I'm ALIVE

Familia y Amigos!!

Hola! I made it to the MTC and I'm alive! It's been a crazy 4 days, but I'm here and I'm loving it. My pdays will be on Fridays, we only have kinda a weird half day today. So! Let's get started, shall we?

On my first day, I said goodbye to my family and was lead to the sister's residency. It's actually pretty nice! I was able to take the elevator up with my luggage, so mom, I didn't have to carry my luggage up to the top floor! My host dropped my luggage off in the room (3 bunks, 6 sisters) and we went off to the bookstore to pick up my books. I got a heavy package of spanish books, grammar books, and even el Libro de Mormon y La Santa Biblia en Espanol! They emboss them for free here at the MTC so we'll be doing that soon! I went off to my classroom where I will be spending the majority of the next 9 weeks. We don't switch classes, so we just leave all our books in the classroom, it's super nice. I met my companions... yes, companions! I am in a trio with 2 other hermanas, Hermana Brown and Hermana Hinze. It's been 4 days and I already love them. We have gotten so close. Hna. Brown is from Mesa and was a nurse. She'll be serving in Bahia, but she'll be the missionary's nurse. It's pretty amazing! Hna. Hinze (like Hienz ketchup) is also from Mesa and is going to Nuequen. She is 5'11 and just a babe. I adore her. When we got oriented, we came back to class and our teacher started just teaching in spanish. It was crazy, but I understood most of what he said, and I was really surprised at how much I could understand. His name is Hermano Larsen and he's from Eagle! I wonder if you know him, Kristen? We met our Zone Leaders that night and they are so little. They're just small babies in suits! Haha but they are seriously so great.

Our district has 5 elders and 3 hermanas (we are the only hermanas in our zone right now!), and 6 of us are going on to Bahia, and 2 are going to Nuequen (that's where the penguins are). I LOVE OUR DISTRICT! It is seriously the best district ever! I LOVE our Elders. Elder Robertson is from Oklahoma and is so shy and so quiet. Elder Hall is so hilarious and writes notes on napkins to the kitchen crew every meal. Elder Allred is from Orem and so so nice. Elder Kelly is also so funny and loves talking to us Hermanas. Elder Harroldson is our district leader and is just so kind and is perfect for that calling. I seriously love them all like brothers and just want to pinch their cheeks every ten minutes. They are so mature and know why they are on missions. They work so hard and are so willing to learn.

The second day we studied more and I got pulled out of class. Some guy just started talking to me in spanish and I answered him the best I could. He told me he wanted to transfer me to an intermediate spanish class because I understood more than my district. Apparently, someone tipped him off! He even wanted to send me to the advanced class, then I'd leave for Argentina in 3 weeks! WHAT THE CRAZY! I don't think I'm ready for that and I definitely don't think my spanish is that good. I've been thinking about it a lot, and even though it would be a good opportunity, I would be a solo sister (no companion) and I would miss my district terribly. So we'll see what I decide... We also prepared to teach our progressing investigator, Favian. He's actually one of the teachers, but Favian is a real person, and a real convert, he's just acting like him. Did I mention we had to teach him in SPANISH!? Um, I don't know spanish yet...

On day 3 we prepped to teach Favion. We wanted to teach him about God and His love for him, so we mostly prepped on that. We had our lesson, and I think that it went as well as it could for a first lesson. I understood 80% of what he was saying, but I couldn't get my words organized to get across my message. Basically we told him that he had a loving heavenly father who was aware of him and that he could talk with him through prayer. It was amazing. This is what it's all about! That experience really boosted me up. We're going back tonight to teach him more about having a relationship with Heavenly Father.

The days are so long, but they are fulfilling. I feel like I'm learning so much already. Mornings are rough. They have exercise classes for the sisters at 6am but we have yet to make it to one. We do use our gym time well. They have a sweet gym with weights, ellipticals, bikes and resistance bands. Yesterday we did a lot of work with the reisistance bands and with pilates. It's great!

Had and Kels, thanks for the dearelders! Those are so great to get. Had- I loved your tweet from my favorite person and your story. I was almost crying from lauging. The food is ok, they have wraps and salads, so I mostly get that. There's no caffine so sometimes I get a diet coke (caffine free) and pretend that it's real. Haha oh man. Kels- I have seen Irma Wilde! She studies on the same floor so I've seen her almost every day. She is hilarious! I miss you both.

I got your package mom, the district loved it! I love healthy snacks! The only actual letters I got were from Mom and dad, and I think that's because my address is different. It's

MTC box 207

ARG-BABL 0402

2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT  84604

But letters and dearelders (dearelder.com) http://www.dearelder.com/  are so helpful! They literally make my night. I would add some pictures but I don't know how yet and the little time thing in the corner is freaking me out and ticking down. Everything is so scheduled here, you barely have time to go to the bathroom! We have like 1 hr of personal time at night where we can actually go to the bathroom by ourselves and stuff, but it goes by SO FAST! Before I know it, it's 10:30 and time for bed. I've been so tired, but I think that I will adjust. The best part of the day is putting on my nametag that bears the name of Christ. Sometimes it hits me at random times... I AM A MISSIONARY! I love it. Seriously.

I hope you all are well and I love and miss each of you!
Love,
Hermana Squire

Do we turn left or do we turn right???

Last picture together for 18 months, people!

Final wave to the parents!!