MTC Week 1

AHOJ!!! (Like Chips Ahoy)

As of today it has been 7 days since the start of the mission. The first day was weird. I came in early. 11am ish so I was the first missionary there. I wasn't really greeted?...As in the Host missionaries weren't on call yet so some older brother helped me from where I was told to be dropped off, to where I was supposed to go into the MTC. Then me and soon after this fresh Elder sat in almost silence for 25 minutes until more newbies came. 

We had an orientation with the MTC President and counselors and wives. We then were told to go get more information, then to get more information in a packet, then to get a bag of books/utensils, then we sat back in a room for another orientation and exciting information regarding the MTC.

SIDE NOTE: 630 new missionaries entered the MTC the same day as me. I thought that was mind blowing. 

To be honest last Wednesday was SO long ago I barely remember the day. So the first 3 days I had a headache from all the new information then through calmed nerves and some hard prayers, I felt better. 

Anyway, I knew 6 or 7 people that were reporting the same day as me/that are already here. By the fourth day I saw all of them! No pictures (Its hard to whip out a camera all the time for pictures) I not only saw them all and said hi but one of them is in a classroom all day across the hall from me! (Devin Gardner!) And I have met people that know my roommate Kamrie Ames and someone that went to girls camp with Hayley Wagner! Its a small world here in the MTC. I bet I have a long lost cousin around me.  BUT the coolest person I met was a sister from an island in between Fiji and Australia...San Candodia? Caledonia? Look it up. They speak French there and she was here learning English. 

My companion is Cectpa Barch (pronounced the same as me - 'Sestra') she is SO bubbly and kind. Shes from Texas but mostly St. Louis. We're pretty tight. I'm going to attach a voice recording so you can hear her voice. And Ill have pictures later with her. 

I am the only Sister in the MTC going to the Czech Republic. My zone consists of missionaries going to Macedonia (where Cectpa Barch is going), Bulgarian missionaries, Slovak, Slovenian, Polish, Croatia, and a few others. 

My district is 5 Elders and me. plus our one Slovak elder. 

-Sestra Hale

Have a wonderful Christmas everybody! Don't worry about me. They are hooking us up here :)

sorry. Why is it impossible to attach a picture? I'll send them all next week. Love you all!

T-MINUS 20 DAYS

It's Melanie here!
I have wanted to write a blog post on my official mission blog for a while about how I am preparing/waiting/passing the time, but where does one start? How about some facts:

-I have wanted to serve a mission for 8 years
-Once the mission age changed it hit me that a mission could be real life and soon
-After preparing in numerous ways my papers were sent to Salt Lake on July 29, 2014
-I received my mission call August 8th
-**note that I put my availability date as August 5th
-I report December 17th

Just in case you didn't do the math, that is 18 weeks and 5 days. That is 131 days. FOUR HUNDRED-ELEVEN THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED SIXTY-FOUR MINUTES. Obviously the Lord wanted me to work on my patience because boyyyy has it been a long wait. And I am so happy to say today marks 20 days until I fly out of Phoenix, but more importantly 21 days until I report to the Provo MTC.

How do I feel? For starters I am beyond happy, ecstatic, thrilled, enthusiastic and any other synonym to excited! If the way I felt was made into a crayola crayon, it would be called "SMILES ON FIRE" because this whole mission process is SO MUCH FUN. Yes there have been times that I shut down and freaked out, felt like a burden of money, been side tracked, once there was a moment I questioned why I ever signed up for this roller coaster. BUT as we all know the good outweighs the bad. On days where it seemed as if I wasn't qualified for missionary work, the Spirit overwhelmed my thoughts and brought me to peace. Since going to the Mesa Temple every week, I have felt more at ease about the hard work I know is coming ahead. There have been hard sacrifices and decisions that were made but I always knew Heavenly Father would help guide me on the right path as long as I did my part.

As of right this second I am on the verge of tears knowing I will miss two Christmas's away from my family, I will miss a lot of my friends coming home from their missions, I am missing a lot of babies being born/their first year(s) of life, what if my dog dies? What if I miss a niece or nephew being born? What will become of my room? Will anyone get hurt while I am gone? and for Europe, is the deodorant different there? I heard it was crap and that's a scary thought. What happens when I need to speak the Czech language but can't form the correct conjugations or phrases I previously practiced?

I am doing all I can so all of these "concerns" ^^^^  are concerning me No More! As I said I am going to the temple once or twice a week, I haven't missed one day reading my scriptures for the past few months, I have set goals, am working on reaching those goals while setting new goals to keep me going. I am attending church every Sunday, sometimes for several hours on end. Mission Prep is my favorite hour of the week. I am spending as much time with my family as possible. I volunteer for helping with all activities, and staying physically healthy. If one could describe me in one word it would probably be busy. The business of the last few months have been a joy especially since they have been revolved around such a great service. That is how I am preparing to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.