First Real P-Day in the MTC

Alright so here goes my first email from my mission!

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for all the packages and all the
letters/emails I've gotten! They've been so fun to read!

My first week here has been so great. Really and truly.  People say that
the first week is the hardest, and if that's true for me then my MTC stay
is going to be soooo awesome.  The first day was a little rough, but after
that it's been smooth sailing.  I feel the Spirit here so often and am
surrounded by love, so mom DON'T WORRY :)

They kind of threw us in the deep end here, the first day we taught our
first lesson, but it was in English luckily.  Friday though my companions
and I had to teach an investagator named Karina, in Spanish.  For the most
part we just wrote down things in Spanish from Preach my Gospel and then
tried to sound it out.  The second time we taught her we tried to say more
things in Spanish on our own.  Then on Monday we taught her again and we
only brought an outline, everything we said we had to think up ourselves in
Spanish!  It was a struggle, but we got through it and I can already tell
the gift of tongues is working a ton on me.  Spanish class is one of my
favorite parts of the days, I have two teachers, Hermano Bliler and Hermano
Meeks.  Both are really great teachers.  We have to learn Spanish fast here
because the teachers never talk to us in English.  If we don't know a word
we have to either look it up or sometimes they will write the English
translation on the board.

My companions, Hermana Kugath and Hermana Cook are so amazing.  They are
both serving in Costa Rica, which is nice because a lot of the missionaries
here don't have companions going to their same missions.  Hermana Kugath is
from Idaho and Hermana Cook from Sandy.  We all get along really well.

Sunday was simply AMAZING. I felt the Spirit the whole day and it's the
best Fast Sunday I've ever experienced.  We had a great devotional and then
watched a film called "Character of Christ" by Elder Bednar, I don't know
if it's online, but if it is I highly highly highly encourage you to try
and find it and watch it because it was just so great.

Yesterday during our language stufy time we were on the computers finishing
up a lesson when a young woman walked in and started asking us questions in
Spanish and after a little while she asked us if we wanted practice with
our Spanish.  We said "Si" and she led us to a little investagator room
where we all just talked to each other in Spanish for a bit. Eventually she
asked us what our favorite words in Spanish were. When it came to my turn I
told her I didn't have a favorite word, but I did have a least favorite
one because I couldn't say it, which was "la Expiacion", which means the
Atonement, and now that I think about it I probably shouldn't have said the
Atonement was my least favorite word ;) but it worked to our favor!  She
asked what that word meant and we proceeded to tell her about the Atonement!
We also talked about Catholics, as she is one, and how they have
Cathedrals and we have temples.  Then she invited us to come back and
teach her about temples another time! We don't know whether she's a real
investagator or a fake one (some are real some are actors, and they don't
tell us which is which) but we are excited to teach her again!  It felt
like we were doing real missionary work!  Her name's Mercedes.

To answer all of your comments/questions YES I'm immensely grateful that
this time i'm eating the food rather than preparing it/cleaning it up!
Can't complain too much about that ordeal :)

Okay now this next section is to answer the many questions from mom :)

Yes I got the ring you sent me and the chocolate! It was DELICIOUS. I also
recieved the package yesterday of  kneaders goodies and my journal and
immunizations. Thank you!! The ring actually was a tad small, and I guess
when I sent it back I didn't think about putting on an extra stamp. Whoops.
So that's what's waiting for you at the post office :)  The stuff I left
for Emily was in the Kitchen when I left i think, maybe in the car.  I hope
it hasn't disappeared!  Oh mom will you please get my mexico blanket from
the guestroom closet and put it with my boxes, maybe in a bag so no one
uses it?  Otherwise when I come home I'm sure it will be covered in Joeys
hair!  Thank you!  I'm not sure about how I can get sound recordings or if
I'm allowed to watch video files, I'll check on that and let you know, You
might be able to email me attachments? Also I would love a little address
book, that would be great!  And one last (well probably not last) favor,
could you send me a binder or folder that I could keep all the letters I
get in?  So maybe an accordian file or something that doesn't have three
rings in it?  Thank you!

I got the letters from Brock and Liz from DearElder, which is definitely a
great way to send letters if you want them to get to me soon.  We aren't
allowed to write letters during the week or read our emails until P-day.
(So technically you weren't supposed to get those letters I sent.  Whoops!
But my companions and I didn't know that yet.)  We are allowed to read
letters and packages though so I've loved everything I've received!

It's weird being at the Provo MTC because I see people I know everyday.
For example from the ward I've seen the Whites, Brother Loveless, Laura
Dunn, and at the temple today I saw Sister Lee, Sister Mcvea, and
GRANDMA!!! I loved seeing Grandma it was so much fun!  Right now we get to
go to the temple at 7am so we have to catch a bus there and then speed to
get to the 7:30 session, so I on'y got to talk to her for a little bit.
When more missionaries arrive later in the summer that time will probably
be changed.  Oh, also Amy's and Jeff's niece Hermana Tidwell, is in my
district (she's also a good friend of Megan Cook) so it's been fun to get
to know her!

We only get an hour to email so what we do is print off all our emails at
the main campus right after the tample, around 10:00 am and then read
through them so that the reading part doesn't cut into our emailing time.
So if you want something to get to me try to email it before 10:00 am but
definitely before 12:00 pm,  because that's when my companions and I are
going to try and write each week.  If things don't make sense in this email
it's because i'm trying to type like a madwoman!!!

I love you all!   Thank you for all the support!  I know this is where the
Lord wants me to be!

The pictures are of my companions, my district, my companions and I enjoying
mom's goodies, and the shirt Emily made for me that I got yesterday in the
mail!

Love you,
Hermana Bratt