My First Week At The MTC!

Hi Everyone!

This is now Sister McGary! I started the online MTC on Monday and it has been a very busy few days! I finally got to meet my companion. Her name is Sister Porter which is cool because my grandma's maiden name was Porter. It's a very common last name but there is a possibility that we could be related. I'm so blessed that I got a companion that is so nice and hardworking! I also have such a fun district. There are 4 Sisters and 8 Elders. We are all from Utah, Idaho, and Arizona. Half of us are going to Wisconsin and the other half is going to Las Vegas. I am so glad that I now know people who are going on the same mission as I am. We are in class for about 6 hours a day so we have been able to get pretty close even though it's only been 3 days. I learned so much from the missionaries in my district and my teachers are so insightful! They are so enthusiastic about teaching the gospel and their excitement is contagious! This makes sitting in front of a computer for 8 hours a lot easier.  It took one of the teachers three classes to recognize that I was a redhead but it was over zoom and I was in bad lighting so he got a pass for that. I am learning that I need to get better at technology. At our first companion study, I was sitting in the google meet room and I just thought she was running late. Ten minutes go by and she texts me asking if we are doing comp study and I am like ya I am in the meeting room. She was also in the meeting room. Turns out we were both sitting in separate meeting rooms waiting for each other. We laughed about it and we learned from that mistake. 

I don't know what I was expecting but I did not expect to be teaching right away. On the second day of class, they put us into breakout rooms and we started doing mock lessons. Then on the third day, my companion and I had the opportunity to do our first lesson with an investigator (someone who is acting as an investigator). We are able to do this two or more times a week. We hadn't really learned how to teach so I was nervous but they had been teaching us how important the Holy Ghost is when teaching the gospel. It not only helps your investigator to feel peace and truthfulness about what you are teaching but it also helps you to know when to say. I know that the spirit led me through teaching this lesson because when I was struggling to think of what to say, words came out of my mouth. I also saw this happen while writing my farewell talk. I was struggling to know what to say so I prayed to know what the people in the congregation needed to hear that day and the spirit gave me ideas of what I needed to say. I know that the Lord uses us as an instrument in his hands. I am so excited to learn how to be able to teach better and how to rely on the spirit more. 

While teaching our investigator, he expressed that he didn't think God loved him because he wasn't doing everything he thought he should be doing. It broke my heart to hear this and to know that there are so many people who don't think or don't know that our Heavenly Father loves us no matter what. This is why I am going on a mission. I am going to help people know that they are loved and that they deserve to feel peace and joy.

I have realized that a mission is the hardest thing I have ever had to do but it is going to be the most rewarding. I got the opportunity to hear my cousin's homecoming talk right before I went into the MTC and he said something that has helped me through this week. He said that a mission is not the best two years of your life but it is the best two years of your life. Yes, it might be really hard right now but it is going to be so worth it. 

I am getting the opportunity to go out with our local sister missionaries tonight! I think it's going to be a great experience to learn from those who are in the mission field.

I am so sorry that was such a long and jumbled email I am still getting the hang of this missionary email thing.

I hope you all have an amazing week!

Sister McGary