I'm Alive!

Hola mi familia,

I'm picking up on languages real quick here. First of all, I love you all. Anyone reading this, I love you. Thank you for all the love and support. I honestly couldn't be doing this if I didn't have so many great people in my life.

After the mighty drop off, I felt like a punching bag all day. People were pointing us and pushing us in every direction and from my the look on my face alone they could tell I was a newbie. I didn't need the little orange dot on my nametag to confirm it. When they were taking us and our luggage to our residence building, some Elders came over and grabbed my bags and one of the Sisters helping us said, these Elders are going to Sweden! And I gasped and said, I know your teacher! And they both looked surprised at each other and said, are you Sister Webber!? I said yes and they said, Brother Bush told us to look for you today!! So thank you Aaron. I felt loved five minutes after stepping foot into the MTC.  Anyway, the first day was good. Very overwhelming and a lot to take in but it was great. By about 7pm I was thinking, "so when are we gonna get to see a bed." I was dying. We taught investigators the first night in big groups and it was very interesting and eye opening. We got with a lady that was so fiesty and I was thinking, "heck no would I teach her just as a companionship." There were like forty people in the room trying to teach one investigator. It went about as well as  you can imagine it would.

They have us role play here like it's going out of style. I think everyone knows how much I hated role playing before I left. I definitely got used to it the first ten minutes I was here. Thanks for all the practice Trev:) You know best. haha.

The first night I slept like a rock. I was exhausted so that helped. Thursday and Friday were great. I learned more in those first three days then I ever could have imagined. It was incredible. Extremely overwhelming, but incredible. We taught our first investigator on Friday and my companion and I were so nervous. Prayer is a real thing. I can testify of that. We couldn't have done it alone. It went well and we survived. Saturday we had more class time and more studying. All week, every time I would run into someone I knew that had been here for a while would just say, "If you can just make it to Sunday, you'll be fine" On Thursday I was thinking, that is years away. But Sunday came and it was wonderful. It was definitely a day of rest. Our branch president is wonderful and we have a great zone/branch so sacrament meeting was wonderful. It was the last Sunday with the current MTC President so in Relief Society they had a testimony. It was one of the greatest testimony meetings I've ever been in. There were so many great Sisters bearing such strong testimonies of how important this work is that we're doing. Every time there is a speaker here they say something about how there is such a unique Spirit with this new group of missionaries. Speaking of which, there is NOT enough room for all the missionaries that are about to flood this place. They told us that by the end of the month there will be 800 new sister missionaries and by the end of February the amount of Sisters will outnumber the amount of Elders in the MTC which is insane. There is a literal army about to scatter the earth with the gospel. It is such a blessing to be apart of this wonderful group of missionaries. There are 28 missionaries that I know of right now that are going to the Charlotte, North Carolina misison the same day as us. TWENTY EIGHT. All leaving on the 28th of January. The people of Charlotte aren't going to know what hit them. Niether are any of the nonmembers that will be on the flight with us. No one will get off that plane without a Book of Mormon in their hand. It seriously is incredible.

My district is wonderful! There are 4 Sisters and 8 Elders. One of the Sisters in my district is the youngest Sister at the MTC and was asked to speak at some meeting or fireside with the misison board. (no pressure) haha.

I've seen a million people that I know. Obviously I've seen Phil a few times, you've seen the pictures and Alex Giles has pretty much the same schedule as me so I see him at every meal. A girl from the Colony that I visit taught and that was actually Chy's roommate is in my zone. She's going to Canda and leaves the same day as us. Also, one of my best Colony friends, Sister Becky Cox has class on the floor right above mine so I get to see her at least once a day and it's always right when I need it. Tender mercy of the Lord. So glad she's so close.

We started teaching investigators in the TRC yesterday which is a big deal around here I guess and so my companion and I were kind of getting nervous and they brought our sheets around to tell us the name of our investigators, lookout, same fiesty lady that our group taught the first night. You can imagine how happy I was about that. We had a good lesson plan prepared and we felt prepared even if we did get off from what we had planned. It didn't go anything like we planned. Honestly, if it had been a real investigator at a real house, I would have gracefully and respectfully left. We bore testimony like I have never heard myself or my companion bear testimony. I was saying things that after I was thinking, that was the Spirit talking because I don't know where I pulled that from. Honestly it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. The lady showed no mercy on us. She knew that we had scheduled time that we were supposed to leave so she did all she could to force us to stay. We were in the room with her for 50 minutes when it was supposed to honestly only be around 35. Anyway, we meet with her again tomorrow so that'll be so much fun:)

Funny story, last night I was having a hard time falling asleep and about a half hour after I did, the fire alarm went off. None of the Sisters in my room were waking up to it so I was thinking I would just wait until it turned off and I would go back to sleep until a mass amount of screams were coming from the hallway. All I remember was someone saying, "They said this isn't a drill! Everyone needs to get out." It was around 1am and so we all rolled out of bed and walked out into the freezing cold and walked over to the gym. They pulled out the 50 yoga mats they had and the Sisters all went wild. They said it would be another 45 minutes before they would know what was going on and that we would have to sleep in the gym until they figured it out. There were 10 of us sharing three yoga mats and trying to sleep. It was NOT working out and I was so exhausted. Turns out it was so cold last night that a big pipe burst in our building and was gushing water out into the basement. Thank heavens I live on the fourth floor. It seriously was the worst though. So I'm feeling a little tired today but nothing I haven't felt before. :)

Another funny thing about the MTC, four-square is serious business here. These missionaries do not mess around. It's more the Elders but on the first day of gym I wanted to play so me and one other Sister got in line, boom. Made it to the King's spot the first round I was in. What's up.

Well, I am learning lots about the gospel and lots about myself every minute I'm here. I know the power of prayer is SO real. If I get frustrated for even one second or have one negative thought, I lose the Spirit and you cannot be successful here without the Spirit which makes praying for the Spirit crucial. I know this gospel is true. I wouldn't be here if I didn't know that with my whole heart. I know that we are children God and I know that He loves each one of us so much. He knows us so individually and personally and knows what is best for us. I love this gospel. I love my Father in Heaven and I love you all so very much.

Thank you for everything mom and dad. You are the best. Thank you for the packages and dear elders. Tell Harrison I'm sad I didn't hear from him this week. Also Janae, what the heck. :)

Kate, I miss you like crazy! Wish we could be here at the same time! I don't know how you handled community showers for 9 straight weeks. I'd die. Same with the cafeteria food. Sorry I didn't send Cafe Rio earlier:) haha

Thank you for all the dear elders!! keep them coming because they honestly MAKE MY DAY!

I LOVE YOU ALL!! Thank you for everything. Miss you all so much!! But I will see you in no time:)

Do what this says for me, okay? Since I can't? Thanks;) haha

1 Peter 5: 14

Love you!!

Love,

Sister Webber