I Love the MTC!!

 P-day!

I'm glad you got my letter because I knew you would be freaking out this week not knowing when my P-day was.  Thursday seemed so far away when I first got my schedule.  We do laundry and emailing before lunch, and lunch is our first of two mail checks every day.  So I'm just going to write a little about my first week and how everything is going and hope that it answers all of your questions.  

Thank YOU!!

First off, I want to thank everyone for the letters and packages!  I was really sad the first week because from Wed. to Sunday (with two mail deliveries a day) I had only gotten ONE letter (shout out to you Lani) & I thought everyone had forgotten about me.  But come Monday, I got a ton of "Dear Elders" and Tuesday I got THREE package slips which made me the envy of everyone in the District. 

Thank you Carla & Kiefer, Aunt Marcey Uncle Jason & the boys, and Dylan for your packages!  It was seriously so sweet of you. I've lost 4 lbs this first week in the MTC, but I'm pretty sure I'll gain it all back with all the treats.

( Dear Elder Kaitlin:  MTC Mailbox #298, ITA-ROM 0320, March 19)

The food is pretty gross-looking, so I basically eat salad and fruit for every meal.  THREE elders in our District have been sick from food poisoning in the past week, so we stick to the basics (anything I don't think they can mess up too badly).  But I'm not mad about it, because it gives me plenty of room for Italy which I keep hearing I'm going to need hah.

I LOVE my district.  Seriously I got so lucky.  We have the funniest people here. For example...There is Elder K.  who recently told me that at home he eats Gas Station food at LEAST twice a day.  Like food from a gas station.  Like the stuff people don't normally dare look at.  So his stomach is fine with the MTC food.  

We also have an elder from Sweden who sometimes reminds me of Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory because his family is always sending him Swedish candy and he has a funny accent.  

But all the Anziani (elders) are great in their own way.  Mom, you mentioned Anziano Burton in one of your letters, he is the only one you mentioned that I know.  His grandpa is actually Bishop Burton which is pretty cool.  

A Golden Time for the Gospel

Apparently we are the first of a TON of missionaries being called to Italy.  Our teachers keep telling us how amazing it is there and how much the work is progressing in Italy.  It is a golden time for the gospel there and they keep telling us that the people are finally so ready for it. 

Another World
That's interesting about the Pope retiring.  It's weird hearing outside news because we don't get any here.  It is another world completely.  Like nothing I could have imagined.  

"Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him."

—Alma 34:17-19

Not going to lie, I had one really hard day, but I think the Lord just needed me to be humbled, like a lot.  Since then it has been great and I've been learning a lot.  

It's fun because we've had a lot of visitors lately that I know personally.  My former stake president came to speak on Sunday for everyone, which was cool, because I loved going to our monthly meetings with him when I was serving on the RS presidency with Ashley.  It was such a blessing because he had a lot to say that I needed to hear.  

Sunday was my hard day, which is funny, because everyone tells you "Just make it to Sunday.  If you can make it to Sunday, you can make it the whole time."  Then we got to hear a talk by Elder Bednar called "Character of Christ" that was literally exactly what I needed to hear. I think I needed that humbling in order to really learn from that talk.

 (Read: The Character of Christ)

My Companion, My Buddy

I love my companion and the girls in my district.  They are all so funny, and we are all so different.  My companion is Sorella Anderson from Logan UT, and the elders compare her to Buddy the Elf which is the perfect description.  She LOVES everything and she gets so excited and yells about everything she loves (which is everything). She makes me laugh and keeps me postitive. 

The other two girls are Sorella Mikesell and Sorella Bradford.  Sorella Mikesell is from Alpine and is really funny.  She said most people tell her she reminds them of Kristen Wigg, which I agree with completely, looks and personality.  Sorella Bradford was studying History at Berkeley before her mission and her favorite band is Tallest Man on Earth.  She is from Pasadena, California.  We all get a long really well, and we keep hoping they don't put any extra girls in our room because we just like each other so much. 

Aimee and Elysse

I get to see Aimee a lot which is good.  I cried when I first saw her in the MTC; I was just so happy.  It's good to have her here for support. 

I got to see Elysse a couple of times but she is in Germany now!  Luckily we got some pictures before she left. 

I love the MTC.  No matter how hard it is, everyday I am grateful to be here and I am so happy to be a missionary.  Sometimes I wish I could skip this part and be in Italy, but I am comforted by the fact that this time is set apart for me to prepare to teach the people in Italy.  I will be inspired here to know what to say then.  Step by step, week by week. 

 My favorite part of the day is teaching (and gym because I don't have to sit on my butt anymore), so it gets me really excited to be in the field already.  The Italian is coming along really well.  It is DEFINTELY a blessing that I got to learn so much before the mission, because it is helping me so much and I get to help the other missionariies in my district a lot as well. 

I love being a missionary.  Paige, I am so excited for you to get here.  We literally leave the day before you get here.  It's hard, but I love it. It's hard to explain.  I love you guys so much. I never thought I would be homesick at all, but I have to admit that I kind of was.  But I want to be here, so badly; it is so perfect for me right now. The Lord truly knows us and our needs. 

LOVE YOU, Ciao!