MTC Week #2

Hello!!

So mini update right up front: I'm great. So so great. The MTC is great. The gospel is great. Life is just great. The Church is so true!

My District: I mentioned last week that I love my district. And guess what?? I LOVE MY DISTRICT. We might just love each other a little bit too much. We took free time out of our schedules so that we could talk about how to focus on having the spirit with us more since we've been having too much fun. I think it was really good for us to talk about those boundaries a little bit. Things have actually changed a little bit and I have another companion! Her name is Sister Gearheart. She's going to the St. George visitor's center for her mission so she's not actually in our classes with us, but we're still a trio. It's been fun. She doesn't seem too freaked out by the rest of us, so that's definitely a good thing! But we've been having a lot of fun. We all love to just talk in these random accents. Elder Baker does this amazing Batman voice. Hahahahah, he's the DL and has read us rules and announcements in the Batman voice. One of the other Elders, Elder Furan, is writing a short story about our district. Hahahah, I'm the bard in it. Elder Smith says that basically I'm a glorified Jigglypuff and I sing and everyone is memorized and under my control. So clearly he has me pegged. Hahahah. Just kidding though. But really. We also, no matter what, end our days with a district prayer. It's been really helpful. We, as well our teachers, dubbed ourselves The One True District. As I think about my district I can truly testify that Heavenly Father doesn't leave anything up to coincidence. I know without a doubt that I was placed with these people for a reason. Each one of them has strengthened me so much, each one has strengthened my testimony. The MTC would have been so hard if I didn't have this district that I love so I really am so so grateful.

Sunday at the MTC: Sunday at the MTC was absolutely incredible from our first activity. It was Fast Sunday and we had a zone testimony meeting. We were basically all crying and loving each other. Then we had a district conference where the MTC presidency and their wives all spoke to us. Later that night we had another devotional where we heard from Elder Nelson's wife, Wendy. She had us sing A Child's Prayer to open the meeting. It was beautiful. The sisters sang the first verse and the Elders sang the second and I just started bawling. It was as if Heavenly Father was answering our prayer right then and there. She was incredible. She told us to think of a question we wanted answered and that she promised we would receive an answer. I got my answer. I loved it so much. We also all got to choose a video to watch. My District chose The Character of Christ by Elder Bednar. If you can, I seriously suggest finding some way to watch/read/listen. It's absolutely amazing and life changing and you will not regret it. I promise you that. 

Investigators: I currently have three investigators that I'm working with. First is Sam. Sam is a bit hesitant about everything, he basically just wants to figure out if Heavenly Father is really there. He's been reading the Book of Mormon and working on praying. In our last lesson Sister Kartchner and I invited to be baptized! He said it was definitely something that he wants to work toward! Second is Christina, she basically just wants to figure out what she believes. We introduce doctrine to her and she understands and accepts almost immediately. She's really so incredible. She committed to baptism on our first lesson and since then we've just been working on her faith. Lastly is Leah. Leah is hard. The first time we met with her she basically challenged all of our beliefs and didn't let us say a word. For the first time since being here, I felt the spirit being sucked away. We've met with her once since then and I feel like we did make an impact. She told us about her having PTSD because of an experience with other missionaries and that she only comes back because she knows that it's helping her therapeutically. She said she prayed to Heavenly Father and he told her "Mormons are what hurt you, so by Mormons you'll be healed." I took the slight pause in her talking to bare my testimony to her. I shared with her John 14:18, 17 and told her of my knowledge of prayer. I told her that I know that Heavenly Father loves her and that as she shared her story I could feel of that love and that as long as she couldn't feel it, I would feel it for her. I told her that as she prayed she would be able to feel it. I know that wasn't me. That was all the spirit. She changed completely after that and asked us to come back and speak with her outside of the time we were scheduled so that she can get a picture with us. 

I've grown so much since being here, and I'm by no means a great teacher, but I've been able to improve greatly. The MTC is special. I can't fully describe it, but it's powerful. One of my favorite things about being here is singing hymns. The spirit just swells inside of me as we all sing together. For anyone that's coming to the MTC soon, really take it in every single time you sing Called to Serve. I can't describe the power that I feel as we all sing that together. I love it so much. Everyone sings with so much love and with so much testimony and that's when most of my tears have been shed. I can't tell you how beautiful it is. 

Just to finish up with some random little things. First, everyone told me not to try the orange juice. I tried it. Cause YOLO. It was probably the best night's sleep that I've had the entire time here. So if it's drugged and messes you up like people have said, I'm okay with that. Second, the singing, like I said, is great, but we stand up and all of a sudden I can't see everything because of the thick wall of elders around me. Hahahahahahah.

I love you all so much!!

Sister Petrick

"The One True District"