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