Week Four: The 4th of July

 Well this week marked one month of the mission down, and Emily's half way point in the MTC.  She told us they got to have ice cream and go outside to watch the Stadium of Fire fireworks.  She spent most of her P-day moving rooms and said seeing her roommates leave made her antsy to get into the field.  She said her Spanish is coming around and she is trying to use it more and more outside of class.  Emily raved about her teachers and said, "fam, don't be surprised if I end up being an MTC teacher.  I think it would be awesome."  Haha, she also seemed really excited that they had been able to watch the Joseph Smith movie.  Emily quoted proverbs 3:5 trust not unto thy own understanding but trust the Lords.  She said she thinks about this when she's struggling with the language or when things get hard.

Emily ended her letter with this, "K I want to give everyone a challenge and I'm serious about this!!! You have to promise me you will all do it. Dad Mom Zac Kels Kim Dillon!!! Please read the whole book of Mormon by this Christmas. This week my testimony was strengthened the power that comes from the Book of Mormon it's the power of the atonement. Before you read it think of one specific question you need help with like becoming a better missionary, mother father, spouse teacher. When you read it highlight specific verses that help you do so. I promise God will answer your question and you will become close to God. I know I'm being supper missionary Status at this point but if there's one thing you could do for me that's it! Will you do it?????? I want a letter from each of you when you have finished it and tell me how it went and what you learned."

So there you have it, happy Independence Day!!!

Week Three

Emily started this weeks email by thanking my parents for sacrificing everything and keeping it all together to raise her in this wonderful gospel.  We learned a little more about her two companions and the difference in their backgrounds and family life.   She said how much she loves her 'hermanas' even though it is difficult at times.  We can tell Em has had a lot of practice teaching lessons this week but seems to be getting comfortable with it. 

All the mission presidents were at the MTC for a seminar this week and Emily reported that apostles and the prophet were there all week as well.  Emily got to watch The Other Side of Heaven and The Testaments over the weekend and sounded pretty excited about it.  She also seemed really touched by a talk she had read from Elder Bednar the Christmas before and talked a lot about the difference of having a testimony and truly being converted to the gospel.  She said she loves the MTC and is so blessed to be given the opportunity to serve god for two years and help other come unto Christ. 

 In other news this week, Em said she's sick of the food and looks forward to having ice cream on Wednesdays and Sundays.  Emily also had a doctors appointment this week for a knee checkup and everything went fine.  A smoothie and card were waiting for her when she got there because it was right by my mom's office, but we all refrained from visiting while she was there.  Emily left her camera card with one of the nurses and my mom went and got it later that evening.  These were some of the pictures from it, we think its her zone/district, companions and mission presidents.

Week Two

On Wednesday, June 20, 2012, my parents received a call from Sister Larsen, Emily's companion.  She told them she had made the decision to come home and wanted them to know Emily had been really good to her during her short experience at the MTC and wanted them to know what a great sister missionary she is.  Emily emailed the next day and said she felt Sister Larsen's decision to go home was best, but still hard for both of them nonetheless.  When Sister Larsen left, Emily was put into a trio with two other sisters:  Hermana Chavoo and Hermana Holyon.  

 

Emily described Hermana Chavoo as " a black girl from Philadelphia, very bold and blunt" and Sister Holyon as "quiet and from an Indian reservation."  She said the trio is an interesting mix of personalities and has it's own challenges but is overall really good. 

Other highlights from the week include:

~Emily having a conversation in Spanish and communicating.  She described it as "all the lord and the spirit."

~Emily thanking everyone for their prayers.  She said she would've been a goner long before now without them.  

~Emily saying the language is hard but saying she doesn't get frustrated by it... monumental for Hermana Clayton, folks!!!

~Sister Dalton coming and speaking.  Emily said she had prayed the night before to learn more about the atonement and said Sister Dalton spoke of everything she needed to hear!

~Em saying, "I truly feel the savior's love for me, Hermana Clayton, and that he needs me and my talents in the Fort Lauderdale Mission.  

~We learned Emily isn't rooming with either of her companions but loves her roommates.  Also, her two best friends from high school, April Robins and Angie Helsten, are a couple doors down from her and she sees them every night.  

~We learned her old seminary teacher and parent's neighbor is the MTC choir directer and Emily is in the choir. 

Em ended by saying she doesn't know why she is so blessed and saying she feels pushed up and at peace in someway or another at all times. 

She sounds great!!!