Valentine's Day in the MTC

February 14, 2013

MTC Life:  Ok so the food is good/ok... but the desserts are great so that’s pretty much all I eat I figure I need to eat enough sweets to last me for the rest of my mission just in case Chile is like Europe and has weird chocolate.... and I exercise every day. I run a lot and do pushups and lunges and sit ups its great so pretty much my day goes wake up eat breakfast go to class for 3 hours where we teacher a fake investigator, study Spanish, and study the gospel. then we have 1 hour of personal study then we go to lunch then we have 1 hour of companion study then we have 3 more hours of class and then we go to dinner then we study language for 1 more hour and then we go to the gym and then after that we plan and study for an hour and go home and get ready for bed. On Tuesdays we have devotionals which are amazing and Tuesday morning we have free time in the morning and Saturday we do service! Wednesday the newbies come!!! It’s great but I am ready to leave, being in the MTC for a long time does stuff to ya! hahah We are ready to get out into the real world. hahah I get up at 6:30am and go to bed at 10:30pm.

• Could you send me a list of all ya’lls favorite church talks? I am making a talk binder and I would love ideas of awesome ones, and lots of them!

(I thought it would be great if all of us could print off and send Lauren our favorite talks this week. She only has about 10 days in the MTC - then she can have a good start on her talk notebook)

Send to:
Hermana Lauren Jennings
MTC Mailbox #287
CHI-SATE 0408
2005 N. 900 E.
Provo, Utah 84604
You could also copy and paste your favorite talk on www.dearelder.com and let them print it off.

Thanks Grandma & Grandpa Emery & Aunt Alicyn
for my favorite donuts (chocolate)!  

So now I would like to tell some stories:

1. Teaching a Lesson to a true Chilean - So today we got to teach 2 - 20 minute lessons to volunteer members who speak Spanish. Most of them are returned missionaries. So one of the lessons we taught a girl who was born and lived in Chile and now goes to BYU. It was so very hard to understand her and I was a tad overwhelmed, but super stoked to go live in Chile and meet the wonderful people.  I accept the challenge of learning Chilean Spanish. haha It was nice to see what I am going to be encountering. It’s going to be so fun and I am sure I will be quite the entertainment for the people of Chile for a while, as I learn the Spanish language better. Learning Spanish is not easy, but it is fun and rewarding I can’t wait to speak to everyone in Chile!

2. Embarrassing Moment- #1 Raptor Dance -  So real quick this is what went down I was out in the hallway with just 5 other Hermanas and we were talking about funny dances (we do weird things for entertainment here haha) One of them was talking about a raptor dance where you make T-rex hands and just dance around like a goof.... in a circle. So of course I started doing it and of course right when I turn around there is President Call...awkward...Ya so this is a funny story about me getting myself into ridiculous situations like always.  I sure have fun though!

Me and my dear friend Hannah Peterson.  She is the one that messaged me that she was going in early so she pretty much is key of why I am here right now.

3. Giving my first talk in Spanish at church -  The way they give talks at the MTC in our branches is that everyone prepares a talk before sacrament meeting and then they call you to speak during the meeting. Usually one of the presidency gives you a hint that it’s your turn.  Well today no one gave me a hint when they said "Hermana Jennings will speak", my heart dropped! hahah I was prepared but nervous, but it went great I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to speak.  One day I will be able to give a talk in Spanish without writing the whole thing down.

4. Embarrassing moment #2 -   Today after gym we were jogging back to our room and then Elder Miller comes out of nowhere and said lets go sisters so we started to race.  We were going fast and it was dark and then I hit a slight incline that I didn't realize was there till I was flying through the air...yep i crashed to the ground.  By some miracle I didn't get hurt cause I hit hard! Ya it was super embarrassing so I just got up and started running home. Yep another great story/entertainment for others.   P.S. I probably shouldn’t be racing people...

So my companion is an amazing singer and she tried out with her friend from home for a solo and she made it and now gets to do a song in front of the whole MTC. I am so very proud of her she  is going to do so very great.

 I ran into Wyatt it was so great to see someone from home tell his mom he is doing great!!!!

This week has been so great! I just love my district we are like a little family and we sure have some good times. This week at devotional the speaker talked about conversion but I got a lot of different things out of it. First I got out of it that families are so important I just love ya’ll so very much you are really what makes life worth it and I appreciate everything you do! Dad thanks so much for the box of valentines I loved it so much and they were the best cookies!!! YUM! The second thing I learned was that enduring to the end is kind of synonymous with true conversion. Enduring to the end is constant conversion because conversion requires constant daily action it requires us to be constantly changing and becoming humble and childlike - most importantly like our Savior.   Being converted requires a new way of thinking, it requires us to align our will with the Father and true conversion gives us the desire to bring to pass the Lord's desires and to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. We want others to be converted also and feel the joy of a life ever pointed toward God! I love being a missionary it is the best ever! I have made it a goal to always be positive. It’s no fun not to be. I am so glad that we have the choice to be happy!

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! It is so fun to be in the MTC on Valentine’s Day.   We got to go to the temple and participate in Sealings, it was so tender to unite families for eternity on Valentines Day - how neat!

Valentine package from my Dad - I sure love him!

Well love ya’ll so much and I’ll talk to ya next week.  Two more weeks till I will get to live in Chile!!! oh yay!!!!!!

Hermana Jennings