where is your companion.")   So we only have one class block Tuesdays.   Our P-days are on Friday.  We get up and run to the laundry room so we don't have to fight for a machine and then we get a sack breakfast (we aren't supposed to go into the cafeteria in casual clothes).  We run around doing errands until personal study at 10.  We then have missionary portal (computer assessments) at 11 and lunch at noon.  The first two weeks (that feels like forever ago) we got to go to the temple after lunch which was fabulous.  Now we use this for errands, emailing and writing letters.  I am also using it to make a fantastic Plan of Salvation.  I will send a picture when I finish.  We have dinner at five and then we have class.  Class is done by 9 everyday so we can have 30 minutes of planing time, which is essential, you can get lost without a plan.

 

 

The photo of the week is me with some of the sister in the zone at the temple on Sunday.  We are all matching, kinda, because we sang a medley of As Sisters in Zion in sacrament meeting.  Next Sunday my district will be singing Come Thou Fount.  I never sang before so it is odd to be doing so much here but lots of fun.  Sacrament is just with our zone, which keeps getting smaller and smaller.  We have not got any new missionaries since the Mexico MTC opened on July 1st.

Something spiritual:  I had a really amazing experience on Wednesday with the promise given in D&C 33:8, which is my new favorite chapter and scripture.  I was sitting in class and we were talking about the Atonement.   I kept feeling like I needed to share something but I had no idea what I needed to say.  Finally my teacher, Hermano Snyder (the other is Hermana Jensen), said "Hna Watts I think you have something to say."  So I opened my mouth and word just came out, along with some tears, I was able to testify as I never have before.  After he said "It has been awhile since I have heard a testimony that strong."  It was a powerful testimony to me that my Heavenly Father will give me the words that I need to teach his children if I will just open my mouth when he tells me to.  It also told me that he will push me to speak when I am having problems.  Bare your testimony when prompted the Lord will give you his words, and you never know how much it may touch someone else.

Now an slightly random request.  I want stories.  Stories form now or 100 years ago.  Stories of your childhood, Mom and Dad I realized I don't know many of your stories, but I love hearing them.  Like the one about the knifes. They so fun to read and to have stored away in the filing cabinet of my mind.  Stories of my ancestors.  Stories to tell investigators.  Spiritual, comical, anything is fantastic.  

Now this is mainly a request for my family but if they decide to put this on the blog or email or how ever this is getting around, please send a story if you find one that you think I will enjoy.  If not just enjoy the ones that I send home.

I hope you all have a fantastic week!  

Lots of Love, keep being amazing!

Hna Ashley Watts