First E-Mail Received from Sister Lake - August 25, 2016

August 25, 2016 - Provo MTC

Hey Everyone!

I MADE IT!!!! Let me just start off by saying the MTC is amazing, my companion is so awesome, my district is the best group of people I have ever met, the food is AWFUL, and everything is 100 times funnier in the MTC then it should be. For the first week it was like I was walking down the halls of Eagle High School cause I literally saw everyone from Eagle all the time!

I have seriously loved every second of the MTC. My companion’s name is Sister Jewel and she is so awesome; we are like the same exact person. We get along so well and teach so well together. She has such an amazing testimony and has helped me strengthen mine so much. So grateful that she is going to my same mission! My district is hilarious! There are four sisters and eight elders, and we literally have so much fun with each other. Two other sisters and I are going to Alaska and the rest are going to California, Washington, and England. They are seriously the coolest kids though.  I'm pretty sure we will all have a group email our entire mission! My teachers are incredible, too. They have taught me so much since I have been here and have grown to love them! 

Being here has been one of the best, most amazing experiences but is also super hard at times. I am constantly tired, hungry because the foods stinks (So, special shout out to Stephanie Santiago for the quality package I picked up today, which included all of my favorite things! You are the best!), and it’s hard not to get super discouraged, but it is amazing how much prayer and the scriptures can help! We taught our first investigators this week and it is truly one of the coolest experiences. It’s so cool just to get to know people and share something that is so important in my life and see them learn and understand what we’re teaching them and eventually accepting it. We got two baptismal commitments from our "investigators" (We don't know if our investigators are members or actually investigators; I’m pretty convinced one of them is an actual investigator, though), and it was honestly the happiest day up to this point in my life. It’s amazing how much pure happiness can truly be brought through the Gospel. 

The devotionals here are AMAZING.  We meet in a room with 1,700 missionaries and every single time we start singing the spirit is so strong--it’s truly amazing. On Sunday we listened to the Nashville Tribute Band live and they were incredible and shared so many powerful testimonies about the restoration.  This was so cool to hear because, since I have been here, my testimony of Joseph smith and the restoration has grown so much. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet and that he restored the Gospel here on this earth today--no doubt in my mind. It’s one of my favorite things to teach because it truly amazes me at how strong and brave Joseph smith was. Tuesday night we got to listen to Juan A. Uceda of the Quorum of the Seventy, and he gave one of the most amazing talks I have heard on missionary work from an investigator’s point of view.  This was based on what he was thinking when he was 18 and being taught by the missionaries in Peru.  His experience changed my whole idea of missionary work and put it in a whole new perspective that is truly amazing.

Like I said before, everything is 100 times funnier here in the MTC, and so I just have to share a few things that happened. This first story is definitely more embarrassing then anything else, but whatever.  So, I introduced myself to the elders going to Alaska and one of the elder’s name sounds very similar to one of the worst words in the English language.  I tried saying his name, and instead of saying his name correctly, I said the really bad word and they all looked at me and just died! Every single time I see them now they just laugh at me, so that was pretty embarrassing to say the least. Another funny story is one of elders totally walked into the girls’ bathroom when we were all there, and he didn't realize he did for a second.  When he did realize where he was, he just sprinted out so embarrassed. It was so good; we haven't let him live that one down yet, Haha. Lastly one of the elders in our district, Elder Howard, is from England and has an awesome accent.  We also have an Elder, Elder Leone, who is GOING to England.  He asked elder Howard to teach him the accent, and let’s just say Elder Leone might possibly have the worst English accent I have ever heard. We have him say Harry Potter, but his pronunciation comes out more like "Harry Pewtur," I literally cry laughing every single time. Seriously, everything here is so funny and I love it!

This place is amazing. This Gospel is amazing.  Our Heavenly Father is amazing and so loving. I have felt so much love and comfort from Him this week, and I know that He truly loves us and knows us individually. I know that He answers our prayers and communicates with us through scriptures. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and is another testament of Christ’s pure love for us. I know that this church is true, and I am so excited to get to share that with the people of Alaska!

Love you so much!

So much Love, Sister Lake