Week 2 at the MTC

03/26/2013

Hiiiiiii (ask Cameron how to pronounce that)

Still no word on the visas.  I haven't met a single person going to Ecuador here.  Oh jk.  There's a worker who got her call going to Quito last week but that's it.  But I really do like it here and I wouldn't mind staying.  I've gotten really close with my companions and my district so it would be hard to leave.  But also way awesome to go to Peru.  I'll just do whatever the Lord wants me to do.

Our district has 5 hermanas and 5 elders, all of them going to Argentina but me.  All the hermanas are 19 except for Hermana Thompson, who is 20.  And then all of the elders are 19 except for Elder Young I think.  We all get along soooo well and we have a great time laughing at each other's stupid jokes.  Like calling Elder Nord "St. Ber-Nord" or saying "todo esta bien en el barrio" like it's all good in the hood.  Hahaha oh and the other day me and a few others broke out into the Arthur theme song.  Hahaha it was the best.  We all knew every single word.  Oh but Elder Nord is a character.  The other day he was like, "yeah I just can't wait to be cremated and give my ashes to a nephew that I hardly even know, along with a video that I made in like my 20s.  Ya know, a little zing from the dead."  hahaha and then we were learning about stress management and were writing a list of things that are stressful about the MTC and on his list was showering.  hahaha he cracks me up.

Oh Hermana Thompson and I like to use spanish phrases translated directly from English so they don't make like any sense.  Like "clavelo"  for "nailed it."  it's the best.  And then the other day we were learning about subjunctive and someone asked how to pronounce "mande"  so everyone was saying it and then Hermana Thompson leans over and says, "Tuesday" with a spanish accent.  It was funny.  Sorry if you don't get the humor in that.  

The food here isn't too bad.  For lunches, they have THE best chocolate chips in the world so if I get fat, I'm blaming those.  Oh but the other night, they had these nacho things that gave me gas.  But other than that, it's not too bad.

On Tuesday, we didn't make it to choir because our temple time is too late in the afternoon.  But Elder Whiting was the speaker.  He was the one who spoke last conference about temple standards.  It was cool to be in the same room with him!

The spanish is harder than I thought it would be.  Sometimes I get frustrated when we're teaching our investigator because I know what I want to say but I just can't put it into Spanish in the way that I want to.  But it's getting better!  We're learning and practicing a lot so we're improving!

So last night we had TRC where volunteers come in to be taught, usually members.  So our first one was a Chilean couple and we were just chatting with them, getting to know them, and oh, he just happens to be a member of the Seventy.  No pressure or anything.  Hahaha but he was super sweet and told us we did a great job.  The other couple was also Chilean, somehow related to the others.  But they talked soooooo fast!!!!  I don't know how I'm going to understand anyone in Ecuador.  I'll just pray.

Thanks for the package!!  You are the sweetest, Mommy :)

Yeah the laundry room is a nightmare.  There's only one so everyone is fighting for a washer.  But our companionship combines our loads so we only have to do two so that's nice.  We don't use the computers in there, we just use the ones in our classroom building later in the day.  Those are the only computers that have unlimited time and picture uploading capabilities so they're always packed.  But I'll try to get one of those soon to send you pictures.  Except I'm the DUC (kinda like DUF-designated ugly friend- but it's designated ugly companion) so my companions are all way cute and I'm just like heyyyyy I'm going to Ecuador.  It's all good though.  I have a good heart and that's all that matters.

That's exciting about Makenzie!  I didn't get a chance to say goodbye before she left.  And tell Landon congrats!

Oh happy birthday to Grandpa Solum and Brenden and Hopey and anyone else I'm forgetting!

Mommy, you don't have to send me any scarves or jewelry.  But if you wanted to send more shirts then I would be happy to get those.  I'm just sick of all mine already.

So I think I get asked if I'm related to John Bytheway at least 850 times a day.  I'm used to it but it's started to bug my companions so they just answer for me, like YES, GET OVER IT!!  Haha it's funny.  Oh but this one kid in my zone treats me like a celebrity.  It's almost awkward.  He asked me to forge John Bytheway's signature and autograph his book, which was funny though.

On Sunday, Elder Knudsen and Elder Young became our zone leaders and Elder Nord our district leader and Hermana Thompson our coordinating sister, who is basically like a sister zone leader.  So that was pretty exciting.

Oh I've been sick the past couple of days.  Just a cold.  Yesterday was the worst though.  I went through a whole box of tissues and I basically couldn't breathe all day.  I'm feeling a little bit better today  but I'm still stuffy/runny.  But don't worry, my companions are taking great care of me.
Yesterday I took lots of Vitamin C and cold medicine and instead of gym time, we took a nap.  They are the sweetest.  Hermana Thompson tied a little garbage bag to my desk so I didn't have to get up and go across the room to throw away my tissue every 2 seconds.  Haha it's pretty sweet.

That's fun that Dallin went to St. George.  Did he get my letter?  I hope so.  I sent it with Cameron and Brenden's too.  

Okay well I'm out of time.  Thanks for all the love and support and letters!  Oh and tell Alona mucho thank you for her sweet email!!!!  That seriously made me so happy to hear that from her!!

Love you all!!

Hermana Bytheway

Pictures at the MTC

Katelyn sent some pictures from her first two weeks at the Provo MTC. Enjoy!


"Here are some pictures! We aren't really sure which ones we picked, but hopefully they are good ones!"

Katelyn's First Email

03/19/2013


Holllllaaaaaaa!!!!

Well I'm here.  Thanks for all the letters!  Mommy, you seriously ask a thousand questions.  So thanks Daddy, for not asking any :)

I loooove my district!!  They are all soo funny and we all get along really well.  My companions are Hermana Rawlinson from Virginia and Hermana Thompson from Washington.  We are all a lot alike and we get along super well.  We always just laugh at ourselves, especially when we try to speak Spanish.  Like yesterday when we were teaching our investigator, we kept making up words we didn't know and he was just like, uhhh como??  It was hilarious.  But yeah, the Spanish is pretty rough.  I honestly didn't think I'd have that hard of time with it but I dooooo.  (shout out to Mari and Hope).  I have so much that I want to say but it's so hard to come up with the right way to say it in Spanish.  But I know it will come.

Yeah, I've seen 8 million people that I know here.  I'ts fun to see everyone.  Oh, my zone leader is Tanner Sorenson, Kurt and Wendie's nephew.  So that was a funny coincidence.

So today is our pday.  Obviously.  We're going to the temple this afternoon so that will be fun.  We also got to walk up to the temple on Sunday afternoon but it was cold so we didn't actually make it up to the temple.  hahaha.

The first night I slept terribly.  I could not fall alseep.  I probably only got a few hours of sleep and I had a dream that I just drove home because I couldn't sleep.  But all the rest of the nights have been good.  I have the top bunk.  I don't know why you want to know that, but there ya go.

Sorry this is all so scattered, I'm just trying to answer all your questions.  Hno Pepper served in LA I think.  The investigator is an employee, and next week he'll be our teacher and then Hno Pepper will be our investigator.

The coordinating hermana is like a zone leader for the sisters.  She definitely doesn't just talk a lot because she is nervous.  She just loves to talk.  But she's a sweetheart.

If you want to send a box, maybe send my purple keds, my stick, my silver curling iron, and some cute shirts.  I'm already sick of my clothes.

It sounds like you're having fun at Alta, Mommy.  I'm glad you got out of the dump.  I didn't have Ferguson.

Congrats on cleaning the garage.  That's exciting!

Okay I'm sick of answering questions.  Sorry, there's just too many, Mommy.  I love you though!!

So, not gonna lie, I was pretty disappointed to come to Provo.  I really wanted to go to Peru.  But the longer I've been here, the less I want to leave my district and my teachers.  All the hermanas (there's 5 total) and elders (also 5) are sooo hilarious and just awesome!  But I know that the Lord will put me where I need to be and when so I'm just going with it.

Yeah, I haven't met anyone here going to Ecuador.  Except one of the elders in my district said his cousin is going to my mission and she's in the Peru MTC right now.  So there's one person, I guess.  But yeah my whole district is going to Argentina, so I'm just the outcast.  It's fine.  They love me still.

So on Sunday I had a cool experience. Well because the first few days were extremely overwhelming.  Especially teaching the investigator.  So freaky.  Scarier than a million haunted houses. (Mari).  And our classes get super intense and I kept feeling inadequate.  So I kept asking myself, what the heck am I doing here??  It was bad. But in RS, the 1st counselor of the general primary presidency came and she showed us a video of Christ coming to the Americas and all the people coming unto Him.  And I just realized that this is why I am here.  To invite people to come and partake of that incredible happiness that comes through the Atonement of Christ.  It was an awesome experience.

Oh.  Dallin.  PAY ATTENTION IN SEMINARY!!!!  AND LEARN THE SCRIPTURE MASTERIES!!!!!  I definitely wish I would have learned those better.  They're super helpful!  Just learn all you can in seminary now, and you'll be so much better prepared for your mission.

Oh and tell all the YW thank you soooooo much for the package!!  That was sooo sweet of them!!  I felt so loved!  All of their support means so much to me :)  hahaha but they sent a bag of pirate booty and on it, it says "great for parrrrties", so sometimes my companions and I will just start talking like a pirate.  Now that I type that it doesn't sound funny but we think it is. Oh and my whole zone loves to quote nacho libre.  We find dorky ways to be entertained.  Especially not being able to dance.  Oh, that's killing me.  Sometimes I just want to shake it, ya know!  But I can't.  So it's no bueno.

Oh I'm senior companion.  So basically I'm the best.  Hahahahaha, it's definitely not even a big deal.  Our companionship is so easygoing so we haven't had to resolve any issues or anything.  So that's good.

Uhhh what else.  The food isn't that bad.  I usually eat fruit and cereal and salads and wraps.  And the occasional chocolate chip cookie because they're incredible.  And choc moo.  Only sometimes though.

Okay well I have 30 seconds left.  I love you all!  Thanks to everyone who has sent me stuff!!  The church is true and God loves us!

con mucho amor,
Hermana Bytheway

one more thing.  it's better if you send me dearelders so i can take more time for writing emails.  theres so little time!!!!!  muchas gracias :)