Week 0.5

Note before Taylor's email: as you'll read, Taylor switched zones so her box unit number changed. If anyone has sent a Dear Elder letter it most likely did not get to her if you used the old number. Feel free to resend them if you'd like but from now on use "177."

Friends and Family!

D&C 31:3 "Lift up your heart and rejoice for the hour of your mission has come"

It has only been a day and a half but already so much has happened!

After I got dropped off I went into a room and received my nametag. I'm in love with it. Then I was lead to my classroom. My district was me and nine elders but my companion never showed up so I had to be reassigned to a new district in a completely new zone at dinner time. Which was a little sad because my district was full of really awesome people. But I am counting my blessings- because I was alone for dinner I was able to eat with Sister Caroline Gallegos! It was awesome. I love her so much. It is true that the food isn't great, but if you take a few extra minutes to look around before you choose what you are going to eat you can normally find something that's okay. 

A new zone also means I have a new box unit number! It’s 177 now. I am now in a trio with Hermana Barker and Hermana Sherrow. Both are very sweet.

Everyone here is so friendly. Which is a little off putting at first, but everyone is so helpful so that's awesome. My most used word by far is Gracias. Thank you senor Ricardo for teaching me that (jokes). 

The first day we got to learn a lot of Spanish, (our teachers only speak to us in Spanish) which is awesome. I have already learned so much in such a short time. I keep little flash cards on my name badge that I can look at whenever I have a few minutes free. They are so helpful I already made over 50. Spanish takes a lot of patience because it does not come easily. Once we learn a Spanish word we try not to say it in English anymore. We try to pray only in Spanish, which I am okay at but need a lot more practice. Tonight we are teaching our first "investigator" in Spanish. "It’s going to be horrible" - quote from a member of our branch presidency. His name is Alex and we have prepared a lesson in Spanish, lets hope he doesn't ask any questions because we probably wont be able to understand much of anything. 

We get to go to this class called ‘People and Our Purpose’ where they have staff act as investigators and as a group of about 50 Elders and Sister we talk to them and try to teach them. Each investigator has a back-story that we try to relate to. We rotate through different investigators. When we got into the second room and I saw the investigator I started laughing because I knew him! His name is Dylan and we had a class together at the MTC. We both kept laughing during the lesson because he was saying all this stuff about himself that only I knew was completely false. But it was so fun to see him and I got to talk to him for a minute after. I have seen SO many people that I met at BYU, from home, even EFY. I love seeing people; it's one of my favorite things here! I got to eat Breakfast with Elder Koncerat (totally not how you spell it) who was in my ward at BYU and also in my philosophy class, it was good to hear what he was up to. 

Hermana Sherrow wasn't feeling well so we went to the doctor yesterday. She had an extremely high fever and has strep throat! Which is super sad because it is obvious she is in a lot of pain (pray for her!). It also means that we have to stay in our room most of the day. Thank goodness we are in a trio because Hermana Barker and I take turns being with Hermana Sherrow in our room and going with the other Hermanas in our district to class. It just shows me that everything happens for a reason. It is pretty hard to have to have someone stay in the room because it take a lot if coordinating to make sure we can all eat and get the notes from class. But hopefully Hermana Sherrow will make a fast recovery and we can get on a normal schedule! "Obedience brings blessings, but exact obedience brings miracles." We are trying so hard to be exactly obedient because we really want Hermana Sherrow to feel better!

My room is pretty small. We share with five Hermanas but there are only four closets. We have taken advice from Tim Gunn and have “Made it Work!” My district is the five Hermanas in our room and six Elders. Everyone is nice, and VERY talkative. Our zone leaders get a little annoyed sometimes. 

Today we get to watch President Packer’s funeral. The rest of the day is pretty up in the air because the schedule is very different then our normal P-day schedule. 

I also can't send any of the pictures I took because you need a special memory stick converter thing that I haven't been able to get yet (down side to having your P-day on your third day). But I will try to send a lot next week!

The MTC definitely is hard. We have had our fair share of trials with switching rooms, companions, and Hermana Sherrow being sick. But I am so happy. I have never felt the spirit like I feel it here in my life. It is so incredible to share my time with so many people who are trying to better themselves and grow closer to God. It's hard to leave family but I trust that our Heavenly Father will take care of you all. 

I pray for all of you so much! I hope that you are all happy, healthy, and having a great summer. 

Much love,

Hermana Doxey

P.S. Sister Sherrow speaks in Spanish in her sleep, which makes me laugh so hard because she didn’t know any when she got here and has had to miss the most class.