July 16, 2014

FAMILY FAMILY FAMILY!! What a week!! Seriously the best week of my life I’m pretty sure!!! I love it here. It’s honestly like Spanish Happyville. Everyone speaks Spanish and then there is me and my companion :/ My companion is just like Keng (my mom). She is always laughing at me and she tells me not to because she will pee her pants. She is 22 and a shorty I love it. We definitely are both not very mature but we are working on it :) Every day is wonderful here at the MTC. My district is so fun. It’s my companion and I, another companionship of girls, and 3 companionship of boys. They are all 18.

My District

These are the girls in my district. All soooo nice and cute cute cute!

Everything is so good here except the food. No bueno. My appetite has gone bye bye. Pretty much I just have fruit for every meal. But it’s chill because I don’t think about being hungry that often so it hasn't really affected me.

When I first got to class my teacher wouldn't speak in English and I can honestly say I understood 10% of the things he says and everyone else understands 80%. It’s okay though because I know it will come eventually. I love Spanish and I don’t even know it yet. The other day our teacher had us write a question we had on how we can teach our investigator better, and Hermana Markle and I asked "how can we teach in Spanish when we don’t know what he is saying to us." Our lessons are rough and we pretty much read our note card the whole time but it’s coming slowly. It’s bad because my companion and I have the same humor so when we are teaching a lesson and it’s just not going well we start laughing and then it just gets worse. Yesterday I think we learned from our lesson, so tomorrows will be better :)

Hermana Markle and I

I’m in the choir. I told my companion that all my brothers have volunteered to pay for singing lessons and she didn't believe me until I tried to hit a way hard note and now she knows. I see people I know all the time I love it. I see a lot of people from the stake and it’s good to see a little piece of home.

I forgot my tennis shoes so I worked out in my crocs for three days and did service in them. Surprisingly no one commented and didn’t judge me. Every day for gym I play volleyball and it’s soooooo fun. Some days I am blessed with crazy talent and others it’s just embarrassing. I am so incredibly happy here. Last night I was trying to think of why my happiness has grown so much and I’ve come to realize it’s because missionary work is not about me.  Though I have much to improve on, I find myself the happiest when I’m not thinking about me. I think about home all the time. I think about how much I miss all my brothers and my mom every day. But I have not yet become homesick. I know that it will probably come I just love it here so much. Everyone I have met here has been exactly what I need. I can’t help but to think that I don’t deserve it and another sister should have these blessings. 

Yesterday we had a devotional and I felt like it was exactly what I needed to hear. Brother Brown told of a story where a man he knew had been diagnosed with cancer and asked him for a blessing. Before he went over to give the blessing he was praying for strength and asking not to let this man die because of his inadequacy. Then this question came to his mind. "Are you blessing him in your name or in mine?" This changed my whole perspective on saying in the name of Jesus Christ Amen. I feel that I need to trust that the language will come and that the amount of effort and commitment I put into it, I will get out.  So now before I pray I ask, “Am I really praying in the name of Christ? It has made a huge difference already! The MTC is wonderful it’s not a prison like we joked about. It’s the best place I could be. I know that I am exactly where I should be. I have sooo much to learn but I’m not alone. Don’t worry about me! I’m in very good hands. I love you all and am forever grateful for the family and friends that I have!!

Love always,

Hermana Fowler

PS. I have loved all the letters and packages. PLEASE send dear elders if you have time. I love them and they make my day. 

(Note from Kendra: Dear Elder is a free website where you can type in a letter to Anna and they print it off at the MTC and deliver it to her that day. You'll need the following information.

www.dearelder.com

Sister Anna Leigh Fowler

Aug 19 CRA-SJO

2023 N. 900 E. 

Unit 827

Provo, UT 84602)