Thursday, October 10, 2013

AmberLtr: 2013-10-09

Subject:  MTC Baby!!!

October 9, 2013
Helloooooooo family!!!!

First of all thank you for the letters from mom and dad and Ashley! They completely made my dad! Seriously letters are the best! (just as a side note to my siblings :)) It sounds like you guys have been having a good week too. Court, you look BEAUTIFUL!! I can't wait to hear all about it! That is really neat about Courtney J. She is a sweet girl.

I can hardly believe that I have been here a week already it has gone by so fast! I am seriously loving it. I was so scared and intimidated for the MTC but now that it is here and I am in it, it is just great. I am actually at the MTC West Campus instead of at the main one (they just bussed us over here when we got our nametags and books and such). So our housing is in the Wyview complex that we drove by last week and then all of our classrooms are over in Raintree housing. It is a little different than main campus because our classroom is actually a living room and some are in bedrooms. We really get creative here at the MTC haha. Our cafeteria is this huge portable that has a whole bunch of tables and chairs and various food options. The food is really good! I feel like all we do is eat though. Eat and sit. Bring it on for gaining 500 pounds. Haha no I have tried to be pretty careful about not eating too much and exercising during gym time. Me and my companion like to go running. I am a runner now! I seriously love it! You just feel so great when, or at least after, you go and its just awesome! I definitely am going to keep it up!

So we got here that first day and we dropped my stuff off at my apartment and then we headed over to the classrooms where I could meet my companion and my district. On my way over there, I was feeling a little overwhelmed with everything and then all of a sudden I look up and there is Turtle and Hairy! I couldn't believe it! Hairy said that she just had the feeling that they should go on a walk and they ran right into me! It was so cool! And definitely a huge tender mercy. The Lord is looking out for me.

So for a daily routine that we do here: I get up at 6:15 and get ready so that we can be over to our classroom for half an hour of study time before breakfast. After breakfast we either have class or zone training or a service project (every Monday and we usually just clean). Classroom instruction goes for 3 hours. I never thought that I would be able to sit in class for 3 hours at a time, multiple times a day but I have actually really enjoyed it. We learn a lot and with the amount of material that I want to get through, sometimes I feel like I don't have enough time to study. Part of our class is called Progressing Investigators. It is where we our teacher plays the role of an investigator and we teach them. It is crazy how real it feels. Out PI is Audrey. We have had two lessons with her so far and we teach her again tonight. She has been responding to our lessons really well. We challenged her to be baptized Monday night and she didn't say no, but she said she wanted to have the chance to pray about it on her own. So we will see what happens tonight. It is crazy how much love and concern I have for this investigator who isn't even real. I'm excited and scared to get out in the field and have real investigators. We also have what is called TRC investigators. That is when a volunteer comes in and acts as an investigator. We had our first lesson with Sarah yesterday. It went pretty well I think. We left a Book of Mormon with her and gave her some passages to read. The Spirit was definitely there and she was very receptive to our church and the lesson. She has had a HARD life!! Seriously she made me cry. I know. Real tears. I do have a heart apparently :). We teach Sarah again tomorrow to follow up with her commitment and to teach her the next lesson. Arms crossed!

We also have time for lunch and dinner and gym time. They keep us busy every minute of every day. 16 hour days make you pretty tired. I have been sleeping so much better! It has been wonderful!! These past few nights though I have been waking up at like 4 in the morning. I can usually fall right back to sleep but it is annoying. But it is definitely better then it was, so that is a huge answer to prayers.

My companion's name is Sister Paulsen and she is from Provo. She lives about 10 min from the MTC, kinda crazy. She is so great! I am loving working with her. We teach together really well and are really good at helping each other stay focused. We have a lot of fun together and can talk really easily with each other. I am so so grateful for her! She is going to Atlanta North as well so that will be fun to hopefully get to see her every once in a while.

I looooved conference! It was so good! We all walked up to main campus and watched it in the main auditorium. There were so many missionaries there! Singing Called to Serve with all of them was definitely a highlight! I was kind of sad I would miss out on doing that, being at the West campus but then we did it there! The Spirit was so strong and you could just feel of everyone's excitement. I loved how all of the talks on Saturday and lots on Sunday too were about missionary work. It really hit home :) I loved the music too! The family choir was incredible! I really liked Elder Hales, Pres Uchtdorf, Elder Nielson, Elder Holland, Elder Ballard, Pres Eyring, Elder Oaks, Elder Scott, Elder Maynes, Pres Monson, you're right, I loved them all. If you could send me a conference issue when it comes out that would be awesome!

So we fly out on Tuesday morning at 7:30 AM but we have to be to the travel office at 3:30 AM. Woof. But I can call y'all from the airport! It will just be kinda early. But I'm assuming you want me to right? This is my only p-day at the MTC so I won't get any emails til my first one in GA. So letters will be the way to go. My call will probably be between 6 and 6:30 I'm guessing.

Well I am about out of time but just know that I doing really good and I'm loving it here. I miss all of you but I haven't been homesick, for which I've been very grateful. The Church is definitely true and this is definitely where I need to be! I love you all so much!!

Love your sweet peach,
Sister Bedke, the younger

PS Mom both boxes would be great! To the mission home would be preferred so I don't have to worry about weight.  Also a plate of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies would be a nice thing to have. :) And I think I do want that Lucy missionary bag mom. I love mine but it isn't very big or water proof and with the amount of rain they get in GA, I think that would be good. I think it is free shipping and if you sent it to the mission home that would be great. Black or blue, whichever is fine. You can just use my checking account. I love you!!!

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