first weeek in the MTC

Dear Family,

So I have just about finished my first week in the MTC. It's definitely different than what I thought it would be like, though I'm not even really sure what I thought it would be like. We spend pretty much all day in the same classroom as a district. My district consists of 6 elders and 1 sister - me. haha. That's what is most different. I definitely assumed I would have a companion with me all the time. But I spend much more time with the elders than I do with my companions. Anyways, so the elders in my district are Elder Rowan (going to Honduras), Elder Corbit (going to Barcelona, Spain), Elder Self (going to Washington), Elder Duncan (going to Richmond), Elder Armstrong (going to Houston), and Elder Daines (going to North Carolina). We are quite a variety of people, but we all get along well. It's funny because everything that I would normally do with a companion, I pretty much switch off doing with one of the companionships of elders. So for companionship study, teaching, and companionship inventory I am still with the elders. For the first comp inventory (when you talk about things your comp is doing well and how they can improve) I was with Elders Rowan and Corbit. It was kind of a humorously awkward experience because I could tell that they felt a little awkward having to compliment me and say what I could do better at, so they both just agreed that i was good at speaking Spanish and left it at that. haha.

As for my companions, their names are Hermana Batty, Frendsen, and Collins. They are all very nice. They've all been here together for 5 weeks already and Hermana Batty actually leaves this week for the dominican republic, to finish up at the MTC there. She is technically my companion, but since I'm usually not with them, they are like a threesome. I'm not exactly sure what happens when she leaves, if I go with the other two, or if I go with the two new hermanas we have coming in.

Dad was asking about my schedule, it goes something like this:

6:30 wake up

7:00 personal study time in our classroom

7:45 breakfast

8:15 class

12:30 lunch

1:15 class

5:30 dinner

6:15 class

9:00 plan

9:30 back to our rooms

10:30 sleep

Somewhere within the different class times we have gym for 45 minutes or so with half an hour to change and get ready again afterward. It depends on the day though as to when it is. Two of the class periods we are taught by a teacher (we have 2 teachers, hermano vance y hermano pope) and then the other class time we have MDT (missionary directed time) in which we decide what to do, but it has to include 15 minutes of personal study, 1 hour of comp study and 1 hour of language study. So that's pretty much my day in a nutshell. Sundays are different, we don't have any classes. And tuesday is my pday, so that's different too.

This sunday was really nice. We had sacrament meeting in the morning with just our branch and then we watched music and the spoken word. Then I had relief society with all the sister missionaries. This week the president of the MTC spoke, so that was good. After that we had lunch, a district meeting, interviews, study time, and eventually a fireside. The fireside was really good. The man talked about what it really means to take Christ's name upon us. He pointed out that we, as missionaries, were literally doing it, but that in the sacrament prayer it tells everyone to take his name upon them too, and that we must act in a way that represents him well.

I'm glad to hear that dad's surgery went well. I'm proud of him for eating pizza and a donut! That's exciting that matthew is getting his braces off soon! send me a pic when it happens. I'm glad that Emily has decided to continue with ice skating. Tell her to learn lots of spins and jumps so that she can show them to me when i get back. Did megan successfuly graduate from seminary this week? If she did...CONGRATULATIONS!

I have to go because I have like 1 minute left. Just know that I love you all so much! I miss you! But I know that this is where I should be right now and I am excited to learn more about how to teach the gospel. I think it would be a great idea if each of you got a copy of preach my gospel because there is so much good stuff in it, even if you aren't a missionary.

I hope you all have a great week! Write me lots! (preferably not all in email because I can't check it again till next week)

Love,

Hermana Livingston

p.s. greg - thank you for the cookies, they are delicious

pps megan - thank you for the letter. I will write you more in letter form.

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!