Querido Familia!!!
I only have a half hour to write you an email but I guess that's okay because boy are we busy here at the MTC! When I left you on the curb I was directed where to go and my bags were taken by an elder who is going to be serving in Germany. I was thoroughly impressed by the organization of the facility as they had tables set up and sisters helping at every station. They handed me my name tag, my key to my room, my card to get in to buildings and so forth and then they pointed me to the hall where I would receive a hostess to take me to my room. I was again pleasantly surprised to see Sister Chelsea Jensen, Elizabeth's best friend, there to greet me and show me the way! What a tender mercy! She was very excited to see me and asked me immediately if Elizabeth was there to drop me off with the rest of the family. I told her yes and she was so happy! It really was awesome to be able to see a familiar face so soon. Immediately after that we headed to my residence hall and on the way there I saw Sister Cheley Clark, my good friend who I worked with at Myler Disability who was entering the MTC the same day as me. I leaped for joy! Literally! We hugged and then Sister Jensen and I continued on to my residence. My room was the first door on the right just inside the doors on the first floor and I was already grateful that I wouldn't have to do any stair climbing to get to my room. Then we went to my classroom and Sister Jensen dropped me off there. I met my teacher Hermano Hopoate who only spoke to me in Spanish and I was a little surprised as I had no idea what to answer me when he asked me a question. Somehow I figured out that he had asked me what my name was and where I was from. I told him and then a sister led me to a computer in another room to do an orientation. I watched it and then went back to the room. That sister turned out to be my companion, Sister Montgomery! Sister Montgomery is from Kennewick, Washington and she is super funny. At first I was a little intimidated but soon started talking to her and realized that she and I have a lot of similarities. We also have some differences but thats a good thing! The rest of the elders and sisters in the room turned out to be my District, District D. We are in Branch 1, which is kinda like a stake, and the district is kinda like a ward. That day was kinda long haha, but it obviously has passed! And very quickly too! The time flies here in the MTC and I already have taught two lessons in Spanish with Hermana Montgomery and we have another lesson tonight. Our investigator is Ricarda. She only speaks spanish so we were very nervous to teach her the first time on friday because we had only learned little spanish by that time. We forgot to say an opening and closing prayer with her and there were a lot of silences as we tried to figure out what we were saying and also trying to figure out what she was saying too haha... Our next lesson was saturday and we had not expected to teach her again. We had walked in to class and there sat two new teachers and a note on the board saying that Ricarda was in the other room waiting for her second lesson... Oh gosh, we were freaking out! We hadn't planned our lesson, what to say, and how to say it in spanish! All we had learned at that point was how to pray and share our testimonies in spanish (and of course how to introduce ourselves). Hermano Hopoate had told us the day before that "Obedience brings blessings. But EXACT obedience brings miracles." So we decided to pray for a miracle. We had been being as close to exactly obedient as we could without being perfect and so we thought if we had faith and asked for a miracle that the Lord would provide since this was a righteous desire of our hearts. My dear family and friends, Heavenly Father loves us more than we can ever know. But I felt his love for Ricarda and myself so strongly as we taught her on Saturday. I shared an experience, not with words since I didn't know how to use my words, but with scripture. I shared this experience which has been very close to my heart and by doing so I felt the spirit so strongly in that room that I began to cry as I shared. I then turned to my companion when I was finished and she too was crying. We looked at Ricarda and asked her how she felt. She smiled and said that she felt good. She felt happy. And she felt that it was beautiful. I bore my testimony that I know that families are eternal and that our Father in Heaven loves us very much. I told her that I know that the commandments are blessings and that we communicate with God through prayer. Hermana Montgomery shared her testimony as well, then we sand "I Know that My Redeemer Lives" in spanish and closed with a prayer. Ricarda said that she did not know how to pray and we did not not know how to teach her that in spanish so that is what we are teaching her tonight. But after we left that room our hearts were enlarged and we had a glimpse of God's plan for His children. He is our Father and we are his children. He wants us to return to Him because he loves us just as I know my earthly parents love me. He has a plan for us to return to him but the only way for us to do that is to obey his commandments. I know that by exact obedience we can witness the miracles of His work and His glory. I am so incredibly grateful that I can be a tool in his hands so that I can see his miracles unfold and his plan of happiness truly bring joy to his children. I love you all and I know that if we ask in faith, with a righteous desire and as we do our part, that our Father in Heaven is just waiting to bless us and increase our faith and knowledge. I know that we lived with him before we came to this earth but we have all just forgotten that. We need to realize that our testimonies can grow from a belief to a remembrance to a knowledge that our Father loves us.
Keep the Faith, Hermana Hopkins
I'm amazed she was able to write so much in 30 minutes lol, but she looks like she's having a fantastic time.
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