Week 6 at the MTC

Hello my favorite people!

Can you believe its already P-day again?? Only three weeks to go until I jump the Provo ship and move on to bigger and better things :) Haha jk I love the MTC I think I will be really sad to leave when the time comes! This week has probably been my favorite missionary week so far. I have had so many special experiences that have both humbled me and built me up. I LOVE being a missionary, but you already know that :) So guess who I saw yesterday? Cameron Howard! Can you believe he is old enough to be a missionary. Makes me feel OLD but, it's so nice to see familiar faces here!

Yesterday was a musical day for me. My district sang a musical number in church (the EFY medley-- actually very applicable to missionary work) So cool to sing as a representative of Jesus Christ and with a group of people doing the same thing I'm doing! We also had a musical fireside last night which was great! We aren't allowed to listen to ANY music here at the MTC so I go crazy for music. I really really do miss music, so this was a fun experience. They made the whole MTC into a choir and we sang songs and it was great. Music is so powerful. It has such a influence over our behavior and our ability to listen to the Holy Ghost. I also discovered how awesome of a resource the Hymn Book is. If you haven't ever read the preface in the hymn book, you should! The songs were inspired to bring us comfort and joy.

This last week, Hermana Ellsworth and I have been working on having more charity and love in our lives! We have really felt a difference in our interactions with other people. We both know how much God loves his children, and it makes us love them even more! I have lots more charity to develop in my life but at least I have a small start!

So, Spanish is going great! We are no longer allowed to teach in Spanish, which I think is helping us to improve so much! I had a interesting/weird/funny experience in the TRC on Thursday (that is where we teach lessons to real people in the community). We were teaching the first lesson in Spanish, and we felt decently prepared. We walked in and starting teaching this person named Glen, a guy with a beard, huge gages in his ears and kind of a scary first impression. He was very argumentative about the message and we were trying so hard to combine Spanish and the ability to answer his tough questions. I realized I didn't even know how to answer his question in English and I felt the stress rising in my body. It was a LONG 35 mins and we struggled to teach him, but kept being met with tricky questions. We left the room and I felt my composure just melt away. It was like my body went into an axiety attack. I was crying and heaving at the same time. A pretty funny sight for the missionaries around us. I literally could not get air. But, what was so funny to me was inside I was completely calm, not stressed or sad or anything really, but my body obviously felt different. I was sitting in a room with Hermama Ellsworth trying to calm down, and we were both laughing, even though my outward body was crying and gasping for air. I remember saying "You won't believe me but this is so funny!" It was so weird feeling so disconnected to my body. My poor teacher came in (probably thinking I had snapped and not knowing how to handle girls) and told me I was probably stressed, but really I haven't felt stressed this whole time at the MTC. We said a prayer and as he prayed for comfort, my body calmed down and I was able to breath freely again. OK, so this sounds like a really dramatic experience, but it wasn't. It actually taught me a really strong lesson in humility. I felt the Lord's love every second of the way and I was so grateful for a perfect companion who was so understanding. I think when it comes down to it, my body must be really tired form putting 100% of my emotional, physical and spiritual strength into the work.

Honestly, this is the happiest I have ever been in my life. I feel like I am learning that as I rely on the Lord, he strengthens me to do anything. I have had so many experiences this week that are changing me into a more humble, faithful person. I am so grateful for the closeness I have felt with my Savior. Sometimes I feel like I want to be a missionary for the rest of my life and that time is going by way to fast for me, But I am also so excited to come home and see you all again!

I love you all so much. You are all awesome examples to me and I am always impressed with your efforts to write me and make me feel loved! And I can also feel your prayers! Can you feel mine? What are some things going on in your life? Is everyone happy and healthy? I am excited to call home in about 3 weeks :) I think I should get my travel plans in about a week and a half, maybe two, but I will let you know when I find out! I am starting to feel like its crunch time here at the MTC. Only a couple more weeks to learn everything I need to know for the next year and a half :)

I love you all! You should read 3 Nephi 19 this week if you want to feel more of the saviors love in your life!

YOU ARE THE BEST!

CON AMOR,

Hermana Royal