Flight Plans, Toaster Strudel, Bubbles

Dear Family!

How's it going? I hope that Sam had a wonderful birthday and that everyone's week has gone smoothly. It has been really hot here in Provo, and I can only imagine what it is like in Phoenix and Boise... or the DR. It has been a crazy and fun week in the MTC. The days are all starting to blend together but I think that is just what happens when the days all have a pretty similiar schedule. The most exciting thing that happened this week is that we got our flight plans! I'll head out on July 25. The rest of my district leaves on the 24 so I'll be in a trio with missionaries from another district next Monday. I'm a little nervous to fly alone, but I know it will be okay. I'm excited to go the DR, but I know it will be a very different place. It is crazy to think that I am already a month into my mission, it has gone by so fast. I still haven't given a talk in Sacrament meeting, but I'm guessing that I will before I leave. 

Every week we have a morning where we do service by helping clean one of the MTC buildings and this week one of the cleaning staff brought us toaster strudels. One of the hermanas in my district LOVES toaster strudels and the girl who we were helping asked if there was anything we needed. Hermana Sorensen (the one who loves toaster strudel) told her "yes, we need toaster strudel"and two days later the girl knocked on our room door at 6:30 in the morning with a box of toaster strudel! It was really funny and Hma. Sorensen was so excited. None of us had actually thought she would bring the toaster strudel, but she did. We also have started a tradition of bowling with the hermanas in our zone on Friday nights. They all come to our room at 9:30 and everyone bowls for about thirty minutes and then we all go to bed. It has been fun and we have gotten to know our zone a lot better. This week someone gave us bubbles so we blew bubbles while we bowled. At first I was worried that our leaders would be upset about the bowling nights but everyone just laughs when we tell them about our Friday tradition. We try to be really obedient about having our lights out on time and going to bed, but we still have fun. 

My spanish is coming along, I still don't feel ready to go to the Dominican Republic, but I don't think anyone leaves the CCM feeling totally ready. My teacher, Hermana Peacock, went to the DR on her mission and she has told me a few funny phrases that the Dominicans use. Usually in spanish "to lie" is mentir, but in the DR they say "hacer chivo", which means "to do the goat". I don't know what they say it, but I guess they have a lot of funny phrases that don't really make sense. I can't wait to learn all of the phrases and words they use in the DR. It will be fun to compare my spanish to Sam and Anna's when I get home. I can't remember all of the funny Spanish mistakes I have made (there's been quite a few), but one of them happened this week during a lesson. We were teaching about the Plan of Salvation and I was teaching that through the Atonement we can repent of all our sins and be happy and feel peace in our lives, but instead of saying 'pecados" or sins, I said "pescados", which means fish, oops. The lady we were teaching just started laughing and then told me I had told her that she could repent of her fish and my companion and I started laughing too. It has been a very cool experience to get to teach here in the CCM. The lady who we teach every week, who I had told needed to repent of her fish, is from Ecuador and isn't a member. Sometimes in the MTC they tell you that you are teaching someone who isn't a member but you find out later that they really are or that they are your teacher, but the lady that my companion and I teach really isn't a member and I have loved getting to know her and talk with her. 

I think one of the most important things I have learned is that the Holy Ghost is so important in our lives. At first it was really tough for me to rely on the Spirit while teaching but I'm learning that if we have faith, Heavenly Father will always answer our prayers. Sometimes we may have to wait, but an answer will always come. I can always notice a difference in lessons or classes when I feel the Spirit and when I don't. I have loved getting to study Spanish and the scriptures more and I have loved being a missionary. It means hard work and sometime long days, but they are always good days. I miss you all and love you so much! I hope you have a great week! 

- Hermana Schriever