MTC week 4

Dear Best Family in this universe,

Hello!! Kumusta! How are you? Thank you so much for the notes and emails! I love to hear from you! Thank you Mom and Gma W for the package, the dress looks great!!! I am excited to wear it on Sunday! I really like that shirt, Mom, and the headband is really cute! Thanks for everything!

So, here we go people, I get my travel plans tomorrow!!!! I'll let you know what they are next week. Yay!!! Whoa!!! Only like 10 days left!! Sweet!

This has certainly been an eventful few days. My companion is really busy with here STL duties because we got 55ish new missionaries in our branch!! Crazy! It's a good thing we have such a large district because we were able to divide and conquer teaching all the newbies the rules and taking them on a tour of the MTC. There are now 40 Sisters and about 30 Elders in our branch. Yesterday I was a host for the new arrivals.  It was really fun actually. I helped 4 Sisters get processed and to their classes. It was a great experience--It was sad to see them say goodbye to their families though. One of the sisters had two little brothers that reminded me of Blake and I almost started to cry. I love you all so much! But anyway, it was really fun!! We made history, there were 966 new arrivals yesterday, that is the most incoming missionaries the MTC has ever had in 1 day. I can't believe how much luggage some people bring. Some hosts had like 4 suitcases they were trying to haul. No one needs that much stuff. Haha. Sister Foster and I also got new roommates finally!!! The 4 Hermanas are going to Cuzco Peru. This is going to be a fun week meeting all of these new cute Sisters! Makes me feel all "old" though because I have been here for a month already! Haha. A couple of Sisters from Samoa started calling Sister Foster and I "mommy" since we were telling them all the directions and rules. haha.

Elder Callister spoke at our devotional on Tuesday. It was very deep doctrine, he talked about how the New Testament is the blueprint of our church, and new revelation is like a "change order" for the blueprint. Ours is the only church that fits the blueprint of the New Testament. Ted Gibbons spoke/acted for our devotional on Sunday. He kind of reenacted Willard Richard's life story and testimony of Joseph Smith. It was really neat. Joseph Smith truly was a prophet. Read JSH and D&C 121, 122, 123 and gain a testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith! I am so grateful for this church and for this gospel and for my Savior. Thank you Mom and Dad for being "goodly parents" and teaching me the gospel from when I was little. I know for myself that this is the only completely true church on the earth today.

Just because I know this will be posted on the blog... :)
Shoutout to the River 6th Ward and to my huge family! I hope you all know that I love you and care about all of you so much! Help the missionaries by giving them referrals and befriending every investigator and lost sheep! Be a Rescuer! :) I am so excited for all the missionaries leaving from our ward too!! This is so exciting! Also, Preach my Gospel is not just for missionaries. The Brethren were very involved in its creation and it is considered doctrine. Study it for yourselves. :)

So this morning as I was studying, I read D&C 50:24 (see the footnotes) and D&C 88:49, and the talk "Revelation" by David A Bednar. I know I am gaining so much light and knowledge everyday. But it takes time and diligence. Testimonies and true conversion to Christ come a little teeny bit at a time.

So, a lot of what we practice is role playing. We get turns to be the investigators and the missionaries.  It is really amazing!  We have been assigned to teach another companionship.  The main idea, other than learning how to teach, is to really understand the needs of the investigator.  

I hope this email even makes sense. Sorry if it is a little crazy. :) It has been a good week though! I hope you are all doing well! Tonight we have TRC which is where we get to teach member volunteers, most of whom are RMs from Iloilo and Bacolod. It will be fun! Sister Foster has to do orientation with all of the new districts, so I am going to tag along with Sister Van Slooten and Sister Livingston for the evening! I am excited. I am going to role play as a local ward member during their lesson.

I love you all so very much! Heavenly Father loves you too! Study the scriptures and PMG and laugh and smile and pray always! I love you! Have a wonderful week!! Be Happy!

Love, Cassie