Week 8 - MTC February 22, 2011

Mi Familia Asombrosa,

This is the last e-mail I'll send from the MTC! Can you believe it? I gotta make it a good one and I'm stressing about saying all that I need to before it gets significantly harder to contact each other. I don't know when my P-Day will be in the Field so don't panic if you don't hear from me next Tuesday. Someone will let you know if I'm not still breathing. :) And I've been advised to tell you all that packages have a VERY slim chance of reaching me in Paraguay so either send something today or just stick with e-mailing. Even letters might not be very reliable. I may not write you snail mail letters very quickly if at all but I'll be sure to send CDs of my photos and you'll still get my weekly e-mail.

We have our travel plans! It was like waiting for our mission calls all over again, and now getting ready to leave is like getting ready to leave home all over again. Here's my plan: I have to be at the travel office at 4am. Our plan leaves SLC at 7:10am (Elder Andreasen, some other Paraguay-going missionaries, some POLAND-going missionaries and I are on that flight together. Elder A is our travel leader). We land in Chicago at 11:20am, then leave again at 3:25pm. (The Poland missionaries head to London at this point). We land in Florida at 7:30pm, and then (this is the fun part) we fly from Florida to Buenos Aires Argentina from 8:35pm to 7:30am Tuesday morning. A full 24 hours of travelling, and that's not even reaching Paraguay yet! We actually haven't heard how we're getting to Paraguay yet. There IS a plan, don't worry. They just haven't told us yet. Elder A and I are guessing either a bush plane or a llama-drawn cart will take us teh rest of the way. :)

So I'm not sure as of right now if I get to call home during the layovers. I'm not promising anything, but Dad, Mom and Sisters, stay close to your phones on the 28th. I'm sending you letters in the mail today just in case, and a CD of all my MTC photos is coming soon.

Thank you Dad, Mom, and Laurel for your letters this week. I haven't gotten mail since Friday so sorry if you sent me something and I don't mention it. I should get more tonight or tomorrow morning. Anyways, thanks for telling me things about Paraguay and mission life in general. You're awesome.

This is my last week in the UNITED STATES! How weird is that?? I'm starting to pack already today. :) I'm having a hard time figuring out what to take and what to send home, but I know it will all work out. It's just so weird packing. All of our friends have already left for the most part, and now it's finally our turn! Hna. Y and I have both given talks in sacrament meeting now, which here is a sure indicator of an upcoming departure. And we've been watching "The District" a lot so I am just so ready to go. It's like Senioritis. And I got my wish--it's snowing a lot lately, so that's helping me want to leave even more. :)

I've said it before but I'll say it again--I wish EVERYONE went on a mission. The world would be such a better place. I am learning SO many things about life in general and the gospel in particular. I read "Our Heritage" the other day. I am so grateful to be living at this point in the Church's history. So many Latter-Day Saints have dedicated their lives to make the Church what it is today. I'm sorry for every time i ever took the Gospel for granted. I can see now that everything we are and everything we do as Latter-Day Saints has eternal purpose and benefit. I appreciate my parents' guidance so much more now that I see hwo it has prepared me to be a missionary, and I appreciate missionary work much more now that I see that by my serving the Lord I'm learning how to be a great eternal companion and mother in Zion and who knows what else someday. I'm making so many life-long goals that branch off of mission life (like having weekly companionship inventory for the rest of my life, only with an eternal companion). I'm dedicated to taking these habits I'm forming and using them to stay strong and stay on the path of righteousness my whole life.

We've had so many great lessons this week. Last Tuesday Elder Kevin Pearson blew us all away with a very blunt, almost harsh, talk about how we need to give up our all and be completely obedient if we truly want to leave our nets and be disciples of Christ. We can't just be good missionaries--we need to be phenomenal. We need to transform ourselves until we stop thinking about ourselves and do what it takes to have teh Spirit perform miracles through us. "The hardest, most miserable way to serve a mission," he said, "is to have less than 100% obedience and faith." Many complain that a mission is miserable because of all the rules when in fact it's the opposite. I've seen that so much just in my own experience. I can't even read Spanish out loud if I'm not focused on the gospel. My Spanish abilities aren't my own--they're a gift from the Lord, and if I"m not using them for what they're meant for, I'm going to lose them. But when I am listening to the Spirit and only thinking about how to help an investigator (for example), the Lord helps me to do more and be happier than I could ever achieve on my own even if I had all the world's knowledge and talents at my disposal.

My favorite thing that Elder Pearson said was that we may panic as missionaries, thinking we have to give people testimonies from scratch, when in reality every single person on this earth already knows the Truth. They had to have accepted it in its fulness in order to even be here on the earth. They KNOW, they just can't remember, and only by working with the Spriit can we help them recognize how familiar the gospel is. That's a much better approach to mission work, I think.

This week's LGM was wonderful of course but I'm not going to talk about it this week. The Sunday fireside, however, was awesome. President and Sister Nally talked to us about the power of music--how it changes our behavior and thoughts. We sang hymns together and they had us sing "Called to Serve," Army of Helaman-style with all of us on our feet, growing in volume and power as we went. It was so moving.

But the greatest thing about this week--what I feel has impacted my life the most this week--was yet another Elder Holland talk. It's titled "The Grandeur of God" and he gave it in Conference October 2003. Watch it ASAP. I'm gonna spoil it for you a bit but watch it anyways. Elder Holland addresses the fact that most people feel comfortable at the thought of meeting Christ, yet cringe when they think about facing God. But if you read Christ's words from His earthly ministry, you'll realize that everything the Savior did and said was taught Him and exemplified for Him by our Heavenly Father. Christ did nothing the Father wouldn't do. Think about it--God Himself would have suffered, atoned, and died for us had it been possible. He sees to our individual happiness about all other concerns. He is our Father! He loves us immeasurably.

I am SO grateful for all the things I've learned these short eight weeks. I'm excited to see how God has given me this perfect mix of knowledge and experiences to strengthen my testimony so that I can specifically help certain of His children in Paraguay find their way Home.

I don't know what else to say about this week. I've been doing more than well. I have all the support and guidance I could ever need. I have the assurance that I have nothing to worry about so long as I stay strong in the faith--that I will be provided for and I will see all my friends, mentors, and loved ones again. I laugh every day. I thank God many times each day for my health, friends, family, and life experiences, especially the joyful ones but even the bad ones, too. In short, I feel God's love, the grace of Christ's Atonement, and the direction of the Spirit. I am HAPPY.

I'm sure I've forgotten to say something important and I feel bad for not having gotten all your letters yet but no matter. You will hear from me next week. This is the end of the easy writing (aside from e-mail) but the start of a huge adventure that I can't wait to begin. I pray for your and hope in some way I can help you in the gospel even when we're several countries apart. I love you all so much and I can't thank you enough for your love. Have a wonderful end of February. When you hear from me next, it will be March, and I'll be in PARAGUAY!! :D!!

Until then, take care, pray always, and do something to forget yourself and serve someone else. I love you!

Love,

Hna. Springer

Week 7 - MTC February 16, 2011

Hey family!

I hope you had a feliz dia de corazones yesterday. It was quite the event here--almost like Christmas. Virtually EVERYONE had a package. Speaking of which, thank you so much Mom, Dad, and whoever else contributed to my package. The shoes are PERFECT! I'm so grateful that you sent them. I feel much more prepared for the rough roads of Paraguay now. And thank you Grandma and Grandpa Springer for your Valentine's Day card. I got it on the 12th and waited anxiously to open it on the 14th. It was so sweet. Thank you also for the letters Mom, Megan, Dad, Amanda, Sarah, Ashley, Jersey, Leo, and Laurel. You're the best.

LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LEFT AT THE MTC!!! AAAH! I can't believe Paraguay is so close. I am pumped! I just want to go. I just want to work. These next 13 days are going to be so slow. And yet the time is going so fast! yesterday was the very first day that Hna. Y and I only spoke Spanish. We both felt like we still have a lot to learn. And at the TRC this week we taught a native speaker for the first time. We did really well but I did panic a few times when I couldn't understand her. She was Chilean so she dropped all her S's, but once I figured that out I did okay. What I'm really anxious about is the fact that I still know nothing about how Paraguayans speak. Elder Andreasen brought his Guarani textbook to class yesterday adn I looked at it and didn't understand it at all. It really is an ancient language with no semblance of a Latin root whatsoever. I know I'll be just fine speaking Spanish and I'll just pick up some Guarani as I go, but it would still be nice to know what to expect when it comes to the accent and grammar. Oh well! I'll just have to stay on my toes and have fun with it!

So as I mentioned in my letter last week, Hna. Y and I got to be hosts to new missionaries last Wednesday. It was quite fun. Some sisters looked traumatized from their separation from their families, but most were so excited. One came into the hosting area and exclaimed to us all, "I AM SO HAPPY TO BE HERE!!" She'll do well. :) It was fun to remember my own first day, and I was really eager to explain things to the sisters I hosted and put them at ease, remembering how confused I was at first.

Our audition for our district to sing a musical number went really well. I hadn't counted on being reviewed by the MTC Presidency's wives themselves. They were very specific about what they wanted for a musical number before a devotional. Several groups before us were told to work on making their overall message clearer, their words more heartfelt, and their style more spirit-invoking than show-offy. Our district was worried we'd get slammed. We weren't nearly as talented as most of the other groups auditioning, and we didn't even have an accompanist. But after we sang our a capella rendition of "Joseph Smith's First Prayer," the Sisters had nothing bad to say! They said we had a beautiful, sweet sound and they loved how we sang it to the tune of "In Humility, Our Savior." They said we can definitely sing if they can find a slot for us (with only two weeks left here we were kind of late in the game). Either way, we're going to sing in Sacrament meeting for our branch and we'll feel much better about that after being formally reviewed.

Speaking of sacrament meeting, guess who got called up to the pulpit to speak on Sunday? Me. They always call a Sister and an Elder and we'd done the math. It had to be either Hna. Y or me this week. I knew it woudl be me because even though we already wrote talks last month on the Holy Ghost (this week's topic), Hna. Y rewrote hers. I did not. I didn't even reread mine. So I knew I'd get picked. I prayed beforehand that I'd be able to do a good job. Thankfully, I put a lot of heart into that talk when I wrote it last month so it was still great. A few grammar errors but no biggie. I read it in smooth Spanish bore my testimony at the end, and finished in the five minutes allotted. Like, to the second. Everyone said it was great. I felt good about it, but the reality is my district is nwo the most advanced in the branch. Most of the congregation probably didn't even understand what I said, they just heard my good Spanish and my sincerity and assumed it was a good message. :)

My time in the spotlight wasn't over, though. In Relief Society, Hna. Y and I sat front and center and Pres. Brown spoke to us. At one point he wanted some sisters to go up to the microphone and recite our mission objective. His eyes immediately found us in the congregation. "You two! I talked with you at lunch last week! You're speaking Spanish, right? Come on up and recite the Purpose for us in Spanish." I'm glad Hno. Concha makes us recite the Purpose every day in class. We didn't mess up at all. But yeah so now every Sister in the MTC recognizes Hna. Y and me.

Hna. Y and I are still having a blast as companions. We find something to laugh about every day, and this week we've been particularly happy because it's been so sunny and warm lately. We've had class outside twice. (It'd better snow hard right before I leave for Paraguay or I'm not gonna want to part from this awesome weather). Anyways, we had an especially hyper time at service this week where we were assigned to clean the elevators. Remember how a long time ago I mentioned that they don't want us to use teh elevators except if we're injured or needing to haul luggage? We quickly learned that many missionaries ignore that rule. Part of our job was to keep the door open on each floor and clean the runners. This got interesting as people kept pressing the call button on various floors. At first we just exercised patience and let the door close, then waited ten minutes or so for it to come back. In the end, though, we were getting so desperate to clean the stupid runners that I was bracing my back against the door and shouting, "Faster, Hna! Faster!" as the door tried to force itself closed and beeped angrily at us. Hna. Y was on her knees, furiously scrubbing at the runner. Then the instant she finished she dove past me into the elevator and I jumped out of the way and we rode it calmly to the floor where it had been called. The missionaries waiting for it seemed a little concerned to find two dishevelled sisters on the floor when the doors opened. It made that awkward elevator moment all the more enjoyable.

The Elders are doing great, too. They're amazingly dedicated, as always, and so sincere about their desire to serve. Earlier this week I was feeling the need for a little spiritual boost (long story) and my branch president told me to ask my Elders for a blessing. I finally worked up the nerve and they didn't hesitate to accept, though they both seemed a bit nervous. They didn't have experience exercising their Priesthood power, but they had faith in it and they knew teh Lord would help them. He did. They didn't even ask me why I wanted a blessing, they just went right into it and Elder Croft (giving the blessing) said EXACTLY what I needed to hear. It was almost word-for-word what I'd wanted to hear. My Elders are just amazing. They truly listened to the Spirit to know what I was asking from God and give me the answers and comfort I needed. It was perfect. I felt a thousand times better and so at peace. They strengthened my faith in the powers of the Priesthood that much more.

Teaching has been going great, too. I learned this week to teach less by a planned, orderly lesson and more by my own convictions. I often feel like I don't have any grand experiences to share to convince people that the gospel is true, but I do have a testimony. I DO know, and I've seen the change that has come over me throughout the years as I follow Christ and strive to be with God again. Every tim I talk to investigators about my own relationship with God, Christ, and the Spirit, not only do those i teach see the goodness of the gospel themselves, I also feel my own conviction and faith grow and strengthen little by little every day. We've made such great progress with Marcos and Pablo this week as we've just shared experiences from our own lives and felt those stirrings in our own hearts. Marcos is so much more at ease with us and his prayers are so sincere that I almost tear up every time he asks God for help. I think he's really starting to see that God does love him because he's sent us to teach him (and in real life Hno. Alder has said that our district's teaching does help him remember God's love for him). It's amazing. I can't wait to see that kind of change in real investigators.

Less than two weeks left until then! Wow. I CANNOT wait. This work is so important. Sometimes I worry that I'll be devestated when people reject the gospel and I'll want to give up, but this week I was promised that every single person that I talk to, I talk to for a reason, even those who just say "not interested" and walk away. God knows every single one of us. He puts people in MY path for a reason. And He has promised me that there are people out there who are looking for my help. I must work with all my heart, might, mind and strength to find them without passing anyone by or ever giving up. Everyone needs the gospel whether they think so or not. To not work my hardest is to deny people their agency to choose to accept or reject the truth in this life so they can both be happy now and in the eternities. How selfish it would be of me to do a shoddy job, to assume that people will reject God without my ever asking, to hoard those blessings and assurities for myself.

I used to daydream a lot. I used to make long lists of things i wanted to do, paintings I wanted to collect, places I wanted to visit. Now, though, I know not to do that. The reality is that this earth, this mortality, is NOTHING compared to even the lowest kingdom of heaven. If we spend our lives trying to fulfill our dreams and gain more riches and have more happiness for ourselves in mortality, it won't be worth it in the end. We'll lose it all in death. But if we forget our own wants and isntead give all we have to help others find eternal happiness, I know taht God will give us greater things than we could even dream of in mortality.

Well, that's my rant for this week. Thank you all again for writing to me and reading my letters. I hope you enjoy them somewhat. :) Don't forget that if you send me anything after the 24th I probably won't get it because I'll be heading to Paraguay on the 28th. I don't even know if DearEdlers will make it to me in Paraguay (you'll have to look that up) so just play it safe. Thanks again for all your support and love. I am constantly reminded as I talk to other people just how INCREDIBLY blessed I am to have such an amazing, unified family. Stay awesome as I work to deserve such a great gift, okay? I LOVE YOU!!

Love, Hna. Springer

P.S. Your commitment this week is to tell me if you've been doing these commitments and/or how they've helped you if they have. I haven't heard anything and I'm really curious.

P.S.S. I still want pictures of at least Dad, Chase, and the dogs before I leave for Paraguay. Photos of the extended family would be nice, too. Thanks!

Week 6 - MTC February 8, 2011

Dearest Family,

Thank you so much for your letters this week. Goompa and Nana, thanks for the Valentine's Day package! I know you're busy and have other people to send stuff to. It meant a lot to me. Grandma Springer, I did in fact get your DearEdler. Thanks for telling me about the temple. I'll talk more about that later. Laurel, thank you for the pictures of my first minutes at teh MTC (I get to be a host tomorrow! How cool is that?) And thank you Mom, Dad, Sarah, Ashley, Teresa, Chase, and Amanda for your letters. You'll hear from me soon.

Thank you again and again and again for being so supportive. All my friends are blown away by how many people are writing to me and cheering me on. And I hope you recognize how blessed we are to have each other. Since I've been here I've seen the Lord's hand in our lives and the blessings that come from being a together family.

I wish you could all be on missions, too. I am seriously SO glad that I came. i know the Lord was handing me a key to greater happiness when He prompted me to serve. I can't imagine all the spiritual floudnering I'd be doing if I hadn't come. I feel like I'm just barely starting life. I realize how wrong it is for us missionaries to say, "Back in real life I was..." when the reality is THIS--serving the Lord and doing that which will exalt and better our lives--is real life. The outside world is the facade. I cannot thank teh Lord enough for showing me that and giving me this opportunity to learn how to have everlasting happiness through servie and righteous living. I hope I never forget the peace and joy I feel right now.

I am so excited to go to Paraguay and learn also to let go of materialism and embrace patience and focus on people. My good friend Hna. Jensen left for Argentina yesterday. After a really long flight to Buenos Aires she's taking a 37-hour bus ride to Salta. Does that sound like fun or what? But she was beaming and I got so excited for my own upcoming adventure. I'm only three weeks away from culture shock and incredibly hard but rewarding work! I can't believe it's so close!

This week at lucnh an elderly man came and sat down next to me and my district. We all looked up as he said hello and we realized to our delight and slight intimidation that it was teh MTC president, President Brown! He talked wit hthe four of us for a half hour, asking all about us and then delving into a doctrine discussion. He asked us where we could find scriptures about repentance, baptism, etc. It was both a test of how much we've learned and a wonderful learning opportunity as he shared his answers with us. (I encourage you all to read 2 Ne. 31, 32, and 33, 3 Ne. 11, 3 Ne. 9:20-22, and 3 Ne. 27:13-20). I love Pres. Brown. Every meal he sits and chats with missionaries. And every time he speaks at devotionals he calls up missionaries he's met to bear their testimonies. My district and I were both relieved and disappointed when we weren't called when he spoke at Mission Conference on Sunday.

At Mission Conference Pres Brown spoke about making a good name for ourselves, especially as missionaries, quoting Helaman 5:6-7 and Alma 48:17. He also talked about being steadfast doers of good as representatives of Christ's name, quoting D&C 122:1-3, Mosiah 5:7-8, and Mosiah 5:12. I really want to follow his counsel and be a good example. I'm going to try all I can to add my name to the list of people who have given their all to build the Kingdom.

Speaking of builders of the Kingdom, I watched "Mountain of the Lord" Sunday night and am now really determined to learn more about my righteous ancestors, especially my PROPHET great-great-great-great-grandfather, Brigham Young. I'll have to spend a few long afternoons talking with you, Grandma and Grandpa Springer, about our ancestry when I get back. Also, as soon as I can I'm going to go through the SLC temple. I learned so much about it from "Mountain of the Lord" and I went there once to do baptisms. I could feel the love that went into the amazing craftsmanship of the interior, but I had no idea that, after the 39 years it took to build the exterior, the gorgeous interior was done in only ONE year! That's incredible. I need another look. :) I love temples. Every time I go I just feel that much closer to the eternal perspective. I'll be sad if (and when) I won't be able to go to teh temple every week anymore in Paraguay. I can't wait to see the Gilber temple completed in two years.

Anyways, the language is coming along fine. We had our first TRC trip all in Spanish this week and we very rarely ahd to resort to English. My only real problem lately is irregular verb conjugations. I need to study those a lot more. But I'm speaking fairly well, at least I think I am. When I go to Paraguay I'm sure I'll feel a lot less prepared, especially if (and most likely WHEN) my trainer doesn't speak English.

The only other out-of-the-ordinary thing to talk about this week is that my district and I are going to perform a musical number soon. We audition Thursday. We're going to sing a four-part harmony of "Joseph Smith's First Prayer" to the tune of "In Humility, Our Savior." Wish us luck! I love singing familiar songs to different tunes. It makes you think of the words more. My favorite cross-over is "The Spirit of God" to the tune of "Now Let Us Rejoice" and vice versa.

So I have another homework assignment for you all. I hope you're really doing these because they mean a lot to me and I'm serious when I say I want you to do them. This week, I want you to listen again to Elder Holland's 2009 Conference talk about the Book of Mormon (at least, I think it's 2009. I'm not sure which month. If you find it, please tell everyone else). Then I want you to watch that video that shows the growth of the church as red dots appearing on a red map (Dad, I know you know what I'm talking about, please let everyone else know). If no one knows what I'm trying to describe, I'll try to learn teh specifics and be more eloquent next week.

The reason why I want you to do those two things is because what I want to do more than anything right now as I type is explain with the voice of angels the importance of the gospel, the love that I have for the Savior, and the deepest desire of my soul--that each and every one of you (if you haven't already) will come to know the Savior and that together we can all follow Him and live together as an eternal family. Edler Holland is much more eloquent at saying things like that, so please watch his talk on teh Book of Mormon and then more of his talks if you can find the time.

But I really can't be silent. I feel really impressed to bear my testimony to you right now, and eloquent or no I'm not going to ignore this feeling. I've ignored teh Spirit enough times in the past and I plan not to do it again.

This isn't just a church. This isn't something that was invented by man to satisfy our need to beleive in something greater. This isn't a church only for Americans or Utahns or the white middle class. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is all-encompassing. It is eternal. It is the truth. And it is a gift that we must be eternally grateful for and do our best to share with others.

This is the gospel that has always existed, since the beginning of time. God is our literal Father and He sent us here to earth so that we could become like Him. An all-powerful Being, yet his greatest work and glory is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). This life isn't set up so taht we'll fail; it's set up so that by the end of it we will have grown and learned and become more like God. The Fall was meant to happen. Without it we would have been trapped in teh same state forever, like butterflies forever stuck as earth-bound caterpillars, never to taste the freedom that comes after hard work and a spiritual transformation. That transformation from caterpillar to butterfly comes through obedience to God's laws, which aren't pointless restrictions but sure and steady guideposts through a life of pain and confusion.

But God knows that we are imperfect. He knows that we'll all make mistakes and thus be unworthy to live with Him again. And so, because He wants nothing more than for us to be happy and live in His presence, He sent His perfect, Beloved Son to pay the price for our sins (John 3:16-17). Jesus Christ came to earth to do the will of God--to show us the way to happiness and Atone for us so that we can be happy despite our sins. I've personally felt the relief and cleanliness and sheer happiness that comes from turning to Christ and letting go of sins. It takes steps of faith, repentance from our sins to be forgiven and Atoned for, baptism to show our commitment to God and Christ, and receiving the Holy Ghost as a Comforter and Guide, and a life dedicated to the Work. It is possible, and it is the most desirable, worthwhile thing we can do with our lives. I KNOW this.

After Christ's crucifixion and glorious resurrection, breaking the bonds of death for all, the gospel was distorted and confused. There is only one gospel, but hundreds if not hundreds of thousands of different churches have sprung up, taking bits of truth and competing with each other. In order to show that only one way leads us to exaltation, God called a new prophet and revealed another book of scripture which, like a second and third point is needed to triangulate an exact position, shows the fulness of the gospel and the plain and simple truths of happiness and eternal life. I know that this is the truth. I know that God wants us to understand and be sure ouf our path, not have to guess which church is the one that will save us. He loves us so much. I want to cry whenever I think of how mnay people are unaware of that--how many people reject the church and the Book of Mormon without giving it a chance (2 Ne. 29). I want to do all I can, dedicate my whole life, to bring people with me down the path to eternal life. I love you all. I hope this simple, imperfect testimony reawakens your resolve to turn to Christ and that each of you finds a way to be a missionary and share the good news. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Week 5 at the MTC

Week 5 (26 Jan to 1 Feb 2011)

Hola familia!

How is everyone doing? Did you have a good month of January? From what I hear you're all getting along fine. Don't be afraid to tell me more, though. And please tell me if there's anything more I should include in my letters. I like answering your questions and knowing that you enjoy hearing what I enjoy writing about. :) Also, just a reminder: in four weeks when I go to Paraguay it'll be much harder to write me so take advantage of this month. And expect to get pictures soon! I'm sending a load through snail mail today.

Thank you SO MUCH McConkies for the very sweet package. ;) Those Costco snacks were perfect for mid-class munching, and Hna. Y and I especially loved the blueberries. Also, I enjoyed reading your letters. You are too too kind to me. Wilson, in response to your question, the only other place I'd choose to go on a mission is Peru because of the mountains, but I'm SO content with Paraguay. Australia would be awesome, though, too.

Thank you Jessie and Andrew for the beautiful pictures. Seriously, I loved them. The one of AZ reminds me of home, and the one of the MTC will help me remember my great times here. And Jessie, your drawing of me convinced me that I need to dye my hair turquoise. Too bad that's against mission rules.

Grandma, I loved your e-mail. Your Mu Phi meetings sould like so much fun, as does putting all the grandkid art together. I'd like to look back at my old art someday. And no, I can't listen to a CD but thanks so much for offering. I have some of those pieces on my iPod already, though, and I'll think of you when I listen to them in Paraguay.

Springers, I responded to your letters in a note with the pictures I'm sending. I didn't forget you, don't worry. :)

So how well did you complete the challenge I gave you last week? How many referrals did you give to the missionaries? Never stop looking for potential investigators. Everyone needs the gospel whether they know it or not. Here's a new challenge for this week: Read Alma 32-34 and think of the "seed" as the knowledge of Christ's Atonement, not as faith. Faith is what makes the seed grow.

I can't believe week 6 of my mission is already here (Sister Soderquist [Heidi] arrives tomorrow. I hope I see her!). Only four more weeks at the MTC! Earlier this week I was terrified about that. Only four more weeks to become fluent in Spanish and confident in teaching. But then as this week went on I gained more and more confidence and now I"m just downright psyched! I made my own personal language study plan and we refined our district goals, so I feel like I"m making real, daily progress again.

We've been learning to teach from the scriptures this week isntead of just explaining things in our own words. Using the scriptures provides authenticity and clarity to what we're saying. Who better to tell people about the gospel effectively than the Lord?? My new project now is to fill my newly-purchased journal with scripture chains that clearly explain doctrines. We've also been sharing helpful references and memorizing them together as a district.

Another helpful thing our district has been doing together is memorizing things from scriptures and Preach My Gospel. So far I can perfectly recite "Our Purpose" (PMG pg.1), Doctine and Covenants section 4 (yes, the whole section), the First Vision (abridged), the baptismal invitation (I'm sure I'll use that a lot), and Articles of Faith 1-8 (soon I'll know them all). It's good that I'd already memorized a bunch of those in English at BYU. It makes learning them in Spanish much easier. They're seriously so good to have memorized. I feel another commitment for you coming on... :)

So those district practices have helped me a lot, but the greatest practice preparing me for the Field has been teaching Marcos and Pablo. I realized today that I haven't really said much about them yet, so here's more detail:

Pablo is a genius. He's so smart and intellectual and studious. The only reason he let us come teach him initially was because he wanted to learn more. Not believe more, just know facts. As we teach he comments that it all "makes sense," and he thinks that God probably does exist because science can't explain everything. At first I kind of wrote him off as someone who didn't really want to know the truth by feeling the Spirit, but this week he really changed gears and his prayers have become much more sincere. We feel the Spirit during the lessons, and while he keeps saying that he needs to KNOW that it's true before he commits, I know that soon he'll be a believer. And teaching him has really taught us about the importance of explaining to investigators what the Spriit feels like and how they can know when something is right. We haven't used that approach on Pablo yet, but we did use it this week on Marcos.

Marcos is kind of a loner. He works a night shift and sleeps most of the day. His only friends are his two dogs and he doesn't even have close family because his mom passed away, his dad ditched the family, and his brother is a drunk. Those first few lessons I think he only let us come back because he liked our company and we were nice to him. He seriously makes me want to cry whenever he mentions how great we are to him. The world has been so hard on him and he has a hard time believing that God loves him. He believes there is a God, but he doesn't think that He loves him--only some people. Anyways, teaching has been slow. He keeps commitments and is slowly making friends with church members, but we couldn't get him to believe that God cares about him.

This week though, when the Elders were teaching, they pointed out that of course God loves him. God sent us to him so that he could have friends and know about the infinite Atonement. And then on Saturday, when it was Hna Y's and my turn to teach, we were so scared about not making any more progress. Our district has been really dedicated lately to speaking only in Spanish, and while before we would just drop Spanish and teach in English, today we were determined to only use Spanish. I was scared, because he really needs to hear the right things, but it ended up being the best lesson yet.

For the first time, the words just flowed in Spanish. Almost better than if I'd been speaking English. We talked about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, how it was for HIM, not just a group of people; how Christ knows him and his pains; how Christ wants to take those pains away and let him be free of the burdens of guilt and hurt. The Spirit was so strong in the room, and it was the perfect time for Hna. Y and I to teach him what the Spirit feels like. We explained that any feeling of peace we have in life comes from the Spirit, and he recognized it as the feeling that he gets around nature. Hoping he would recognize it in the room right then with us and using our newly memorized challenge, we invited him to follow Christ's example, accept the Atonement, and be baptized. He said "no," but that he'd continue to learn and try to know the truth. Hna. Y almost backed down, which is unusual for her, but I wouldn't settle for that answer. "Marcos!" I said, getting his attention, (this was all in Spanish) "I know that you CAN be ready by the 27th. The Lord can do anything, and He loves you. He wants you to be happy, and he wants you to be baptized on February 27th. I know that He will help you. Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone holding the proper priesthood authority of God?"

He said yes.

*Pause for effect*

It was amazing. The Spirit was so strong, and I felt so strong. I felt like a teacher finally. I'd done it all in Spanish and I'd followed the Spirit's prompting to not take no for an answer.

Hna. Y and I start with a new progressive investigator on Thursday. I'm so excited to take all that I've learned from teaching Marcos and Pablo and use that knowledge to really teach Gloria effectively. More than that, I'm excited to teach real investigators in Paraguay, to follow the Spirit to people who need the gospel in their lives--people who have been prepared to hear ME. I know that the Lord provides a way, and I know that he is sending me to Paraguay because there are people there who need ME to teach them. I love this gospel. I can't wait to share it with the world. I have felt God's love and goodness throughout my life. I know that this church is true and I want to do absolutely all I can to spread it throughout the world. I pray that all of you feel the same way and that you know that God loves you. Christ Atoned for you.

And PLEASE, if it's possible, stay worthy and prepare to serve a mission. I promise that there is no greater work.

I'm out of time.

I love you and I pray for you always. Take care!

---Hermana Springer

Week 4 - MTC January 25, 2011

Oh familia mio, could you be any greater? I feel so loved when almost every night I get the biggest stack of letters in the district. Thank you Laurel, Shelli, Dad, Sarah, Ashley, Mom, Amanda, Grandma Springer, Teresa, and Dani for your letters this week. (Amanda, your random Spongebob quote was awesome. I laughed so hard that I cried.) I'll try to respond to all of your letters as I find time.

So I totally didn't mean to sound moody and/or discouraged in my letter about last week. There just really wasn't much else to mention. I've settled into a steady routine. I am doing SO well and I'm SO happy here. I'm in my element and loving every minute of this experience. Day by day I can feel myself changing into a better, more positive person. I wouldn't change a thing about my situation. Except maybe Sunday meals. And the weather. It snowed today after a week of rain. No ice yet but I'm still looking forward to a nice Paraguayan autumn next month. :)

I can't BELIEVE it's already been a month since Christmas. The time is passing by so quickly and I want it to slow down! I can already tell that 18 months is gonna seem way too short. I'll have to push myself to fit in as much learning, teaching, and service as i possibly can. No way am I wasting these choice 18 months worth of opportunities. I recently got really excited to go to Paraguay. I love my district and teachers here SO MUCH and I'll be super sad to leave them, but every time I think about that long plane trip to another hemisphere I get so excited by the prospect of adventure. I'm excited to be able to say that I lived as a Paraguayan for a year and a half. I'm excited to be completely immersed in another way of life; to not just visit but to become part of that little overlooked country. And I'm excited to teach real people and not just actors. We had a good teaching week, with an "investigator" at the TRC who kept all his commitments and accepted the challenge to be baptized ("My first baptism!...Oh wait.") and we had great lessons with "Marcos" and "Pablo" but in the end it's all just pretend. I really want to help people come unto Christ and see them enter the waters of baptism. I get a thrill just imagining it.

I am seriously so absorbed in the work. I get surprised when I see "Carly" written on my scriptures. I have a first name? Oh yeah... Seriously, we all just go by "Hermana" here. I can actually tell the difference between the way Hna. Y calls me "Hermana" and the way she addresses other "Hermanas." We have new sisters in our room as I mentioned last week, and they get so confused by all the "Hermanas" we throw around. It's fascinating to watch the new sisters adjust. I can't believe I was in their shoes only four weeks ago. They're really sweet. They have a hard time settling down at night, but they're sweet.

On Saturday night when I was writing my talk I realized that I could write almost the entire thing without consulting my Spanish books. I love it when things like that happen and I realize how much I've learned and been blessed with greater understanding. My accent is relatively good, too. Hna. Y and I realized this week that all the Intermediate students ahead of us aren't being funny with their "gringo" accents--they really don't know how they're supposed to sound. We're both grateful for having heard authentic Spanish accents throughout our lives to give us an anchor in that regard. My only real issue with Spanish lately is numbers. It became a running joke in our district that I always have to have someone repeat page or hymn numbers wheneverr we open a book. I'm getting better, though, thanks to Hna. Y's tutelage.

On the subject of funny happenings this week, I was again thoroughly teased when, on service day, we had to clean the bathrooms and I confessed to Hna. Y and our friend Hna. Jensen that I'd never been in a men's room before (that I can remember). Whenever we went from a men's to a women's restroom they would grin and say, "Feeling more at home, Hna. Springer?" And actually, yes. Yes, I did. That's what I get for not having brothers.

I had a really funny dream the other night. I'm currently behind in my journalling and I had a dream that the 18 months were over. I was back home and everyone was congratulating me on a good job well done. Then someone asked about my companions and the people I baptized. I stood there for a moment, wracking my brain, and said, distressed, "I don't remember!" I couldn't remember anything! I snatched up my journal and opened it to find that I'd given up writing in it before I'd even gone to Paraguay. I started hyperventilating. Why oh why didn't I journal?? Now I'd never know how my mission went! Did I even HAVE comapnions? Did I baptize ANYONE?? Oh the horror!

Then I woke up and I was really relieved that I was still in the MTC. But seroiusly, I'm gonna catch up in my journal now. That was scary. :)

Seriously I'm kind of terrified about coming home. I never want to forget how I feel here, or lose my good habits or not have the Spirit of teaching with me anymore. I may have to come back to the MTC as a teacher just to stay sane. Or marry an RM right away. Either one, really. Elder Andreasen and I were talking the other day about how much we're going to miss Paraguay (yeah, we haven't even gone yet, but that's how we feel). Someone eating at our table said jokingly, "Why? It's the armpit of South America?" Poor Paraguay gets that a lot and we always remind people that no, it's the HEART of South America! "El pais de un mil y uno adventuras." As we continued to defend our country the conversation got sillier and sillieerr until finally Elder A loudly declared that he and I would baptize the ENTIRE country and Paraguay would become so favored of the Lord and the people learn so many great war strategies from their ancestors in the Book of Mormon that they would become a major world power and the Lord would move Zion there and THEN we'd see who dared call them the armpit of South America. :)

We really do have high hopes for Paraguay, though. We had a fabulous LGM about goal setting. We learned how goals equal desire plus vision, and how goals plus plans equal action. My favorite quote: "Goal-setting grants unto you the ability to pierce the curtains of the future for the benefit of yoruself and those you have stewardship over." I really can't describe how great of a lesson it was in so short a time but it did make me think up a challenge for you all. Missionaries are full-time teachers. Members are the ones who need to find people to be taught. So I want you to support your local missionaries by setting a goal to find people to bbee taught. I know I would greatly appreciate referrals and I know that the missionaries around you will, tooo. 1 in 1,000 street contacts gets baptized, but with member referrals 1 out of 50 do. So now yyoou know. Now you have to be responsible. Mwahahaha!

Um...yeah. Other than that things have been pretty rroutine. As I continue to teach I find my abilities strengthening. Hna. Y has also helped me gain confidence in myself by giving me exercise goals that at first I think no way I can accomplish. But as she pushes me, I CAN do it. Now I actually enjoy jogging. ME! I feel so athletic, slow as I aam, and I still find time to play volleyball every day so gym time is extremely enjoyable.

I'm also really enjoying reading the Book of Mormon again and delving into Jesus the Christ for the first time. It's so easy to see the eternal aspect of things here. Everything i do has purpose and helps me grow in mind and spirit. It's amazing. I especially love all the art around me depicting scripture events. I'm considering becoming a collecter of Friberg and Teichert paintings, among other artists. The visuals just provide a constant reminder that it's all real. The Church is God's church on the earth, restored because He wants us to be eternally happy and be with our families forever. I'm not here learning tricks of the trade to swindle people into being baptized. I"m only learning how to be God's mouthpiece, spreading the good news of His lovee aand modern-day direction; showing the people the way through promptings of the Spirit and the power of the Priesthood. I seriously can not wait to go to Paraguay and help people find eternal, unfailing answers; to see the change wrought in their lives through the Atonement of Christ.

I never have yet and I never will regret this decision to be a servant of the Lord. As I teach, I learn. I no longer bellive things; I KNOW them. I hope that in your own way each of you will be able to have (or already have) true faith in God and Christ as well. As always, I thank you so much for getting me here. I will never forget the part that your selflessness has played in my happiness. I love you. I pray for you. Be safe and happy and forever true to the faith.

Love, Hermana.

No...wait.

Love, Carly

P.S. I encourage you to watch "The Testaments" and the Joseph Smith movie and "The Best TWo Years" as often as possible. And keep reading the Book of Mormon and Preach My Gospel. And don't forget to do referrals! Love you!

Week 3 - MTC January 18, 2011

Mi familia amorada,

Thank you from the depths of my heart for all of your letters this week. Dad, Sarah, Starla, Laurel, Goompa & Nana, and Grandma & Grandpa Springer. You're all wonderful and your letteres brighten my days (If I didn't mention you and you sent me a letter within the past four days, I don't get mail Saturdays, Sundays, or MLK Jr. Day, so I probably haven't gotten your letters yet. Sorry)

Thank you again McConkies for the awesome package--I've worn the cardigan twice already. And thanks Mom for the gorgeous pictures of you and my sisters. I still need one of Dad and the boys, though. And Starla, CONGRATULATIONS!! I'm so excited for you to go on your mission to Peru. How lucky are you to be sent to a country that you already know and love??

To answer some Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: With only two elders, Hma. Y and yourself, is your district small for the MTC?

A: Um...yes. It's the smallest district I've yet seen here. The classroom next to us is almost the same size room as ours but has 23 people in it! I can't imagein that. In our room we each have two desks and even then I have to keep some of my study supplies on the floor. I LOVE having a tiny group. We get lots of one-on-one time, our teachers are our best friends, and we feel like a little family. Plus, we can all sing, so when we sing a hymn before and after class, we sound like a beautiful, harmonious quartet. I'm the soprano. :)

Q: What is the food like at the MTC?

A: For the most part, it's good, but it's nowhere near as good as homemade meals. Sometimes the food looks (and apparently tastes) downright icky, but there's enough of a variety and a broad enough menu that everyone can find SOMETHING they like. Except on Sundays. Since they don't want to make people work on Sundays we have leftovers. And lots of ice cream. I dislike Sunday meals. Mostly I stick with the salad bar which rarely fails to satisfy.

I feel like I have so much more energy lately. Hma Y is a BYU runner and has appointed herself my personal trainer. She works me hard twice a day during gym times and with her constantly at my side I eat very healthy, too--usually only from the salad bar. It's been so fun having her as my companion. our two roommates and friends, Hmas. Brown and Gomez, headed out to the field already--Hma. Brown after only two weeks here at the MTC! Hma Y and I are so lonely without our fellow sisters around all the time. I miss them already. But we'll be getting four new sisters in our room tomorrow. I hope I'll be able to bond with them after having already bonded so much with the otehr sisters. We'll see. Mostly I'm worried about the smell. Our shoes STINK by the end of the day. We may have to start leaving them out in the hall, as is the common practice here.

Learning about the gospel and speaking Spanish has been going fine. I can understand almost all written and conversational Spanish but I still struggle to speak it. Hma. Y and I read aloud in Spanish with pens between our teeth so we can learn to use our tongue and lips correctly. This is hard to do with my overbite. :) But it gets really frustrating when I can teach the gospel SO WELL in English, then can't say anything in Spanish. We've improved a lot, but Hma Y and I have a hard time teaching "Pablo" and "Marcos" (our teachers' alter-egos) the gospel. I want them to be excited and understasnd how great the gospel is, but I don't have the words needed to explain better. And when we're in the classroom learning how to say things, I have the hardest time paying attention. There's always a fan on creating white noise and it's easy to zone out when someone's lecturing in a foreign language. Controlling my thoughts has definitely been my biggest obstacle, even without books, movies, or music to distract me. I know i can do it, I've had days that were just amazing because I caught every word, but I'm still working on making it a habit to concentrate on the work. The Adversary sure knows how to get to me through reminders of Harry Potter or "How to Train Your Dragon" and the like, but I'm excited by the fact that when, through practice and self-discipline, I master my thoughts and become a master scholar, the enemy will have virtually no bad habits to snare me with. :)

Yeah, Hma Y and I have had our challenges. Not like as companions or anything. We're tight. But at the TRC last Saturday morning we got really frustrated by our lack of learning. The TRC is almost our only real-world practice (and it's not even real) so we value what we learn and experience there. This week, though, the volunteer who we taught barely let us get a word in. Not in a bad way, she just kept going off on stories or tangeants about the gospel and forgetting that she was supposed to act like she knew nothing about the church. It was nice to hear her entire conversion story, starting with when she was five, but it sure didn't help us any with our teaching skills. Hma Y was sick all last week, too, so she was especially stressed. (Before you ask, Dad, yes I gave her Silver. She already knew all about it before I even offered, which was cool. We both said, "I thought I was the only one who knew about it!")

We had our first major meltdown this week. Hma Y's emotions were running high because of her cold and missing her boyfriend, and when Hmo. Alder called on her to teach something in Spanish she just burst into tears. Then I cried because I felt like I'd failed as a companion to help her. I think the Elders were a little scared. Hmo Alder was super supportive though and used the rest of our class time to encourage and praise us. Afterwards, Hma Y and I went to an empty classroom and cried some more, getting all our fears, doubts, and feelings of inadequacy out in the open. We consoled each other and set goals and said how much we love each other. Then we decided to not put ourselves down anymore. We've never had problems with each other, but we always would be condescending to ourselves. So we decided to put a stop to that--still push ourselves to learn but not listen to whisperings of ineptitude. Ever since that day, we have both been SO much happier. (Oh, and Hma Y was SO valiant when she was sick. We never went home early or took it easy or anything. I really admire her for her determination. And amazingly I never caught her cold and she's better now so YAY!)

My knowledge and appreciation of the gospel continues to grow daily. I love reading all the scripture chains in Preach My Gospel. The scriptures just make everything I'm taught so valid in my mind, and everything makes sense in such a way that I've never felt before the MTC. And yet, if anything, I've almost completely stopped relying on logic and "deep doctrine" to justify the Church. We've learned so much lately that to argue religion is not Christ's religion at all. Arguing drives the Spirit away, and without the Spirit we're nothing but teenagers wearing nametags. So I'm learning to put aside the obscure "answers" and focus more on trust and faith. It's helped me a lot already and I know it's the best way to help investigators, too.

We've been so spiritually edified this week. I swear every time I start to doubt or fear something, a speaker here at teh MTC will address and resolve it for me. One such speaker is the first counselor in our branch, Bro. Hollister. Whenever he sits down with our distrcit to see how we're doing, he ends up giving advice akin to a General Conference talk. This week he addressed how "going on a mission doesn't alter who you're going to marry, going on a mission ensures that you marry the right person." Hma Y was totally grateful to hear his words, but they helped me, too, and I don't even have a boyfriend at home waiting for me. It just quelled a lot of the fears that the world has instilled in me. Oh, my the way Dad, Bro. Hollister served in your same mission like a few months before you, which was fun to hear.

We also had a stellar Large Group Meeting this week, which addressed another fear that I'm sure every missionary has had instilled in them by even the members of the church. The teacher promised us that there is NEVER a mission that "never gets baptisms" or "won't welcome the gospel." He promised us that God sends us places for a reason, and that if we don't let people tell us that we'll fail and we work towards high goals, we will be extremely successful no matter how "hard" our mission areas are rumored to be. (P.S. Goompa, he used a lot of examples from when Pres. Monson was mission president in Canada. I couldn't see you in the group picture he showed but it still made me happy.)

The best part fo this week though was last Tuesday, soon after my last e-mail, when we had our Tuesday devotional. We got a new MTC presidency--the Browns (they are so sweet and seem so nervous but thrilled by their new calling). Since it was the Smiths' last devotional as presidents, ELDER HOLLAND came to speak! It was absolutely one hundred percent mindblowingly incredible. He is my favorite. he's so passionate about mission work and so inspiring and just so wonderful. I am so grateful that I got to hear from him. Funny story, though. Hma Y and I got in line by the gym doors early to get good seats. We rushed in once the doors were opened and got perfect fifth-row seats. But then, right before the meeting started, Hma Y really really needed to blow her nose. So she ran out and of course I had to follow her. Before we'd even left the room, the ushers stopped us and told us that we couldn't go back to our seats no matter what but had to go to overflow in another BUILDING for security reasons. So we had to leave our great seats, our coats, and our note-taking supplies and watch the devotional on a TV in another building. It was so lame. I was so mad at first, but then I decided to just laught it off mostly because Hma Y felt so bad. I think it's hilarious, now, and it was a fantastic devotional no matter where we were sitting, but now we know to never leave our seats and to always keep tissues on hand.

Well, that's all I have time to write. Tune in next week for another exciting installment of "Life at the MTC--The Spring Story" Episode 4. I love you all! Sorry I can't respond to you all individually this week. I appreciate everything you do and have done. I pray for you. Take care!

Love, Hma. Springer

P.S. If it's not too late, I'd love to have my plaque picture be that one that you sent me of me and Amanda (with Amanda cut out, of course). It's my favorite picture of me.

P.P.S. Sarabi--whenever we talk about charity and love ni class I always think about how we became friends when you were sick in Utah. You have my permission (and I beg you) to write that story down for me and post it on my blog. Thanks, kiddo! I LOVE YOU!!