June 21, 2013

Hello Everybody!

I am going to start with the big news. As you know, this Sunday is the worldwide broadcast. The MTC has a HUGE choir, plus members. We are singing two songs. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR ME! I will be sitting next to a tall blonde :) Next week is when all the new mission presidents come to the MTC. There will be over 175 of them! They are completely shutting down campus and we won't be allowed in the cafeteria all week because general authorities will be here.

Well, Me and Hermana Wilcox were selected to sing in a special choir for them. The choir director had each of us fill our information about ourselves and he selected 32 people off of prayer and I am one of them! Out of 3,500 people.

Basically, we are learning and memorizing 5 new songs (we got them on Monday) and singing in the opening of all of the Mission president's meeting. This Sunday, the First presidency AND the Quorum of the Twelve will be there.  All 15 of them. I am one of 6 altos in the choir. We are literally going to stand 5 feet in front of the first presidency.

This Sunday, we are performing at the beginning of their sacrament meeting and President Monson is speaking. Each of the speakers chose the songs, this sunday we sing " I feel my savior's love." Monday, Uchtdorf speaks and we are singing "Lead Kindly Light," Wednesday is Eyring and we sing "Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer," and I can't remember who the other speakers are.

Anyway, I am both nervous and excited. I feel honored and blessed. President Nally,the MTC Pres, and his wife have been coming to our rehearsals and they keep stressing how big of a deal this is! I realize that the Lord needed me in the MTC at this time, for reasons such as this.

 It's been an interesting week.

We got a new district this week and we have 4 new Hermanas. They are pretty homesick and overwhelmed, so we have been checking up on them and trying to give as many hugs as possible.

Last Sunday, we got to watch the "Testaments" that night. I have seen it a few times, but it hit me pretty hard this last Sunday. After watching it, I went and read the passages in the BOM about Christ coming to Americas. Such a powerful message.

The other day while working out, a photographer came up to me and Hermana Wilcox and took our picture. Apparently he was doing an article on missionary work. So I am probably in the Twin falls, Idaho "Times Newspaper"

You asked about my schedule! Well, basically is same old thing now, so I will tell you how my days look!

*We wake up at 6 and go to the work out in the morning

*Then we go to our classroom at 7 for Additional Study time (planning lessons, reading scriptures, etc)

*at 7:45 we go to breakfast, we always sit as a Zone, so we have fun together.

*We go back to the Classroom and have Personal study time for at least an hour. Personal study is my favorite.

*After that we have Language Study for an hour, we normally do pre-work (like homework) for the class that day

*Then we have TALL time. TALL is the computer program that we use to learn language.It's great, but getting boring. I normally finish first and then watch Mormon Messages until my Comps are done.

*Then we have gym time! We normally go to the gym and I run a mile on the track or on an elliptical.

*After gym we have lunch

*Then we have Class. If we get there late, Brother Whittiker makes us do a door approach to get in the classroom. We have class for 3 hour blocks

*After Class we have Language study again

*Then we have Daily Planning, where we plan for the next day.

*Dinner

*Then back to class for 3 hours. We normally have our other Teacher Hermana Powell then. We always teach "investigator" lessons during class time

*After Class we Study until 9:30.

*9:30 is the best because we get to go get ready for bed and be goofy :)

My district has a problem with getting distracted. We always start off studying and then halfway through end  up chatting, and quoting Brian Regan. I think it's because all of our elders are younger than the Hermanas. We are trying this new trick, where every time we get off topic, we have to sing a hymn.

Unfortunately, there is a bug going around the MTC. We can't hug or shake hands with our Branch presidency at all. There have been many sisters throwing up and they don't know why. My companion, Hermana Wilcox, has been throwing up all day today, so I am staying home with her for the day. I am scared I will get it, so pray that I won't!

I am having issues sending pictures. I have tried every week, but the computer doesn't like my SD card. I think I need to buy the one from the bookstore.

This week, my teacher asked each of us what our favorite thing to do is. If we had 2 hours right now, to do anything, what would we do? I definitely said..."I'd go grocery shopping with my mom"

Congrats to Carrie! I got her cute wedding invite. I’m sad I won't be there, but that's so exciting :)

It was SO neat to see Aunt Linda at the temple last week. What a tender mercy.

Dallin, Thanks so much for the Dearelder Letter. I ended up laughing so hard, that I read it outloud to my entire district. They all voted it the funniest letter so far...and we've heard some funny letters!

Thanks so much for letting me know about Alli. I put her on the prayer roll last week and She's in my prayers. Tell the Snow's I love them!

Here's my final word of advice....Tell the youth (Yes, Dallin and Lizzie, I mean you) to study NOW. It is so crucial that they have their OWN testimony. The better you understand and gain a testimony of Jesus Christ and his atonement, your desire to share the gospel will increase. I wish I would have developed a better relationship with savior and my father in heaven as a teenager. This gospel is so true. We are blessed enough to have it in our lives. There are SO many people that do not have the gospel, and we are blessed enough to have it. Isn't it important that we share it???

I love you all so much. Thank you for your love and support. The church is true!!!

Much Love,

Hermana Meagan Spencer