Becoming a Southern Bell: First Week at the MTC

Hello All From Provo Utah!

I am SO far away! ;P It's a whole hour form home! I'm just kidding! The first week at the MTC has been one to remember! It's been fun and an adventure! Although I'm only an hour away, I feel as though I'm in another world! But it has been fun and a great experience! I leave the MTC on the 25th in the morning! And I arrive home from my mission on August 1 on 2017!

My district is made up of 10 missionaries. 4 sisters (including myself) and 6 elders. All of the elders are going to Virginia on their missions, and all of us sisters are headed to Atlanta Georgia! My district has some of the funniest people in the world! The elders are hilarious and always find a way to make me laugh every day. My missionary companion is amazing too. Her name is Sister Sundwall We are so different in some ways, which can cause a little bit of conflict, especially around planning lessons. She is a serious believer in having a couple of bullet notes and just go for it. I have to write out just about every word and make sure every detail is planned out! I think it drives her crazy sometimes, but we have learned to work together with a happy medium.

When I first entered the MTC I didn't realize how much I would learn and grow in just a week. It feels like it's been forever since last week and that I have learned a ton! My spirit has grown so much and I have learned to teach people so much better than before. One big example of this was yesterday. In the MTC, we do something called TRC's. Basically, we are given people to teach lessons to. They all act like investigators for us, and some of them are real investigators. My companion and I received two TRC investigators, Jessy and Hailey. We taught them for the first time yesterday. Hailey was first, and like I usually do, I had planned out every detail of the lesson for the restoration. I was going to have it go perfectly and everything!. . . Yeah. . . It did not go well. I felt that all we did was throw a bunch of information at her instead of teach her with the spirit. I did not go away feeling more confident with teaching investigators either. But then in class, our teacher brother Write taught us really how to teach with the spirit and that we can teach just a couple sections if that is what the investigator needs. He then had us practice on him, but not him. He was playing an investigator he had on his mission named Ryan. We were so scared going in, but we prayed and after we got in there, wow! The lesson changed completely! We were the first companion to get Ryan to pray. The spirit was so strong and wonderful, I wanted to teach everybody that way! Just after we had that amazing lesson we had the lesson with Jessy. The same thing happened! My companion and I were so happy and excited, we hugged after the lessons. It amazes me how much I changed even in that one day.

Life here has been hard, we have a full schedule with very little free time. But it has been probably the best experience I have ever had. I have learned and my testimony has grown so much in just one short week! I love this church, and I know that the gospel is true. Heavenly father loves each and every one of us because we are his children. His little boys and girls. He will never give up on us and will always be there. I came across this scripture in my journal that truly testifies of this, and I'd like to finish my letter on with it. It's found in Isaiah 43: 1-3 Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I testify that the Lord and Jesus Christ will be with us in every challenge and there to help us. I have seen it, even in just one short week.

I love you all, and hope to hear from you soon!

Love,

Sister Welch :D