MTC week 2: March 17, 2010
Honeymoon is over but I'm still in love

Hello Family!!!
Thanks for the Dear Elder letters! Guess what! Elder Cook gave the MTC devotional last night and we learned so much...I think more importantly was the fact that he brought such a powerful spirit. Afterward we had a district meeting where we discussed his talk. There are only six of us and people share great personal insights and it is so amazing to see what everyone is thinking about. I have so much love and respect for the four elders in our district. I couldn't sleep last night after ward and just lay awake for an hour thinking about what Elder Cook said and what the Elders shared afterward. I felt so privileged that I get to see all of them at their highest/best points up to date in their lives for three weeks. They are all amazing so I am sure they have done some pretty great things before the MTC, but this is a unique opportunity because we all have time to study and teach all the time and often there is a spirit of openness and community that we can share personal testimonies and learn how/when others in the group feel the spirit. I don't know if that all made sense.
I was so sad last night when I realized I would be leaving in just a week because I have felt their spirits and learned so much from them. It will be hard to leave. At the same time, it made me so happy to know that I will meet more people who I can have a Spiritual relationship to, like people that we get to share the Gospel with and other missionaries. I don't have my scriptures with me but in Alma 26 there is a verse on the 2nd page (maybe verse 9?) Ammon is talking about their mission to the Lamanites and he says something like: Our beloved brethren who so beloved us...that they would still be strangers from God. I thought of some of the people who I have meet in my life that I would be so sad not to have known, and if I hadn't met them I never would have known the joy that I could have missed by not knowing them. I feel that way about the Elders in my district and I just know I will feel that way about so many people I meet in Spain. So exciting.

So guess what! My companion and I got our travel itineraries! We fly Delta on march 23 leaving UT as 8:35am, arrive in NY 3:14, leave NY 7:50pm, and arrive in MADRID at 8:25am!!!!! -

Thanks for the Himnario! I got it yesterday! I hate to ask but hopefully you have sent the other stuff or will soon because Monday the 22 is the very last day I can get it from here. Thank you thank you thank you! Tell the Herrods thanks for the chocolate!

Shalese I'll write, Mikalyle too I hope you got my last email!

Hey Dad, do you know Brad Ipseal from Scottsdale AZ, who probably served the same time as you in Madrid? Anyway, his sister (Sister Harmon) did my make up yesterday. They do an "Enhancement" class for the Sister missionaries because they don't want them to look like they just got out of bed.
Love, Hermana Skouson