Laundry Room Larks

January 13, 2007

Dear Family, Friends, and Whomever else might be interested,

Well, there really aren't any larks going on in the laundry room, sorry to get your hopes up. I'm simply doing laundry--I've been here since 6:30 a.m. I think outside of basketball, this may well be the most competitive plave here at the MTC. But that's okay, we're just waiting for Sister Thomas' last load to get out of the dryer and then we can go back to the room.

Things are going very well. Sister Thomas and I get on swimmingly. We're both quite laid back, both quiet and both studious and diligent. We've already taught both the 1st and 2nd lessons in the TRC (where volunteers pretend to be investigators) and will be teaching the 3rd on Monday. Tell Laura she ought to go to volunteer at the TRC, I bet she would be really good and it helps the missionaries to get someone who really interacts. The service missionary we taught last Monday was falling asleep the whole time which was really rather disconcerting when you are trying to teach. Classes are great! I really like Sister Heist, our morning teacher, and I really liked Brother Dawson who was our evening teacher for the first week. He make me teach our first lesson the first Thursday we were here. Almost every time he was teaching we could count on having to teach one of the other classes. But he was moved to a different room when BYU's new semester started and now we have Brother Updike. I like him fairly well, too, but he's pretty much the opposite of Brother Dawson so it's going to take some getting used to.

The food here isn't the best, I knew that coming in--but it's okay. I do feel bad for Sister Thomas thought because she doesn't like most of it. But since she is from New Zealand she always expresses her dislike in a very nice way. Sister Thomas and I joke that it is a good thing I am her companion because I can translate American terms for her and always understand what she is saying. I must admit, however, that Sister Thomas has a much better American accent than my attempts at a New Zealand accent. I have 10 more days to pracitce though. I will be very sorry to have to leave Sister Thomas! I leave the MTC at 5:00 a.m. on the 23rd, and she stays on another week to do Visitor Center Training before going to Temple Square for 3 months and then on the the Nauvoo Visitors Center. I have learned a lot from her and she really sets a good example of diligence for me--always way ahead on her lesson plans.

As for my district, I love them too. I expected to get frustrated with the Elders and always be quite aware that they are two years younger than me, but I find I almost always forget that. Four of the Elders are going to the Roseville Mission as well, including, Anux (ed. not--this was an indecipherable name), the Elder with the orange tie whom we saw at the Training Table. All in all there are 21 of us going to the Roseville Mission, and I believe I am the only sister. That's bound to be a fun plane ride!

I really do love it here, way more than I expected. I have had so many spiritual experiences and learned so much teaching, in class and at devotionals--we had one from Janice Kapp Perry andher husband and one from M. Russell Ballard and Richard G. Scott. Sister Thomas and I joined the choir and really enjoyed that, so we'll do it again this week. And I think that is pretty much it. I got 3 letters on Monday, one from mom, one from Anne, and all the little advice notes from the missionary shower from Emily. I sent word to let me know abything about the newest Odhiambo. I can only assume that by now she has had the baby and I want to see pictures and know names! Eric, I wrote you a four page letter last week and I have had narry a word in return!

I love you all and will send frequent reports as soon as I arrive in California.

Love, Sister Sorensen