Missionary Training Center Week 3

Hey Everyone,

This week was full of so many surprises. Monday I got to teach my investigators Candice and Arielle as a trio with Sister Keller. It was so cool because the lesson went beautifully and we didn't get a chance to go over it together.  

All of us Sisters were getting ready for bed, when all of the sudden the fire alarm went off! I was in the shower and had decided that I was just going to die in the MTC when I hear Sister Pinter and Sister Keller calling my name and telling me to hurry up before we all burn! We ended up sitting on the grass outside with all of the other sisters from our building, when someone starting singing church songs. Pretty soon the whole yard was filled with the sweet sound of sister missionaries singing praises to their Heavenly Father. It was such a beautiful experience. After a little while we found out that it was just an electrical error and we were all permitted to go beck to our rooms. (The Elders were not affected by this at all and slept peacefully).

 Tuesday is devotional day and we got the honor of having Elder Quentin L Cook speak to us!!! All four of us sisters had been going to choir practice so we got to sing at the devotional! The devotional was broadcasted to all of the MTCs around the world! Did you knoow we have 14 MTCs?  The camera was panning over the choir and stopped on us sisters at least five times... I was famous! All four of us sister felt pretty impressed with ourselves for making it in the broadcast until the elders in our district informed us that our faces looked weird...thank you Elders! On a happy note though, Elder Cook gave all of us missionaries a special blessing and shared an amazing testimony on the Savior. 

By Wednesday, we had both of our investigators reading the Book of Mormon and Friday at our last lesson with Arielle, we got her to commit to baptism!! The spirit was so strong! We originally had another lesson planned but the spirit told us to go another direction. Its amazing how the spirit works. God knows each of us so well and he knew what Arielle needed to hear.  

I am flying out to California Tuesday morning!! I'm super excited and honestly nervous. Next time I email you it will be from California! I hope everyone's week is going well! 

I love you all, Sister Howard

Mission Training Center Week 2

Hey loved ones,

Sorry I didn't email last week! The MTC is keeping me on a tight schedule with classes and my new investigators! I love the MTC so much! The spirit is so strong and I am surrounded by amazing Elders and Sisters. My first day at the MTC was crazy. We ended up getting lost and were twenty minutes late to our first class.... We weren't really sure what the Elder and sister rules were so when about 40 Elders tried to get all four of us sisters to squish in an elevator with them, it was a very traumatic moment for all of us. We later found out that the main goal is to cram loads of missionaries in one elevator. I'm not sure why but we have great stairs. I am in district 39a with fourteen Elders and four Sisters. Everyone has amazing testimonies and loves to laugh. We are already like a family. 

Today we got to go to the temple together and take pictures. This week has been wonderful. I got my first two investigators Kaitlyn and Aubree.  I am proud to say that both of them are now reading the book of Mormon! Kaitlyn is on Chapter five! Yesterday during my lesson with Kaitlyn the spirit was so strong and all of a sudden Sister Pinter and I were no longer teaching from our lesson but we were being guided by the spirit with everything we were saying. It was so powerful and my heart with filled with so much Christ like love. Heavenly Father provides a way for us to accomplish his work. Tuesdays we have devotionals and this Tuesday President Kearon of the seventy spoke to us with his wife. Did you know that he's a convert? He was taught by multiple sets of missionaries before he was finally baptized!  After the devotional I had a feeling that we needed to start having a district prayer, I told Sister Pinter and she had the same prompting as well. Then Sister Keller and Sister Pearse came over and said the same thing. We told our wonderful district leader Elder Stuart and I had the honor of giving the first 39a district prayer. 

Wednesday night for our exercise time, we got to play basketball with the Elders in our district. The Elders are only allowed to guard the Elders and the same rules apply with the Sisters. It was really funny because you could just dribble the ball around the Elders and they just had to stand and watch until you missed the basket and they got the rebound or you passed it to them. Sounds complicated but I've never had so much fun playing basketball. 

I share a room with Sister keller, Sister Pinter( my amazing companion) and Sister Pearse. We are all so close and I love them so much. We spend a lot of time laughing and teasing each other. I am convinced I knew them in the pre-earth life. Each floor of our residence hall has vending machines and one of the vending machines  is filled with ice cream. I'll just say I have had my fair share of ice cream the last couple of days. 

My whole district is sick with what we call the MTC Plague. It's basically this horrible flu that is going around, but it has not stopped us from being the best missionaries we can possibly be. Sister Pearse was feeling really homesick the other night so we convinced her to get a blessing. Elder Stuart and Elder Oswald blessed her with one of the most powerful blessings I have ever witnessed in my life. It felt like not only was Sister Pearse getting blessed but everyone who witnessed it was getting blessed as well. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Heavenly Father was speaking through Elder Stuart. I have been humbled in ways I didn't even know was possible. 

I now see life in a new angle and I am so happy to be here at the MTC.  I love getting up in the morning and having the honor of wearing Christ's name on my chest. I wish you all could be here with me to feel this strong spirit and learn more about this wonderful gospel. There is so much to learn and so many chances to serve. I love you all so much! Have the best week ever!

love, Sister Howard 

First MTC email!

Hey Mom,  

I honestly have no clue where to start.. I'm am so busy learning and planning that I never have a second to think. My companion is Sister Pinter (the girl I met on facebook) and we share a room with Sister Kelly and Sister Pearse. They are in my district too. We all get along and they are really good examples to me. I miss you guys so much, but I know for a fact that this is where Heavenly Father wants me to be. I feel at home here, but I just miss you guys so much! 

I am in district 39 and we have ten elders and four sisters. Two of the elders are going to Cali with me and so are all of the sisters. I am dead tired but its a new kind of tired that I have never felt before. We taught our first practice investigator and I'll be honest, it was horrible.. but we've learned from that and our next lesson is well thought out, and I think that its going to turn out so much better. It was honestly humbling to have my first lesson not turn out as planned because I learned so much. 

I love being a missionary. Wearing this tag is such a huge honor to me. We had a meeting with our branch president and in my interview with him he gave me an amazing blessing. I shared my testimony in that meeting with my district and the branch presidency.  

The days here feel like they are so long,  like one day feels like a week. We accomplish so much in a day, but its like not matter how hard we work, we can't ever get it all done. I am having a really hard time falling asleep at night. That's my biggest trial right now. I feel bad that I'm emailing right this second because I'm currently over loaded  with all I still need to do.

I ran into Elena and Michelle, but we didn't have time to take a picture. I have all my classes in the new building and that is where I meet with my district. 

The mission is a lot harder then I thought it would be, but i'm just so happy... it's hard to explain how I am feeling right now. I have  grown so much in these last few days... its just crazy.. even when I'm stressed I feel the spirit... even with all that said I am happy and doing well, but I am still just learning the basics of how to be a good sister missionary and I feel so humbled. 

 l love you Sister Howard

Entering the Missionary Training Center in Provo, UT

This is under the new MTC buildings.  There were a lot of young missionaries waving at us as we drove in. A little pink sticker was put on our windshield. The sister's cars went left and the Elder's cars went right.  Each missionary is met with a missionary HOST to help carry their luggage, help them feel welcome, and show them where to go.  This HOST is Sister Larsen from South Jordan.  We later found out that she is the neighbor of Sister Howard's cousins who are already in the MTC.  After a quick goodbye Sister Howard entered the MTC and headed for her first class!

A visit with Great-Grandma Stanley.

We stopped to see Hannah's Great-Grandma Stanley in Orem before we went to the MTC.  Great-Grandma and her husband are the parents of ten children.  There have been many  missionaries in this family.  Great-Grandma Stanley created a map of all the missionaries who have served or are serving missions.  Hannah added her pin to the family missionary map. Here is the four generation photo of M Olive Stanley, M Afton Howard, C Hilmer Howard, and Hannah M Howard.  

This is what Great-Grandma Stanley shared on her Facebook page.

Hello, my name is Mary Olive Stanley and I am 94 years old. It is pleasing to me that my family is supporting the missionary program in a good way. This is what is happening this month and it makes me very happy.

There will be three generations of my family in the Missionary Training Center in Provo Utah at the same time, preparing to serve our Savior Jesus Christ as missionaries. My son Timothy D. Stanley and his wife BK Nix Stanley, two of my granddaughters Elena and Michelle Stanley, and a great granddaughter Hannah Howard.

On September 11th, 2017, my son Timothy Daryl Stanley and his wife BK Nix Stanley will enter the MTC in Provo Utah to prepare for their mission as Military Relations Specialists in the Honolulu, Hawaii Mission. Two of my granddaughters are in the MTC now, Sister Elena May Stanley who is preparing to serve in the Canada Montreal Mission, and her twin, Sister Anna Michelle Stanley who is preparing to serve in Lithuania within the Baltic States mission. A great granddaughter Hannah Howard enters the MTC on September 6th, 2017 to prepare for her missionary service in San Fernando, California.

This is exciting for my family and I thought that we could share the good news. Thank you!

Eating at Molly's.

Grandma and Grandpa Howard took us out to lunch before the MTC.  We went to Molly's.  It was a fun experience and we got to eat outside.  

Leaving her home for 18 months!

After being set apart, a missionary can only listen to uplifting music. For Hannah's mission they can listen to The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, LDS artists singing LDS music, or classical music.  This invites the spirit. On our way to the MTC we listened to the inspiring music of Kory Kunz. It was great to sing along with Hannah.  We had an enjoyable ride together.  Her sister Rachael and her brother Brandon had already said their goodbyes.  

Saying goodbye to Holly.

Hannah got this puppy for Christmas.  She is a german-short hair pointer/yellow lab mix.  Hannah will miss playing with Holly while she serves the people in California.  

Last Skype with Sister in Idaho until Christmas.

Being Set Apart as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Tonight, Hannah was set-apart in her home to be an official missionary.  President Ricks and President Hall came to our home.  Her father also assisted. Brandon and her mother were there also.