Only 18 days left in the MTC!

Feb 22, 2013

Dear Family and Friends!

WAHOOO!!! More than three weeks down. It's coming down to the wire!! I am so excited to be leaving soon (well, relatively soon) even though I am going to miss the amazing feeling here in the MTC.

Speaking of that. Can I please just say that it is a CRAZY time to be a missionary. INSANE…trying to more around in the cafeteria is like playing dodge ball… while holding a big tray of food… and while in a skirt. There are missionaries everywhere!! Okay, so sometimes its annoying when all you want is to get an apple and you have to wait in this huge line, but it's more incredible than anything. All these missionaries who want to serve the Lord! It’s the best.

So, to tell you more about my district, I am going to tell you about possibly my new favorite person I have ever met. His name is Elder Whitby, and he is from this teennnyy tiny town in the middle of Wyoming. He has bright red hair, has a bit of an accent, and the other Elders affectionately call him Elder Weasley. He is also one of the people that has that gift of joking about himself and making you crack up. Well, what we discovered this week is that Elder Whitby has killed EIGHT bears with a BOW AND ARROW. Please just let that sink in for a minute. And when you hear the stories, they are hilarious… and insane. Apparently they bait the bears with fifty pound barrels of doughnuts, sit in the trees all day and wait to see a bear big enough. I think my favorite story was when they treed the bear and he shot him out of the tree with three arrows and not the shotgun so they could make it on the Boone and Crockett list (google that…Elder Whitby was shocked that we hadn't heard of it.) But please not, I am NOT condoning the hunting of bears (sea world employee for life!) but I think, dad, that you would LOVE this elder. His bear stories are amazing.

Alright all you Spanish speakers, I have a Spanish joke for you all… and some missionary humor:

Porque las lamanitas tenian camisas arrugadas? porque no tenia las planchas!!! jajajajajaja

Also, our teacher was telling us about how we need to be united as a companionship, and she pointed out that alma and amulek were very united

"they were on the same page...literally!!!" haha. oh gosh I am turning into such a missionary.

But on a more serious note, I have really been thinking about the power of the atonement to guide us and change our actions. One of our teachers always talks about letting the "atonement go before your face to guide you' and I love that imagery! so often, as a missionary, I don't know what I should do, so that knowledge is just so comforting. I love this gospel, and am so excited to be here!

Love you all!

Hermana Monroe

Hermana Monroe and companion Hermana Alvarez point to Chile on the map...(We noticed Kimberly's finger is out in the ocean...apparently she will surf her way in!)

Photo of Kimberly's MTC District...I can spot the bear hunter Elder Whitby AKA Elder Weasley...

Kimberly wrote, "This picture is of all the sisters in my zone (Amazing, right? SO MANY SISTERS)