10 August 2012

Family!!!!

Just fyi I only have 30 minutes to email so I apologize if I don't get to write all the answers to your questions.

Firstly thank you to my family for dearelder.com letters they are awesome and my district are amazed and sick of the fact that I get so much mail.  On Monday I had 9 letters waiting for me and I loved it so thanks heaps. Thanks also to the Porters for picking me up and dropping me to the MTC and helping me to get the last things I needed and for the awesome feed at Cafe Rio - yum! Thanks to Bishop and Sister Tong, Emily and Pete for emailing too and while I can't email you back  I can write so please send me your addresses if you'd like a real response. We have been told to ask for snail mail because that way I can read them and write you back on P-Day so please let the snail mail come.

I am absolutely loving the MTC and it is a spiritual heaven here. Our schedules keep us so busy and they are very strict so we get into missionary mode faster.

My companion is Sister Magaoay and she is from Hawaii but is Filipino. I love her so much but we look like David and Goliath because she is so tiny - I love it haha. Oh and I apologize but we can't send any photos while in the MTC because they have no where to put our memory cards so you'll just have to imagine everything I've told you.

My district has 4 sisters who are all going to Temple Square and 5 sons (Elders) that are going to the Balitmore Maryland's Mission and they leave a week before us and we are already missing them.

My MTC teachers are great Sister Lim and Bro Grunniger who are both from Canada and have such amazing teaching skills.  I am so grateful for them.

The cafeteria is so busy all the time and the lines are massive so we have to plan early to go there and the food is different all the time so it's awesome.

I love gym time and look forward to playing sport, usually volleyball everyday and the sisters can even get up at 6:00 a.m. for a special 30 minute workout so I've gone a few times too. Yoga was way better than the step class but both fun.

The spirit is sooooo strong here and we have little to distract us from the purpose of why we are here. We teach "investigators" and its hard sometimes finding out what they need to hear from God but once you feel his love it permeates from you and you can feel the spirit so strong. We have committed someone to baptism already on our 3rd lesson and teaching the Restoration of the Lord's church is so powerful and I love it. I am learning to be more bold when I teach but it's frustrating because sometimes the investigators just talk about my accent for the whole time and want to talk about NZ or Australia and its hard to get them back on track - haha.

There is a lot of diversity in the MTC but yet sooo many American's.  It really is insane. I can't wait to get to Temple Square and meet up with the other Aussies and Kiwis there.

Sister's McIver, Arthur and Vaivai are all on the same floor as me so I see them often but thats pretty much all, I see them, we have literally zero time to talk and catch up because of our strict schedules and I am striving to be obedient but sometimes I just feel like staying up past 10:30 p.m. with those girls but don't worry I don't.

I heard about Edmond Tong's mission call to Hong Kong and that is AMAMZING! He will do so well and he'll just love the MTC. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be here and to learn more about the basic doctrine and principles of the gospel because you really have to know what you believe and know before you can testitfy to other people that it's true.

Dad, I love the updates about the Olympics go NZ!!!   The American's in my distict always ask what the USA have and I'm like I dunno..I don't care lol jks but really.

HINA!!  Glad the little bump is good and I love the dear elders and the pics of the kids. I miss them so much and Bubba Joe and Hinalei should start charging for flower girl and page boy invitations because they are just too dang cute.

Joe, I see your cousin like all the time, he keeps saying he wants to catch up but we literally have no time so I hope he enjoys his mission lol.

MUM! I need to ask a favor, I have pretty much run out of contact lenses (surprisingly) but wondered if you could order me some Dailies -1.75 for both my eyes and send them or see if Aunty Mona can find some in Utah because I can't order them online.

Buddy, (Elder Chadderton) I will send you a letter soon with your little black name tag holders, if you need anything else let me know. :) I'm praying for you and don't eat too many magnums!

I am sending Sister J's package today and wrote her a letter because she sent me a package - yay! I love packages they are so fun. So, yesterday one of the elders from my disctrict came walking into class holding a package and he starts giving it to me and said, "You've got a package!" and I'm so happy and intrigued and say, "YAY" and then he said, "Just kidding its mine!" and took it back. I could not believe it, it was so not funny but funny at the same time.  I guess he was teasing me because of all the letters I get from dearelder.com, but I still threw my pen at him. The elders in our disctrict are oh so different but we love there differences but I do feel sorry for them because having 4 sisters they hardly get a word in when we have class time.

On Sunday I sang in the MTC Choir for Devotional with my companion. Right now I can't remember the song but it was great fun and freaky at the same time because they have cameras on you and in practice the Choir Director is like, "Now don't look at the cameras whatever you do because they are not for you."  So, I was a good girl and didn't look at the camera's and then, yup how many people come up to you after and say, "Oh your famous, we saw you on the camera (lol) it was funny. But Sunday was the best, we had temple walk day and heaps of missionaries were at the temple and we could take pictures, we had a mission conference and then sacrament and yes I did bear my testimony and after dinner we had the devotional and President and Sister Nally were the speakers.  Mum and Dad they met me the first day I was here and couldn't stop saying how much they loved you both and took a picture with me. They did such a good job with the Devotional and after we watched the movie, "Legacy" and it was so nice.

I have no more time but please know that I love you all.

Thanks for all the support, prayers and love and I am 100% better now and am very happy.

God lives and loves us and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Be safe

Sister N. Chadderton xoxoxo