Kaylee Lofthouse: October 6, 2014: Hello from the MTC

Oh, man. The MTC is great! The spirit is so strong and I love being a missionary! I have been able to learn so much and I wouldn't trade these past 5 days for anything! I have lots I want to share so I hope I have time! My companion is Sister Ditto! She is from Utah and is so great! He have a good time! And she has laughing problems like me... But I will get to that later. All of our district, which has 4 sisters and 4 elders are all going to Vancouver! And there are quite a few going to Vancouver! There are 18 missionaries leaving the 15th to Vancouver. :) But our district is great and we learn so much from each other.

So, Wednesday I got dropped off and then my host took me around, I got my badge, and papers and stuff and we went up the my classroom. My teacher I met on instragram, Bro. Gardner, and our other teacher Bro. Combs was there. Bro. Gardner served in Vancouver! So we always want him to tell us stories and things about Vancouver but we dont ever have time. :(

Thursday was pretty long because we had a lot of class time. Also it was really hard for me to fall asleep so I was pretty tired. No three hour nap for me!! We learned about the "investigator" me and sister Ditto will be teaching named Matt. But really he is just Bro Combs pretending to be an investigator. And we learned about how to do personal study and companionship study and it was awkward because they were telling us to pray for our investigator but we felt awkward because he isnt really real... Haha. So after class we had out 1st companionship study and me and sister Ditto decided to go out in the lobby of our building because we were sick of the classroom. So we decided to kneel and pray and we were just talking before how its awkward to pray for someone who isnt real... When Sister Ditto was saying the prayer, The elevator door opened right in front of us and people got off and I lost it!!! I got the giggles bad and I couldn't stop! Then sister Ditto started laughing and hurried and finished. We had tears running down our faces. We get really laugh-y when we have been in class for so long. But it was so funny! Then that night we had a meeting with our branch presidency. Me and Sister Ditto were assigned to be Sister Training Leaders. Which for those kiddos that dont know, they are like the sister version of Zone Leaders. But it was kind of scary because we had only been here for a day! But the actual assignment started on Sunday. But the district coming in on Wednesday is only 6 Elders. So me and sister Ditto really only have to worry about the other too sister's in our district, Sister Rood and Sister Cendreda.

Then on Friday we learned about the Doctrine of Christ in class and how to invite investigators to baptism on the first visit. Its kind of awkward because you have to role play with your companion all the time and pretend to be your investigator. Then we got to teach Matt! The lesson went better than I thought it would go and the spirit was there and everything. We wanted him to pray out loud and say a pray with us but he said no so I said it for him. So what do you do when your investigator says no to saying a prayer? You invite him to get baptized!! Haha yeah he said no. But we gave him a book of mormon and a couple commitments to keep. But now looking back they weren't that good. So we meet with him again tomorrow so we will see if he kept them. But then in our class after our lesson they taught us how to invite an investigator to pray, so that would have been helpful to know!!! Haha... But while we were role-playing I was the Matt and Sister Ditto was inviting me to pray and I lost it and started laughing again.. And Bro Gardner noticed and was like "Sister Lofthouse, maybe you need to think about why role-play is important and say a personal prayer to take it more seriously." And I just laughed and said okay. Haha. But them later Sister Ditto started laughing so I didnt feel too bad. Haha. :)

Then Saturday was Conference! And it was weird because they didnt have a set out schedule for us! But conference was so good. I liked the talk about "Which way to do face?", Neil L Anderson's about Joseph Smith and Uchtdorfs! Then in between sessions we met as a district and set some goals. One was praying and singing a hymn each time we met to study as a district because sometimes the Elders get really distracted or they just sleep. Which is kind of annoying because its like why are you here... But they will learn :) And another one was fasting for the new missionaries coming into our zone this week. But when we were writing these goals on the white board sister Ditto lost it and could not stop laughing! And she wouldn't tell anyone why. Later she told me and and it was because when Elder McCown wrote "fast" on the board, it looked like "fart" so it looked like it said "fart for new missionaries" Hahaha I love her!!! Then take night we had some time to study as a district and we started with a song and prayer and we had a great spiritual experience! Elder McCown brought some missionary/mormon stories and read one called "The Friend" and it was so good! I had tears in my eyes! Try looking that story up! Its so powerful. But the spirit was so strong and my testimony was definitely strengthened. Also, Im sad only Elder's sang at Conference! God must love them more! Haha jk, but for reals. :)

Then yesterday was a day of sitting! The seats we have for conference are sooo hard. And I sat for 8 hours in them! But I loved the Prophet's talk on following Christ! Ah.. So good. I love getting to invite other to come unto Christ! And I also loved all the talks about personal revelation and on prophets and such! It was so good! And between Conference we got to walk to the temple! It was like the first time I have seen the sky since being here! All the sidewalks and covered so you cant see the sky when walking around on campus. And I also ate like 3 ice creams at dinner because I was so hungry! #mission40 Everyone made fun of me and put all their ice cream wrappers on my tray so that I really looked like a fatty. :) Then that evening we watched a talk that Elder Bednar gave to the MTC about the character of Christ. About how in a situation when we would look in to ourselves and be selfish he would turn outwards and serve other people. It was so good. And a slap in the face! We can all do better and act like the savoir did! "Forget yourself and go to work!" Anyways, it was really good.

Then today we got to go to the Temple! The outside of the Provo temple may be ugly but the outside is so pretty!! It was a great session!! But I love being a missionary! Whenever I feel like it would be easier being at home I have an amazing spiritual experience and my testimony grows! I can't believe I have only been here for 5 days! It feels like weeks! Haha. But its fun teaching investigators! And I love learning! We are teaching a girl from China tonight. Her name is Kitty! I love that! Oh... and yeah one time Sister Ditto caught me meowing! My bad! but it was funny! She is a good sport to put up with me and my weirdness! But at least Im fun!! :) Thank you all for your love and support! Thanks family for the Dear Elders! I felt bad because no one in my district have really got letters and I got three dear elders in one day! but send me hand written letters so I have your addresses. I have time each night to write letters!! LSo I havent hear too much from friends... So you still havetime to send one while im in the MTC!! I loved to hear from you! I love you guys so much! God loves you! I hope you feel that! I miss you guys! Have a great week!!

Love,

Sister Lofthouse

Ps. My district are losers and we can't figure out how to send pictures! So sorry mom :) Also mom, forward this to brynde, ian, brooke, and jordan. They never gave me there emails... Also I forgot to say! But they just started giving sister training leaders and zone leader cell phones in the MTC! We can only get calls from the branch president and only call him. Everything else has a password. But we did cheat the system and took a selfie! But we cant get into it to delete it! So i feel bad for whoever has to see that awkward selfie of me and Sister Ditto in the future. Haha :)