Week #8: MTC September 1, 2016 - September 7, 2016

This week at the MTC, we've been having bat problems! In the sister residence halls, the upper levels 3 and 4 had to move out due to bats found in some rooms. It was officially the 4^th or 5^th time in a short while of having bats. At first

Sister Chambers cave fortress against the bats. 

we weren't affected, because we were on the second level. The other sisters had to move to a residence hall that previously had elders, who were reassigned residence halls for this reason. To say the least, they smell like elders, the bathrooms have urinals and only some of them had doors on the stalls...Anyway, on Friday night, my roommates heard flapping in the vents! We were eventually evacuated the next day, and moved to the other sister residence on the MTC campus. It's a smaller building, but there is more space and there are only 4 sisters to a room rather than 6. Thankfully, I still have the same roommates. The elders were awesome and half of our zone helped us move out. To catch bats, you would think you would have a squad of four people or more with some gear trying to catch them. That is not the case. The elders were at devotional early, because Elder Kwok was getting ready to play a cello musical number, when a bat flew in. Instead of a squad, there was one person, about 70 years old, trying to catch the bat with a butterfly net. To say the least, this past week has a bit busy and entertaining.

Sister Vranes and her district getting their flight plans.

This Friday, I finally got my flight plans. I officially leave this Monday! I can't believe how fast the MTC experience has gone. The elders told us they did the math and by the time we leave, as a sister at least, we will have already completed 11% of our mission! What?! Anyway, I've got quite a distance to get to Singapore, because I don't even arrive there until Wednesday. I'm going from Salt Lake Airport, to LAX, to Hong Kong, to Singapore (finally)! It's super exciting, nerve wracking, and everything else at the same time.

This week for Tuesday devotional, Chad Lewis and his wife came. Chad Lewis went to the Taiwan, Taichung mission, speaks mandarin, and played football (he helped the Pittsburgh Eagles go to the Super Bowl). He was so very inspiring, and got us all pumped us ad mandarin speakers on our

Study materials I have to take to Singapore/Malaysia.

missions. He had an elder from the other zone whose dad he knew, and had him share his testimony in Mandarin. It was cool to understand the elder's whole testimony and powerful to hear him share that simple message over the stand. He told of the many time he had the opportunity to share the gospel, especially in his football career. Just hearing him talk, I could tell that his whole demeanor and the way he treated others, always testified of Christ. That is the light we all have, and the duty we all have to share it. Let your light shine through so that others may recongnize God.

On Sunday, Elder D. Todd Christofferson and his wife, Katherine Christofferson, visited. Elder Christofferson spoke of repentance as a turning to God. He also spoke of the importance of why we are sharing the message of repentance--when we share the message of repentance, we are testifiying that there is a Savior; we are testifying of Christ. His talk put a whole new perspective on our call as missionaries, and gave a lot of confidence. Sister Christofferson's talk was inspiring. She shared a story of a missionary in Russia

The two districts that are leaving the MTC on Monday.

who lost her luggage, after a week of not having found it, she wanted to go home. The mission president's wife put it so simply. There are two people who are vying for your attention: God and Satan. Who wants you to succeed? God. Who wants you to fail? Satan. Who do you want to win this war?