Well. Here you go. I've officially been in the MTC for two weeks and I have
four more weeks to go. Time has flown and I don't know what to do because
there's so much to learn and not enough time too learn it all. But the good
news is that learning never stops. :)

Nothing's changed here, much. The schedule is the same, the food is the
same, the teachers are the same. Except the teachers seem to be getting
exponentially more awesome every day. Of course this doesn't make any
sense, but seriously. Every day their awesomeness doubles, and my mind is
blown. I am so blessed.

The language is coming. Sometimes I get really frustrated and just want to
run out of the buildings screaming HAY MUCHOS TACOS EN MEXICO, but luckily
for everyone I've refrained. It's been a bit weird, though, because English
sometimes looks like a foreign language to me. I don't know how to explain
this, but it does. And I'll spell English words like Spanish words. And
I'll pronounce English words in a Spanish accent. And some phrases have
just become a daily part of my life. Which gets a little complicated when I
go up on main and start talking to the Tongan Elders in Spanish. Whoops.

We love Main Campus. It's like Christmas every P day. My district is doing
well, although it has become apparent that some Hermanas want to work
harder than others. Luckily, my companion is gold, and we're both hard
workers. It's been interesting. Also, I lied. My companion is from
Glendora, California, not Glendale. :P

My knees decided to start acting up this last week, so that's been fun.
Luckily I had the foresight to bring my knee braces, so I took a few days
off from gym and wore my braces as I waited for my knees to deflate from
the size of balloons... fun times. Good news is that there are athletic
trainers and physical therapists on West Campus, so I'm going to be okay.
Hopefully I'll build enough muscle mass so I don't die in Mexico.

Did you know Morgan Freeman is a senior missionary at the MTC? Yes, it is
true. Okay, maybe it's his twin. But still. I saw Morgan Freeman.
Devotional on Sunday was SUPER AWESOME. Elder Holland's son, President
Matthew Holland of UVU, came and spoke to us about the life of Joseph
Smith. I learned some things I never knew before, and it was just a really,
really cool experience. I haven't always had the strongest testimony of
Joseph Smith, but boy, was the Spirit strong in that room that night.
Joseph Smith is a prophet, and not just because the Book of Mormon is true.

Well, I don't really know what else to say about this week... I'm a little
sad some specific people haven't written me. You know who you are, so if
you're reading this, get on it! :D Also, does anyone have Rachel Owen's
contact information? I'd appreciate it if someone could send it to me. :)

OHMYGOODNESS BRECKLYN IS GOING TO BANGKOK. Literally I screamed in the
computer lab when I read that. For all of you planning on going on a
mission sometime in the near future, I seriously, seriously recommend you
make sure you read the entire Book of Mormon cover to cover a least once.
And then do it again, and then read the New Testament. And then read the
Old Testament. And then read D&C. Basically just make sure you're always
studying the scriptures. For those of you not on missions but not doing
that, do it. There is no better way to improve your life and become closer
to God than reading the scriptures and praying.

For those of you who don't think a mission is for you, or aren't going for
whatever reason... I beg you to take another look. There are a million
reasons why going on a mission is the best idea you'll ever have, including
that it will define the rest of your life, especially your future family.
And no, that's not my branch president talking, that is solely Hermana Day
talking. I cannot imagine raising kids in this world without having the
knowledge I've gained thus far. And I'm only two weeks in. But the most
beneficial thing about a mission is that you learn that life really has
absolutely nothing to do with you. You think you understand this before you
go, but you don't. I've learned that life is not about me, that the entire
purpose of life is to devote your life to serving other people and aligning
your purpose with God's purpose. There is no better place to learn this on
a mission.

Lately I've really come to love the word Charity. The Church always seems
to use the words Love and Charity interchangeably, and it's always bugged
me a little bit, because I saw a distinction. But I've realize that Charity
is simply the highest form of love. You just give and give of yourself. Of
your time, of your talents, of your property, everything. That's what
charity is, and isn't that exactly what Christ did?

I'm also really intrigued with the word Convert. We tend to think that the
word "convert" is the same as the word "people baptized," but of course
this is not so. To convert is to change from one thing to another. In my
view, to "convert" to the gospel is to give up your will and what you want
to do to the will of God, and follow Him wherever. As we convert to God's
purpose, it's also easier to see things as God sees them, not as the world
sees them, and to serve as God would have you serve.

Anyways, this probably doesn't make any sense anyways, but I hope someone
somewhere got something out of that. I really love it here. It's changed my
life in a million ways, and made me see things that I never saw before.
More than anything, it's taught me how I really want to live my life, and
how my greatest focus should be on helping the world, not myself.

I love you all so much, and I hope everyone is doing well!

Hermana Day