3 weeks to go!

Hello family and friends!

I wonder if it's raining in SLC right now?  It's raining here and I love it!  Soeur johnson and I went jogging this morning in the MTC outside in the rain and I loved it. It was a big deal because Soeur Johnson doesn't usually like running and so it was fun and then at breakfast she ate mini wheats for like the first time since being at the MTC!  Do you know what's crazy though?  We have been here for one transfer already!  We are on week seven in the MTC now.  I had the most terrifying dream one of the first weeks that I had finished my mission and was ready to come home on a plane and I still didn't really speak french and I had no one to say goodbye too and I had completely wasted the last 18 months.  It was horrible.  So, hoping that's not going to happen.

Yesterday Soeur Redford left for Madagascar!  We spent most of the day helping her get ready to go and everything.  It's funny because when Soeur Soares (the brazilian) left all of her bags were over 70 pounds and so she had to stuff things in her carry-on bag (which ended up being like 40 pounds or something.)  Soeur Redford's was much less stressful.  The island she will be serving on (la reunion) apparently is like the Hawaii of France so she's excited.

This week we get 28 new french-speaking missionaries!  10 of them are sisters.... but none of them are going to Paris.  Lyon and Montreal.  But still really exciting!  It's weird that we are now the old districts and are leaving in three weeks.  I've decided that the MTC is like a cocoon (I think mom or dad said that before?  and it's so true).  Everyone's encouraging, you have devotionals two times a week, you are in warm buildings just learning and feeling the spirit all the time.  And then you actually get to your mission and I have no idea what that will be like!  But I'm excited. 

We had one sister in our zone go home this week.  There have been four missionaries who have gone home early in our zone since I have been at the MTC.  And actually three from one district (a district has 12 people in it.)  It's amazing how well they have handled it.  They're always so positive about everything.

I did see Eileen Tate at the temple for a minute last week!  I also saw Aunt Sylvia in the temple last week.  We do go to the temple every P Day.  And best thing ever, I was walking during gym time last week around the field and suddenly someone came up behind me and hugged me and I turned around and it was Brindy!  (My roommmate from winter semester!)  It seriously made my whole day, it was so fun to see her!  Whenever I leave MTC premises I'm always looking everywhere to see if there's anyone I know around. 

Also, interesting fun fact.  Did you know mom and dad that in the MTC now we don't memorize D&C 4 we memorize "our purpose" in preach my gospel? 

One of the best parts of the week was Sunday.  We always have relief society with all the sister missionaries.  This week Sister Dalton came to speak!  She talked about an experience she had when she was running with her husband and she got to a hill and was giving it everything she had and then her husband still passed her on the hill.  She called up to him and told her she was turning around and would meet him back at the car.  He jogged back down to her and said, "don't you know that you should never stop in the middle of a hill?"  she related that to serving a mission and to never stop when you're in the middle of the hill because it's so worth it at the top.  She also encouraged all of us to start keeping a scripture card with our favorite scriptures and she shared with us the scriptures that are her favorites.  It was such a good meeting! 

Your Boston trip sounds so amazing!  Ah, and perfect time of year to go!  Crazy time coming home it sounds like, and dad running into a car haha that's great.  Thank you so much for sending so many letters/packages!  It makes me feel so loved!

I think that's all this week! Not too much to report on this week.  But I do absolutely love it here!   I was laughing because I did have a couple times this week that I just went into the bathroom and prayed that my companion and I could get along and it worked!  We're doing great, and we're both learning and I'm loving being her companion.  I'm learning how important it is to communicate all the time.  It relieves so much tension.  Three weeks and we're done here!  I go through phases of being so ready to go and excited and other points where I feel scared out of my mind.  But I think no matter how much you learn in the MTC to some extent you will feel nervous.  But you learn the most through experience and just jumping into it.

Love you all and have a fabulous week!  Thank you for all of your prayers!  I miss and love you all!

Love,

Soeur Chard (lou!!)