March 11th, 2013

Hello!

I get to email for a few minutes because we are leaving tomorrow!

I can't even believe it. I thought I would still feel so unprepared but I am feeling better about it today. The Lord qualifies those whom He calls. Thank goodness for that!

I wanted to give you the info just so you know. We report to the travel office tomorrow morning between 4:30 and 5 AM. Wahoo! I already packed pretty much, but we have to get up and take the sheets off our beds and clean up the last bit. I feel bad for the other Hermanas in our room. They are not going to like us very much when our alarm rings at 3:30ish. Whoops!

But I get to call home at the airport! So. My flight leaves the SLC airport at 8:37 exactly ;) I am not excited for the airport. Ugh. But it will be awesome. I'll probably be able to call between 6:30-7:30.

I sent a package home today. But I did it the free way where they take it to shopko I think? And then they call you and then you have to come pick it up. I found someone's stuff in my suitcase that they left from their Mexico trip. It made me smile ;) I'm also sending home a few clothes. Don't steal them please. I want to have some clothes when I come home from my mish! They just don't quite reach long enough and I'd rather not have to worry about it. I'm also sending home a pair of shoes because they are too big. Girls, if you want those you can have them. They are pretty fine, but they're too big to walk quickly in them. Super annoying when they fall off. That's happened a few times when I've been trying to walk quickly...

So I forgot to tell you a really funny thing that happened the other day. Oh yeah, it was on Wednesday. All the new missionaries arrived and it was cool to not be the newest missionaries at the MTC :) But I kept seeing all these peopel that I knew! But the awkward thing is none of them even knew who I was. I saw Laura Andersen's roommate that I met a while ago. She didn't remember me. Then I saw Elder Callister, Laura Callisters son, yeah? SO I told Sister Parsons that he was my cousin and I felt like I should say hi. So I went up to him and I was like, "hello Elder Callister!" And he just stared at me. And I said "You have no idea who I am, do you?" And he said "Nope!" So I said, "I'm your cousin-well, 1st cousin once removed." And at this point I was getting super nervous that he was totally not related to me and I was just crazy. But then he said "from the Callister side or the Andersen side?" And I was like phew!! "The Andersen side. Your Mom is Laura, right?" And he said yeah. So then I was like, "well, I just wanted to say hi and tell you welcome to the MTC." And he was like, "thanks!" And then I left. It was funny. And awkward. And I just had to laugh at myself. Whatevs.

So last Sunday and just yesterday I was able to watch a re-broadcast of a devotional the Elder Bednar gave here at the MTC. I mean, they were two different ones. But they were so very good. God knows me perfectly and knew exactly where I needed to be on Sunday night (there are several options of which ones to attend and it ended up that I went to both of the perfect ones). I have realized so much over the past few days that I need to serve others. I must be slow at learning, because God has had to tell me several times. And from Elder Ballards talk (that was shown as a segment in Elder Bednar's talk) I need to pray every day that I will find someone to serve. He promised that as we do this, our spiritual sensitivity will be enlarged and we will be able to discern those that need our help and what kind of help we can give them. Man, I want that promised blessing. So I'm def going to try to do that.

Something else that has been so apparent to me-something else that God has made so clear to me that I need to do-is become a student of the scriptures, to study dilligently. I know that serving a mission isn't nearly as much about what you know, but how you let the Spirit guide you. But I realized that the Spirit guides me so often through scriptures that He brings to my rememberance. So if I could give advice to any of your pre missionaries-Learn your scripture masteries! And not just the scriptures. Learn the references! I never realized how much I didn't care about references until now. I can remember a lot of scriptures but not where to find them and it is so frustrating. The scriptures are so powerful. I love them.

Okay, well time is running out. But I'm so glad I got to add this little addendum to my email on Friday. I was super frustrated that I couldn't write more :)

Sarah-I met your FHE Mom! Dan, two girls have come up to me and been like-are you Dan's little sister? You look exactly like him!-and it's made me happy :)

This gospel is so true. I love it! I have already learned so much in the short time I have been here. I know that the Savior lives! And I have gained such a greater testimony of His love for and awareness of me. Thank you so much for your love and support! Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Sister Andelin

Oh, p.s.- Don't write any more dearelders. I won't get any written after like noon today I think. So now send me real letters to my mission home :)