I Have Flight Plans. It's Too Real!

WEEK 5 - PROVO MTC

I was lucky enough to read this email for the first time with Callie. And it's true - Callie does know how to correctly pronounce "aaawwwesomeeeeee". Next time you see her, ask her about it :)

So yeah, I have flight plans. We are going from SLC to SFO then to Tokyo and on to Manila. I am also the Travel Leader for all 15 missionaries going to Laoag. Probably because I am the oldest, I already act like a mom (Thanks Rach.) and have about as much flying experience as everyone else in my district combined. So there is that. But I am now realizing that holy-effing-geez I am leaving for the Philippines in nine days...I don't speak Tagalog. I may or may not be having minor panic attacks about it all on the daily, but I will pull through. I just need to get there and come to grips with the reality of my situation and I will be just fine. I think the anticipation of it all is what is giving me the most anxiety. Plus, if I have to worry about 14 other missionaries, I wont have time to worry about myself, right? But I do think it will be strange to be a missionary out in the real world instead of being a missionary, surrounded by thousands of other missionaries in the MTC world. It will also be strange being at the SL airport knowing that I am not just going to be back in a week or so. But hey, phone calls. Those get to happen.

 

I did not take notes on this week like I usually do, so this letter is mostly my stream of conciousnes (I don't think that is spelled right...) as I think of things to say/things I want to tell you. The most exciting part of my day is mail time, which happens after lunch/after dinner. And guess who got four packages this week? Yeah, this girl. Major, major shout outs to the parents. Pops rocked a 24 pack of Dr. Pepper in a two part mailing. I honestly wish you could have seen the look on Sister Smith's and my face when I opened up the package. I think it was better than Christmas. We were so excited that we basically ran back to the classroom where Sister Hagee and Sister Cooper were studying and when I told them what the package was Sister Hagee just stood up, threw her study note book on the ground and said "SHUT UP! NO WAY!" She is a HUGE Dr. Pepper addict. We spent a good ten minutes reveling in the idea of Personal Party Time with DP, then in the idea of Party P-Day, then of more PPT. I then let it slip to the Elders that I have DP and they were crazy jealous, trying to bribe me for a can. They were brutally rebuffed, until the second package came the next day and I graciously gave them each a slice of the proverbial pie. But not before they all had to write thank you notes to Pappa Bettilyon. Maybe Pop's will share them with you, because they are pretty hilarious. Elder Jones' is my favorite. THEN, I two packages from Mamma D. How did you even have the idea to send Mango and Sticky Rice to the MTC? I almost died. I also ate it in about 2.5 seconds. So good. Then you took the idea of the carpet picnic from last P-Day to a whole new level. The cream cheese did not survive, but the basil, cherries, rolls, tomatoes, pepperoni and cookies are all being enjoyed and shared.

Papa Bettilyon sent Dr. Pepper for Everyone! Priceless!

Megan's Entire District at the Provo Temple on AUG 4th

 

This week for Teaching Resource Center (TRC or where we go to teach people in Tagalog who are not our instructors) we got to Skype with real Filipenoes (also not spelled right). It was nerve racking at first, but I don't know what happened to me, but I put on those big headphones that made me feel like I worked for NASA and I just started speaking Tagalog. Sister Smith just kind of stared at me like "where on Earth is all this coming from" and I looked back like "I don't know, but its aaawwwesomeeeee!" (awesome being said in a sing song-ie way, Callie will know). In TRC the people are already members of the church, so it is less stressful, so it is less like a missionary lesson and more like Visiting Teaching, which is a nice break from the stress of preparing lessons. We got to teach a man named Nate who lives in Manila and then we taught Brother Nicholes' old companion who also lives in Manila. They were both super sweet and said that our Tagalog was really good for only five weeks. I feel like they lied, but I will take the compliment.

 

How did I almost forget! Sister Smith and I committed both of our investigators to baptism this week! That was awesome, but still strange because it is real, but not real at the same time. Any way, we finally followed our prompting to invite Nel (Brother Roxas) to be baptized and he said he talked to his wife about it and he said that he wants to be baptized. Now we get to start teaching him the Laws and Ordinances and the Commandments, which is a little stressful because I foresee some issues with the law of tithing in Nel's life. Oh well, we can cross that bridge when we come to it. Then in our lesson with Alex (Brother Nicholes) this week we invited him for the third time to be baptized and third time must be the charm because he also accepted! Sister Smith and I were so happy that our goal of "Do Not Hesitate" from last week paid off in baptismal commitments this week.

 

I cannot believe that next week is my last P-Day at the MTC. Holy cow. Thanks to everyone for the emails, DearElders, pictures, packages and prayers! I could not make it with out you!

 

Mahal kita!

 

Sis Bet