FOUR WEEKS TO GO!

Dear Family,

Sorry this email is coming a few minutes later than normal. I had to run to the bookstore this morning to see if my pictures had come in yet. Not yet :(  You won't be getting them with this letter!

Ashley, I'm excited to get your letter...it sounds like the wedding will be fabulous!

I went to the 3:00 temple dedication, so I didn't get to hear that story about the 747...was it President Uchtdorf's story? I loved the dedication; I am extremely grateful that families are forever. That thought was on my mind a lot this week. I love that knowledge; it brings me such peace!

Could please send me the mission home address in Mongolia, that would be fantastic..my friends here are asking for it and I don't have it. Thanks! I know I have tall orders, so thank you so much for all you do for me! I appreciate it so much.

Kids--how is school?! I know you've already finished your second week, so I hope it's going well. I think of you often.

I got your letters yesterday. That was nuts. Everyone already makes fun of me for how many DearElders I get some days, and with those talks you sent and everything, I had FOURTEEN DearElders, plus that Called2Serve article, and then I got 3 letters in the mail (thanks Paige, I got Elder Holland's talk and that awesome card! I'm so excited to read the talk!) Anyway I haven't had a chance to read the talks yet, but THANK YOU THANK YOU! I am excited for them!

Paige and Alexis, that was so nice of you to write my companion. She enjoyed your letters :) And that is crazy you have a friend going to Mongolia that already has his call for December! I'll keep an eye out for him when he gets to the mission. Tell him he's going to love the MTC--we are getting new teachers, but the one teacher we have now, Bro. Cannon, is fantastic. He'll love him.

OK, now down to what's going on here. This week was FANTASTIC!! The best week at the MTC, hands down. I've just been going from one high to the next, and it's been terrific. 

On Sunday my district had an awesome testimony meeting, which was so special. We all went around the room and told why we decided to go on a mission, and bore our testimonies. I was about halfway through the room, but I was already getting emotional when the people before me were talking. The Spirit was so incredibly strong; I was able to look at the missionaries in my district with new eyes. 

I realized that we are all truly in this together more than I have ever before. I realized that even those goofy 19-year-old elders who try so hard (and are pretty impressive, actually) had to make the choice to be here, too, and that they are called to Mongolia as servants of the Lord, just like I am. I realized that regardless of our differences and regardless of how fed up we can get with each other, we are here to build each other up, to help each other along the way, and that we are in this together.  

I felt a new love for the missionaries in my district and for their sacrifices to be here, and for their testimonies. They are such a strength to me, and even though things have actually been a bit harder than normal since we've all been around each other 24/7 for SEVEN WEEKS now (my 7-week mark will ccome on Monday, though), I am so grateful for my district and for their examples.

Sunday was also terrific because we got to go to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple dedication. There is truly nothing like singing "The Spirit of God" with almost 2,400 other missionaries, or participating in the hosanna shout. I was on the third row, but I turned behind me to see a sea of elders in dark suits with their handkerchiefs, and I was overcome with what a magnificent sight it was!! 

I love love LOVE the MTC. I love being surrounded by missionaries. I love being a missionary myself. I love seeing those black nametags everywhere I go, and knowing that we are all here preparing to take the Gospel to the all the world. There is nothing like it. Sometimes I forget who it is I'm surrounded by, and what we are ultimately here to do--it becomes a normal sight when you're at the MTC so long. but I LOVE IT! And I can't wait to go serve in Mongolia, though it'll certainly be a different feeling than it is here!

Also, Tuesday was an amazing day. We went to the deovtional after dinner and sat down right before it began (we were in the choir and so we had our seats saved for us). Minutes later, the chorister said, "We don't stand when we sing the hymns of the church, but we DO stand when an apostle of the Lord enters the room." 

Right then, the door swung open and I could see Elder Scott talking to someone on the other side of it! So we had the privilege of hearing from Elder Richard G. Scott for devotional, and it was AMAZING, of course. I don't really want to share some of the things he said through email, especially because I know it goes onto my blog. I'll write you about it, Mom and Dad, and you can hear some more of the insights from his talk. 

But suffice it to say that his testimony strengthened mine SO MUCH. He had the most amazing stories of how he'd been led by the Holy Ghost. How, throughout his life, he'd had promptings that saved his life time and time again. He encouraged us to NEVER cast off a prompting, regardless of whether we recognize it to be a spiritual prompting. I know as a missionary that is absolutely vital, but I also knwo that in our daily lives, that is essential as well. So even though I've written home about it before, I would just encourage you to keep writing down impressions, even if it's not a 24-hour effort to write down every single prompting that comes into your mind. 

When we write down and/or act on promptings, we show the Lord we take the Spirit's impressions seriously. We show Him that He can trust us, and He will trust us with more spiritual impressions. He will truly lead us by the hand if we will let Him. I LOVE Proverbs: "in all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct thy paths."

Well, there is so much more to say, but I am grateful for your love, your letters, and your prayers. Know that I am praying for you and I LOVE YOU!!

Love,

Kristen