First Letter Home

YAY! I completed day1 at the MTC!!! I must say, I was pretty scared before I got here, but today has been absolutely wonderful! First, my host sister got me all checked in and told me where everything is. She was so sweet and so pretty. She is going to Japan! I'm jealous :) Then she dropped me off at my classroom where I met my district and our teachers.

My companion's name is Sister Shreve. She is 24 and from Wyoming. She is rather shy. She is really sweet though. The other girls in our district are also our roommates. We are in a newly refurbished building on the old campus. It's really nice. After our class into we went to a little devotional with the MTC mission President, his wife, and another couple (I'm really not sure who they were - like how they're involved in the MTC) spoke. It was really great. The Spirit was just sooo strong and I cried in the closing hymn. It was "Called to Serve". just btw)

After Devotional we ate dinner which was yum. THEN...we went to our first teaching experience. The 900 missionaries that arrived today were divided up into groups of about 50. As a group we rotated to different rooms with different "investigators". The first investigator was a man with an amputated leg. He was very funny and incredibly honest. Sooo how this went down was 3 missionaries came in and began teaching then we paused, the missionaries left, and we as a group were to take over. This happened 3 times w/ three investigators who were each at different stages in their knowledge and in their needs. I spoke in all three. I must say, I am so grateful for my mission prep class at BYU. A lot of people just have no clue how to teach. Not that I'm a pro, but I still have a basic idea. At one point in our first lesson a girl stood up bawling and talked about her love for a skitzo and how he put a restraining order on her. It was so uncomfortable and completely drove the Spirit away. Everyone felt so awkward. An Elder that is going to Japan was sitting next to me and he was pretty mad that she had taken this powerful moment and turned it to be about her. She has actually interrupted my teaching to tell is, so he leaned in and you know expressed how frustrating she was, but then I realized that it may have been healing for her so I just told him that and he seemed to feel better. Meh. Anyway, she was weird, but I tried to show love.

BUT overall, these "teaching" experiences were just fantastic. LOVED 'EM! After that we met w/ our zone and then I came back here, unpacked and now I'm writing y'all. Speaking of y'all, everyone just loves that I'm from Alabama and it makes me feel special :)

So overall, I have had a truly magnificent day in which Heavenly Father has put his arms around me and made me feel so loved. I miss y'all. A lot. But I know this is what I am meant to do. Thank you soooo much for being the best parents ever. You're really awesome.

With all my love, Kendall a.k.a. Sister Kingsford

p.s. my p-day is Wednesday so...I can write you again then. HUGS & KISSES