Chelsies countdown

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Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Chelsies 2nd email

Hola everyone!
I am about to start my 3rd week here! Time is flying! Everything is really great. I love being here in the MTC. It has blessed my life and knowledge of the gospel unconditionally and I cant imagine what it will be like after 18 months. I love my teachers. They are the most amazing people and has solid testimonies. Last night we had the privilege to hear from Elder L. Tom Perry! I guess its been a long time since an apostle came. He was incredible! The spirit was so powerful and my heart was full of love. He talked about the Book Of Mormon and Joseph Smith. He was funny and has a sincere personality. What a sweetheart.
The days are long! They are SO worth it. I love learning Spanish! I learned how to testify and pray in Spanish! We contact people here, just as we would in the MTC. So we introduce ourselves and get to know them and bear our testimonies at least 4 times a day to different companionship's.
My Zone is way cool. There is one district of 4 Elders leaving soon to Hondorus! Maybe Pres Veirs mission! They are so smart and excellent missionaries.Then there is one other district of all elders (12) all going to the same mission in Argentina! They have been here 7 weeks so leave next week. The two Hermanas in our district leave on Tuesday for Guatemala (there is a MTC there) :( We have gotten so close to all of them so it will be sad) but i hear we get some new hermanas next week! :)Hermamas are da best.
I have had such a great time here. I am reading in Alma right now for my personal studies and started it when I got here and am finishing up Alma soon. It is my favorite because it is all about missionary work! The Sons of Mosiah and Alma the Younger are incredible missionaries! I hope I can have that drive and desire like them. I am so grateful for my experience in Israel. It has prepared me for my mission in ways I cannot even imagine. I love missionary work and have a passion for this gospel. we are fulfilling the Lords purpose! This is what we are here to do! It brings so much comfort into my life. I have never been happier in my life! :)
I love getting mail especially the dearelder.com-hint hint... Love you all and muchisimos gracias for all your support!

Con Amor,
Hermama Tavernier!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Hermana's first email

HOLA!!!! Como Estas?!
. Well I LOVE being a missionary. I love it so much :) My companion is so awesome. Hermana Gleason. She is from Utah. She is spunky and fun! She reminds me of Lesley a lot. :) We are just starting to get the hang of things here. She is going to DC Temple Visitors too! We will be here for 10 weeks because our 10th week if temple training week. We will go to temple square I believe that Friday :) I love learning Spanish! It is hard, but a challenge hopefully I will master. I know how to pray in Espanol and Testify in Spanish, even to ask little questions like "how are you", "Where are you from" where are you going" and what do you like to do" :) There are 2 other Hermanas here named Hermana Robles and Hermana Ralphs. They are from Oregon and Utah. We all get along great. We all arrived the same day and live in the same room. So there are the 4 of us Hermanas in our district. There are5 Elders. A threesome and a 2some. They are awesome. One reminds me of Chase :) The Elders are all going to Nigaragua and the other Hermanas are going to Guatemala, they will leave in 2 weeks because there is a MTC in Guatemala. :( The Elders will be with us all 9 weeks. My teachers are great! one is Hermana LeBarge who served in LA! She is SO good in espanol and is SO NICE! Hermano Swenson is awesome! i think i cry every one of his classes haha! He brings the spirit SO strong to class in the mornings. He teaches in the morning, then LeBarge late at night. Then during the day we have 3 hours of study, one for personal, one for companionship study and one for language. Then there are always a fireside, large group meetings or devotionals in between. Our Zone has 4 disticts(each district has about 10 people in it) But one left today for numerous parts of the US and South America. Some where going to Hondrus so i told them to look out for Pres. Veirs HAHA. We are the only Hermanas in our whole zone of lots of Elders! haha. I loved your dear elder!!!!! :) i love getting those so keep them comin! :) Devotionals are so great! we had a member of the 70 come last night and MAN he was so legit! They really come down hard on the missionaries here. Its so hard to change my ways of thinking and acting! Im trying to be more professional and reserved! They have gym classes in the morning from 6-6:30! A teacher teaches different classes every morning, today was STEP! there are yoga, pillates, kickboxing, toning and weight classes for a half hour every morning! :) so i drag my companion out of bed every morning haha! Then we always have 50 minutes for gym every day. The field just opened last week so we go up there and pay different sports or run! it is very fun!I see Ali almost everyday! I saw her this morning and made a "contact" with her :) that mean i introduced myself and testified :) I haven't seen Melissa. I am the coordinating Sister! Its like the zone leader but for the girls! So i get to help the new sisters when they come in and get them settled :) My branch pres is AMAZING. He is SOOO great :) Every sunday we have to prepare a 3-4 min talk IN ESPANOL! its hard! haha. I had a tutor help me translate everything for this past Sunday, but thankfully I didn't get called on! I see Grant Payzant all the time! Yay for Linz and Jon another cousin getting married!!!!!!!! :)) I will miss the wedding :( The food is okay.
Thank you for all your cards and for the package too come soon, I haven't gotten it yet but am excited to get it! :)
Mom and Dad, I love the spirit here. It is amazing. It just confirms to me that this is EXACTLY what Im supposed to do in my life right now. I have never been happier and spiritual and emotional than here. I ball every day! I am getting better because we talk so much in our class and I am able to share many experiences that happened in my life that truly converted me. I feel so strong here, like the Lord is really watching out for me. We have taught "investigatios" in Spanish already and it is amazing how the spirit speaks to your heart and mind and tells us what to say. I think after "how did I say those things??" IT is great! I couldn't be happier! The schedule is demanding! It is mentally and spiritually demanding so it makes me physically weak, but I remember there are 2000 missionaries here in the MTC that are here & feel the same way. I understand why I need to learn Spanish! Since i have learned so much of the gospel in English, it is easy (from Israel, Seminary and BYU) to learn the gospel in Spanish. It is hard to speak though! I hope I will be able to one day!!! There are 2 sisters here from Jerusalem and 2 from BYU Idaho! Its fun to see familiar faces. I have Spanish dreams already haha! people are constantly speaking it at the table where we all eat together (our zone) and the 2 other disticts have been here for 6 and 7 weeks so they got it down! Everyone is so fun! P-day is here! Today we get laundry time to write. Email only 30 mins. And then lunch, then temple time at 4! :) we have class tonight!

First Day at the MTC Provo Utah

my "other moms"

Kim & Chels!

cousin Krissy & hubby Tyson!

Aunt Lori, cousin Erin & the Bradster

Doug!

Britt & Bri my best twin sis in the whole world