Wow this week has flown by! Things here at the MTC are going well. I am definitely learning a lot and I am definitely improving. How are things back home? Hope all is well. First off, thank you to everyone who sent letters and packages! It always makes my day when Elder Beck (district leader) throws the letters at me. Literally. It's ok though because we are homies and I throw things at him too. It all works out. For real though, I am so grateful to hear from friends and family on a daily basis. It helps with home sickness and helps me get through the day.
As for the second week here in the MTC we have done lots of things. One thing is TRC. TRC is great. It's basically a building with little cubicles that act as living rooms. We are assigned an investigator and are sent to work. Some of these investigators are converts, members, teachers, and legit investigators. We never know which one though. Anyway, we taught our first investigators this week and it went great! Sister Thompson has the MTC plague and hasn't had a voice at all this week. So I solo taught 75 percent of the lesson. It was an awesome experience that taught me to have faith in the spirit when teaching. It went so well that I commited someone to baptism. I know for a fact that I didn't do the teaching. I said some words and read some scriptures but, the spirit taught. The spirit converted. I was just a guide along the way. Amazing experience.
As I continue to learn and grow here, I have had many helping hands. It's hilarious how you graduate highschool and you enter the MTC and everyone from highschool is with you in the MTC. I have seen so many people and so many friends. It's funny though, people you never talked with in highschool instantly become your best friends. I haven't seen any girls yet. None that I really know.
Let me tell you a story of the MTC plague. It's a horrible disease that everyone gets. It is a disease that cycles through districts and takes down every one. Person, by person. It's literally the worst. We have 6 elders and 4 sisters in our district, 5 out of 6 elders have been hit, 2 out of 4 sisters have been hit. Sunday night after our devotional, our district met up so we could all go to a movie. None of us actually sat and watched the movie. At one point all of us were out in the hall coughing, throwing up, or desperately drinking water. At the end of the meeting I made all of the elders meet outside my residence hall and personally take cold medicine. That is how I got the title "team mom". It's a great title to hold.... until you get sick yourself. Yesterday I was super sick and tried to hide it. I failed. Today it has been so much worse, I am having a blessing later this morning to help. It's amazing to know that such young men are able to hold such amazing things. I know that they are ready and always willing to help me.
One of the worst things about the MTC is seeing people you love leave. We said goodbye to our zone leaders and sister training leaders. I have only known them a week but I feel so blessed to have them in my life. The STLs are leaving to Canada and and the DLs are headed to Washington. It was a bitter sweet goodbye because all of them are so ready to go and serve. I am truly blessed with the people I associate with here.
Our district leaders are pretty great and have a great sense of humor. Friday, I was coming down the stairs from TRC and saw elder Lindopolis. We passed by and didn't say anything. It was strange because EVERY time we pass each other we always say hi. As I continued down the stairs, I thought I was going crazy because I saw Elder Lindopolis again! I was so confused and didn't know what to think. Sister Thompson hadn't noticed what was going on so I felt like I was seeing things. Saturday morning was when Elder Lindopolis told me he was a twin. I told him my story and he just laughed at me. Now, they play tricks on me and make me figure out which one is my ZL and which one is the twin. Let's just say I'm horrible at the game. Saying goodbye was hard because of the friendships we have made.
I was able to talk with sister Martino (MTC President's wife) this week while sister Thompson was in a meeting. She walked in the room, looked me in the eyes, and said "teach me something in one minute." It was terrifying. I told her of an experience I had earlier that week. After the devotional with Elder Cook we discussed as a district what we had learned. As I sat listening to people testify, the spirit told me something that was much needed. I give you weakness, so you can find your strength. Go and do it. As I sat and testified this to sister Martino she smiled and told me she needed to hear that. She was speaking the next day to the new missionaries and didn't know what to teach them. So she is teaching them what I taught her. Pretty cool experience.
Alright, well I am so happy to be here and I'm so excited to share more experiences. I love all of you so much!
Love,
Sister Gray
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| Elder Hafen (Friend from Davis) and Sister Gray |
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| Sister Gray and Thompsen |
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| Sisters Moon, Gray and Gehrig |
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| Sister Bowes, Taylor, Thompsen, and Gray |
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| demonstrating the do's and dont's of missionary contact with the Zone Leaders |
