So here's a fun story. About 40 minutes ago two Elders from a different branch were telling us about how they got reassigned. I grabbed my companions and we ran to the computer lab to check my missionary portal. Guess where I am going if my visa doesn't come within the next week... SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA MISSION. I started freaking out! I have so many mixed emotions right now. Feelings of disappointment because I was pumped to go to the Philippines but also feelings of joy because I love San Diego and the beautiful temple there would be in my mission.
This reassignment doesn't mean that I am 100% going there though. If our visas come even an hour before we leave we will go to the Philippines. Honestly next week you might not even know where I am going, but I will call from the airport and let you know what plane I am getting on. Anyway, that is all I know as of right now. I love you and can't say more until Pday!!! P.S. Here are all the reassigned missions for my district: Sister Panlilio- San Diego California Mission Sister Pau- Salt Lake City East Mission Sister Pierce- Arizona Scottsdale Mission Sister Christensen- Irvine California Mission Sister Fitkin- Irvine California Mission Sister Keeley- Irvine California Mission Elder Larsen- Salt Lake City East Mission
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Hello everyone! How are you all doing? Week 4 in the MTC FLEW BY. It crazy to think I have been gone for almost a month! And just a reminder, my blog is sisterkatelynhughes.weebly.com there are a lot more pictures and additional information there.
Well before I get into telling you all about my week I want to ask you all to do something for me. Will you all email me your favorite scripture and tell me why you like it/bear testimony about it, I would appreciate that SO MUCH! Okay here we gooooo... *I forgot my journal so everything I say will be from memory... sorry if I forgot everything that happened haha* Saturday- My companions and I taught Jesse (our teacher Brother Higgins). So far he is our most progressing investigator. He is so faithful and is really trying to get a testimony. He has a drinking problem though so we are trying to help him overcome that. We had family home evening that night. It went well for a while but then everything got out of control. Some of the elders from our zone were throwing candy around, yelling in the microphone, and singing songs that shouldn't really be song in the setting we were in. It was very frustrating. Sunday- So I had the swell opportunity to speak in sacrament meeting. It would've been better if I had actually prepared a talk.... They randomly call people up to speak so I was caught off guard and mostly rambled on about how awesome Joseph Smith is. We had all our normal meetings and that night we had another devotional. The speaker’s last name is Crittenden. I think he is a Coordinator at the MTC. My favorite thing he said is, "For years, your investigator will refer to you as ‘my missionary’.” I love that so much and can't wait to become someone’s missionary. Monday- I don't even remember details. We had class twice – once in the afternoon and again at night. I'm sure I loved every minute of it.. mostly. All this week Sister Panlilio and Sister Christensen have walked around singing "I don't need anything but you" over and over. It just makes me think about how we only really need our Savior Jesus Christ, our Heavenly Father, and the Holy Ghost. Tuesday- We had another devotional - Joy D. Jones, the Primary General President, and her husband spoke. Brother Jones talked about how our missions aren’t for us, they are for him - meaning Heavenly Father. It just reminds me of what Elder Bednar told us on Thanksgiving: "It isn't about you, get out of the way". Sister Jones talked about how "Your mission isn't a competition to see who is best, it is only for you to do your best". Wednesday- My companions and I taught Jesse and Jane. We taught Jesse about the Plan of Salvation which was SO HARD. He seemed out of it and wasn't receptive to the things we were teaching. But Jane was really receptive and the spirit was definitely in the room with us. The language has been my biggest roadblock since being here, but I have seen countless times when the spirit helped me say what I needed to say. Today- We went to the temple and did an endowment session. We ate breakfast there afterwards and I think I am slightly addicted to biscuits and gravy, which is weird because I am not a fan of biscuits usually. ANYWAY! That is all from me for this week. Alam ko na totoo ang simbahan ni Jesucristo. Alam ko na si Joseph Smith nakakita ang Diyos at Jesucristo. Nagpapasalamat ako para sa ebanghelyo at each of you. Mahal kita! -Sister Hughes Hey everybody! Happy late Thanksgiving! This past week has been both the best week and the worst week. A lot happened so here we go!
Friday- This was an okay day. I was in a funk pretty much all day, so everyone thought I was grumpy (which I kind of was). It’s just that I was thinking about home too much. Saturday- We taught our investigator Jesse about faith in Jesus Christ and the Atonement. The lesson was okay, but trying to speak Tagalog is still so hard. The gift of tongues is working for me in the sense of being able to understand what the investigator is saying, but not it the sense of me being able to reply. My replies are usually mabuti (good), opo (yes), or pasensiya (sorry). Anyway, later that night I ate way too much food and puked so that was fun. We had FHE as a zone and ate food, talked, and took pictures. It was a good end to a weird day. Sunday- My companions and I taught Relief Society. We taught on obedience and the importance of the commandments. After our church meetings, our zone walked to the temple and took pictures together. We had time after pictures to hangout so my tripanionship and the STL tripanionship all had a "picnic" outside. We ate food and got to know each other better. Monday- My companions and I had a grand adventure this morning. Somehow everyone in the room left without a key so we were locked out. We were all in our pajamas and only a few of us had shoes, so we got to run back and forth from our residence to the front office in like 40 degree weather to get a key. They gave us the wrong key, so then we got to do it all over again. We were locked out for like 25 minutes. The rest of the day was fine though. Tuesday- Okay, so my heart broke into like a millions pieces today because the old districts left. Saying goodbye to the STLs was almost harder than saying goodbye to my family, only because I don't know when I'll ever see them again. I would randomly get emotional all day, but that's okay. We had a devotional tonight. Janice Kapp Perry and Elder Gifford Nielson of the Seventy spoke. We also sang the EFY medley, As Sisters in Zion/We'll Bring the World His Truth. Wednesday- We taught two lessons today, one with Jesse and then a new investigator Bong. Our lesson with Bong was a bust because we weren't teaching by the spirit and weren't connecting with him. Our lesson with Jesse was the opposite. The spirit was so strong and he seems like he is almost ready for baptism. Thursday- HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Today was such a good day. We had an early morning devotional and guess who the speaker was?? David A Bednar. It was fantastic. The main thing I took from his talk was that when I'm teaching it isn't about me. "Get out of the way" was what he kept telling us. Get out of the way and allow the spirit to teach people. It was a good talk. After that we got our big Thanksgiving meal which was surprisingly good. Then Sharon Eubank talked to us about the service project they had planned for us, but before we did service we got to watch the movie "Love, Kennedy". I only cried during like a third of the movie. After that was service where we made breakfast kits for kids across Utah who don't normally get breakfast. The final part was the Nashville Tribute Band who performed a concert for us. IT WAS AWESOME. The choir got to sing 3 songs with them: I Was Born, When The Son of Man, and John's Song. I loved every minute of it. Sorry for novel number 3, but so much good (and crappy) stuff happened this week that I had to tell you about. Please email me or send letters, I love hearing from you. I LOVE YOU ALL! Make good choices and always remember that the church is true. -Sister Hughes :) TOP 10 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: Q1: Where are the sisters in your district from? Are they all going to Olongapo? Sister Panlilio is from Meridian, Idaho. Sister Pau is from Independence, Missouri. Sister Pierce is from Kaysville. Sister Christensen is from Highland. Sister Fitkin is from Arizona. Sister Keeley is from Orem. Five of us are going to Olongapo, but Sister Fitkin and Keeley are going to Cauayan. It is like "Hawaiian" but with a "K" sound. Q2: What exactly do the STLs do, where are they from, where are they going, how long will they be in the MTC? The STLs are like the moms of the zone. They make sure everyone is doing alright and they conduct meetings and stuff. It is the female equivalent of a Zone Leader. Sister Pemberton is from Blanding, Sister Grenfell is from Kentucky and Sister Calderwood is from Portland, Oregon. They are going to the Quezon City mission, but because they don't have visas they are spending a transfer in the U.S. Pemberton is going to Arizona, Calderwood is going to California, and Grenfell is going to Salt Lake City. They leave next week, and I am super bummed about it because they are the best. Q3: Why is Elder Larsen alone, where is he from, where is he going? Elder Larsen for some reason just doesn't have a companion. I don't understand the reason why so he has to either follow at least two sisters around or stay with the zone leaders. He is from Preston, Idaho but he is going to Olongapo. Q4: Who are your teachers? How are you learning Tagalog? My teachers are Brother Higgins and Sister McGrath (soon to be Sister Welch). Brother Higgins is tough and kind of pounds the Tagalog into your brain and Sister McGrath is pretty patient and easier on us, but they are both great teachers! Q5: Describe your apartment. Is there a private bathroom, etc.? Our apartment has three bunks in it and there are five of us in there. There are only three desk-type things so we usually sit on our beds when we write in our journals. The bathroom is gym locker style, so you are just all in your little area with shower curtains so no one can see. We lucked out with our apartments because I have seen other ones and they are NASTY. Q6: What is a regular day like? Basic schedule, classes, P.E., etc. A regular day goes as follows. 6:30- Wake up 7:15- Breakfast 10:00-11:00 Exercise 12:45- Lunch 1:30-4:30 Class 5:15- Dinner 6:30-9:00 Class Our schedule is different on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. We have devotionals and FHE so those throw off the schedule a little. Q7: Have you bought anything in the MTC Bookstore? Anyplace else to buy stuff? I bought another journal to be my transfer journal and a white board which I thought I would use to practice Tagalog but haven't yet. They have vending machines in the residence but that's about it. Q8: Do you think your clothes and shoes will work? Anything we need to figure out/buy before you leave? They should work. If you can send me another pair of casual shoes I would appreciate that. On p-day I have to wear my gym shoes which I'm not used to. Q9: Did the other sisters get the Japanese encephalitis shot? Are you sure each one is a $300+ charge? That seems different than what the county told you. Two of the sisters got the shot because their insurance covered it. I asked the lady and she said it is $600 dollars so I'm just trusting her, but I was surprised because that's not what I heard the first time. Q10: Do you have devotionals every week? Will you keep singing in the choir? What song did you sing for President Nelson? We have a devotional on Sunday and Tuesday. I like singing in the choir so I will probably stick with it. We sang a mixture of four songs for President Nelson: "I Hope They Call Me on a Mission", "Called to Serve", "Army of Helaman", and another one I can't remember. So, there you go!!! Hopefully that helps you out and answers everything. I love you dad, give Lilly a hug for me! LETTER TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Hey everyone! This week has been really good for the most part. I failed to tell you about my companions. Sister Panlilio is from Meridian, Idaho and will be serving in Olongapo. Sister Pau is from Independence, Missouri and is also serving in Olongapo. All of our personalities are very different so sometimes we struggle with communication but we are working on it and doing well. Here is a little bit from each day this past week.
Friday: We were all quiet and didn't talk a lot all day which ended up affecting the spirit while we were teaching. It was a rough day. Saturday: We taught our new investigator Jesse (who is actually our teacher Brother Higgins) and the lesson was a flop. The STLs made the suggestion for us to have companion inventory so we could talk about the positive attributes we have. We also expressed our concerns. It was kind of awkward but really helpful. Our relationship is A LOT better thanks to communication, prayers, and patience. Sunday: Our topic throughout our classes and sacrament meeting was the Atonement. The Atonement isn't just for sinners. It is something that everyone human being should use to receive comfort, peace, guidance, and of course repentance. We also had choir practice today and apparently the Nashville Tribute Band is coming to the MTC and we get to sing with them! How wild is that?! Monday: We taught our first TRC - a lesson with a member rather than an investigator. The lady we taught made fun of my Tagalog THE WHOLE TIME. I know she was just having fun, but after a while I was like "Okay lady, I get it, I am terrible at this." Anyway, we found out that the other districts in our zone are all getting reassigned. Their visas haven't come, so next week they are getting sent all over the USA rather than getting sent to the Philippines. BUT WE GOT TACO BELL FOR DINNER. It made me think of Connor while eating it - haha. Tuesday: We had a devotional and the choir sang "Where Can I Turn For Peace?" Elder Parrella of the Seventy was the speaker. "Faith in him means that you trust him and are confident that he loves you." That has stuck with me ever since. Wednesday: We hosted all the new missionaries! It has probably been my favorite thing I've done this whole time. I hosted 3 sisters all from Utah and all serving in the U.S. They were the cutest and nicest girls ever! One of them, Sister Smith, is already like my little sister. She is a cutie. In our zone we got 12 new people, eight elders and four sisters. I have only met the sisters so far, but they all seem cool. I guess I need to figure out how to tell you everything without writing a novel... pasensiya po (sorry). My blog is sisterkatelynhughes.weebly.com and it has a lot more information and pictures, so check it out. Oh, and please send me letters! I WOULD LOVE THAT. Anyway, I love you all. The book is blue and the church is true. LETTER TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Family and friends! This week has been loco crazy! After they stole me away from my family (rude) I went into a classroom and met everyone in my district. So I have 2 companions, Sister Pau and Sister Panlilio. I get along with Sister Panlilio really well. Sister Christensen, Sister Pierce, Sister Keeley, Sister Fitkin, and Elder Larsen make up the rest of our district. Poor Elder Larsen is a solo companion so he gets to deal with us women the majority of the day haha. My district is awesome though and on top of that, we have the best Sister Training Leaders in the world! They are in a tripanionship too, so it's Sister Calderwood, Sister Pemberton, and Sister Grenfel. Sister Pemberton has become one of my best friends here because our personalities are identical. Everyone says that we are the same person and it is my favorite thing ever. This entire week has been a rollercoaster of emotions for me. During class time I want to sit there and cry, but when we are with our zone I'm having the time of my life. I'll just share a little from each day of what has happened, hopefully it isn't boring haha.
Thursday- It was my first full day here and we went straight into learning Tagalog. I am awful at Tagalog and it is my enemy at the moment. I do know how to pray and introduce myself but other than that I know nothing. The whole day I said A LOT of prayers and Heavenly Father has comforted and helped me. Friday- We had our first teaching experience in Tagalog. Our investigator is awesome and so nice. I just have to say now that our lesson was awful. We tried to teach her the Apostasy, Dispensation, and Restoration all in 20 minutes. WAYYYYYY too much info for that short of a lesson. We are trying to work on focusing on a smaller topic so we don't confuse the heck out of her. Mga kasama (my companions) came to the MTC with so much Tagalog knowledge that I ended up comparing myself to them throughout the day. That was discouraging. Saturday- Sister Pemberton, Sister Calderwood, and Sister Grenfel let me hang out with them the majority of the evening. They are like my 3 big sisters and whenever I get to talk with them, I leave more confident and happy. Sunday- We did all the normal church stuff. It was first time ever going to Relief Society, haha! It was good though and the STLs are really good teachers. Monday- I don't remember what happened, I'm sure it was good and bad at the same time. Tuesday- TODAY WAS AMAZING! Guess who joined the MTC choir? Me. Guess who got to sing for President Russell M. Nelson at a devotional? ME... and a thousand other people. President Nelson was our speaker at our devotional and his words were so inspiring and helpful. Hearing the words "you can do hard things, nothing is impossible" from an apostle was something I REALLY needed. He is so cute and his talk really inspired me to not give up and get to work. Wednesday- This was the worst day I've had here so far. I guess I just wasn't feeling it. I confided in the STLs multiple times and they encouraged me to work on patience but also understand that what other people choose to do isn't my fault. After dinner we had a giant group hug which definitely lifted my spirits. It was one of those suffocating hugs where I could no longer breath. It was amazing. Today we got to go to the temple. We did initiatories which was awesome because I haven't done them since I did it for myself. After such a crappy day yesterday, it just made me feel at peace. Anyway! Sorry that that was a novel. I doubt anyone will even have time to read it. Haha. Just know I love you all, miss you all, and am thinking about you everyday. THE CHURCH IS TRUE! LETTER TO MOM AND DAD: Mom and Dad, I love you and miss you! You need to stop crying haha. Don't worry about me, I will be alright. Learning to work with companions and trying to learn the language have been the hardest things I've had to do so far. Also, I don't eat a lot yet, but I'm getting there I promise haha. You know I don't like food that much and the Sisters here force me to eat so I don't die. They are watching out for me. Things have been going well. I go from laughing out loud for 20 minutes to wanting to cry. I am a female so these things happen. We have to find ways to entertain ourselves while we are here so dumb things tend to be hilarious. How are you all holding up? How's my Lilly girl? If you want to send me 10 questions a week like you did with Connor I would love that because it'll give me things to say. I feel like I have been here for 12 years but at the same time this week has flown by. The way time works here makes no sense. I'm loving it here. I love the people but not the food. I love the gospel just not the adversary. Satan has time and time again made me feel inadequate, I need to stop letting him do this to me! Talk to you soon! FIRST EMAIL - November 1st at 1:30pm
Hey guys. I'm just sending a short email really fast saying that I am so far alive and doing good. The host sister was really nice. We are already mostly with our district. I have two companions, Sister Pau and something else that starts with a P. I'm not really sure. Love you all! I will email again soon! |