Daily Archives

10 October 2010

Brazil, Lower 48

1st email from Sister Owens

10 October 2010

Ola minha familia e meus amigos!!
 
I made it to the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo! I’ve been here four days and they have been the most jam packed, spiritual days of my life! :) Needless to say I LOVE THE MTC!
  We do so so much every single day. Wake up at 6-6:30, exercise for 45 minutes or so, get ready for the day, and then we have class and studying all day long. We really don’t go back to our rooms until 9:30 at night. I finally had some free time to day to finish getting settled. All of the sister missionaries pretty much live on the same two floors of one building. In my room there are 3 bunkbeds, 3 desks, and 6 closets. There’s plenty of space. My companion and I share it with four hermanas going to Argentina and speaking Spanish. They’ve been here four weeks.
   Minha companheira is pretty much fantastic! Her name is Sister Lund and she’s from Seattle, studying elementary education at BYU Provo. We work so well together and I’m learning so much from her. And we have to spend 24/7 together. Everything. We always have to be within sight and sound of each other. Along with that, their are about a bajillion other rules that I’m not so used to, but that all have their purpose and will bring us blessings if we obey. I love being blessed, so I’m trying to obey. It’s a complete life adjustment being here, but it’s sooooo good.
   My district has my companion and I and 10 elders, mostly all 19 years old. I LOVE my district. You do everything with your district, same schedule, class together, study together, pray together, eat together. I love those elders though. So good. Speaking of eating, the food is pretty okay. Not a huge fan, but it’s not bad. I can see it getting old though. But I did just find out where to get the soy milk, which is fantastic. There aren’t too many vegetarian/vegan alternatives here, but there won’t be in Brazil either.
   I’ve been here four days now and it feels like forever. I’ve learned so so so much and my testimony has grown so so so much. On the second day, we were praying in Portuguese, and today we learned how to bear our testimunhos in Portuguese! Neato. I’m sooo excited to speak and learn more Portuguese! Although my vocabulary will be primarily Gospel centered, but that’s good because that’s what I’m here for… to teach the gospel to the people of Brazil!
   I’m getting more and more excited everyday to go to Brazil (hopefully within 2 months) and meet the people and teach them. Brazil is a very high baptizing mission area too so that’s exciting. Yippee Skippee! My purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. I’m so excited to fulfill that purpose and know it’s what I need to do right now and what the Lord wants me to do!
   God loves you, Jesus loves you, and I love you all too!
-Sister Owens