Week 2

I can't believe Taylor has been in the MTC for 2 weeks. If anyone wants to write her, I encourage the use of dearelder.com. They print it and put it in her mail box that day. That way she can hear from us during the week and not just on Thursdays. She is in Unit #62, her mission code is WA-VAN and her departure day is June 23.

I am so grateful for answered prayers! I was so distraught when the dr called me and told me how much she was struggling. It really helped that we were able to talk Tuesday night. I was even happier to get this email from her today and hear that she is doing better. These missionaries have so much to learn and adjust to.

Week 2

Wow! What a week. I don't think I have ever had a more roller coaster week than i have had today. There have been many instances where I have just wanted to cry and call my mom and tell her I was coming home. But I'm here! I am strong! I will not let Satan beat me! So let's begin :)

Last Thursday was great! I got to go to the temple. I loved it. So much. Friday was a day full of class. Saturday was an early morning. Hermana Clark has been sick for a few days now and has begun snoring. She has been keeping me up pretty bad, so I was up at 4am just listening. We have two new investigators: Maria and Chava (aka our teacher Maestra Pullan and Maestro Rasmussen). Sunday. Oh Sunday. How I love Sundays! We just have such fun times and it is spiritual meeting after spiritual meeting. I adore Sundays. We have a Sunday Temple Walk also which is the absolute best. I love the temple! We were also taught how to defeat Satan: karate fight him. That is what our Branch President did to teach us. It was awesome. Monday was more class. I know, so exciting. Tuesday was incredible though. It was a normal day with gym and class and such. Then in class I got called down to the front desk, receiving permission to make a phone call. I got to talk to my mom. I have been struggling really bad here, and I have been trying to stay positive but my anxiety has been really high and really hard to manage. So, my mom got a call from a doctor, and then I was given permission to call my mom. We were able to talk for 50 minutes and it was incredible. I have been having such a hard time with homesickness. Such a hard time. And I have wanted to go back to my house and see my mom, so that phone call was incredible. I loved it. But also, in addition to that, I received the most powerful priesthood blessing I have ever had in my life. I had 10 worthy elders with their hands on my head giving me a very special, very needed blessing. And ALSO. ELDER JEFFREY R. HOLLAND came and gave a devotional. You guys. Oh my word. I love him. I wish he would just talk to me and tell me what to do all the time. He is incredible! He gave the devotional with the main message being "open your mouth". You aren't going to make a difference in anyone's lives if you don't open your mouth. Tuesday was incredible. Yesterday, Wednesday, was a pretty normal day. We were in class and studied. I was feeling ill in the morning so we skipped service and took a nap. That was needed. Then it was class and more class and more class. Then, we had an exciting (and needed) change happen. This week with my companions has been really hard. We have not been in unity and there has been a lot of misunderstandings. They haven't had to ever deal with the amount of anxiety I experience, and they have been trying to help as best as they know how, but it has been really hard and it has made the MTC just a little harder. So last night, I got called out into a room with my branch president and he told me that he had felt inspired all day to do a companionship change. My new companions are Hermana Whitnee Bradford from Hattiesburg Mississipi and Hermana Kylee Greenhalgh from Richfield Utah. You guys, this is the most incredible change that could ever happen. HEAVENLY FATHER HEARS AND ANSWERS PRAYERS. I know that is a very true fact. Also, the Lord will put you in difficult situations, but He WILL help you succeed. 

So to close, a few fun things. We play what are the odds at every dinner. It is fun. A Hermana had to go just drink out of someone's cup, someone she didn't know, another one had to spoon feed peanut butter to someone only being able to say "ayudame" (help me). It is fun, a nice break from the stress of the days. Also, I am getting killer legs! My class is on the third floor, my room is on the fourth floor, and we climb SO MANY stairs every single day. It is awesome.

Have faith. Pray always. And thank you for your prayers to me. I love and need them.

With all of my love,

Hermana Gregory

May 21, 2015

Thursday is Taylor's p-day so we got her first email today. She sounds upbeat even as she is being challenged!

Well, I made it to the MTC safe and sound! I cannot believe that I am really here and that I am really a MISSIONARY!! Every time I see my name tag, I am so surprised to see "Hermana Gregory La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias". It is so bizarre. 

When I got to the MTC, I was whisked away and taken to all these places to get everything that I needed then taken to my room where the sisters in my district are all staying. I was then taken to my classroom where I spend approximately TEN HOURS A DAY in. I miss the sun. But it is so fun. My companion is Hermana Kelley Krage from San Diego California (Elise, it is like a piece of you is here with me) and she is going to Independence Missouri. The other two girls in my district are Hermana Bradford and Hermana Greenhalgh who are both going to Nicaragua. There are four elders in my district, Elder Canlas, Elder Jenks, Elder Porter, and Elder McBride, all going stateside. It is nice being somewhere where we are all going stateside (except for the two sisters) because we all understand the worry of learning Spanish for an English speaking community. Well, Wednesday was just a bunch of orientation. Then Thursday, Hermana Krage and I were told that we were getting a new companion to become a trio with us. She was in the advanced Spanish class and was not doing well, so she asked to come join our class. Her name is Hermana Emily Clark from South Jordan, Utah heading to Los Angeles. So fun! 

Most days are just class, and class, and class, and more class. It is very exhausting trying to learn so much Spanish. The first moment in class on Wednesday until the last moment before you leave, classes are Spanish only. My whole district has had Spanish experience before, and I haven't, so it is hard to try to keep up with their advanced conversations and words. What is driving me nuts is that I am at the point where I am actually pretty okay with understanding, but I cannot speak what I want to say. I am so excited for the day that I can! 

The MTC is definitely hard. More than I expected. I am struggling with the idea of sitting all day in class with no outside sunshine time. I am also struggling with the language pretty bad. Our teacher is Maestra Pullan and she is incredible.On Monday I had a complete break because I did not understand what was being taught and I broke. I ended up sobbing on her shoulder out in the hall in the middle of class. It is pretty embarrassing to break down like that in front of the whole class, but thankfully my district is SO sweet. Maestra Pullan ws kind and decided that she was going to help me more one-on-one when we companero study, which is so kind and helpful, and definitely a blessing. So now, I think I will be okay! The Lord is definitely watching out for me. I need it. 

We have two investigators. Ella and Hely. Ella is so nice and kind and makes me feel really good about my TERRIBLE Spanish. She allows me to ask my companeras what word to use or how to say (como se dice and que significa are my two favorite phrases). Hely is so hard and very Catholic so we are struggling with her. I can't even understand her; she talks so fast and with such a thick accent. But es muy bueno. We are improving every day and that is what matters. Thankfully Hermana Clark and Krage are so so good at Spanish, which is so nice because they help me SO much every single day. They also have a lot of patience, thankfully, so they are okay with me being slow and needed English helps. I am so blessed!

We have incredible Sister Training Leaders. One of them I have really become great friends with. Her name is Hermana Van Kampen from Colorado. She didn't know any Spanish before she came (3 weeks ago) either. So she understand how I feel and how to help me. I am so grateful for her and her friendship.

We had a Sunday night devotional from one of the members of the MTC presidency and then a Tuesday night devotional from Ulisses S. Soares. I love devotionals! They are so uplifting and thought and action provoking. We also watched a film on Sunday called "Character of Christ", a talk given by Elder Bednar to the MTC. If you can find it, read it or watch it. It will change your life! Also, if you find a written version, will someone send it to me? I would like to have it if possible :)

So, since class is boring to describe, let me share the funnest/funniest thing that has happened yet. Hermana Bradford and Elder Jenks dared each other to drink a full glass of hot fudge. Hermana Bradford tried, and drank about half of it before she felt like she was going to puke. Then Elder Jenks literally fountained the fudge in his mouth, before he drooled it all back out!! It was awful, and so funny. And so gross. But he is definitely a blessing to our district because we have a group of very focused very studious people, and so we all get to serious and focused and do not remember to take a break and laugh every once in a while. But he does, thank goodness, otherwise I'm pretty sure we would all die and go home.

The MTC is so hard. So so hard. But it is so incredible. I am learning so much about myself and and am definitely being converted to the Lord. I LOVE it. The Lord knows us and knows what we need, and He is always watching out for us. The MTC is a constant spiritual haven as well, and I love it. I hate and it and love it at the same time.

I love you all and hope things are going well back at home. Stay in touch!

Love,
Hermana Gregory

P.S. Oh! If you want to talk to me fast or get a response from me faster, I can get letters any day of the week. Otherwise, I try to will email you back on Thursdays!

Taylor's first letter!

We received Taylor's first letter today. :) I immediately burst into tears and just held it close. Justin laughed and asked if I was going to read it. I must admit it took me a moment to compose myself. Anyway this is what she wrote...

May 13, 2015 First Day

I made it to the MTC! My companion is Hermana Kelley Krage. She is from San Diego (so it is almost like having Elise here) and she is 19 also. Our room and classroom is on the top floors of their buildings; so we sure get our exercise! Our district here is so nice. There is one sweet sister training leader who has been here 3 weeks and is helping me so much. I have never been so overwhelmed before because it literally was a walk in and immediate Spanish and only Spanish.  I don't know a thing and almost broke out in tears several times. We met our STL this evening and one asked how is was going and she turned to me and I told her how overwhelmed I was. She hadn't taken any Spanish before either so she understands and I love it. I share a room with me and 3 others. They are all so nice. Hermana Krage is going to Independence Missouri and the other 2 are going to Nicaragua. The rules are so strict and it is so scary and I know absolutely nothing. But the spirit is so strong all the time. It is incredible we all definitely need a lot more training, but we will survive. One day down!

With love,
Hermana Gregory

Also, P-day is on Thursday, but the first one will be next Thursday.

The love between sisters!

As I Say Goodbye...

Thank you to everyone who has helped me get to this point in my life! I am so eternally grateful for all of you and for your influence and example to me. As I leave now to go serve the Lord for eighteen months, I hope you all can recognize my deep and dear love for you. Please, stay in touch! My contact information is right here on the blog, and my mom will be posting weekly updates from my emails to her. I love you all so much!! You will all be in my prayers and I'll see you all soon! Washington, here I come!

Love,
Taylor (Sister/Hermana Gregory)


P.S. from the missionary mom (Traci). We dropped Taylor off at the Provo MTC this afternoon.