Training, Teaching, and Hosting as a Tri-panionship

7 June 2013

Hola!

This week has been pretty crazy! Our zone has gotten two more districts, I've become part of a tri-panionship, and I got the opportunity to host the new missionaries entering the MTC!

My calling as a Sister Training Leader (STL) has kept me plenty busy this week. I now have 8 more sisters on top of the other 4 to visit and help make sure that they are ok. It's really awesome to get to know all the girls, and I wish we had more time to talk to all of them! While they get their orientation, the other STLs and Zone Leaders get to sit in and listen until it is our turn to talk. It's really an uplifting experience becuase I always feel the spirit and learn something new. President Tyler is truly an inspired man who knows just what the missionaries need to hear.

Our Tri-panionship: Me, Hermana Lind, and Hermana Jones

Since my roommate, Hermana Boomhower, left to get surgery, the other sister in my district, Hermana Jones, has become part of my companionship with Hermana Lind. Therefore, we are now a three-some! It's kinda nice because now we can have a lot more diverse lessons with more experiences and teaching styles coming from three of us. So, it's been fun so far. Hermana Jones is awesome! Although a couple of times Hermana Lind and I forgot she was with us and accidentally left her behind (oops!). The other day, while we were teaching, our "investigator" just started laughing and we weren't sure why...at the end of the lesson, he told us that we looked like a stop light -- ha ha! We had even sat in the right order:) It was awesome!

"Let your traffic light so shine before men..."

So, my district got to help host all of the new missionaries coming into the MTC this past Wednesday. It was really fun to help them, and brought back memories of when I was dropped off. I helped a sister going to the Phillipines, a sister going to the Cuzco, Peru mission, and a sister going to Russia! I felt like a true veteran being able to tell them where things are and helping them get situated here. It was crazy becuase the MTC got 940 missionaries that day, bringing the number of missionaries here up to a little over 2900! (The MTC can only handle 3000, so we're jam packed in here!) They told us that this broke the old record of most missionaries arriving at the MTC in one day. Because of the huge influx of missionaries, we also got 2 new sisters in our room, so now there are 5 of us. The new sisters are going to another mission in Peru, but they're not in our zone.

Happy Birthday Elder Stocks!

This week, Elder Stocks had his 19th birthday, so we sang to him and had a party! Our district has gotten so close, it's like we're our own little family! One thing is for sure, after our missions are over, we're going to have an awesome mission reunion!

My teachers say that I need to push myself more, because I usually just wait to go over new things while in class each day. Since I catch on really fast and have known at least most of what we have learned so far, they say that I need to start just learning on my own and going ahead, because I'm not learning much. I feel like I've learned a lot, but I do get bored sometimes...I guess they can see it on my face or something. Regardless, my Spanish is much improved, but indirect object pronouns and directs object pronouns are blowing my mind...everything is backwards!

I got to take a picture with my cousin Sister Langford last Sunday! I was sooo excited to see her! It is awesome to have two cousins here at the MTC with me. They'll both be leaving next Tuesday, so I hope I can get another chance to talk with them and take pics before they leave! Love Sister Langford and Elder Bone!

Me and my cousin, Sister Langford, who is going to the Utica, NY Mission

I will know within the next week for sure if my visa has come, and if not where I will be going. We are tentatively scheduled to ship out from the MTC on June 18th. In a way, I wouldn't mind staying in Provo one more week, because we just found out that on June 23rd, the prophet and whole quorum of 12 will be coming to the MTC to train all the new mission presidents who start serving in their missions on July 1st. They are trying to get a choir of 1000 missionaries, and they will have a big devotional with everyone in the Marriott Center, which is going to be amazing. So in a way, I wouldn't mind one more week, but either way, I'll go where the Lord wants me to be. OH, and I was told that while I am in an airport going to Peru, I get the opportunity to call the family for like 30 min! So as soon as I known my travel plans, you will get an update! 

Lots of love, missing you guys but still having a blast out in the field. I cannot wait for Peru!!!!

Love, Hermana Olsen