The long wait is OVER!

HOLA HOLA HOLA HOLA HOLA!!!!!!

We are trying to figure out how to send pictures because it's so confusing and I only have 10 minutes right now and then I'll probably come back later.

THE MTC IS FULL OF PEOPLE. Okay first of all, the first day I cried for like an hour after but then as I walked up to my room GUESS WHO I SAW, Sydni!!! [She's talking about one of her best friends, Sydni Garvin.] She stopped me and we embraced for a long time and I cried and we held each other and I am so so grateful for her. She's in the room right around the corner so we see each other every day. Such a huge blessing. Then, as I walked to my classroom (which we spend 9 hours in everyday) I met my companionS. Hermana Johnson was there first and she's the cutest little Texan who went to BYU and she's super great and I love her. And then my other companion is the one and only GABI SMITH, Lauren Smith's little sister!!! [Lauren is a good friend of Andrew's and our whole family loves her.] It's been fun talking about our siblings and their friends. Seriously these two are the best. We all get along really well and I think the best thing is that we all have to pee all the time. [Excuse her potty mouth. She has a thing about going to the bathroom.] And because of rules we have to go with each other to the bathroom (unfortunately I have to close the door now) and everything here is made for companionships of two, not three. Also one bathroom next to our classroom only has one stall so that takes forever. Our teachers have been different everyday because our main teacher went on his anniversary date for a week and we all had absolutely no idea what we were doing, so that was cool. I'm going to go finish my laundry but I'll try to write again! Sorry if this is the only email you get this week.

Our district is us 3 girls and 7 boys - one of the Elders got a twisted colon or something, he has colon problems but on the first day he almost passed out and he has been in the hospital ever since so we are hoping to see him this week!
Everyone passes gas [again with the potty talk, she didn't really say "passes gas"] in the mornings in the toilets (mostly me) and it's so funny.

Thank you for the prayers and cookies and packages - it makes the days go by so much smoother. Wednesday was my first day without some kind of a panic attack so that ROCKED. I love to learn Spanish and I love the gospel and I love you guys and things here are really great!!! We exercise in the mornings (blah) and then get ready and have 3 class blocks of 3 hours and we have 2 investigators right now and we all get really distracted really easily.

Love you guys!!!!!!!!
Hermana Macfarlane

  

[Later in the day we were emailing at the same time. It was AWESOME. Here are some random snip-its from our chat.]










I´m back. I usually will email in the first part of the day between laundry and other assessments and stuff.

Food here is gross. Sometimes it´s like pretty fine, but mostly we just eat so we don't die. It´s not for pleasure. Actually, the cereal is great and the sack breakfasts are yummy too.

 

I love you guys. I had a hard time adjusting to the fact that I really would´n´t see you for a long time, but then we watched a talk by elder Bednar about the character of Christ and it talks about turning outward when it´s easy or hard and it´s so so hard. But, you can´t turn inward in order to improve yourself. You have to turn out if you want to improve. So, I tried that, and I feel so much better. I don´t think about how hard it is or that I suck at Spanish, I think about Christ and my investigators and try really hard to be optimistic and things fall into place. We have a ton of stuff to do and rarely enough time! But the branch presidency is really cool so that´s fun. They like to jump around and stuff and they love everything.

 

 

 

I don´t think that we know how to actually speak any Spanish because sometimes we get funny looks. 
I LOVE YOU SO SO SO SO MUCH HAVE A GOOD GOOD DAY AND GIVE ALL THE PEOPLE HUGS AND EVERYONE GIVES ME HUGS AND YEAH.

 

YES! Elder Cook [The son of my co-worker, Michelle Cook] is one of our zone leaders and we see him a lot (which isn't too difficult if ya know what I mean...) [I don't know what she means.] Tell Michelle he is doing well! Our zone is really fun. We got a new set of just elders yesterday and they´re all sooo young. We just have 2 sets of trio hermana companionships in our zone. I have to play for sacrament meeting this week! Also, I saw Bishop Giboons [He's the bishop in our home ward and works at the MTC as a therapist] and he took a good picture for us and then left. Ummmm... tell people I´m sorry if I don´t email them I don´t have very much time and I am not prioritizing friends today, but I should be able to have more time next week because it´s not like AHH THE BEGINNING right__ )all the symbols are super messed up on this keyboard and I don´t have time to figure out which are which. So weird.=  AHHH It´s in Spanish mode!!!

 

okay so you know how much I don´t like the hymn ¨carry on¨? well we sang it twice here already and I hate it even more a cappella. 

Choir is really fun we had the Nashville tribute band come and we sang weird back ground stuff. It´s a good relaxing part of the day.

 

My Spanish is doing average. It´s hard to speak because I can think it but then speaking you actually have to conjugate things and there are so many rules, but it´s coming along. It´s amazing how much I can speak after just one week. Gift of tongues is really really real.

 

I´m going to have to go soon, so if you´re there, I have roughly 20 minutes! Please tell me how everything is going and keep sending "dear-elders" with whatever you want in them, it´s so fun to hear about random everyday things. And tell Emma how much I love her and that I cried when I read her note in my notebook that she gave me. It was the sweetest thing and it was what I needed. And your little note surprises were the best!

 

 

How is dad? I've been thinking about how impressive it is that he can keep up his Spanish. It´s nearly impossible for me to wrap my brain around at this point.

Also we have a good looking teacher that subs sometimes so that rocks.

 

 

 

 

 

We aren't sure how I ¨fell¨sideways but we are so funny. That´s another blessing about these two Hermanas is that we have the same humor and we always have to pee and we aren't high maintenance and we drink a lot of water and it´s so great. I am taken care of here. ... I just really love you guys. That´s all. And I really love the gospel and the Atonement and the plan of salvation and our teachers and everything except for satan.

 

I´m glad that Gabe is home safely!! Emma is so sweet and so is dad. you guys are going through hard things and it helps me to go through mine because we are family and yeah. How is Andrew?? And how are the Castletons?? Is emma going to audition for another play? Let me know some sick deets about Gabe.

The elders in our district are like little boys - they´re brotherly and funny and so nice. 

 

I JUST LOVE YOU GUYS. And please tell anyone who asks that I didn´t have time to email them. I tried to give a quick response to everyone.

 

Des Moines for hma smith and San Diego to the mormon batallion visitors center for hma johnson. Our whole district is state side

 

Love ya!!!! I´m excited to hear from dad and emma and you and andrew next week, so make them write back and i love you and thank your for everything you have done for me and still do for me. MWAHH