Week 4

I love this mission! It's so pretty here (surprisingly), I'm more in Oro Valley which is the greenest part of Tucson. The wildlife here is crazy! I got to do some service at Catalina state Park, and they took us to this reptile room to play with snakes. I was holding this one snake and it kept wrapping around my waist (it was a giant snake btw) and then when someone else would try to hold it, it would constrict around my wrist. I left with marks on my arm because it was so tight. It actually cut off circulation for a bit. Scary, but super cool hahaha

My trainer is awesome. We joke that we are the same person. We have a ton of matching clothes, same kind of humor, we say things at the same time. AND GET THIS... Her name is Abbi, she has a sister named Megan, another sister named Carli, and her mom's name is Leslie!! Crazy!! She loves sleep, so we go to bed pretty early every night which is wonderful!

Life is good. Not stressed yet so that's nice. My comp says I'm one of three most chill greenies, so she gave me the phone on the first day. Apparently I wasn't supposed to get it till like next week,. But we cover 2 wards so it is really nice because it helps me learn where people are.  My first day we found 2 new investigators and gave out a few BOMs. I also got to injure someone to be baptized, honestly I don't know how I've been so lucky. I was expecting to have to explain the importance of baptism and all that. But she just looked at me and said, actually I don't want to be baptized on the 30th of September(which was the date I extended) I want to be baptized sooner,  my birthday is on the 18th can I be baptized then? So yeah, life is pretty great in Tucson so far.  

There are cactus everywhere and it's pretty hot, but it's not as bad as i thought it would be. I haven't felt out of place at all. The sunsets are amazing!

Covering two wards is a little tricky trying to know names with faces and what ward they're in, but the people are nice and really helpful.

I went over to the ward mission leader's house and he seemed really cool. And then as we were finishing up he was like, do you mind if I let my turtles in the house? Hahaha he had a little dessert tortuous named Turrley t. Tortoise that he let us hold and play with.  And he also had a giant tortoise named big T hahaha. He loves them so much and talks to them like they are puppies. Wasn't expecting that.. But I thought it was pretty funny. 

Also got to help my APs clean their new apartment.  They wouldn't move in because it was so nasty! So my comp and I and our ZLs went and helped them deep clean. It was like a nasty motel! I spent like an hour and a half just scrubbing the walls.  But it was fun I guess, and we found a guy in the parking lot who helped us with directions, so we gave him a BOM 

Not to much else happened this week. Sorry I don't have nearly as many pictures. Honestly, I feel like I never stop sweating so I never wanna take a picture.

Till next week! 

Megan

Week 3

I'm here in Tucson, and I love it! The more I learn about this mission the more excited I get! It's crazy, I was so emotional when I called home and was scared when I landed, but as soon as I met the mission president and his wife, I've felt nothing but peaceful.  I was the first to get a picture with them and we get along great! They are fun and pretty chill. It was awesome too because as we took pictures we got to watch the eclipse. 

Tucson is the HOTTEST MISSION THERE IS!! I'm sweating so bad. But it's actually beautiful here! I am in the north west zone, right by the new temple! It's in my zone. I am right in Tucson and so I get to see the mission pres and his wife all the time. And the AP's are in my district. Hahaha apparently I need to be watched. But my apartment is actually pretty nice.

Did I tell you about the monsoon season here? Yeah, it's hot all year and then they have a monsoon season. Look up pictures of monsoons in Tucson, it's pretty crazy! 

My New companion is sister Gadd, and she is great! She is super understanding and chill. She is sarcastic and fun, I think we'll get along just fine! 

I am so excited to be here. I feel so good. I got off the plane and it just felt right. I don't feel out of place at all! Hahaha I'm almost too relaxed.

P day is on Monday. So I'll send more then, but I only got a quick minute to say I'm alive. 

Megan 

Here are more photos from the MTC:

MTC Week 2

Rough start to this week. My whole district got sick and was throwing up the first few days. Funny story actually, one of our elders ended up in the ER and was left there for a few hours in the middle of the night. He is totally fine though. Ended up asking for a blessing from some friends, it was their first time, so it was really sweet to see them so excited. It was simple, But It did the trick. Felt great for the rest of the week! My lessons are going really well. Still need to work on companionship unity, but the improvement from last week is crazy. I'm working hard and having fun! 

Finally got pictures with Anna Pronk and Matt Spataro! And saw some friends from BYUI that I didn't even know were coming on missions! So that was awesome. 

The new buildings are amazing! They have such beautiful pictures and murals on every floor. There are places to study everywhere. So I love finding a new spot everyday. 

My schedule kind of sucks, we have exercise time right after lunch. But my district all goes and plays volleyball which is super fun! Definitely getting a nice farmers tan. Although the heat here is killing me, and yet I'm the only one who actually thinks it's hot... So I'm actually going to die in Arizona! Hahaha. 

Had the best experience with one of my TRC investigators this week! We didn't focus on Christ in our first lesson. She asked a ton of really hard questions, and the whole time it was like playing whack a mole with all the questions. We didn't have the spirit, she kept trying to argue with us and see if we'd break. We left feeling awful. But I asked her to read the book of Enos. And honestly, I had no idea why I asked her to read it. But we went to class and asked our teacher what to do and how to fix the situation. He just said to put her and Christ together in the middle of everything we talk about. So I went back and read the chapter I assigned her, and I realized that even though I was feeling bad, there was no way I randomly gave her that scripture. It was absolutely perfect. So in our next lesson, all we did was read that chapter together with her and put her and Christ at the center of everything we said. Every time it said Enos, I had her read her own name. And I bore my testimony as we went along. The spirit was so strong! She was getting all misty eyed. And then at the end we showed her the Mormon message of Holland's testimony of the book of Mormon. We were all in tears by the end. We had her say the closing prayer and it was amazing. It just showed me that I have no purpose as a missionary if I don't put Christ first, but when I do, lives really can change. 

And as for my last TRC investigator, things were not as pretty... We had to go into one of the old buildings that no one ever goes into. And before our lesson sister Moffett had to go to the bathroom. So we go in, and we found this creepy room with a single bed, 2 stools, and a doctor's tray. She was totally freaked out and refused to go. So we walked around to find another bathroom. And as I waited for her we were talking about all the scary movies that room could've been from. And in the middle of talking, the door slams open, making us totally scream! And it turns out, it was our brand new investigator from Taiwan! Hahaha, we were so embarrassed! It made our lesson really awkward. So I hope we can fix it for next time. 

Sunday was great. Watched a bunch of Mormon messages for our district meeting. I totally messed up putting up the lyrics to the hymns in sacrament meeting, (it's part of my calling) I am supposed to get the lyrics to show on the massive tv behind the pulpit. Pulled up the wrong song twice and we had to keep starting over. It was pretty funny. 

Elder M. Russell Ballard came and gave our devotional on Sunday. I sat in the front row on the side of the stand. I was probably like 20-25 ft. from him, and he even waved at me as he walked up. Pretty cool! And my district made it in the background of the broadcast which is also pretty cool! Then we went and watched an older talk by Holland called open your mouth. All good things. 

This morning my district got to go do a session in the temple. I had been looking forward to that all week. And honestly, the best part was going to eat at the temple cafeteria! I ate SO MUCH FOOD! It felt amazing to eat food that wasn't from the MTC or a vending machine! It was the absolute best, the food here is going to kill someone one of these days. I don't eat very much because I don't trust it. But I think I probably ate the most out of my entire district. So it's been a great day! 

I'm excited to start my last week here at the MTC. I have a lot to learn still so I'm excited to see the progress I can make in one week. They gave my district our flight plans already, and the challenge to place our first Book of Mormon. I am super excited because I get to call from the airport! I'll probably call around 6:30-7 your time Monday morning. Sorry for the early hours, please don't forget to pick up the phone! 

Love you all, and love getting all the pictures! Next email will be from Tucson!!! Can't even believe it! 

Photos from Hunter Warren:

Got into trouble for taking a picture with Hunter without companions

Brad Warren Bobble head

MTC | Week 1

This week was insane. But I am doing great, and I am learning a ton! The first day was really hard, I'll admit that I was questioning what I was doing all day. I was just feeling really out of place. They put my mission tag on and I couldn't look at it all day, seeing my name on that black tag was so overwhelming. But then we all went to dinner and I got to see Matt Spataro and Hunter Warren!! I was sad we didn't get a picture, but seeing them made me feel so much better. Then later that day my zone leaders were giving me a tour of the MTC and I ran into Anna Pronk! And honestly, seeing them really got me through the day. But the second day was WAY better! We had time to breathe hahaha! I got to know my district and they are so awesome! All the Elders are really funny and keep things interesting, but when we have to be serious they bring up really good discussion points and really invite the spirit to all our lessons. 

But each day got better, I'm studying harder than I ever have. It's hard, and it's no joke when they say it's like drinking out of a fire hose, but yet I feel really good. I am really struggling with being joint at the hip 24/7 with another person. My companion is nice, we see things very differently, but we're working on studying together and trying to have better unity in our lessons. I think it'll just take some time. But it's really hard when I can't even leave the room without her. 

Teaching is harder than I thought it would be, I had no idea how hard it was to simplify everything. By Sunday I was extremely tired, hadn't eaten enough and was fasting, and totally lost it. Everything was annoying me, I didn't want to do anything, and it was a really bad day. But then we went to a devotional given by Jenny Oaks Baker, Dallin H. Oaks' daughter. It was pretty cool, but after we watched a video of an MTC talk by Bednar called the Character of Christ. It was amazing! I learned so much. And then when we all got up to leave, they told us that he was actually there! So they brought him out and we had a Q&A! The spirit in the room when he and his wife walked into the room was indescribable. So even though it wasn't a great start, it was definitely the highlight of the week! 

I think this next week is going to get easier. Each day is pretty much the same schedule from now on. And my whole district is super close now. It's crazy because it feels like I've been here for a month! I am the online coordinator for my zone and the senior companion. And now, I can't wait to put on my tag every morning! Never thought I could learn and grow so much in one week! 

Found Hunter on his P day

Pointing to Tucson on the famous MTC map

Saw Hunter again on Sunday, waited for Matt but he couldn't make it

Saw Saywer Crosby with his companion

My MTC family after meeting David A. Bednar!
(I forgot to mention, the elder in the pink tie is Elder Brown and we actually met in the airport on the way to the MTC! We were on the same flight, and he is also serving in Tucson!!) 

Found this cutie working as an investigator after my first TRC! Kaitlyn was the last person from home I hadn't seen yet. So glad I was able to see everyone my first week before they all left!

Thank you for the many prayers! They were definitely received. Send lots of emails, I can read them all week, just can't respond till Tuesdays. 
LOVE YOU ALL!

Leaving for the MTC