Week 1: First week(ish) at the MTC!

July 15, 2018

Week 1: First week(ish) at the MTC!

Hello everyone!

As you can see, you are receiving this e-mail on SATURDAY! That is because My P-day's will be Saturday's while I am here at the MTC. But, because I am a technology mission I can read your emails all through out the week! So, although I can only reply to your e-mails on Saturday, feel free to send them any day throughout the week!

The MTC has been A M A Z I N G!! Seriously the BEST decision I have ever made! I know that this is where I am supposed to be!

The food is actually pretty good in my opinion... but...I mean I have been eating cafeteria food my whole life so...

My companion is the BEST!! I am seriously so blessed to have been put with her. Funny enough, we had actually connected through a group for sisters on facebook before our missions since we were going to be reporting on the same day to the same mission... it was really great to see a familiar face! Sister Crystal is so kind and we are actually a lot like each other in the way we think. The biggest difference between the two of us is that she is like REALLY fit and I am like REALLY not. Yesterday for exercise time we went to play sand volleyball which is something I can do but then she got bored so she went to the grass and did a thirty minute ab workout along with another sister from my district Sister Hepler... honestly I was amazed. I would have died after like two seconds of doing that workout. I told Sister Crystal that I would be willing to try though so her and Sister Hepler are going to help me work up to being able to do it... we'll see how that goes hahaha. She is from Utah and also attended BYU and so she knows over 30 people who are currently at the MTC... I think I have really only seen 2 people that I was in like youth with in my home stake.. I don't think either of them know who I am though because we don't even make eye contact with each other... but seeing how many people she knows is so fascinating.

Almost all of my district is either from Utah or Idaho... honestly I feel like the majority of the missionaries are either from Utah or Idaho... which I guess makes sense since Utah and Idaho have larger populations of Mormons than most... I guess I never really realized how many mormons were in those areas and not in others...

The MTC now sells mission t-shirts for every mission for only $10 so me and Sister Crystal both got one! I just got it today so I don't have a picture in it yet but maybe next Saturday...

As this is my first week in the Mission I am clearly very new so I figured I would just kind of write about my days?? IDK if i'll do this every week but for now I think it's good. (mostly excerpts from my journal)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 2018:

Wednesday was my first day at the MTC and although I was super nervous before I arrived, as soon as I stepped onto the blessed grounds that are the MTC I felt right at home. I dropped off my stuff and then went straight to class where my district mostly just got to know each other and our teachers. At the welcoming ceremony we watched a video that is called "Equally Yoked Together," It was a really good reminder that I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me! (I invite all of you to watch the video and reflect on its relevance in your life.) Our zone didn't get a new district last week so we got two new ones this week, mine and then one other. Because they didn't get one last week, the new districts were assigned to fulfill callings in our branch and zone after only two days in the MTC. We taught investigators as large groups today and even though I didn't speak up, I was able to receive a lot of revelation through this activity. The best thing that happened that day was when one of the teachers shared a story from her mission. While she was serving in Temple Square a brazillian woman contacted the missionaries through that chat tool on mormon.org. She had heard about the gospel and after reading the book of mormon she wanted to be baptized! Great, right?? Unfortunately, the closest church to her was 3 hours away and although she might be able to get baptized there was no way for her to continue to be active. They called the mission president of her area and he said he would see what he could do. He sent a set of elders there and they said that they didn't even have to knock on doors because as soon as they stepped foot onto the street the people came running out of their houses to come talk to them. Apparently the Sister had been holding Book of Mormon reading sessions in her house everyday! Because of this woman, 50 people were baptized and they were able to open a small branch in that small town where all of them were then able to attend church!! Isn't God great!!! I love the gospel!!!

(I am now realizing there is no way I have enough time to write this much all of the time so I'll just put like one thing under each day!)

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2018:

I WAS STILL DOING GREAT!! A MIRACLE HONESTLY!! I love the MTC!! Sister Crystal and I were called to be the music coordinators for our zone and I cannot wait to be able to serve even more at the MTC! I met my Branch president and his wife, President and Sister Garlick! They are so kind, I love them!! One of the Elders in my zone described our district in this way, "We are a hot mess, but we love it." This is so true!! It's kind of weird that there all 18 and none of them have ever lived away from home... they are all really in tune with the spirit and I can't wait to continue to learn and grow with them! I decided I was going to work on praying more earnestly today so if any of yall have tips, send them my way!

FRIDAY, JULY 13, 2018:

The best part of today was that we began planning a lesson for our first person we will be teaching. Her name is autumn and she is actually just my teacher acting as an investigator but still a really cool experience. Planning went so great! But the for real best part was when we received an email about our first REAL investigator! I already love her so much!!!! Sister Crystal and I were seriously smiling ear to ear while we read her bio, I can't wait to teach her! It really allowed me to see the perspective of God and how much he loves all of us!!!

I don't really have any more time to write but, I am doing great!!!!! I love the MTC and I love this gospel!!!!!

SISTER Robertson

My district; top row left to right: Elder Siegleer, Callister, Mayhew, Wright, Hansen, and Lambson;
bottom row left to right: me, Sister Crystal, Elder Munoz and Wilson, Sisters Howes and Hepler