MTC Week 7

November 24, 2011

HOLA!!!

So today has been INSANE! Thanksgiving at the MTC is just such a treat. Ha Ha. My day started out by waking up at 5:45 to do my laundry! 5:45 on a holiday! Nuts! Then we have just been running around. Elder Nelson came and did a devotional this morning, then we had "Thanksgiving Dinner" and after I email you, we will be off to service projects and more devotionals. Tonight we have a special program for two hours and we are all praying for a movie. Sad, but true.

So we had the funniest experience this week. It probably won't be as funny because I can't use my hands to describe it, and you don't know these people. So once a district leaves, their teachers become floaters for about 2 weeks until they get another district. One of the floaters is Hermano Movick and he is literally the funniest person I have ever met. He doesn't say funny things, he is just naturally so funny that I can never take him seriously. Anyways, he wanted us to come teach him because it wasn't our day to teach our other progressing investigators, so we said alright, we'll come teach you. We walk into the room and he was like "Oh, would you like some water?" Of course Hermana Oomrigar says yes so he goes to the window and fills up three fake cups of water and then tries to balance them as he carries them over to us. Hermana Oomrigar just held onto hers throughout the whole lesson and kept drinking out of it. Remember, this is fake water. Eventually Hermana Holmes and I had to tell her to stop because it was TOO funny, so she put her cup on the table which made us laugh even harder; all during our lesson. Then at the end, Hermano Movick asked if he could take our cups so Hermana Holmes and I hand him our imaginary cups and Hermana Oomrigar didn't know what to do so she said Oh, I will take mine. O my cow! It is HYSTERICAL! We literally still laugh about it. As I sit here and type this, Hermana Holmes started to laugh and I said Oh, you writing the water story and she said yup. It really was so stinking funny.

So our favorite district is leaving on Monday. Sad day. But it will be okay because we will leave just a few short weeks after that! I am getting so excited! By this time next week, I will have my travel plans! We don't know if we leave on the 12th or the 14th. I guess we will see!

Oh, but guess what! Elder Drollinger (Gallagher's cousin) didn't get his visa in time, so instead of leaving the MTC with his district on Monday, he is just joining our district! I wish I felt more sad for him, but I am just excited for him to be in our district. Yes, I did inform him that I wasn't sad about it and he laughed. He is such a funny kid. We were chatting last night and for some reason, he can't say "pep talk." We coached him for a good 5 minutes before he could actually get it. SO FUNNY! AND I was walking past his class one day and he said hey Hermana (pronounced air-man-a, no se porque) my parents said they got a picture of me from my aunt and uncle who got it from your parents. It still cracks me up how small the world is!

Yes I did get your Thanksgiving package! It was much appreciated by the whole district including the teachers. And I love getting pictures! I haven't gotten homesick yet, so don't worry about that. :) BUT if you wanted to tone down the bike safety letters, I would let you. :) At letter time, the Elders always ask me what my parents said about my bike today. It is funny. But they like the bubble wrap idea.

I am trying to remember if there is something else that I needed to respond to you about, but I don't remember. Usually if you ask me things in Dear Elders, I will forget it, but if it is in an email, I will see it right before I email you back. Interesante!

O I just remembered another funny story. We love our district leader, Elder Peterson, because he is literally like our dad. He eats off our plates and everything. Two days ago we pointed out to him that every time he finishes a meal, he leans back and says, "Well.....yup...." just like an old man. We CRACK UP! It is the funniest thing!

I am going to send all my pictures to you on a CD right before I leave as a back up and so you can see more of them. There are some pretty funny ones of our fort and goofy temple trip pictures.

Well, I need to get going. We have to drop Hermana Oomrigar off at a meeting of some sort, but I love you all and I hope you eat extra food for me!

Hermana Kate

Pictures from the MTC

Kate's District. They are all headed to McAllen, Texas

Kate's trio companionship. From left to right -

Sister Oomrigar, Kate, Sister Holmes

This is the room where Kate's district studies.

Don't they all look hard at work.

Kate and her companions cleaning the bathroom on

Mondays. Great service Sisters!!

"I'm Trying Hard to Grow - So Please Don't Walk on Me!"

Of course, Kate would find something funny about the sign.

MTC Week 6

November 17, 2011

Hola! Como estan! I would just like you to know that if you ever tell me to clean the hair out of the drains again, I might literally throw up. Do you understand how much hair is there! BLEH! SO GROSS! Pero, esta bien porque Hermana Oomrigar is the best ever!

That is so awesome that Dad goes out with the Spanish missionaries! I want to hear more about that! It sounds awesome!

So before I came on my mission, I thought I was pretty solid with my testimony, but I didn´t realize how strong it could become. I have had so many spiritual experiences. I just can´t even express it. It is like being figuratively slapped in the face by a spiritual fish every single day. Because everyone is so intune with the Spirit, we get new insights and just eye opening experiences. I think the best experience I had this week was last Thursday night I was having a rough day with feeling inadequate in my missionary work premission and Hermana Holmes was having a hard time with the stresses of the MTC. I had wanted a blessing all day but I didn´t want to say anything because I am tough Kate. I would be fine. Hermana Holmes said right before class that she wanted a blessing and I just looked at her and said I have wanted one all day but felt dumb asking for one and she said she had felt the same way but finally got up the courage to say something. I love her for that. We both got blessings from one of our teachers Hermano Moen. He is like the greatest man on the planet. He is over our zone, so he isn´t one of our direct teachers, but he comes and works with us a lot. Anyways, after getting my blessing, I have never felt so close to Christ in my entire life. It was truly an amazing experience for both me and Hermana Holmes. Hermana Oomrigar was such a rockstar and took notes during both blessings which was a blessing in and of itself. I love her for that. Hermana O had to then go to a meeting, so me and Hermana Holmes just sat and talked about everything when our branch president’s wife turned the corner. I have never been so happy to see someone! She came and gave us a big hug and I just love her for following the Spirit to come find us. The day started out rough but I think it was truly one of the best days of my life. My testimony of how much my Savior loves me has never been so strong. I know I am doing the right thing by serving. I can´t wait to actually get to Texas!

This week we found out that the MTC has the driest air in Utah and that is why everyone is cracking up so bad. My hands are a lot better now because I do my favorite hands and lotion thing. Hermana Holmes thought it was so funny so she had to take a picture of it. And I was on our fort so I looked even better!

Go look at the pictures and find one of Elder Drollinger. We were chatting the other day and he said he has family in Bountiful and I said who and he said my cousin is Shalese Gallagher. HA! I was like YOU ARE JOKING! You have to go over and tell the Gallaghers that me and their cousin are BFFs in our zone! He actually thinks I am crazy but esta bien! He says hi too. He said he visits them sometimes but he isn´t going to come say hi to me when he does because it would be weird. I told him he is crazy and I will make John make him, so pass that message along to John as well. Thanks!

So little Davie is having his golden birthday tomorrow! HAPPY 18TH DAVID!!!!! You are such an oldie now! And your job sounds fun! Did you get my card? It was the sickest card ever!

I did get Maya and Ryans letters. I loved them! I will write them both back soon and send them to our house. And I got the Ensigns. They help me so much during study time. I love reading the words of the current prophets and I was getting to the point where I could probably tell you anything about the last sessions conference. :) I just love it!

I just love being here so much. We have so much fun, but we also get down to business. I feel like I am just spiritually uplifted at all times. Everything is going great. I hope you all are doing well and know that I just love you all!

-Kate

MTC Week 5

November 10, 2011

Hola Familia!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONTH! I didn't realize last week that your birthday (mom) was before my next P-Day! Lo siento!!!! I am going to send you something when I get down to Tejas! That goes for Dad and Dave too! Although I did get Dave a pretty funny card. You should be getting that soon. Do you have any fun plans? I hope everyone is having the best birthdays ever!!!

And my district leader is the coolest guy ever. (He just told me to write that).

So I am writing you all a letter too, so you will get more stories there. How is everyone doing? I loved the pictures this morning! They were great! I showed them to everyone! And how was the temple this morning? I was able to do initiatories and I just love listening to all the promised blessings we have. I have been a little bit sick lately so breakfast at the temple after wasn't the mejor idea, pero esta bien. My knuckles are cracking hard core down here and I whine about it like every day! Just it only occured a few days ago.

Learning at the MTC is amazing! I just love it here! I literally learn new things every day! And the way they teach is truly inspired!

I am trying to decide what experiences to share from this week but all the days blend together and so it's hard to remember. So many funny things happen, but I feel like it is only funny to us. The MTC is great, but we do the same thing every day, so my stories are all the same. :) We did make a fort this week though. THAT was fun! Our roommates left for the field, so we were trying to cope with our sorrow. ;) It is sweet. We have kept it up for a few days pero we have clean checks tomorrow, so we have to clean it up today. Dumb.

As far as Christmas goes. I have no idea. Pray about it. Hm, hm,hm. I jest. I would just pretty much love anything! I'm starting to get sick of my clothes so new clothes could be fun, but I will be buying boots no matter what, so I am just going to leave it up to you. As a missionary, you come to appreciate any little thing, so I literally would just love anything.

Our president hasn't told us anything about the missionaries in Tejas. I'll look more into it.

So we have tons of devotionals and firesides and such and we have started to play that game where you write a sentence then add to the story and stuff. I have some of the funniest stories now. They literally kill me. Hermana Holmes, Hermana Oomrigar, Elder Duty, Elder Kimball, and I seriously just crack ourselves up. We actually just planned a trip to Mexico post-mission so we have fun AND speak Spanish! And don't worry, I have already teased Elder Kimball about getting to speak with the awful Argentina "sha." Bleh. :) He just tells me "Quiet little missy." It is really so funny! I love the 5 of us! We are like the most fun brothers and sisters ever! (I am sending pictures of them today)

So a few notes for people:

To everyone I had addresses for: I wrote your addresses down on envelopes, then used them, so I don't have addresses anymore, so if you want me to write you, you have to write me first. Sorry.

Michelle and Jennifer Brodegard: Your packages are the best thing on the history of the planet, pero, YOU NEVER PUT A RETURN ADDRESS ON IT! I want to write you girls so give me your address!

Audrey, Sami, and Heather: I wanted to wish you happy birthday, but none of you have written me back so I have no addresses! So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope you read this!

Ok, so I love you all and I am sending letters and pictures home today! I just love you all!

P.S. I don't think I need anything else besides those Ensigns unless you want to send me anything else :)

-Hermana Heelays

MTC Week 4

Que en el mundo? (What in the world?)

So we have been going through this phase with our best friend district where we translate American phrases into Spanish and they don't make sense to Spanish people, but we crack up with them. Hence the subject of this email. :) We have also done "To infinite and beyond." Yup, I am making good use of my time here.

I am getting pictures developed today, so it will take a few days, then I will send them to you. For sure I will be sending a picture of the first time I met my other teacher Hermano Russell (we all wore green) and our family picture of the three Hermanas with our favorite district. It for sure looks like a family picture which is hysterical! I feel semi-bad that we sort of love them a ton, but not at the same time. We love our own district too. ;) I will send you a picture of them too. And my roommates, and my lovely running buddy. I just love everyone here pretty much.

Dad-I am sitting by Blake Hawkins right now. He told me to tell you that your memory thing works. :) We have the same schedule as two other zones, so I see Blake all the time. He is doing really well!

So with one of the small notebooks I brought, I started writing down all the funny things that people say. O my cow, it is SO FUNNY! I have some of the funniest friends. I will tell you a few, but I am sure that I will think they are way funnier than you because I actually know them.

1-Our new ZL was leaving dinner and I was making fun of him for some odd reason (I think because he is Canadian) and he said: "You have no idea what us Canadians do when it's cold outside and there is nothing to eat but your sister." I laughed so hard. He and the other ZL seem to think that the Hermanas are never in class so whenever they see us, they say why aren't you in class! But they jest because they are never in class either. O well.

2- In personal study one day when it was totally quiet, Elder Peterson in our district said "Laman is such an idiot." Silly Elder.

3- One of the Elders in another district told me about his chapstick so I smelled it and he got mad and said "Don't smell my chapstick you little weirdo." It was so funny because he just told me to, then freaked. So funny!

Okay, so another funny experience (don't judge me, we have been here for 3 weeks). We had been doing language study for what seemed like ages and we were all a bit loopy or something because the lovely Elder Jackson started acting like he was on a Mario game which caused the rest of us to make the sound effects. So imagine a missionary acting like Mario and the 6 of us making the noises. It was so stinkin’ funny! AND a pokeball may or may not have been constructed. I don't understand the appeal, but Hermano Russell can name all 150 original pokemon, so I guess we’re a poke-district now or something. :) SO FUNNY!

I can't believe I have been here for 3 weeks! It feels like I just got here, but it also feels like I have been here forever! Time doesn't exist here. I finish P-day, then the week goes by so fast that before I know it, I am doing my laundry again! How does this happen! It is nuts!

David- You will love the MTC. It is so sweet! And everyone here is so great! And pray for Hermanas in your district because we "rock the house."

Mom-Will you check my student loans and make sure it was paid today. It is the 3rd.

Annie-I told everyone about your Halloween costume. I am impressed you silly girl.

Dana- How are you doing? From what Mom says it sounds like you are doing well!

Can you guys send me pictures of Halloween and the dance? I want to see everyone!

I love you all so much and I will be sending pictures soon! At the end of the MTC experience I will send home a CD with all my pictures. I already have so many. Look forward to hearing from everyone!!!

-Hermana Giles