The MTC Sisters

Here are some photos of the sisters I was at the MTC with. They are all amazing and have such individual personalities and talents. It is simply amazing to see how close we got over those short 3 weeks. It's like someone said as we left the MTC, "Leaving home is sad, especially as you leave your family behind. However, I have come to realize I am not leaving my family, but rather I have gained a whole other part of it." I truly feel that way about the people I have met and come into contact with.

As I said before, there were 6 MTC sisters. The first photo goes Sisters Belliston, Stout, Brooke, Hadley, myself and Sister Hull. We are standing in almost the same order in the second photo, except Sister Hull and I switched spots. Let me tell you a bit about each of these sisters.

Sister Belliston is probably the most amazing pianist I have ever heard. She graduated as a piano performance major and simply has a wonderful touch on the piano. Besides that she has a wonderful heart about her. She is very kind and loving.

Sister Stout is a hoot. Honestly, she has the best stories! She grew up on a farm where her dad had emus, grew dates, and thought it would be a good idea to have 200 dogs at one stage. You can tell she learned how to work hard. Sister Stout had us in tears of laughter during meal time. I loved hearing about her experiences and the good sense of humor she had. She always was positive about all that she learned and was happy to do whatever.

Sister Brooke was our miracle. She was actually supposed to go to the New Zealand MTC and then to Australia. She unfortunately had some visa problems and fortunately ended up coming to the England MTC much to our pleasure. This made it so we had 3 companionships. Also, she is from England so she was our source of knowledge. She was constantly answering all our questions about the culture; it was great to have that first-hand source of knowledge.

Sister Hadley always smiled. I can't think of a time when she wasn't smiling and if that didn't brighten your day, I am not sure what would. It is amazing how something as simple as a smile can make a difference.

Sister Hull was my first companion. It was amazing how we learned to work together throughout the weeks. I definitely saw a change in her as well. She gained confidence as she taught and was willing to take charge. As a result, I learned to sit back a little more and just listen/observe. It was a very pleasurable experience. Mostly she was a great source of faith for me. She wasn't sure why she was on a mission, but she knew it was where she needed to be so she was there. She kept going forth with faith, even when she missed friends and family at home. It was also nice for me to be able to recognize just how good I had it. I feel very blessed to know that this is where I need to be. Also, I feel blessed because I have such purpose and direction in my mission. The contrast between our backgrounds made me grateful for all the experiences I've had that led me to the person I am today with the knowledge that I have.

Both Sister Hull and Hadley are both serving in England Manchester as well, so I am sure I will be writing more about them later. That is all my updates about the sisters I grew to know and love at the MTC.