HEY EVERYONE!
I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS DAY FOR A
WEEK! My hands are sweating because I am nervous I won't have enough time to
explain and go over everything I want to. I will try to start right from the
beginning. I was picked up by my Aunty Susan and Savannah, we spent the day in
SLC in Temple Square which was awesome. I am grateful for their
hospitality.
The first day at the MTC. Oh boy I was so nervous, but as
soon as I was greeted by my host, a sister who came to take me to my residence
then my classroom, all I felt was excitement and anticipation. My companions
name is Sister Nelson, she is from Springville Utah which is 15 mins south of
the MTC. I LOVE HER! She is the best, I am so lucky I got such an amazing
companion. We get along and agree on everything and we have helped each other
so much. She is going to the Australia Sydney North Mission. We have two other
sisters in our district who are going to the same one, I am the only sister
going to Adelaide. The two other sisters are AMAZING! Sister Spainhower and
Sister Ballif. By the end of the first day we were already inseparable and I
love all of them dearly. We haven't had a day where we don't laugh until we
cry, it's awesome. We have orientation and a 50 missionaries to 1 investigator role
play, then we went to bed.
The next day was awesome. We spend a lot of time in our
classroom just studying by ourselves and with our companion. We have two
teachers that teach us for about 4 hours each day. We also do role plays with
them and pretend they are our progressing investigators. I was assigned to be
the Sister Training Leader in our zone and district! What the heck! And I am
the senior companion. I have to look after all the sisters and the new ones
that are coming in this week into our zone. Also I have to do my own
orientation presentation today with the all the new missionaries coming into
our zone! I am excited!
On friday we did service and cleaned all the toilets in one
building... yay service! We also went to Elder L. Tom Perry's funeral service.
What was surprising was, it wasn't that sad. We are so lucky to have the
knowledge that we will see our loved ones again. The music in the service was
beautiful and I was so exhausted it was lulling me to sleep. You know when your
head bobs down, then you yank it up in a groggy stupor? Yeah, that was me haha.
Oh something funny, so the food sucks. It makes me feel so sick even just
looking at it. For the past 7 days for every single lunch AND dinner I have had
a salad and a banana. For breakfast I have a banana and a bowl of honeydew
melon. Every single day. I think I have lost weight, but honestly I just cannot
understand how these people eat food like this. I see elders and sisters with
plates and plates and it's just blehhh! Sister Spainhower LOVES the food and I
have no idea how she stays so skinny. Something funny that happened was while
we were writing in our journals before bed there was a group of sisters
outside the door gossiping about how much they dislike their companions, but while
they were doing so they were also saying: "I bear testimony that if
you..." It was just so weird. Then Sister Ballif goes: "I bear
testimony that you ARE going to get into a fist fight with your companion
tonight. We all laughed so hard. I also dislocated Sister Spainhower's
shoulder! LOL oops. She was being silly and slapping me in the face with her
pillowcase (she sleeps on the top bunk) and so I pulled the case out of her
hand and it apparently pulled her shoulder out of the socket so I had to push
it back in and massage it for a while. What was funny was she was laughing the
whole time and so we thought she was joking. But then she would say " no
no no it hurts " and then start laughing again.
Also I accidentally flashed people. It was windy on Saturday
and yep my dress FLEW straight up, Sister Ballif asked if I was trying to fly
away ahaha. Oh best part, there were Elders behind me and one of them is going
to my mission. I can't look him in the face. I was SO embarrassed, of course
that had to happen to me in the MTC!!!
It was fast Sunday so we went straight to class. We had a
branch meeting with the president and zeds and district leader. Then I was
interviewed by Brother Hobson, he kept me for an hour because we were having
such a nice chat. He told me "I think I need to tell you something, I have
a feeling you are going to need to sing on your mission. Do you sing?" and
I said well I try to haha. Then he asked me to sing for him (reminded me of the
phantom of the opera) So I sand O My Father. It was a little awkward. But the
spirit was so strong and he told me he thinks I am going to be the
"awesomest" missionary. Keep in mind he is like near 80 years old. He
said I just have a glow apparently so that 's cool. We also had mission
conference and I watched the Character of Christ by David A. Bednar which you
can only see in the MTC. Everyone was saying that it will change your life but
I was skeptical. Then I saw it, and yep, it changed my life. The best talk I
have ever ever ever seen! I will write a letter about it and send it home today
because I don't have time to include it in my email.
Monday was the hardest day for me. It started out well then
it crashed and burned. We had an awesome member lesson with this 17 year old
boy who is a convert and so I showed him the paper cross object lesson and I
blew his mind. We also related it back to the scriptures a lot and had an
awesome discussion. But then all our other lessons tanked that day it was
really discouraging. Then in the evening the whole district had a horrible
experience because our district leader was really harsh for the stupidest
reason and it effected me greatly and I couldn't get the spirit back. I knelt
in prayer and cried and Sister Nelson and I did so as well and it came back and
I am feeling much better. It took everything in me not to argue back at him,
but I was able to control myself and I am proud that I did that rather than act
out because he is a jerk.
Tuesday (yesterday) was the BEST DAY! Everything went so
much better, it was the complete opposite to Monday. All of our lessons rocked,
our investigator prayed in front of us for the first time, Sister Nelson and I
both cried.
This morning I got to go through the Provo Temple. It was
awesome!! So glad I got to do that.
I got my itinerary, funny thing, I was the only one in our
district (that is going to Auzzieland) that got their Visa. So everyone else is
getting temporarily reassigned. I am flying from SLC - San Francisco - New
Zealand Auckland - Adelaide. I leave on Monday, June 15th.
I have had the best time ever hear. I am so grateful for
this experience. I LOVE the MTC! I am nervous to enter the mission field next
week though. I am constantly tired, even though we are obedient and I get in
bed before 10:30. This work is exhausting mentally and physically and I am not
even really out there yet!
My testimony has grown so so much. I know that
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ lives and that they love me. I have so much
love for everyone and everything. I can feel the spirit working through me. As
I teach I am amazed at what is coming out of my mouth. My tongue has been
loosed and I have been called to serve and bring others unto Christ.
I don't know when my P-Day will be next week since I am
flying out on Monday. I think the MTC might let me email before I leave, but
maybe not.. We will see! Please please keep sending me Dear Elders. I get mail
at lunch and dinner and the days I get mail are just the best days ever!
Everyone is getting packages and letters too. Sister Nelson got three packages
on her first day! Anyways, I love you all so much. I think about you lots and
you are always in my prayers. I have shown everyone pictures of my family and
friends and it just makes me happy when I get to talk about you all.
ALL MY LOVE,
Sister (Bethany) Coultrup
--
Sister Bethany Victoria Coultrup
Australia Adelaide Mission
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
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