Week 1-MTC

I finally have p-day! YAY!

Anyways, here is a run down and I will send pics when I get to a computer that allows me to send them.

So, the first few days were confusing, a blur but chill. I didn't hate life and I didn't love it, I'll be honest. My companion likes to give hugs... score. The day I came in was a record breaking day with 900 new missionaries! One of the first people I saw was DB, it was so great!

It's true when people say make it to Sunday because Sundays are legit. The Primary General President spoke to us during relief society, it was the biggest relief society every probably with almost 1,000 women! 

So I love my district, they are awesome and we all get along so well. Elder Knowles, is my little political buddy and we talk politics for as long as we can, he is going to run  for office one day and I am going to run his campaign. He also asked me one day where you put the stamp on the letter, his companion, Elder Nash informed me that you put it on the left corner... poor elders. 

Elder Nash and my district had me going for like three days that his uncle is Steve Nash, I was pumped... they know call my Sister Gullible.

Dad, I snort... a lot. And I live off of the pop in the cafeteria. Imagine how much more productive I would be though if they actually let us have caffeine?? A sister in my district had to go off campus for a doctors appointment and brought back diet coke... it was like I was a crack addict that had been in rehab and a bag of crack had just been placed in front of me. Is that okay for a missionary to say? Whatever I will say it anyway. 

At the devotional on Tuesday night, an Elder behind me was like Sister Shumway where are you from? Figuring he saw Shumway and had played sports he recognized the name. When I said Utah he was like uhhh oh nevermind you look exactly like someone I know. So I asked, where he was from and he said Snowflake Arizona. So I told them how I know the Blacks and whatnot and he said he is best friends with Dani... an Elder Solomom, connections everywhere.

I also met another Elder Shumway who is from St. Louis and comes from Charles. Was it Louisa who hit the bear with the frying pan? Well whichever wife that was that is the one he comes from. He told me a lot of cool stories about Charles that I didn't know, or just didn't listen to when someone else told me. 

Okay, the other day our district got into this huge debate and had a massive draft for the Mormon Dream Team. There were ten spots, I was pushing for Captain Moroni to be #1 and Gideon to be above Ammon... anyways it was such a huge debate we had to make different categories. so like top warrior, leaders, etc. I will send another email with pics of it. We decided later it probably isn't appropriate to rank prophets... oh what we do in the MTC for fun.

Elder Knowles, also one day decided to draw a picture of me on the chalkboard as Sister Mowgli... awesome. I will send a pic of that too.

So class... Portugues is way hard and its hard not to get frustrated. The first two lessons I taught in Portugues I basically just read a script. It was bad, way bad. So the third lesson I told Sister Clay, my companion that we were NOT taking in notes, that we had to study hard and rely on the spirit. I seriously don't know what I said, don't know what the investigator said and made A LOT of arm motions, but somehow he understood me. He prayed, told us he would marry his "wife" so that he could get baptized... three cheers for the spirit. Either that, or he just felt bad for me making a fool out of myself. We start teaching our next investigator on Monday so hopefully my Portugues gets better by then. 

Mom, Sister Faldmo is the one that Cort found for me... she is the BOMB! I love her so much! The first night, we went to shower and we hear opera singing from the shower, like a lot of it. She looks back at me and says, "is this real life" yes, unfortunately it is. But no, we roll with it and just laugh A LOT!

Our teachers only speak Portugues to us so she and I don't understand crap, since most of our class is fluent in Spanish and understand a lot, we just laugh... she reminds me so much of Sarah Edwards from DC, I love it. 

Sister Olander, the one that played with G says I remind her a lot of Generra because I love sparkley things haha oh yes I do! 

The Elders make fun of my for wearing scarfs in August, for always having sparkley hair ties and so much more, I get called Sister Mowgli a lot as well.

Kelli, in my district I don't think there is flirting because the sisters are older than the elders so they're like your little brothers. My companion and I are the only 19 year olds. The rest are 21 or older and most of the Elders like just barely turned 18. 

I see DB EVERY day of my life, I love it and we talk about Blanding, everyone here has heard about Blanding of course... I saw Devin my second day and then again yesterday in the bookstore. I asked him about Mav because he saw him a lot. I asked how his spanish was and Devin said, "I think Mav could speak Spanish better than he could speak English"... haha i'll take that as a good thing?

Guess who also just got to the MTC? Heather from DC that I lived with! She is in my zone and her classroom is just above mine so I get to see her everyday! It is so nice to see a familiar face!!!!

On Tuesday for devotional, guess who spoke? Richard G. Scott! My first devotional and its an apostle! It was epic and said just what I needed to hear. He said if you're learning a language don't stress, that God called you for a reason to learn that language. My favorite quote was, "God knows who you are, knows what you need, and knows what you can become." throughout the whole devotional though he was very emotional and half way through he stopped and said, "i am very emotional tongight and I want to tell you all why. As many of you know my sweet wife passed away many years ago. Tonight I know that our Lord has let her be with me and I feel her presence." I loved it. As he was walking out of the building he stopped and yelled, Be good, I love you, goodnight! He is the man.

So here is another funny story, the other day we were all showering after gym and my companion kicked the door stop out as she left our room... so I get done showering and head back to the room to find that it was locked. Of course none of us took our keys to the shower. It was the middle of the day so everyone was in class. I am running around the building in my robe trying to find anyone to help us because we were going to be SO late. We couldn't leave the building because no on had clothers, it was bad, very bad. Finally I saw some sisters and like chased them down to go get us a key. It was fabulous. 

So this e-mail is long because I haven't been able to e-mail yet, a lot will be shorter I'm sure. Please dearelder me it sucks when you don't get letters at the end of the day, (I'm pretty sure my district is the only one that keeps the rule of opening the mail at 9:30, hey blessings for exact obedience? I can only hope.)

The hardest part I think about being in the MTC is I realized some crazy things could be going on in the world and I would have no idea! So a daily or weekly update on what is going on in our government and world news would be greatly appreciated!

Denalli: We make fun of the four-squarers, but I am going to try to take a pic of it one of these days... PS I think its hilarious Denalli was one of the first e-mails I get haha. Thank you.  

Cheyna: You have authority to take any of my clothes from anyone because you send me dear elders. I only get to email once a week and don't have a lot of time so yeah... I prefer dearelders. I don't even care to get hand written letters, I would WAY rather have a short dearelder each day haha.

Sagas: I don't care what colors you send I will just appreciate anything.

Garrison: I hope Bry still calls you that, and you know that jerkey you had in that drawer in your kitchen? Yeah if you still have that you should send it to me.

Kimmy: I think I am learning the language faster than you would be ;) and I haven't cried or been sad once, I legitimately like it here.

Mom: If you write in cursive anymore I am not writing you. I can't read it so don't bother. hahaha just dearelder me if you can't write normally. PS send me my white, sparkley oxfords. They should just be in my closet. 

Dad: good luck with the pop thing

Nate: Heard you were the only one that noticed Kelli changed her hair? HAHAHAHA that gave me a good laugh, thanks for sharing ke ke

Blythe: You are the bomb! Thank you so much for the greenie package, you need treats during class to stay awake, I get in trouble for falling asleep a lot. so thank you!!!

PS I have found ways to take two naps already without breaking any rules... boom.

Everyone's favorite, Sister Shumway