The MTC is AWESOME!

Hey Family and Friends!

I absolutely love the MTC! I have such an amazing companion, district and branch. Heavenly Father has just surrounded me with wonderful people and I feel so blessed.  I already told you that Sister Ingram is my companion.  It was so good to see a familiar face that first day and she is such a help to me.  She is kind and patient and treats the Elders with such respect I really admire that about her!  My district is composed of six Elders and four Sisters.  Elder Fisi-Hoi is from New Zealand and Elder Coles is from Idaho, they are both going to Fresno with Sister Ingram and me.  Elder Fisi-Hoi is a rugby player and apparently President Gelwix sent him a letter a couple of years ago asking to him to come and play for Highland.  Elder Fisi-Hoi respectfully declined.  I guess President Gelwix is going to get him on his team one way or another...Everyone else in our district is going to the Colorado Denver South Mission.  Elder Hill is from Alabama, but doesn't know Aunt Diana, Elder Elton is from Dublin, OH and actually knows my friend Patria from BYU, Elder Carlston is from Sacramento, CA, and Elder Oliphant is from Magna, Utah.  There is another set of sisters going to Denver, Sister Partridge from Arizona, and Sister Lethcoe from Texas.  So we only have one missionary from Utah!  My district is amazing and works so hard!  We also love to sing, we sing all the time going everywhere.  The Elders are pretty good too, so it's pretty fun!

Speaking of singing we have a workshop durning the MTC choir rehearsal, so sadly we can't sing in the choir.  We're trying to get something worked out for next week, but we keep hitting dead ends.

Also another tender mercy of the Lord, a member of our branch presidency came to speak with us last Thursday, and guess who it was?!?!  Brother Stice, I know you don't know who that is, but I do! He is one the deans of the Marriott Schoool at BYU!  I am so excited to get to know this man who will make a big difference in my life when I get home from my mission.  It couldn't be a bad thing to have a special connection with one of the deans of my school.

I also want you to know that the MTC is amazing, there is really no way to describe it, you really just have to experience it! I know that everybody says this, but the spirit is so strong here, it just hits you like a ton of bricks!  I have the most amazing teachers, and the way they have us learn how to teach is by teaching, our teachers pretending to be investigators they had on their missions.  It is incredible how real this roleplaying is.  We pray, we teach, and we are guided by the spirit.  It is such a powerful way to learn how to be a good teacher.

Also wasn't general conference AMAZING?!?!  I loved the arrangement of "I am a Child of God" that the MOTAB sang during the Saturday morning session.  As I listend to the words of the second verse I just started to bawl.  Instead of hearing the voices of little children calling out to their parents I heard the voices of the people I will teach on my mission.  "I am a child of God, and so my needs are great.  Help me to understand his words, before it grows too late."  Every person that I meet is a child of God, and they need the gospel of Jesus Christ.  If I'm learning anything, it's that as a missionary I am a literal representatvie of Jesus Christ and I need to develop every Christ-like attribute I can.  I need to learn to see people through Christ's eyes!

I love you and miss you!  Hope everyone is doing well!

Lots of Love!

Sister Catherine Caramella