PIctures & Final MTC News

So it's  Saturday, but since we leave around 3 am on Monday, we got to do laundry and email today. :D
This week has been crazy. I've continued to learn SO much!! It was really hard the first few days, but things have really started to "click."  Sister P. and I are doing much better with teaching. We've really started figuring out how to have the Spirit there so that it's the Holy Ghost that's teaching, and not us. I've learned that you can try and explain things well, but unless the spirit is there to teach the investigator, things just don't go super great. I've also gained a greater testimony of prayer! It's soooo important! Especially when you have to depend on having the Spirit with you 24/7.

Studying at (Raintree) MTC West

I'm really excited to leave for Louisville, Kentucky soon, but it seems weird that is SO close. It'll be awesome to start teaching real investigators though!

I'm a little worried about my suitcases being overweight, so I might try and send some stuff home. We'll see. Also, in the MTC bookstore I found a little notebook with that Sister Missionary painting on it (see picture below) that you guys got! So I got it and it makes me really happy. :)

The picture she is referring to by Annie Henrie.

 I will be suuuper sad to leave my companion Sister P once we get to Kentucky!!  We've gotten to be such great friends, and I feel like she's really been my rock. Love her! 

Sister Galloway & Sister P.

So Tuesday we had a Devotional on the main campus. Elder Neil A Anderson spoke, and he said "we love the things we sacrifice for, we sacrifice for the things we love" It was really neat and we sung a bunch of hymns at the end due to a thunderstorm, but it was super cool to sing all these missionary hymns with everyone in the MTC! There were also some Sisters behind us speaking some language, and we asked where the were from, and they said some thing that sounded like "took". Then they said "small island". It's pretty cool to think that the church is really world wide!! The thunderstorm stopped, and we were able to walk back to the west campus, but it was still raining super hard! It kind of reminded me of that rainy night on Trek (four years ago with Goodyear, AZ Stake)---just how weird and kind of surreal it was. But this was fun, even if I was totally blind from all the rain on my glasses! A lot of the missionaries started singing primary songs, and Sister P. didn't like that... it kind of reminded me of how Paige (my little sister) would've reacted.  hahahaha!! (Note: Ashlyn is always thoroughly entertained by Paige's reactions!)

I think Ash sent this picture just to make us happy that she is cleaning. No explanation was given.

Breakfast with my district

Last night, we watched "The Character of Christ" given by Elder Bednar. It is only shown at the MTC. He talked about how Christ always looked outside of himself. He said something like, "So you feel discouraged? You want to have the Spirit with you more? Who cares what you feel like. This (missionary work) isn't about YOU!" I have had so many eye-opening experiences and tender mercies from the Lord here. 

Two Sisters in my District having fun. The one on the left reminds me of Laurie (my cousin)!!

Blurry picture of her favorite companion!

But this week has been great. I feel like half the time I might burst into tears from the Spirit, frustration, laughter and/or discouragement. However, I love being a missionary and I love having Christ's name on my heart. 

I get to wear my contacts again on Monday. YAY!!! Anyway, I love you all!!! Talk to you soon :)
 ---Sister Ashlyn Galloway