Monday April 29, 2013

Monday April 29, 2013

Dear Mom and Dad,

As is probably obvious, my P-day has changed! With the semester at BYU changing, the MTC schedule had to change also, because our teachers are BYU students (as a pre-requisite, you have to attend BYU to work at the MTC). Starting today everything I've been trying to get used to has completely changed! One thing that is both good and bad, is that now I have to be ready at 7 instead of 7:20--this means that I have to be faster and/or wake up earlier in the morning, which is unfortunate, but it also means that there is more time during the day. Normally our study times are an hour, but somehow with the new schedule, a lot of our study times are  longer, like an hour and a half.  I'm looking forward to that because there is never enough time! Also on P- days we now go to the temple in the mornings, and I really like that. This morning my companions and I woke up at five thirty, started our laundry, exercised outside while it was washing, switched the clothes to dry, showered while they were drying, got our dried clothes, went to breakfast, then straight to the temple! It was such a productive morning, I LOVED it. I just REALLY love the feeling of getting up early, using time wisely, and accomplishing a ton, then having  a lot of free time later. But best of all I love the temple.  I love the feeling that is there when we attend.

The Elders and Sisters of my District. As Rachel's poor mom I can't remember their names

How is walking coming?? I had a cold this past week and didn't exercise very hard, so I hope you've been doing better than me. The warm weather probably makes it easier to get out. They opened the field at the MTC, so we've been going outside to exercise a lot (which is good and bad; being outside is AWESOME, but you have to run with a sister-you can't run around the field by yourself-and I've had a hard time finding a good partner). Studying outside is really nice, but I think it's a little distracting too.

How are the Grandma's?? Tell them I say hi and that I love them! I hope Grandma B is enjoying all the pictures in her room still--I loved that :) Is Grandma Edwards still walking outside? As I was just saying, warm weather has got to be a draw to going outside. How is Auntie?? Has she gotten the pool out yet?? I have good memories of tanning outside with Auntie in the pool. Spencer, Auntie, and I were the backyard tanners in our family :) Nowadays I'm working on my farmer's tan! We have studied outside a few times, and it is starting to come. 

Some funny stories from the past week! The MTC is starting to drive us crazy. Ok I'll be honest--from week two we were going crazy!

Hour and hours a day in this same room, with these same people, doing the same thing over and over.  Who wouldn't go crazy?

Heading toward crazy....

Crazy through and through

A few days ago we were planning or something similar, and a certain companion was . . . losing focus and energy. All of a sudden she starts laughing and we look up to see a nice long line of wet on her shirt. Drool. We've been teasing her ever since. A slightly more frighting experience occured in the bathroom. One of the restrooms has two doors right next to each other--one to go in and out of the bathroom, and the other is locked (so who knows what's in there!! Ok. Fine. It's probably just cleaning supplies, but it's more fun to think it's a secret passage.). On our way out, Sister Bywater tried to exit the bathroom through the locked door--which by itself would have made us laugh, because this is a bathroom we frequent multiple times a day (three girls together? Yes, we visit the bathroom OFTEN). But the part that really made us laugh was the second or two that she froze and thought (as she later explained), with terror, that she really was locked in the bathroom. 

Sending 4 pictures of a banana in an empty Nutella bottle...Another sign of slowly going crazy at the MTC?

We've also been practicing our Sister Weinheimer faces for several days. Sis Wen is one of our teachers (my favorite one. She is SO good. I honestly cannot express how much I love this teacher, and how amazing she is), She has a distinctive face she makes that is like her . . . "I'm very taken aback" sort of face. We were super excited for her to make it on Friday (first time seeing her since our obsession began), but then she didn't make the face the whole class!! It was such a disappointment, especially because she usually makes it often seeing as we often say strange things

So the big question is..is that 4th dark haired sister the much beloved Sister Weinheimer?

 

Happy Birthday Lizzi!!! (Tomorrow) How are all of my siblings and their families doing?? I pray for all of you every night. What is the news with Spencer and deployment? Dave and Jeff, I have a question for you. I have a sister who is going to Toronto Canada who worries a little bit about mastering the language. Part of her concern is because she has already studied Chinese, so being with people who don't know as much isn't pushing her as hard as others are being pushed. But the other part of her concern is going somewhere where the people are not natives of the language, so she isn't hearing and speaking it as part of her everyday life. I told her that both of my brothers went Mandarin speaking to non-Chinese speaking countries and came back fluent-ish in Chinese, but I'm wondering if you have any thoughts I could pass along to her, and/or advice I could give her.

SARAH JANE CURTIS WRITE ME A LETTER RIGHT NOW. I . . . might have an idea of what's going on . . . I might not . . . but either way, I NEED TO KNOW IT'S KILLING ME AND I HAVE BEEN VERY DISTRACTED BY IT SINCE I SAW GIL YESTERDAY. Oh yeah, I saw Gil! That was super fun! Totally unexpected too--I loved it.

Chloe Sumsion, are your mission papers in??? I know you are super busy with Thailand, but just send me a one sentence dearelder so I know! And good luck be safe in Thailand!

I had a really cool experience on Friday. We had a lesson with our investigator, and during it she was questioning why God punishes people (like Nephi killing Laban), if he loves them. We answered her question sort of . . . but I all of a sudden felt such a strong impression of the God's love for her and a need to testify of it. I waited for my companion to finish her thoughts and then I bore with all my heart that I KNEW God loves her. The spirit was so strong. I felt it, and I know she felt it. I really struggle with knowing what is the spirit and what isn't, and how to know what the spirit is telling me to do/say, but that time, I didn't. It was also comforting to know that God is with us and WILL guide us. The best part of this work: It's not about me. :) I love that so much.

We are all wondering how this skirt was made and who is wearing it.  Great idea.

                                                           

 I love you so much mom and dad!!! I pray for you every day.
Love,Sister Edwards

Madison BrickerA life long friend and Lake Powell buddy.