Week 2 MTC Thanksgiving and a hospital visit

Have any of you read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series? The sisters in my district decided that as we write emails, we are going to title them in the same way that the chapters are titled in those books, haha. Hence the title of this email. Kinda fun, right? 

Anyways, I had quite the week!! It was good, it was bad, it was ugly, but mostly filled with some amazing experiences. Last Tuesday was my first P day in the MTC and I can no longer email family once it hits 6:30 Utah time. So, after we had our Tuesday evening devotional, we had a discussion with our zone and branch President. It was super emotional and the spirit was so strong.  

We aren't sure how, but my companion, Sister Skinner, hurt her knee during the day and was in quite a bit of pain by the end of our spiritual discussion. As everyone started to head to their residences, she was struggling to walk and couldn't make it down the stairs. We told Elder Hale, our district leader that she might need a blessing. The Elders are awesome. Neither of them was prepared and ran back to their residence which is all the way across campus to pick up what they needed. Once they made it back up the stairs into the classroom they were SO out of breath. At this point, I was just holding my companion's hand, amazed at how fast they moved. Elder Hale offered a special blessing for sister Skinner of comfort and healing. And now, her knee is doing great! 

On Wednesday, Janice Kapp Perry ( The incredible composer of many of the hymns and children's songs) spoke to us and we were absolutely edified.  

Thanksgiving at the MTC is crazy. Don't get me wrong, it was fantastic, but also overwhelming. Right out of the gate, we had a morning devotional with the whole MTC and none of us knew who our guest speaker would be. Well, guess what. The one and only, Elder David A. Bednar spoke to us for an hour. And I was only 4 rows from the front! I was on camera for a little while too! This message was broadcast to 14 different MTC's and it was an incredible setup. Elder Bednar's talk was of course incredible. He really focused on the power of the book of Mormon and he asked the missionaries to ask him any question they needed answers too. 

After the devotional, we watched the new T.C. Christensen film, "Love, Kennedy." Here's the thing. I have cried a lot in the MTC for different reasons. But I cried more than ever while watching this film. If you take nothing else away from this email, I would encourage you to watch this movie. It's so beautiful.  

Actually, it was a miracle film. Let me explain something to you. Thanksgiving day was HARD on me. I really missed home and family and I was just looking for Heavenly father to help me to feel like he understood me personally I guess. I'm gonna spoil just the teensiest bit of the film for you. I was crying during the film obviously and was thinking about how I wish God could know me as well as he knew the needs of the family in the movie. There comes a point in the film where the main character, Kennedy, is deteriorating quickly because of her illness and her friends and family have come to say goodbye. And then those friends and loved ones stood around Kennedy and started to sing softly and reverently to her around her bed. They started singing "Let it Go." 

My district knows at this point that anything Frozen related is like a trigger word for me so they all immediately turned to me to see my reaction. Little did they know that I had just asked heavenly father to help me recognize his Love for me. So they all watched me sob into my hands and Sister Skinner just put her arm around me. It was incredible. 

After the movie, we did a service project and made breakfast packets for the organization,"Feeding children everywhere." We jammed out to Christmas music while wearing the most attractive hair nets you've ever seen. Not. 

Of all the meals I've had at the MTC, our Thanksgiving lunch was definitely the best. Nowhere near as good as my mom's cooking, but it was still pretty good. 

We had another evening devotional with the Nashville Tribute Band. They were pretty good! Don't condemn me for this, but I'm not a huge country style music fan. I loved the lyrics though.   As we walked out of the devotional we were surprised with Christmas lights all over the MTC. It was beautiful. "Let the Holidays begin!" - Elsa 

Christmas lights at the MTC

The rest of my week has been pretty normal. Well.. actually. let me tell you a little bit about Sister Green. She is crazy. She thinks I'm hilarious and she and I can't even look at each other without dying of laughter for no good reason. It's pretty funny actually. There was one point where Sister Skinner and I were paired up to role play teaching Sister Green as our investigator. We were struggling because Sister Green kept laughing at me!!!! Therefore, I laughed too! I'm trying to testify right? and she's laughing so I'm testifying without making any eye contact but that just made it worse.   After the lesson, Sister Skinner says to me, "If I didn't love you, I'd probably beat you." (She said it with love of course, haha)

I warned the district that as they went on a water break, if they came back and I was dead, they'd know why. So before they walked out, Sister Peterson planned my funeral. She said she'd buy me an ice blue casket and she'd get a choir to sing let it Go for me. She's a kind soul for sure. 

We finally caved and played volleyball with the elders this week. It was actually so much fun and I'm not half bad! I'm not good, but not bad! We also played kickball in the field by the temple and it was also very fun... aside from the fact that Elder Guinn totally tripped me and I faceplanted ON THE BASE. But hey, at least I was safe, haha. 

On Sunday, I was asked DURING SACRAMENT MEETING FROM THE PULPIT to go up and give a talk on the atonement of Christ. I basically just recited what I remembered from my farewell talk 2 weeks ago. We also did a special musical number during the meeting. We sang "Joseph Smith's first prayer, " To the tune of "Homeward Bound." Rehearsals were a bit of a struggle but the performance turned out pretty good! 

Also, our district has been asked to be hosts on missionary entry day on Wednesday. Which means I'll greet a sister and their family at their car, will help her say goodbye, and will take her through her new home. It'll be hard because I know how hard saying goodbye was for me, so I just hope I can help her and empathize with her. I really am excited though. Also, my cousin Joseph Kertamus is about to become Elder Kertamus and enters on Wednesday! His will be the FIRST familiar face I'll see since I left 12 days ago. It's crazy. I'm beyond excited. 

It's been a crazy week. Things aren't easy. My companion and I struggled a lot this week. We are still trying to understand one another but I have faith that things will be okay. We were put together for a reason and there's absolutely something we both need learn from each other.   The gospel of Jesus Christ is amazing. There are miracles that I've never considered before that happen to each of us on a daily basis. 

Color Coordinated

I'm praying for you always and I know that no matter what, through Christ, we can do all things. 

Thank you for your letters and emails! They keep me going especially when times get rough. 

Talk to you next week!! 

OR NOT.  I wrote this email on Monday night before p day. Let's just say, a few major things happened last night that I should mention. 

Before I start, don't worry, we are all okay now. But there's a reason I have so much email time today. 

Last night, my companion was giving us each a massage. Apparently, I was pretty tense so she worked out the knots in my neck. After she had finished, I sat up and immediately felt weak and lightheaded. I was struggling to sit upright and kept falling back to the floor. The other sisters helped me onto the bed and I thought I just needed to sleep. Sister Hill insisted something wasn't right and had our sister training leaders come over to see how I was. Again, I felt just fine but I was starting to feel extra shaky too. As time passed and as prayers were said, I started losing control of my limbs and they just started twitching, then went to tremors, then went to thrashing. I had no control and all of this movement had me out of breath. 

There must have been 20 people in our room including police, security, and paramedics by the time I started to black out. I received a priesthood blessing and my sisters started to sing, " Where can I turn for peace," my favorite church hymn.   And then I got to experience my first ride in an ambulance.  

They hooked me up to so many monitors and devices when we arrived and had to hold my arms down so they could check my blood pressure because they were shaking so bad. Finally, they gave me a muscle relaxer and gave it to me through my hip with the longest needle you've ever seen. Sister Skinner just clutched my hand until it was over.   The tremors started to slow down and we were told to just sit and relax for a while. They turned the light off and I passed out real quick. At around 3:00 am, we made it back to the residence. We were greeted by the sisters who just hugged me, cried with me, and prayed for me. I love them so very much. 

Today is still pretty rough. But things are better. Besides, it's P day! And I get to talk to the people I love the most. 

The gospel is true brothers and sisters. Heavenly Father sees us and loves us more than you could ever imagine. I love you all more than you could ever imagine. 

Talk to you in one Week! Here's to pushing forward with faith. 

Sister Westover 

Week 1: The MTC

My first day in the MTC

Hi everyone! Week one is complete and yes, I'm alive! Just for future reference, before I begin, my P day for the next three weeks is on Tuesdays. So I'll get to send my weekly update with pictures then.  When I leave the MTC however, my P day will be on Monday! Also, because of Thanksgiving, there are no new missionaries arriving next week. This is why I entered the MTC last week instead of this week. It was either learn in the MTC for 2 weeks and leave, or for 4 weeks and leave. I'm here for 4 weeks which means I have three left! Also, another item of business is emails. PLEASE SEND ME EMAILS. I have more time than you think, haha. I love getting emails, I thought it would be a distraction but, I save them for the harder times in my week and they seriously motivate me a ton. I also wanna hear from you guys!! Don't feel like you're being a burden for sending me an email. 

Okay. Here we go. e MTC

I entered the MTC on Wednesday the 15th and it was the most stressful day ever. I thought my farewell was stressful... not a chance. My grandparents dropped me off and a sister missionary host escorted me through the campus and I made it to my residence room. I was the last one in my district to enter so I got last pick of closets and beds. Yes, I'm in the corner, on the top bunk closest to the window, right next to the heater which essentially should be a good thing, but MTC rooms are HOT. 

I immediately went up to the computer lab in T4 which is a brand new building and it's seriously beautiful. On every floor there are 2 massive murals, so 10 total in just one of the buildings (I'll send along a picture of Moses parting the sea ).  

The Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah

The Red Sea mural in the newly built section of the MTC

I was allowed to send an email to my family just to say I'm in and okay. This is also where I met my companion. 

Her name is Sister Skinner and she is from Island Park, Idaho. The first few days between us felt a little rough. She's very opinionated and has a bit of a temper. And since we were all a little stressed, it was more noticeable and definitely stressful to be in the middle of. She's never left the state of Idaho before and has never flown on an airplane so she frequently warns me that I may have a broken hand by the end of the 5-hour flight to PA. She and I have definitely gotten better though and we actually work really well together we have learned to love each other and are killing it in our lessons with investigators. We balance each other pretty well now. 

My first companion, Sister Skinner

The other sisters in our district include Sister Hill and Sister Green ( We joke that their theme song is the hymn, " There is a green hill far away." One of these days, we will rewrite the words for them). There is also Sister Willes and Sister Peterson. Sister Peterson and I met on Facebook before my mission and chatted because our MTC date and mission was the same. She's so awesome! 

The elders in our district are incredible. And yes, I've locked my heart, don't worry. We have Elder Guinn and Elder Vimahi ( He's from Hawaii ), We have Elder Johnson and Elder Lopez ( They are going to the Omaha Nebraska mission ).. okay I gotta talk about Elder Lopez. This Elder isn't real I swear. He's THE MOST SPIRITUAL HUMAN ON THIS PLANET. Imagine Elder Holland or Bednar or even the prophet. They wouldn't believe that someone this In tune with the teachings of Christ actually exists. Trust me my description doesn't even come close to who he is. He's incredible. Next, we have Elder Norton and Elder Hale ( Elder Hale is the district leader and Elder Norton is the one photobombing my picture with sister Skinner below. ) Finally, there's Elder Nichols and Elder Stevenett and they are also going to the Nebraska mission. We honestly have the greatest district ever. 

My District

Our teachers are out of this world. Sister Pito is awesome and so is Brother Cheung. Brother Cheung teaches with the spirit like no one else does. I have felt the spirit stronger with him as my teacher than with anyone else. I wish you could all listen to him speak. He's just so real with us and I've almost filled up a whole notebook from his classes.

Classes

Learning to be a missionary

Also, on day one, I found Sister Cunningham and it filled me with so much peace. I didn't know anyone well and I felt alone and terrified and I seriously wanted to come home. So I took a minute to calm myself and walk out of my room and I see her from behind and I wasn't sure it was her so I just yelled, " KENZIE CUNNINGHAM????" She turned around and We ran into each other and hugged the lives out of each other. It was just what I needed. It think she's rooming on the same floor as me too.

The food is okay... it's all processed and canned, which is what I expected, but it's also just.. not good at all. Sister Walker was so right. And here's the thing. The chocolate milk isn't any different from the stuff you would get at a Wal-Mart, but because everything else tastes so processed, it tastes divine. On Monday all I had for dinner was chocolate milk because I wasn't hungry, and nothing was super appetizing. But it's really pretty okay, my family sent me a box of goodies for my roommates and on Sunday, they brought in ice cream from the BYU CREAMERY! Sooooooo good. 

The devotionals have been pretty spectacular and I was already asked to play the piano for a special musical number last Sunday. At one meeting, we were talking about being a missionary at Christmas time and the mission President referenced some song lyrics. He said, " Theres this popular song from the pentatonix and it's called Mary did you know. " 

I'm still getting used to the language used here. I can't say "girls," " boys,"" you guys," or first names. It's always, Brother, Sister, Elder, or President. I also never realized how weird my last name is.  I don't normally say it this much, haha. I'm getting better though! 

Brothers and sisters, the MTC is unlike any experience you've ever imagined. If you have thought about serving a mission later in life, heed the advice of my own father, " Feel the fear, and do it anyway." It will absolutely change your life and I've only been here for a week. I wish you could all just walk through these halls and feel how thick the spirit is. 

Now, I wanna be real with you too. It isn't all butterflies and rainbows. My first few days were the hardest days ever and I wanted to go home more than anything. I felt so isolated, scared, inadequate, and more than anything alone. 

On Friday night I was feeling particularly down and was just irritated with everyone. I was required on that night to go through a mental and stress level evaluation thing with the second counselor of my branch. I started to just do what I always do. "Oh yeah, everything's fine! The gospel is great and the church is true!" He knew so much better though and I honestly just spilled it all out.   I told him I was overwhelmed. I told him that the days leading up to my departure were the hardest days of my life and I was under so much physical, spiritual, and emotional stress.  I told him everything just hurts right now and I am tired of being told over and over again that every missionary feels this way at first and gets over it. But listen, I'm not just every other missionary. I'm sorry but my missionary name tag doesn't say, "Sister Missionary." It literally says, "Sister Westover. " I'm still ME. And I still struggle, a lot apparently. It was hard for me to grasp the fact that I was sacrificing my time, energy, and normal and comfortable life and that no matter how many prayers I seem to offer, heavenly father wasn't answering me. I was doing this for him wasn't I? For this gospel? I have a testimony but why is He silent? 

The counselor just looked at me and said, "I know exactly why this is happening to you. And I feel prompted to tell you."  So I listened to the words that he said which were 100% inspired. 

He said this. " For 19 years, you've lived comfortably in a world where what you knew was simply constant and made sense. Imagine it this way. You're standing on one cliff edge and in order to reach the cliff across from you, which is missionary life, you have to cross a bridge. But, the bridge is unstable, wavering, and could very easily collapse from underneath you if you don't walk carefully. The stress you are describing could indicate a moment when you had slipped while walking on the bridge and are holding on for dear life." 

Holy Goodness is that just the most accurate description, or what?? 

" Sister Westover,  there's a reason why Heavenly Father never fixed that bridge for you. There's a reason you're being asked to travel step by step, by yourself. There's a reason why he still hasn't let up the storms.  The reason is, in the near future, you will be asking those who are ready to receive the light of Christ, to travel across that same bridge, " he said.

They will leave their comfortable lives and will travel across an unstable bridge to a life that is LASTING. 

"Heavenly father needs you as a missionary to know what that feels like. You need to know how that feels so that they don't have to walk alone like you were asked to do. And in the moment when they have tripped and are hanging on for their lives, Heavenly father has trusted YOU to be there WITH THEM on that bridge to stretch forth your hand, lift them up, and to even carry them to the safety that you know awaits on that other side." 

 I was in awe. After he had said these words the spirit taught me something very special through thoughts and impressions that started to enter into my heart and mind. 

The definition of, "invite," isn't "to ask." The definition is literally "to request the company of a person." When we invite investigators to do something, we never expect them to do it alone. We suffer, carry weight, and hurt with them, as Christ would.  

Missionaries are being asked to do a work that is far more sacred than I ever imagined myself to be worthy of performing. Because Christ isn't here on the Earth to perform miracles and to teach the simple truths of his ministry, missionaries are given that great power. Which power is the most sacred responsibility and honor to ever be bestowed upon us? I feel blessed that he trusts me to experience just a sample of what he went through in my own way, so that I might empathize, show kindness, and love in HIS way. 

I love the gospel. I love this Church. I love my savior, my redeemer, and my Elder Brother, Jesus Christ. I testify that he lives and that through him, and only through him, we can be perfect, complete, and whole. 

I miss every one of you more than you could ever imagine. I really do. 

But this is my purpose. And honestly, 18 months is just the beginning. 

Praying for you always. 

Sister Westover 

Saying goodbye to family and home

Hi friends and family. It has been one heck of a day for sure. I said goodbye to my family this morning which was super hard for me. Advice for any future missionaries. Once you say goodbye and walk towards security, don't look back! It just made it a lot harder this morning. I landed at around 9:00 Utah time and saw my good friends Pamela and her daughter Cassandra. It was so sweet of them to meet me at the airport today. My grandparents took me home where I tried to sleep but it's been hard to sleep knowing whats coming tomorrow, haha. 

At around 1, I met up with my Utah Westover cousins and got lunch at the cougareat on the BYU campus. It was so good to see them! My cousin Joseph Kertamus was there and he enters the MTC in two weeks so I'll get to see him pretty soon. He's serving in Tahiti  which is way cool. My cousins and I also got frozen yogurt which was an added bonus. I'll miss them so much. 

I'm now back in Heber City with my grandparents. Aunt Mindy, uncle Jon, and their kids from my mom's side of the family came over and we had an awesome dinner together. We talked about missionary work and I got to bear my testimony again! It's been quite a while since Ive seen them so I'm grateful I got the chance before I leave. 

Tomorrow, I'm meeting up with my uncle Todd, aunt Kaylee, their daughter Aria, and my cousin Taylor and we are getting lunch at Olive Garden before I enter the MTC at 2:00 with my grandparents. It'll be great to see them once more before I take off. 

Today has seriously been a trying day. On the airplane, I was feeling very confident and full of purpose and a desire to serve. The adversary doesn't just leave you alone after you are set apart as a missionary though. All day I've been surrounded by loved ones and family yet I've never felt so far from home. The stress of these last few days is finally catching up with my body i think as well because all I want to do is sleep. I keep second guessing myself. I keep panicking about the journey ill be committing to as I put that missionary tag on tomorrow. I guess I never truly realized what a missionary goes through just to get to day one. It's amazing how even though it's hard, they've been able to push through. And I think it's because they KNOW that this is the greatest work to be done here and now. More than ever, I am grateful to have a testimony of this work. Of course it won't be easy. I knew it wouldn't be. But it's already worth it and I'm not even fully out there yet. 

Tomorrow is the big day! And right now, I'm just so ready to get through those doors so that I can distract myself with the work. I'm so excited. 

Not sure if I'll get a chance to email tomorrow before I go in. I love you all and your prayers are 100% being felt. Thank you so much for that. I'll talk to you in a week I promise. For now, just know that I am honored to be a part of such an incredible mission. Heavenly father knows us and hurts when we hurt. BUT he already knows of the good that is about to come. Pushing through is the key to finding true joy. And I know that here is sooo much joy just around the corner. 

Love Ya! See you in a week! 

* Sister Westover