The MTC

So much has happened since I last wrote.  Let's start with last Monday.  That night, once P-day ended, nothing seemed to be going right.  We didn't get a chance to eat dinner because of other missionaries being late for a meeting so we tried to cook a pot-pie and weekly plan in our apartment.  Because the pot-pie was frozen it didn't actually cook all of the way through and we had to leave without eating and kept cooking it on low.  After none of our stop-by's working out, we decided to some back home to make sure the place didn't burn down.  When we returned, we decided that since we were home we might as well try to start teaching the neighbor across the hall that we had met the week before.  As we prayed before the appointment, the thought came to check the closet for a Tagalog Book of Mormon.  We had only one, so I grabbed it.  He let us in, and we met his wife and three daughters.  They are AMAZING.  At the end of the visit, they as well as us testified that they felt the spirit in the room.  As I thanked them for letting us in, the mother said, "When Jesus knocks at your door, you answer.  You let Jesus in."

The next day was Christmas Zone Conference.  I remember my first Zone Conference over a year ago.  I remember sitting in the St. James Chapel in Winnipeg thinking "this meeting has gone on forever... when is this going to be over?".  But as this Christmas Zone Conference went on I remember thinking, I've been sitting in this chapel for four hours???  Where did the time go????  My spiritual stamina has grown.  It was great.  President Thomas told some more amazing stories from his Airplane Days at Silver King Lodge in Alaska, this time about how his engine was literally exploding as he was flying with a passenger already terrified of flying.  He had to try and find a safe place to land, and calm the passenger all while he is trying to fly and keep his airplane together.  No big deal.  Every time he talks I want to move to Alaska! He is an amazing example of being a priesthood holder in everyday life, and Sister Thomas is also an incredibly faithful woman who is a leader in her own right.  I love her stories too!  Then after supper we watched "Meet the Mormons". (Which is a big deal because they don't have it showing in our mission.)  It was nice to watch a movie again.

On Thursday we went on last minute exchanges with Wascana instead of Moose Jaw because they got sick.  I was able to have Sister Hansen in my area.  I learned that trainers are angels.  She was telling me about her experiences as she trained for the second time, and I was thinking, "Man, what did I put Sister Wu through???"  Trainers are seriously amazing.  They take a raw, undignified human being and give them the molding to turn them into a missionary.

The more I'm out here, the more I realize that the Missionary Training Center is not only two weeks.  The MTC is your whole mission: You are a missionary being trained for life.  The MTC should be called the Missionary Training Center Training Center. (MTCTC).  Just Kidding.  But truly, this is the Lords University!  Time to learn all I can before exams!!!!!

This is a great video that to me is what the Christmas Season is all about: http://www.mormonchannel.org/christmas-videos?v=2919740155001.  Matthew 25:40 "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

"The Christmas Spirit is really the Spirit of Christ" Sister Cruikshank

Love you all!

Sister Heidi Hill

PS. Elder Stevens and Elder Jordan want to say hi.  They are the Lewvan South Elders who accidentally walked in the Family History Center while we were emailing.