Week 1 has been a success!!

Hi, my dear family!!

I love you all so much; thanks for your letters and packages and support and everything. :)  So last Friday I was kind of a bum, but don't even worry!!!  Ever since Sunday, these days have been the best days ever.  :)

Let's see, this week a lot of fun things happened!!  I got to meet President and Sister Berry on Saturday.  They were so loving and fun and I can't wait to be with them in Florida!!  It was kind of strange, because all of the missionaries going to Orlando were supposed to meet in a certain room, and it was only me and one other Elder speaking Haitian/Creole.  He left this Wednesday, so now it is only me!!  Like dad said in his letter, I think more will come that are speaking English later in July.  But anyway, it was fun to meet them and talk to them.  They seem like super loving people.

Speaking of July, guess what?!?!!!!  Next week, we get to have a patriotic fireside and also.... WATCH THE FIREWORKS!!!  haha I have been so excited thinking about that.  I am glad I only halfway miss out on my favorite holiday. :)  What a bummer that I can't sing all the stadium of fire songs..... sorry Donny Osmond.  Haha. 

So here is what my days are kind of like.  Here at the MTC, they kind of break up the intense days with not-so-intense ones.  Sundays are a lot of personal study time and meetings and firesides.  Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are class days.  We have personal study every morning, then two blocks of three-hour classes.  We learn from Hermano Snyder and Hermana Jensen about missionary work, the missionary purpose, and spanish.  It is usually really really awesome.  Then mixed in those days are gym time, study time, meals, and stuff like that.  Oh!  We also do what is called TALL, which is a computer program that helps us speak spanish better.  Tuesdays are kind of like Sundays, and we have more time to get ready because we do a service project and personal exercise time too.  Fridays are P-Days, when we write letters and go to the temple.  It is so, so great.

So last week was kind of rough, but I had a great experience on Sunday that has turned it all around!  During the sacrament in our meeting, I thought a lot about the Atonement and turning all of my concerns, sorrows, sins, and insecurities over to the Lord.  I felt very poignantly the power of the Atonement and the love that Christ has for me.  I felt a pure release and confidence that was so wonderful.  Now, I just really really really want everyone to feel that same release.  It is exciting that I get to tell people about how their lives can be changed forever.  Since Sunday, it has been so much easier to do everything!

Dad, I bet you were the best teacher ever.  I love all of the teachers here. 

At the MTC, missionaries teach "investigators."  We go in in Spanish and teach them the lessons and try to have them be baptized.  The teachers play the investigators, and base them off of real people they taught in their missions.  Our investigator this week was named Antonio.  He was 19 and didn't know who his dad was and his mom was in rehab for drugs and he had a little brother who was getting into trouble too.  He had been to church with his friend, Brian, and had questions about our church and religion and God in general.  Our first lesson didn't go so well because we really tried to plow through everything, but after that we were able to follow the Spirit and have some awesome experiences with him.  We invited him to be baptized, and he said yes!!!!!!  Haha I was so happy.  I can only imagine what it's like to lead a real person to the waters of baptism. 

So I loved the package.  I have been eating it with my hermanas all week. :)  Thank you thank you thank you!!  I will reply to all of your letters accordingly. :)

I love you all and I love being a missionary.  The Lord needs everyone He can get to spread the good news of the Gospel to the whole world!!!!!  I am glad for the time I have here to prepare myself to be the best servant I can be.

See you soon!  I hope you have/had fun at the family reunion!!!!!!  Miss everyone.

Love, Hermana Kara Allred

Day 3 at the MTC

iHola, mi familia!

So it turns out Fridays are my P-Days.  The MTC has been so crazy!!  Mom, you asked for details on what the first day was like, so here it is:

They took us straight from the car to all these lines to pick up cards and keys and whatnot.  My Usher was named Sister Richards.  She is going to the Philippines and was very nice!!  They showed us our room and then we went to the classroom.  Because my last name starts with an A, I was the only one there for like an hour.  I took a little entrance quiz on a computer, then met some people "in my district" who have been here for six weeks but are waiting for visas to Peru.  They were so nice!!  My teachers' names are Hermano Snyder and Hermana Jensen.  I really like them.  They only spoke to me in Spanish, and I replied in English haha.  Then we had a million orientations and things like that, a really good workshop with "investigators," and more orientations.  Like I said in the letter I sent home, which you may or may not have received yet, There are four hermanas y four elderes in my district.  All of the Elders are 18, but one has been to college for a year.   Hermana Smith and Hermana Watts, my other roommates, are 19 and from Vermont and Park City.  My companion is Hermana Nelson.  She is 20 years old and from Oregon. She has been at BYU for the last couple years. She is so obedient (Dad- I told her Wednesday that we were going to be the best missionaries ever :) ).  We get along real well and I think I am going to learn a lot from her.

Basically, we have been going to a lot of workshops, classes, orientations, and things like that.  The days are forever long!!!  Yesterday was so awesome.  I was basically running around exclaiming how much I loved the MTC!  Mom, you were wondering why the MTC is hard for everyone.  It is hard for me too!!  Last night I almost had a breakdown.  I can't pinpoint exactly the reasons for everyone, but let me tell you why it is hard for me:

1)  Because of my personality, I was kind of expecting to be the Alpha Companion I guess.  Haha that sounds weird, but I ususally end up taking charge and making decisions and stuff.  I am definitely the junior companion here!!  It is weird to feel so young in the middle of all these young missionaries!  It is definitely an adjustment. 

2)  I guess I just need to be humbled, because I am also the worst at Spanish in my district.  I am not saying that because I am being humble -- I legitimatly am.  We are all "intermediate," but I don't know if I am quite up to snuff.  It is nice to be the worst sometimes because I ask my roommates, companion, and district for help with words all the time.  But also, it is very discouraging.  My teacher yesterday had meetings with us all individually, and we talked about it.  He said he was the very same way in his class at the MTC, and he used every spare moment to practice speaking and learning, and he ended up being the most fluent in his class.  I will definitely need el don de lenguas (the gift of tongues)!  Though already, I have noticed that playing a part in my learning.  I remember things that I wouldn't have before.  It is pretty cool.

3)  Sometimes, it hits you that this is it.  That there is no backing out.  That you are so tired, but you still have to get up at 6:30 tomorrow.  That even though you want to quit, you can't.  It's kind of scary!  But I am trying so hard to have courage.  All will be well. :)

Everyone says it gets better and easier after Sunday, so we will see!!  Haha mom, there are two missionaries here going to Ventura!!  I told them that is where my family joined the church. :) 

So most of the time, I love the MTC!!  I saw Nate Pitcher here yesterday.... I have no idea why he was here.  Haha.  Anyway, the classes are so awesome.  I am grateful that I am blessed with the gifts of teaching and discernment in my patriarchal blessing (you might want to edit this out mom) because they will prove so useful in the mission field. 

I love you all and miss you guys so much!!  ... But not too much, haha.  (Do I sound like Silas, or what?)  See you soon, and talk to you next Friday!!

Love,

Hermana Kara Allred