Last week at MTC...

So I am emailing my last time here at the MTC! These past 6 weeks have gone by so fast, I have learned so much here.  My testimony has been strengthened so much and I know how important it is to listen to the promptings of the spirit.  I am so excited to get out into the field! I am a little nervous with my Spanish but I know I will get better with time.  Since I am leaving the MTC this means no more Dear Elders which is sad because I loved getting those everyday.  Just snail mail and email.  In my next email I will post my new address! Thanks again for all the letters, dear elders, and packages!

So I am leaving tomorrow at 4:45pm at the front desk of the MTC! All of us that are going to Provo got a letter from the mission president and he said him and his wife are going to pick us up! He also told us that we will be spending the first night in the mission home and it will be an evening of orientation, interviews, dinner, and sleep! Wednesday is when I will find out who my new companion will be (trainer) and where my first area will be! Also we asked the front desk if we will be able to call home and according to them they said probably not because usually it is just missionaries that are going out of state or country that get to call.  We're thinking maybe the mission president will let us but then again we don't really know.  So Mom and Dad if you don't hear from me, i'm sorry! Just look forward to Christmas and then I can talk to you!

So my last week here at the MTC has been amazing! Hermana Read and I finished up our last lessons to our investigators and they went really well.  During language study Hermana Read and I have been studying with our district leader, Elder Hodges.  We would read a chapter out of the Book of Mormon in spanish, we each would read a verse in spanish and then try to figure out what it said and then we would read the verse in english to see how well we did.  It actually helped us a lot with spanish and understanding the words.  We were able to study our Spanish and have spiritual insight of what we were reading at the same time, it was great!

So Thursday we had In field orientation which was for all missionaries leaving this week.  It was an 8 hour long workshop thing.  We had different workshop classes on things such as planning with your companion, working with members, contacting, and many other useful things that we need to know to go out into the field.  We practiced contacting people with each other.  They told us that we need to take advantage of talking to every person we see whether it be at an airport, park, out in the street, etc and give them a pass a long card where they can find out more about our church at mormon.org.  We can't let those moments pass, we need to share what we know to be true to everyone!  

On Saturday night we had out departing district testimony meeting for our zone.  It was so emotional.  All of us pretty much cried as we bore our testimonies.  We all pretty much did it in english and then closed with a little spanish.  It is amazing how close we have gotten these past 6 weeks.  All of the elders in my district feel like my brothers and all the hermanas feel like my sisters! We are such a close family, I know we were put together as a district for a reason.  I know I was put together with my companion for a reason, we have progressed so much together as a companionship these past 6 weeks. 

On Sunday we had mission conference which was really great!  As a zone we sang God be with you till we meet Again in spanish.  We sing that every time a district leaves and it was crazy to think that we were singing because MY district was leaving! Whenever a district leaves they do a musical number in sacrament meeting and like I said in my last email we sang the EFY medley in spanish.  Not gonna lie I wasn't sure we were going to be able to pull it off cause none of the elders in my district can sing haha.  They are all pretty much tone deaf haha.  Us Hermanas had to work with them a lot and we were able to pull it off.  It sounded amazing actually.  When the elders came in to sing armies of helaman they sounded so good.  We were so proud of them! We had our last temple walk and then had a departure devotional for all departing missionaries giving us instructions on cleaning, packing etc.  We also had our last Sunday devotional ever at the MTC! As a district we decided we wanted to get there early to get good seats for our last devotional.  We got to sit in the second row and I saw Jenny Oaks Baker and all her kids there and freaked out.  I was like no way, I can't believe she's here!  And then I saw on the screen that she was the speaker for our devotional and she was performing!  My district was all like it is a good thing we got good seats for this! She talked about having spiritual gifts and that we all have been blessed with spiritual gifts.  She played Beautiful Savior, Amazing Grace, A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief, and I know that My Redeemer lives.  All 4 of her kids were there and played an arrangement of I am a Child of God, they are incredible! She is seriously so amazing! Watching her play brought tears to my eyes.  It made me realize how much I love music and how powerful music can be to touch peoples lives.  Her passion while she plays is so amazing to watch.  Since we were in the second row we could see everything! It was awesome! My whole district was like "Hermana Garces, you need to talk to her after this and get a picture with her!" So after the devotional since we were so close to her I went up to her and talked to her for a little bit.  I told her that I love her music and that I have her CDs and that I have some books of hers and she was like awe that's great keep up playing the violin, the power of music can touch so many peoples lives.  I then got a picture with her! My whole district was like this was the best last devotional ever for us! It was so awesome!

Tonight is our last class time with our teachers, Hermano Roden and Hermana Taggart. It will probably be very emotional! Our teachers are so amazing! They have been such incredible examples to my whole district.  Again I know they were assigned to teach us for a reason.  As a district we got them their favorite candy bar and each wrote them a note about how much we are so grateful to them and what an amazing impact they have been to us.

So I am pretty much out of time! I love all of you and thanks again for all the support.  I can't believe my next email will be when I am out in the field! I am so excited!

Love,
Hermana Veronica Garces