Best Week Ever at the MTC!!! Or Week Four.

Dear Fam,

This week has been so incredible!!  Where to even start?

First funny stories:

On Sunday Janice Kapp Perry was our speaker and when she told about how when she was in college she was sucking on the reed of her clarinet getting ready to play for a test when the guy next to her said, "I was just thinking, those lips look like they are made for something better than playing the clarinet."  All the missionaries started laughing but then Brother Perry jumped out of his chair and quickly hobbled over to her and have her a big, I mean BIG, kiss on the mouth.  Everyone went wild, probably a little too wild,  because they were stomping their feet, shouting, and clapping, but it was pretty funny.  Sister Perry said that a general authority once told her that if you write  a family song it will help you stay close as a family.  Sounds like you are right on track mom with that song the boys recorded :)  She played us her family song, and it's so funny/cute.  You should look it up online and see if it's there!

Also on Sunday we were made the new Sister Training Leaders!  Woot!  Although my district is the only one here right now, so they had no one else to choose from.  Haha.  We are getting two new districts of 8 elders and 8 sisters tonight though.  I'm so excited!

All the new mission presidents have been here this week, so the apostles have been walking around on main campus.  Security has been pretty tight!  On Monday we had the chance to meet Hermana Cook's uncle and aunt who are serving in Urugauy as the new mission president and wife. They also happen to be over Elder Matt Leavitt's mission!  So that was pretty cool that we made that connection.

Tuesday (Yesterday) was definitely the best day of the week.  We had devotional at 4:30 instead of our regular 7 pm time.  All the mission presidents were there as well as 6 of the 12 apostles!!!!  (Ballard, Oaks, Nielsen, Bednar, Anderson, and Christofferson).  Elder Christofferson was the speaker and he gave a great talk about the worth of souls and realizing our potential.  He said "Through your calling you'll come to feel that Christ knows you personally, and even LIKES you."  That was a cool thought.  Because I love a lot of people, but that doesn't mean that I always like them.

After devotional our branch president, President Shallenberger (Not Slingerland, sorry wrote that wrong last week) did a Special class with us because devotional got out early.  President Shallenberger is so amazing!!!  2 weeks ago his mom was dying, but he was in sacrament meeting with us.  He lost his vision in one eye so he had to have a surgery for the other one to make sure that doesn't happen again, but he's only regained 40% vision in it.  He's also the president/in charge of the freedom festival (Stadium of Fire) and was on a board of directors with President Monson for 3 years!

He teaches how to make and achieve goals professionally, so that was what our lesson was about last night.  It was so amazing and encouraging!  I have a completely new vision for my mission.  He also had a lot of cool stories about President Monson he told us about.  One of which is super funny, but he told us not to write our families about it because it's probably one President Monson wouldn't want us to share :(  However he told another one about how once President Monson was in Europe when he got the feeling he needed to get home as fast as possible.  He was able to book passage on a Concord Jet that was leaving withing 30 minutes and then get a flight  within 45 minutes once he landed in NY.  When he got home he opened the door to see a trail of blood leading up to the bedroom.  His wife, Francine, was on the bed in a pool of blood.  He called 911 and got her to the hospital, luckily saving her life.

What happened was Sister Monson had been taking out the garbage and slit her forehead on the aluminium trash can lid.  She recovered, but because of her accident she wasn't able to smell anything, and as a result couldn't taste food!  Whenever people asked her how her food was she'd just smile and say "Oh it's great."  And that though it had it's downs, at least now when she took the garbage out she couldn't smell it!

I'm sorry all the family at home has been sick!!! I hope you all get better soon.  Don't worry about sending me those shirts until you feel completely better mom!  Also I asked you to send me my purple and green cardigan, but I realized I actually have them here, so I just need the pink one :)  The glasses you got me work great and are very cute, thanks mom!

I got a huge package from Ange and Dave this week.  The elders in my district loved their cookies.  They were gone so fast.  I also got a letter from Judy Gann :)  Thank you for your letters and emails every week, they make my day!  I saw Grandma in the temple again today for the last time! Love you Grandma!

I got a dearelder about Hunter's mission call!   That is so exciting!  We are only allowed to write on Wednesdays so I couldn't reply yet, but I will!

We leave in a week and a half!!!! It's so crazy.  I should get my travel plans on Friday, so hopefully I can let you know next week what time about I'll call home.

Lo Quiero! (I love you, though a direct translation is I want you, which is kinda weird!)

- Hermana Bratt