Last email from the MTC!

My dearest family!

This week has flown by! I can't believe that I'm already leaving next week! The days feel like weeks, but the weeks feel like days! I'm nervous to leave the safety bubble of the MTC, but I am so excited to get to Oregon! Remember how I said there were general authorities here?? We saw Uchtdorf! We were waiting to cross the street back to the MTC after our temple walk, but for some reason security wouldn't let us back on campus. It was because Elder Uchtdorf was exiting! He pulled out and rolled down his window and waved at all of us! I SAW HIS FACE! It was so incredible. And the car right behind him?? THOMAS S. MONSON! He didn't roll down his window though. So rude. It was funny though because security wouldn't let us come back until they were gone. Can you imagine though?? All these missionaries swarming to meet the prophet, that would've been hilarious. Also, Elder Christensen, one of the missionaries from The District videos, works here at the MTC! It's like seeing a celebrity.

So this week we started teaching our TRC investigators, which is when investigators of the church come in and we teach them. My investigator's name is Lucia. It has been so incredible to teach her! So far we have gotten her to pray and read the BOM!!!! The spirit is so strong in those lessons and she is so willing to learn. And I just KNOW that the spirit is testifying to her. After the lesson where she said the closing prayer, Sister Rasmussen and I gave each other the loudest high five and practically jumped up and down the hallway we were so excited!! People were staring at us but we didn't care! It was such a spiritual high and I will never forget that first experience.

So the Provo temple is closed for cleaning, so my district doesn't get to attend a session. I'm super bummed. But we still get to take walks up there and walk around the grounds! It is a beautiful temple!

Since all the general authorities are gone, we get to eat in the cafeteria! It is massive! And you are literally allowed to eat as much as you want, and the food is sooooo good. Speaking of food, they fed us Cafe Rio last week!! Literally everybody lost their minds we were so excited to eat that day.

I got the package yesterday! I was actually starting to get super bummed because I was the only missionary in my district who hadn't gotten mail yet. But then my district leader gave me two package slips! I practically ran to the mail room I was so excited! It was well worth the wait. The Second package was from Belinda! There's a bakery in Orem that will make fresh deliveries to the MTC! So she sent me some cupcakes and they were yummyyyyyyyy!

Today we were finally able to do some laundry! I have never been so happy to have clean clothes haha. But it was madness in the laundry room. So many people. And someone stole my cart that had all my hangers on it! I was so unbelievably mad. I stomped around the laundry room until I found them (and Elder had them) and I just took them and walked away. But seriously, of all the things to be mad about, it was hangers. I'm over it now haha.

My district is AWESOME! I love them so much! A few of the Elders remind me of the boys, so I feel right at home. And we all have nicknames for each other! I'm Sister Hanna Banana (everyone is amazed that I have a first name for a last name, go figure haha). Sister Rasmussen is Sister Sassmussenm (cause she's super sassy). Sister Van Quill is Sister Night Quill, cause she's always falling asleep. Sister Ramsay is Sister Pansy. She's not a pansy, it just rhymed. Elder Pickett is Elder Pickett Fence, Elder Schofield is Elder Jim, because he looks like Jim from The Office. And Elder Carlisle is Elder Carlizzle. We don't have names for the other Elders yet, but we're working on it.

So I room right next to some Asian sisters, and the way they pronounce sisters sounds like Seesters. So, the sisters and I call each other Seesters, and we do it so much that the Elders started to call us that too. And then it spread to the other district in our zone, and now all you can hear up and down the hallways is "seester seester seester!" It's fantastic.

So on Sunday nights we have general authority devotionals. This past Sunday, Elder Sitati of the seventy came and spoke to us. One of the things he taught us that in our companionships, we will learn to develop Christlike attributes. And I had never thought about it like that before. Humility, patience, love, charity, all that good stuff will come from being in a companionship. It was so cool to hear him speak! Also, my district and I sang in the missionary choir that night! It's made up of volunteers, so there were about 600 missionaries singing for Elder Sitati. The music was so powerful and the spirit was so strong! I am so grateful that I was able to experience that.

So my flight on Wednesday leaves at 8:30am, so I'll probably be calling around 5:30 6am AZ time. I know that's early, but like Elder Bednar said, get over yourself. And I bought a phone card here at the MTC, they recommend it. (Should've listened to you, mom.) It was super cheap in the bookstore, so that was good. And since I leave on a Wdnsday and pdays in the field are on Mondays, you won't get another email for about 10 days. *sad tears*

So remember that one youtube video, Breaking the Barrier? The one about farting?? So I told my companion about that video and she LOVED IT! We "CUP-O-CHEESE!" each other all the time!! 

I love you guys so much and I miss you! Have so much fun at the cabin up in the nice cool weather!

Hugs and kisses
Sister Hanna

P.S. My zone has a thing where we shout to each other OFA-ATU! It means I love you in Tongan or something. So, OFA-ATU! Love you!

P.P.S. The Mexican food here stinks! Send me a burrito!