First Week

Hallo! 

 

P-day is finally here! It has been an exciting, crazy, emotional week! Haha I in no way meant to leave you with my backside as the final view of me.

 

It's been a lot harder than I could have expected. Like tons harder, but that's ok. It's worth it. I think it is kind of like when you poke holes in your lawn so that it can absorb the nutrients better or something. I am currently becoming holy. :)

 

To give you an idea of what our days are like, here is our Monday schedule:

 

6:15-7:30 Service (cleaning, vacuuming, bathrooms, etc)

8:00-8:30 Breakfast

8:30-9:15 Gym

10:00-12:50 Daily planning, personal study, companion study, language study

12:50-1:35 Lunch

1:35-2:15 Additional study (all study happens in the same classroom or building)

2:15-5:15 Lessons with Sister Garlick, or teaching real life investigators (sometimes they're just actors, but you go through an entire lesson set)

5:15-5:45 Additional Study

5:45-6:30 dinner

6:30-9:30 Lessons with Sister Garlick or teaching (this week we are teaching Maxim from Austria)

10:15 ponder time

10:30 lights out

 

There are some variations, like Tuesdays we have MTC-wide devotionals, like yesterday Elder Ballard came and spoke to us!! He talked about how important it is to understand the heritage of the Restoration. It was super lovely. Sundays, though are totally different. The Sisters get to listen to Music and the Spoken Word every Sunday and we have an MTC-wide Relief Society meeting. Sacrament is with the entire branch and happens at 2:45.

 

Usually in the different mission groups, there are overlaps, like some that have been there for 2-3 weeks, etc, but the German missionaries all go out and come in at the same time, so we are all new and clueless together! :0 But that also means that there are no Zone Leaders, Sister Training Leaders, or District Leaders. So Sister Carroll and I have been called to serve as Sister Training Leaders for the first 3 weeks. Then it will switch. :) It has been really cool, and it was a blessing for me, because it was one extra thing that my brain could focus on, so that it could feel more balanced. :) We have 9 sisters in our branch, and all except 1 are going to Frankfurt. Sister Ballard (who knows German fluently and is a little terrifyingly good) is going to Berlin.

 

It is weird being like 4-6 years older than everyone else! Sisters tell me all of the time, "Oh! You don't look 24!" And I say thanks because I don't know what else to say. :) One said "You look younger, but you have an older, more mature countenance." Haha

 

So there are Branches (categorized by mission location and language), and in each Branch there are districts. We have four districts in our branch. In our branch we have Elder Garcia and Elder Terrell, Elder Fletcher and Elder Moore, Elder Blau and Elder Keck, Sister Sant and Sister Nielsen, and Sister Carroll and me. :) I think we have the coolest district. Like everyone is so toll. The elders are hilarious. During companionship study you can hear things occasionally like "Haha! Elder, I just called you a shower in German", etc. But everyone is sooo dedicated! It has been very inspiring. There are 38 missionaries in our district, and like think 33-35 of them are going to Frankfurt.

 

If sitting developed muscles, I would be a world champion. SO MUCH SITTING. Also I miss the sky, because we spend so much time indoors studying. But I really am learning how to become a missionary. The set up is brilliant. Simply inspired.

 

The cafeteria food is decent. I do eat mostly salad and yogurt, but the dietary section is GREAT! They have really good gluten-free desserts and breads and such. Lots of Udis and things. The first two meals I felt totally starved until I found the gluten-free cookies. I must have a baker's soul, because once I found the cookies, I knew I could get through anything.

 

Sister Carroll is from Arizona. She looks a little bit like Molly from Wives and Daughters. She has a super, super awesome testimony, and she is like amazing. We work really well together, and communicate well...as far as I can tell. ;) She is small, but limitless in her faith, testimony, and sincerity! I LOVE her.

 

One of the coolest things that happened this week was in gym when Sister Carroll and I were attempting to make shots from the free-throw line, but upside down. So we had our backs to the net, aimed at the net upside down and shot. I made THREE baskets like that. I was on cloud nine for like hours! :)

 

Teaching Maxim has been incredible. I feel like I am getting to experience a wide range of emotions that I will encounter in Germany, so that has been awesome and hard. :)

 

I've seen Sister Popham, and Sister Israelsen from the singles ward! :)

 

Thanks for the letters, they really do make a world of difference. I also understand why Elders only write a sentence. To write more would mean opening all the boxes from all the different days, and that would be overwhelming, so you just write "I am good."

 

 

Anyway                  

 

LOVE YOU

Sister Roderer