Thursday, November 13, 2014
Re:  Week One - Check!

First of all, I want you to know that I love you all so much! And I miss you too! You are all amazing and I would not be here in the MTC having just completed my first week without you. Thank you for your wonderful examples, your prayers, and your faith in me. So let's get started!!

After you dropped me off one of the first people I saw was Sister Stucki who was the Bishop's wife in the singles ward. She recognized me and gave me a huge hug! It was so nice to see a familiar face right as I was entering the MTC. I then got my name tags, books (I saw Sis. Peterson and she gave me a big hug - a sister in Brady’s home ward who works at the MTC), and then was taken to my dorm. After that I went to my classroom and the day began. Instead of boring you with all the little details I am going to tell you about my favorite part of the first day. All the new missionaries met with the MTC Presidency and had an orientation. One of the songs we sang was "We'll Bring the World His Truth." However, they changed the words from "we will be the Lord's missionaries" to "we are NOW the Lord's missionaries." The Spirit was so strong! It still didn't seem real that I am serving a mission for the Lord! It was incredible and so powerful....I can't wait for Camden and Dayton to experience it.

So far the MTC has been amazing! I honestly don't want to leave...I am my daddy's daughter. :) The food is really good and I have just gotten to a point where I will eat whatever. I usually get something different at every meal but I also always get fruit or a salad with each meal. I am so grateful for the Lord's tender mercies because I haven't had any stomach problems. I try to eat right and exercise. So far, so good. Oh, random question: Mom and Dad, when you worked at the MTC were you over the cleaning service the missionaries do? So I was talking to this guy who was telling us our cleaning assignment and he overheard me telling the other sisters that you both met at the MTC in this department. He thought that was weird because he is now engaged to a girl who also works in the cleaning department. Apparently the MTC is a great place to find your future spouse! Who would have thought? Yes, Brady’s parents met at the MTC working as Celestial Service Supervisors – they fell in love and are still in love 22 years later!

Guess what? On Sunday Sister Elms and I were asked to be Sister Training Leaders. They are equivalent to Zone Leaders so our job is to take care of the sisters in our district and zone. Our zone and branch consists of two districts. We got to welcome the new district last night and it was great! They are wonderful and I am so excited for all the experiences they will have! One of the biggest things I have learned is how important it is to serve. There have been times this week that I have been in a bad mood or been really frustrated with something, but then I think of what I can do to serve Sister Elms or someone else in my district. Even in my personal study I am constantly thinking about what I can do to help our investigators. When you go into personal study and companionship study with that mind set it is amazing what you can find. I have found scriptures that have helped Sis. Elms and I in our teaching and have really helped our investigators. Speaking of investigators, we are having a lot of success. We have three right now. Our first one is Chad. He is a real person but it is just a role play between our teacher Brother Bishop and us. Chad is one of Brother Bishop's friends and he acts as him. You would think it would be hard to really teach since you know it is Brother Bishop, but it isn't like that all. Sis. Elms and I completely view him as Chad. We have connected really well with him and he has the desire to come closer to Christ. He is reading the Book of Mormon, praying, and we have invited him to come to church with us. We taught a lesson earlier in the week and had another teacher sit in and be a "ghost" during the lesson so she could tell us after how we could improve. Afterwards, she asked "Chad" what we could have done better and he said nothing! She told us that we taught so well and taught with the Spirit that it did not seem like it was only our third lesson. Somehow we have been able to really connect as a companionship, with the Holy Ghost, and with our investigators. I felt so good after that experience!!! But then of course we have tried really hard to stay humble because it is not us testifying of this gospel, but it is the Spirit. A lesson cannot be taught unless the Spirit is there. As missionaries we are only guides for our investigators. The only way they can know for themselves if the church is true is by using the tools we give them: scripture study, prayer, etc. When the Spirit is there, it is possible to accomplish anything! 

Our other investigator is Patty (she is a real investigator). She is incredible! Let's be real....our first lesson with her was rough. She had so many questions and we tried so hard to answer them but we were jumping all over carnation. We also forgot to open the lesson with a prayer which did not help. The Spirit wasn't there and there was no structure. We have improved so much since then though. We have really connected with her and we invited her to commit to being baptized. She said yes. She told us that is the direction she wants to take her life. It was amazing! I would not be having much success though if Sis. Elms wasn't my companion. She is incredible. She is so insightful and is willing to work hard. We are so goofy together and have so much fun but also know when it is time to be serious and Spiritual. I love her to pieces!!!! I will also send you some pictures. 

I just want to tell you how amazing the Elders are. There really is a lot of strength in their Spirits and hearts. The Elders in my district are wonderful. We have so many inside jokes and get along really well. When we had first got here, one of the Elders said something that really struck me. He said the reason why he is on a mission is because he is not giving the Lord two years, but the Lord is giving him the rest of his life. When you think about it that way 18 months is nothing. Actually it is already going too fast! Everyone said it would go slow but it is flying! The days are definitely long and it is hard to sit in a seat for 9 hours straight, but it is wonderful. Before we know it we will be heading to Mississippi! Oh and guess what? We have to leave the MTC at 3am in the morning. Lucky us! Haha.....it will be rough on Tuesday but that is ok. Well, I have to go check my laundry but I will send another email hopefully in a few minutes or a little bit later to finish my thoughts. :)

Today I auditioned to play in one of the MTC devotionals or meetings. I played "If You Could Hie to Kolob." It was pretty good. I only had time to run through it once before I played. Sister Nally, the MTC President's wife, was the one doing the auditions. Unfortunately my song was too long (I didn't realize there was a time limit) but she said she would put me down for a yes as long as I got it down to 4:30 minutes. So Sis. Elms timed me and I cut some stuff out to make it shorter. Sis. Nally said since I leave Monday there isn't a guarantee I will get to play so that if I don't get to play they still love me. I am completely fine either way. I am just glad I auditioned.

Thanks for the emails from all of you. I just saw Cam sent me an email. :) I love you all so much! Next time I talk to you I will be at the airport. So I will probably call around 6:30am on Monday (at least that is what I hope so I can talk to Cam before he goes to school). My flight doesn't leave until 8 or 8:30am and I am going to buy a phone card here so it will be easy to call. Dad, I think I can just call on your cell phone if you are heading to work. Well, I love you all so much!!! Thanks for letting me serve a mission and please let me know if I can do anything for you!!!! Take care and next time I write I will be in Mississippi!!!!!!!!!!! Love you!

Love, Sister Fry