Week 2

Hey everyone!

Week 2 has been even better than the first week! It's easier now because we know what we're doing and where everything is. We are still continuously working at getting better at teaching and serving others. Our lessons are still going pretty good. I'm amazed at how far we've come in this short period of time. It's really true what they say about the weeks seeming like days and the days seeming like weeks here. I can't believe we only have a week left. 

Me Studying

We leave the MTC for West Virginia next Tuesday at 3:50am. We have a short layover in Atlanta and then arrive in Charleston around 4:30pm. Last Tuesday we had a devotional by Bruce C. Hafen, an old member of the 70. As our closing song we sang Day by Day, a translated Swedish hymn, and it was beautiful and probably one of my favorite hymns now.

The Sisters in my Zone

Some fun news, my district gets to be hosts to the new missionaries coming in on Wednesday! That means we get to greet them when they get dropped off and help them get situated and find all of their materials and classroom. Last Wednesday we were able to watch the new missionaries getting dropped off from a window in the gym and I was tearing up just seeing them say goodbye to their families and I know I'll probably be crying with them tomorrow as I help them say goodbye. I'm pretty sure I've cried more in the past two weeks than I have in my entire life. I have felt the truth in every single meeting and lesson that we've had. Yesterday we taught a woman who had lost a daughter a year previous and we all started tearing up as we testified to her that she was going to see her daughter again. I love the joy that this gospel brings to people and cannot wait to give that to the people in my mission. 

Our District with our teacher Brother Craw in his last day teaching us

There are more missionaries at the MTC now then there have ever been apparently. After the new set came in on Wednesday the lines for everything got longer, especially the cafeteria so we have to wait a while to get our food. We also are over 400 people over capacity for the devotionals so some missionaries have to have it broadcast to them in a different room. Some left today for the field but we're supposed to get another 700 tomorrow. I think it's great that so many people are willing to serve the Lord but the even longer lines might test my patience. 

Outside before we played Spikeball

I was able to play soccer a little bit with some of the girls from our zone and that was pretty fun even though it was really hot and no one really wanted to run. It just felt good to hit a ball again. We went outside to play volleyball but the sand was so hot it was burning our feet so we just decided on Spikeball with the Elders from our district. It's so nice to be able to get outside and let some energy out after being in classrooms for most of the day. 

The tours of the MTC started yesterday. It's kinda weird because the tour goes through some of our study areas and it's almost like a zoo where you just have people watching you practice teaching and studying. The tour also goes through the hallway where our classroom is and so they moved all the classes that were in the classrooms across from us and put in classes that are in different stages of learning their language. So now we have 9th week Cantonese, 6th week Dutch, and some other languages next to us. It's pretty cool though that people have the opportunity to see what we do here and feel the spirit. The new buildings that our classrooms are in are amazing and have gorgeous artwork and murals everywhere. They built it like a temple where everything in it is to help you learn something. My favorite one is a vibrant and detailed mural of Moses parting the red see. I'll try to get a picture of some of them before I leave. The tour also goes through the cafeteria, gym, and one of the residence halls. 

Sister Maxfield and I in our West Virginia Mission T-Shirts

I've loved reading all of the emails everyone is sending me throughout the week and will miss that when I get into the field and don't have the iPad anymore. It will be missed but I know I'll get so much better at memorizing where scriptures are and using the resources I can use. 

Have a great week everyone!

-Sister de la Cruz