I'm Alive!

After almost a week of no word, some of us were beginning to wonder if she'd been kidnapped out of the MTC and were making plans to rescue her. Finally we got this letter that explained it all, enjoy! 

01/02/13

italic print is additional explanation                                                   

 Received in the mail on Jan. 7, 2013

Hello All!

My P-days (preparation day) aren’t till Thursdays and this week since we just got here we don’t have one so I won’t get to email until Thursday next week so the 11^th? (I think)

We are the last group on the old program. (at the Oct. General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the age requirements for serving missions were changed. Young Men may now serve at 18 and Young Women may serve at 19. Later they announced that they would be cutting the time spent at the Missionary Training Center by 1/3, Sarah’s group is there the full time.) So we are here till the 22^nd. Longer than ALL of us thought. But it is ok. The people are nice and the food is good.

My companion’s name is Sister Jackson. She’s from Herriman, Utah and goes to the University of Utah. I know I should hate her because she is a Ute, but I really like her. (Brigham Young University and the University of Utah are huge rivals) Also, her brother is deaf so we can sign to each other. Fun!

Our roommates are Sister Ward and Sister Kim. They’re also going to Sacramento. We have a lot of fun! They’re both hysterical so we’re always laughing.

The MTC is a cool place. Right now at the end of the first day. We’re all convinced we’ll never know our way around, but I’m sure we’ll figure it out.

Today we just did orientation stuff. Met our district and zone leaders, and had a teaching experience. My district is us four ladies and then 8 Elders who are all going to Las Vegas west, minus Elder Riley who’s going to Denver. They’re all very nice, but total babies! I had forgotten what it’s like to be surrounded by 18-19 year old boys. They’re silly and immature, but they love the gospel and provide entertainment.(:

The teaching experience was a cool thing where we observed missionaries teaching an “investigator” (volunteers who play a part) and then we got to take over as a group and help teach. It was great learning how to approach gospel teaching. Sis. Jackson and I got asked to do the door approach on the last one. Basically we just knocked and got them to let us in, and then the group taught again. It was cool to do that while wearing our tags and feeling like “real missionaries.” (I’m wearing my nametag and moose pajamas right now by the way. They go surprisingly well together.)

It’s freeing cold outside but luckily we only have to be outside to walk to and from buildings.

We’ll see what happens this week. The gospel is true. Without it being so, no sane person would let us in their house.

Love Y’all!

Sister Burchett