Kamusta!!

Kamusta po kayo!!! How is everyone doing?? I miss you all! 

Okay so I've been here at the MTC for four days and it feels like 25. We just do so much everyday it is insane. 

Okay I'm trying to think about the format of this and I don't really have anything planned because we have been so busy but I'll do my best to remember things and get better with more emails I'm sure.

Wednesday Jaz dropped me off at the MTC and the craziest thing happened where I wasn't scared or nervous at all I was just super excited. If you know me well you know I am a super worry-prone person so that alone is proof that the MTC is a wonderful place and the spirit is super strong here. I went and dropped off my bags (I live on the fourth floor and have two huge suitcases but one of the sisters we walked by told us about an elevator so we didn't have to carry everything up four flights of stairs! God bless her!) and then got all my materials and then went straight to class. There I met my companion.... SISTER WILKINSON!!!!!!!!!!!!! For those of you who don't know, sister W and I had met and talked to eachother over FB for about a month before we left for our missions because we knew that we were going to the same mission on the same day. Anywho I am so blessed and happy to have her as my companion for the next six weeks because she is super sweet and we can laugh and have fun together as well as be serious and study. It's great.

My first day I walked into class and I was the last one to arrive and the teacher was speaking in all tagalog and I guess the class had been reviewing things before I got there but then I walked in and my teacher Brother Smith immediately had me answer questions first (in Tagalog) in the class even though I had missed all the review. hahaha Then after some fun Tagalog time we went to a few "welcome to the MTC" type things which I loved because they were in English!!!!!!!!!

At the MTC we like to laugh and in our first meeting one of the sisters in the MTC presidency was talking about how we should call everyone "Sisters and Elders" instead of casual things like "you guys". She illustrated this point by saying "There are no Guys in the MTC, there are Elders. The Guys are still out in the real world, They're back home dating your girlfriend". hahaha Most Elders laughed but I think some didn't think it was very funny and probably wrote their girlfriends that night.

I also liked how they told us that no matter where we serve or who we teach, our mission will be a WOW if we serve with all our might mind and strength.

One funny experience Sister W and I had was when we were role playing teaching gospel principles to one another in companion study and to make it more authentic I decided to speak in an accent while I was playing the investigator. If you know me you know I am absolutely awful with accents. Anywho, some Sisters and Elders walked up and listened to us for awhile and then asked me "Sister, where are you from??" and then I drop the accent and answer normally "Atlanta Georgia."  She was so surprised because she said it sounded so real!!haha It was so funny! So I don't feel like I have the gift of tongues on my mission but I guess I have the gift of fake accents. 

Another thing that happened yesterday was that Sister W and I were having a rough day and we may or may not have had ice cream and cheesecake for dinner. I tried to justify it by saying it would help us teach our investigator later that night and sister W goes "You're right sister. We're eating for two! Us and our investigator!!" haha it was so great. I love sister W! However, we need to either take our daily workouts more seriously or lose the eating for two mentality or we might be in trouble! Jokelang!

My roommates are sister W and the other two are the sister training leaders. They have been here four weeks and are so sweet and are always willing to help us out!

My district ( The people I am with 10+ hours a day) are Sister W and I, Sister McGrath(From Arizona) and Sister Falcon (From Peru) and Sister T(I don't know where she is from or what her real name is because she doesn't speak English and she just got here yesterday.) We have three Elders in our district. Elder Romanivich (Canada), Elder Winkler(Utah) and Elder Teney (Cali). I am so impressed will our Elders because they are all 18 and just graduated High School but they are here serving missions! I don't know if I could have done that right after high school. I respect them alot. Our branch president, President Howard really emphasizes how the Elders need to respect the sisters and has them carry our trays for us in the Cafeteria and walk us home. And always tells them how sisters can accomplish in 18 months what it takes Elders to in 24 (I'm not saying that true, just what he says haha).

He also says "Never offend a sister missionary. It's like poking an Elder in the eye. It hurts!!" haha I love President and sister Howard. They were mission presidents in the Philippines and maybe when I have more time I'll tell more stories about them. Because they tell us mission miracle stories all the time.

You know when people say "a mission is the hardest thing in the world" and you're kind of like "okay sure, I'm sure it's not that bad". I am telling you right now A MISSION IS SERIOUSLY THE HARDEST THING IN THE WORLD. At least Tagalog missions are. Guess I can't speak for other people. This language is so crazy and I just kind of go along with it and do my best and I'm sorry I can't express this eloquently but it's literally so frustrating to be here and have class for 6 hours a day in 100 % another language that you don't understand or know at all. And then to learn stuff and spend forever practicing and still be unable to say things in order to do what you came on a mission to do (talk to people about the gospel and invite them to come unto Christ). I cannot imagine anything more frustrating or hard in the world. 

Now I know I've been here for four days but it feels like so much longer and I know I should not expect myself to be great at this language I heard for the first time a few days ago but seriously it's frustrating no matter what logic you try telling yourself. 

Yesterday was a really hard day. And in the last four days my goals as a missionary have changed majorly. haha Instead of being super great at this language and converting all the people of the Philippines and being the best missionary ever, my ambitions are basically now to make it through 6 hours of 100% Tagalog and 0% understanding without wanting to cry. 

Yesterday My District leader asked us sisters if we wanted a blessing and I said yes. It was one of the most powerful experiences in my life that I have had with priesthood power. Elder R was so nervous because he had only given one blessing before but he started to give me a blessing and I couldn't believe it because there is no way that he could have known what I needed to hear but he said exact answers to what I had been praying about. I know that the priesthood power is real and strong and true because yesterday God spoke to me directly through an 18 year old boy and I think that is amazing. I'm so grateful for our Elders who live worthily so they can have that power to bless others. 

Also I have gotten to see Elder Bush and Elder Van Alfen and Sister Jex! (friends from my ward at BYU). Sister Jex and I live down the hall from each other! We don't have alot of time but we try and have conversations while we brush our teeth and wash our faces and get ready for bed haha. I am so grateful she is here. I'm pretty sure my report date was moved up a week because heavenly father knew I would need her here to help me the first week. She leaves this Monday and I am going to miss her!!

Thank you so much to everyone who emailed me and sent me dear elders! It means so much I don't even think I could explain how much. 

Muhal Kita,

Sister Turner

("Sister" sa tagalog "Sister" haha everyone thinks we are english speaking but we aren't!:)