ONE WEEK DOWN!!!

HELLO EVERYBODY!!! :) how are you! I'm so good, I survived my first week at the MTC! It's been the longest week of my life haha but probably the most beneficial. It also went by super fast. I'll just start at last week and tell you everything that's happened!

SEPTEMBER 4th
The longest day of my life...I got up at 2:40 am to catch my early morning flight and didn't go to bed until 11 pm that night! I slept on the plane so that was cool.When I landed in Utah it was so cool to see all the other missionaries there heading over to the MTC, like there was about 40 or so kids in suits and dresses, it made me feel cool to see them haha. I wish you all could have seen me trying to roll my luggage around. I only have 2 arms and had 3 huge suitcases...they kept tipping & falling over. I just had to laugh at myself because I looked ridiculous..haha whatevs I'm over it. Anyways I get dropped off at the MTC and start my hectic first day! I got my name tag and I almost cried when I put it on, it's so special to see the words "SISTER MANSON" and "JESUS CHRIST" like right next to each other. After that I was lead to my classroom and met all the missionaries that I would be spending time with until we leave. There's 4 Elders, and 4 Sisters total. The Sisters in my District are so great. Perfect for me!! Sister Steadman, Sister Cox, & Sister Reyes. Hahaha we refer to ourselves as the PHILLY FOUR. Because we're all going to PHILLY!!!!Sister Steadman is my companion, and all my prayers paid off!!! Because she is exactly like me!! Picture the brunette version of me, and BAM, that's Sister Steadman. We're always laughing when we're together, and we're together literally 24/7 because that's the rules, so its been fun! We wear this orange dot on our name tag to let everyone know we're the new kidz on the block, and everyone who sees you says "Welcome to the MTC!" The first like 6 were great, but after hearing it like 40 times, it got annoying....haha. We ate dinner at 4:30 pm....who the heck eats dinner that early?? Me now. Haha. So apparently my alarm was set to eastern standard time and it goes off at what I think to be like 6:30 am so I get up and get ready, but no one is up!! I then realized it was 4 haha I felt so dumb.

SEPTEMBER 5th
First full day at the MTC..so long!! They days go by SO SLOW....but I love every minute but was very exhausted and it felt like a week long. They say that the days are like weeks, and the weeks are like days. #TrueStory We were taught how to view the investigators how God sees them and what their potential is. Got me thinking about myself, and how I should also view myself how God sees me and my potential to be a great missionary. Crazy news I have only been in the MTC for literally a day and a freaking half and I already have a calling!!! Whaaaat?! Seriously? Yes. I was called to be the "Sister Training Leader" Basically I help the new sisters that come Wednesday and teach and help them out and be their friend. #PieceOfCake But it's kinda a big leadership calling and I was surprised and humbled to be called.Me and Sister Steadman had our first teaching assignment today!! We planned a lesson and taught a "fake" investigator. It'll be neat to see him grow closer to Christ as well as see myself and Sister Steadman grow closer to Christ and be better teachers. Our first lesson went well! I was so scared, but we said a prayer before we went in, and it was so cool to be able to speak by the Spirit!! I've never been able to do that in my life, so to me it just shows how I really am called of God, and set apart as a missionary! Haha we invited him to pray and be baptized...on the first lesson! So crazy but so good. Later today I was getting discouraged and doubting myself, but then Sister Looney (our teacher) taught us a lesson on revelation through prayer. My comp and I started freaking out and we both realized how blessed we were, and how often Heavenly Father has answered our prayers. This is my 2nd full day here and I can already say & tell that I am such a different person now than before entering the MTC. I literally feel the spirit 24/7 here. It's awesome. I've never experienced that before. We have 2 classes that were each 3 hours long!! Being at the MTC makes going to school, and going to church for 3 hours like a freaking PLAYGROUND and a walk in the park. Hahaha I thought 3 hours of church was rough...I'm in church clothes 24/7!! haha I'm learning so much here, and my knowledge and love of Christ continues to deepen daily! I've never said so many prayers in my life before, and never been so sincere with them..

SEPTEMBER 7th
Honestly don't even remember what we did on Saturday, today's Sunday. Started off pretty cruddy. Didn't really feel the spirit at all..which sucked. Wasn't sure why..but I had a little heart to heart with Sister Steadman..love her to death. I love her so much, so grateful for her. I know I can't do it on my own, I need to rely on Heavenly Father!!Satan just works hard on me & I need to work even harder. I want to succeed and be a great/the best missionary I can be. And I hope and pray to continue to have the desire to serve and work hard.

SEPTEMBER 10
We taught a HORRIBLE lesson today...hahahaha all we could do was just laugh after we were done.... so we wouldn't get too down at ourselves. haha I'M OVER IT.Got our flight info!! We leave Tuesday morning at 2:30 for the airport! Flight leaves at 6 and then we'll be in PHILLY at 3!!! That's exciting. I'm learning and growing so much about Christ and how this gospel can really bless people's lives. I loved getting letters from my FHE family! Love you all! The rest of you....WHERE YOU AT??? Send me letters!! I miss you :(Literally never been so tired and exhausted in my life, but I'm so happy!! I pretty much look exhausted every day, but I can rock that look for the next 18 months...hahaha I'm over it. When you are in the service of your fellow men, you TRULY are in the service of the Lord. I love serving Him& sharing the gospel. Definitely this is one of the hardest things I've done so far, and I've left so many things out because I have no time to say everything...but I love it. This is what I need to be doing right now. I'm called of God and set apart as a missionary, I can do this!

Love and miss you all!Love Sister Manson