6/10/11 – Last week in Provo MTC

Hola mi familia!

Next week I'll be in Guatemala!  WHOA!  It really hasn’t sunk in yet, but I am excited to be totally immersed in Espagnol to speed the learning process.  I'm continually reminding myself to be patient with myself...  and just the past 24 hours have actually caught a vision for HOW I can actually study to learn.  So I feel optimistic.  :)

I’m not sure when I’ll be able to call you from the airport...  Our plan leaves SLC to Los Angeles at 8:12 pm, and we leave there to Guatemala City at 12:50 am, and then arrive in Guatemala at 6:28 am.  I’m not sure if I will call you at SLC or in Los Angeles, and will leave it up to you whether or not to send a calling card.  If I don’t have a calling card I assume I just use my debit card? 

Mom, thank you for your packages!  We're going to have the brownies tonight with our district and we want to surprise our district with the salsa and chips later this week.  :)  Thank you also for the items I forgot!  What I don’t need I’ll send back. The written materials and photos are just wonderful.  :)  :)  :)  I got them laminated today--monsoon proof!  :)

Over this past week:

--One of our teachers wrote an example of a "bad" study plan on the whiteboard and I cracked up because it was my plan: 20 minutos El Libro de Mormon, 20 minutos vocabulary, 20 minutos practicing "r"s...  :)  Today I learned some study principles including: use morning study time to prepare for activities to do throughout the day, study a principle in the morning and listen for it throughout the day, keep records of your plans and goals but write what you actually study on disposable materials since it wouldn't be good to hoard them.

--I LOVED General Conference!  PRESIDENT UCHTDORF is dedicating our temple!!!  SO THRILLED!  Our companionship actually squealed when he announced that...  or maybe it was just me squealing and the others were gasping...  I don’t' remember.  A favorite part from General Conf: Matthew O. Richardson's talk about teaching by the power of the Holy Ghost.  A couple days ago I read 1 Nephi 11-> about Nephi's vision of the Tree of Life.  I read it as though Nephi was the investigator and the angel was the instructor.  It was a powerful learning experience!  The main lesson I learned is that the Spirit leads investigators in inspired self-discovery through asking inspired questions and extending invitations.  So, so cool.  Reaffirmed what we've been taught in class.

Also struck by how many times the Exodus came up during Conf.  I reread that story, and was struck by the faith Moses had to stretch out his hand in front of a million people, command the sea to part, and than thought how it must have felt to have needed to wait an entire night for the sea to be parted.  Reaffirmed that patience is a requirement for miracles.

Yesterday we had a workshop talking about the Atonement.  I felt my heart swell with fervent gratitude and felt the sweet love and joy of the Holy Ghost.  I testify that Jesus Christ lives!  He loves us!  And through His Atonement we can be saved, made whole, and be enabled to get back to our Heavenly Father and become like Them.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I love you all!!!  LOTS!!!

--Hermana Ivy [-]