Hello from the MTC

Cumriapsua Krom Kruasaa!

That means Hello Family! (As far as I know, anyway). Okay the MTC is the BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD! I seriously am never leaving. Except for when I go to Cambodia. But then I'm coming back here and staying forever. It also feels like a different planet... Time here is so bizarre. Everyone says that, and now I understand. Every day goes by so fast, and yet it seems like years between morning and night. I can't explain it. But I love it!

I made a list throughout the week of things I wanted to tell you, so hopefully that makes for a more interesting email!

Okay first things first. The COOLEST word in Khmae is the word for missionary. Are you ready? This is in the romanized again: neakphsoppsaaysaasnaa. That word means missionary. That one word. Let me try to tell you how to say it. Knee-yeah-p-sop-sigh-sass(really nasally)-naa(also really nasally). So the phrase I am a missionary from Heavenly Father is: Khnom kuu cia neakphsoppsaaysaasnaa nei preah voobeidaa. More or less. The romanized isn't actually like a real language. It is just the worlds attempt to make Cambodian easier to learn. So there is no real agreement on how things are spelled. It makes learning it somewhat interesting, but it's fun. Soon though, that won't even be an issue because I've started reading script!!! WOO HOO!! I memorized the consonants this past week and last night I started reading the verse 1 Nephi 3:7 in Khmae. It is crazy! And so much fun! It truly is the longest phoenetic (spelling?) alphabet in the world. There are 33 consonants. 33 subconsonants. and like... a lot of vowels. I think there end up being 102 or something "letters" overall. IT IS SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!!!!! Also they roll their R's and they use the spanish n-yay. (I don't have it on this computer). But it's like spanish! Except for not at all... :) Also, there really aren't spaces in Khmae!! Hahaha! So yeah, all those long words in the Book of Mormon we have are just a bunch of words squished together. But, the spaces that are there are like... commas I think? I'll have to clear that up.

So I still LOVE all the sisters and all the people in my district. Seriously, I love them all! I spend like 12 hours at least every day with them and I LOVE THEM! Wow, what a blessing! I didn't tell you this last time, but I am the only 21 year old sister, which makes me the only 21 year old, of course. :) All the elders and 18, except the one 19 year old. There are two 19 year old sisters, and two 20 year old sisters. I have been given the nickname "Sister Grandma." I think it's a term of endearment. :)

I love gym time! We have 50 minutes at gym everyday and then like 30-40 minutes to get ready. It is so nice! At gym I occasionally ride the bike or elliptical. But mostly I play 4-square and basketball! Haha four-square is the best. But I actually mostly play basketball all the time! And I have somehow managed to convince people that I am good at Basketball! Haha, fooled them! But seriously, basketball is awesome, and I love it, and it's so refreshing! I am going to be really good by the time I leave! The only unfortunate thing is that I have to have another sister play if I want to play a real game, because I can only guard sisters. So I play real games maybe like once a day, otherwise I play a lot of lightening (or speed, or thunder.) Everyone calls it something different.

Guess what. My companion and I LEFT the MTC the other day. She has had this rotten cough, and so we got a prescription, LEFT THE MTC, and walked our little missionary selves over to the BYU student health center. It was weird being outside of our little planet. And nobody even asked a single question! We just walked right out... It was quite the adventure! I'm glad to be back. It was weird being to close to BYU Campus.

So, you know how I told you I had been teaching an investigator in Khmae? Well, we taught him a few more lessons, and now it turns out he is our teacher! He was our teacher the whole time, but we just didn't know it! So now we have two teachers a day, for 3 hours each. IT IS MY FAVORITE THING!! I learn so much from them! They are both so awesome!

Easter Sunday was so incredible here! Bishop Causse from the presiding Bishopric came and spoke in the morning. It was so incredible! And then at night Sister Sheri Dew came and spoke to us as well! Then at night I watched a devotional Elder Bednar gave here a while ago, and it was INCREDIBLE!! It is called the Character of Christ. I don't know if you can access MTC devotional talks, but if you can, you all should definitely watch this one. It is so awesome! The day was just so wonderful because it was all focused on the atonement, which is my favorite thing! A really neat thing also happened on Sunday. For the first time ever, the sacrament was served to approximately 3,000 missionaries here at the MTC in one meeting! That is history-making material!!

I cannot WAIT for General Conference this weekend!! WOOHOO!!!!!

On Saturday I had the best personal study. We are given an hour each day for personal study in which we can study the scriptures, preach my gospel, etc. I basically just decided to have a conversation with Heavenly Father about who I want to be and who he wants me to be as a missionary. I asked him to guide me to ask him the right questions so I could become who he would have me be. I then proceeded to really study my patriarchal blessing. This was the most incredible thing ever! I came away with like 10 questions that I will ponder and study and find answers to, that I think will really help me become who the Lord would have me be, especially as I apply them in my life. I learned so much and I'm so grateful for the direction I could really feel the Lord offering me in the questions I came away with. I just want so badly to be the missionary He wants me to be. I want to be an instrument in His hands. I am going to do all I can to become that.

I heard something neat the other day. The MTC obviously stands for Missionary Training Center. But MTC could also stand for Make The Change. I really liked that when I heard it.

Thank you for the easter treats! I have so much candy!!!!! If I don't get fat from the MTC food, I will from all the junk I have received. But please, keep it coming. :) The package Stockton sent me was full of cinnamon rolls, and I received a big package from Sheila my old roommate that had lots of candy!!! MMMM!! Yummy!

I love you all! I miss you, but I love it here! I love the gospel and I love how much I learn! I love Heavenly Father SO MUCH!!!

Cumriaplia,

Sister Homer