Week 2--Provo Missionary Training Center

Dear Friends and Family,

I love the MTC (Missionary Training Center)! There have definitely been some rough times but it's in the hard times when you can really see the Lord's hand in small and tender mercies.

At the MTC, we have a completely full schedule. Here's what it looks like:

6:30am- wake up

7:00am- study

7:30am- breakfast

8-11:35am- class/study

11:35-12:15pm- lunch

12:15-3:35pm- class/study

3:45-4:45pm- exercise

5:15-6:00pm- dinner

6-9:30pm- class/study

10:30pm- sleep

It's definitely super busy but we get so much done. To think that we've learned how to carry on decent conversations in Portuguese in about a week is crazy!! The Lord is definitely helping us!

At the MTC, we learn how to teach others about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they let us "practice" teaching people who are already members. Our first investigator (someone who wants to learn about our church) was Marcos. He's awesome!! This upcoming week we have 2 new investigators, Nelson and Campeao (champion in Portuguese). We're so excited to meet and teach them!

At the MTC, we are organized into zones and districts. A zone is usually a group of missionaries that are all speaking the same language. Our zone is called Zone 20 and we're all Portuguese speakers. Then districts are smaller groups of missionaries who are a part of that zone. It's usually the missionaries you have class with. We're District 20B. Our district is AWESOME! It's just me, Sister Nance, and then four Elders. They're all such great missionaries. One of the Elders, Elder Comeau, is a competitive food eater which is kinda ironic because "comeu" (if you take out the "a") means "he ate" in Portuguese. We about died when we heard about that!

This Wednesday, we gain 10 new missionaries in our zone and 8 of them are sisters. That's going to make it crazy for Sister Nance and I because we're the Sister Training Leaders. That means we're in charge of all the sisters in our zone, all 17 of them! We're so excited to meet all the new missionaries!

I just wanted to share this scripture with ya'll. It's from the Book of Mormon. It's Alma 29:9-

"9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy."

I really love this scripture because this is exactly the kind of person that I would want to become. I want to glory in the Lord and not in myself. I know why I'm going to serve the people of Portugal and I'm so excited to help them come closer to Christ and find happiness.

This week, I really learned that it's important to turn outward and help others when you're sad or struggling. I know that doing that has help me a lot.

Have a great week everyone! So grateful for all of you and the wonderful people you are!

Amor,

Sister Hillam