Hi Mom!!!!
Thank you for writing me! I would have been so sad if there were no emails here for me to read. Have ya'll gotten my letter yet? They let us send a special letter home because we had just gotten here and they wanted us to be able to let you know we were okay. I asked you to send me a couple of things in my letter--really all I need, though, is that black skirt (the one I took to the dry cleaners) and a couple more pairs of socks. Also, could you let DaNece know that if she ever goes to yoga through Women's Resources in the Wilkinson Center, I think I accidentally left my yoga mat in there with all the BYU yoga mats. It says KL on one end of it, and she can just take it and use it.
Oh, also, I have a new mailing address here at the MTC:
Sister Katherine Marie Lyman
MTC Mailbox #195
OH-CLE 0831
2005 N. 900 E.
Provo, Utah 84604-1793
That one should work a little faster than the other. Also, you can just delete my blog post from the 3rd, I don't know what that is.
Anyway, enough business! I'm glad to hear about Norman's new equipment, I'm sure he's loving that! And how was the Old Saybrook trip?
Life at the MTC is crazy. I am sitting in the laundry room right now, and it seems like there are 100 elders in here all doing their laundry. I am surprised how few sisters there are at the MTC. But it's all so fun! The first day, I got in late, so I didn't have my real companion until after dinner. But her name is Sister Shelley Decker, she is from West Jordan, Utah, and she is going to the Los Angeles Visitors' Center. The other two sisters in my district are also going to LA, and their names are Sister Ashby and Sister Thurston. They both have red hair and lots of cute knee-length skirts that I am kind of jealous of, but I just keep reminding myself that I am going to the Snow Belt where I will want to wear the longest skirts possible.
Every day we go to class and then have lots of time for independent study, more than I was expecting, actually. I have been doing a lot of reading, I'm working on Our Search for Happiness right now and I really like it. They are trying a new pilot program on our district where we are not actually studying Preach My Gospel, but we're just doing lots of exercises about learning to understand investigators. We are using a cool website called 6 Billion Others, which has interviews with people from all over the world. They talk about their families, meaning of life, politics, God, war, etc. You should go look at the site, it is really interesting. Look up Bruno, he has been my favorite so far. :-) Anyway, the point is that we listen to these people and then try to figure out where they are on their spiritual journey and what they might need to hear the most from the restored gospel.
Something they have been telling us to do that kind of suprised me at first is that they don't really want us to teach lessons from Preach My Gospel. They want us to teach the bits and pieces that an investigator needs, and then maybe later, as they're ready, teach them the full message of lesson 1 or the plan of salvation or wherever we are at that point. I'm kind of hoping we will study Preach My Gospel a little bit at some point, because I feel like I am not prepared to teach someone a coherent lesson on one of those topics even if that is what they wanted to hear, but whatever. I really like how they are getting us focused on the people we'll teach.
Besides class, I am mostly enjoying the atmosphere of the MTC. It is fun living across the street from the German House. I feel right at home here! We went to the temple yesterday and walked around, and the same old mountains I have seen every day for the last three years were right there, and it was beautiful and cool like September weather, and I just felt really comfortable and happy.
Another fun surprise of the MTC has been seeing my friend Amy Briggs, who went to Jerusalem with me and is now going to the Philippines! She entered the same day I did, and our schedules overlap on almost everything, so I see her about 5 times I day! We took a picture together, but I can't figure out how to load pictures here, that might have to wait until the field. I will also send you the airport pictures then...
In general, life is good here, but I have to say I am already pretty excited to go off to Ohio. I want to meet real people! Plus, I kind of feel like I am at EFY here. But, it is great, the elders in my zone are all really nice, my teachers are nice, I feel like I am learning a lot and have transitioned well.
How is everything at home now? When do ya'll start school, again? I have to run, but I can't wait to read your email next Monday!
Lots of love,
Katherine
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