March 26, 2015

Family,
Hello hello!!! AHHHHH where do I even begin? First off, I want to thank you all for your love and support. I have never felt more loved! It was so amazing to get my first letter from my sweet Kaiden and Chels. My district leader got the mail and gave everyone letters and I didn't think I was going to get one, and then kaiden and chels pulled through! Dear Elder is awesome and the letters get to me every single night so for the rest of my stay at the MTC, i would love to hear from you guys!! It makes my day. Mom, Dad, thank you so much for the 2 packages. You have NO idea what that does for me & for the missionaries. I was dying at the wheat thins package momsie, you know me so well. I also received the sweetest package from Shirly Heaps- so please tell her thank you for me! I sent her a letter a few days ago, but i want her to really know how much i appreciated that. She is the sweetest thing ever, and for her to think of me just was the best! Today is my first P-day!! I made it!!! ahhhhh!!! I can't even begin to tell you how amazing this week was. I know that Kaiden, Chels, and dad went through the whole MTC experience, but man. A lot has changed and i think it makes a huge difference when you are speaking your native language. I honestly just don't even have words to express to you how i feel and all the things that have gone through my head. I haven't learned this much and have felt the spirit this much in my entire life. EVER. like all combined, i have never learned this much and it is absolutely AMAZING!!! I have already witnessed so many miracles in just this short week. One being today, that really just hit me so hard. As a district, we went to the temple this morning. As we got dressed and ready, me and my companion went out to get our temple names from the cute temple worker. I was handed a slip, after she marked the "endowment" down and i look at the name, and on the pink slip, i was given the name "Carrie B. Worthington". I looked down and just started to cry. I don't even know if she is related to us, but it was just one of the tender mercies that God showed me. Even when i have gone and done family names, i don't think i have ever gotten a name with my actual last name. I just don't think that it was by coincidence at all. I was doing temple work for someone on the other side. I only get to go to the temple one time while being here at the MTC so it was just such an amazing experience and i felt the spirit so strongly! After that me and my sisters went and had breakfast in the temple cafeteria and that was really fun!! Well lets, see, I'm gonna tell you more about my week!! Ahhhh i have so many things to say and not enough time to say them!!
First day was awesome. It was a bit stressful, as it is for everyone, but i was greeted by everyone and felt so much love. As i got my papers and packets, i went in to a room to get my tag and they directed me to a line, and the lady who put my tag on just so happened to be a Sister Slade, dads cousin?? I remember seeing her at Grandma Sudweeks funeral and we were able to talk for a little while and it was awesome! After that i ran into Kim Johnson and a few others that we know!!! That made the first day great!! I met my adorable companion, sister hatch from Alberta, Canada. Unfortunately, i have to leave her soon because she is serving in Virginia. I have absolutely LOVED her. We get a long so well and i am just so blessed to be with someone who has no issues! :) We got thrown into class and just started the day off right. My teachers are AMAZING!!! I have so many great things to say about them. By the end of day one, i was physically and mentally and spiritually exhausted. I pretty much thought my mind was going to explode... but hey, i survived. The first night took me about 2 hours to fall asleep, probably just because i had so much on my mind, but after that it was beyond perfect!
Day 2 was great. Amazing actually. We were able to meet our branch presidency. My branch president is President Daniel Judd. And gosh he is a stud!! heheeh :) He was apparently a member of the 70 and he gave a talk in general conference one time in 2007. HE IS AMAZING!!!!! His wife is adorable, and they have been in orem for 22 years. His counselors are also amazing, brother and sister Gallacher and Brother and sister Neilson. I dont' know what i did to get so blessed, but i did!!! I wouldn't trade them for anything. On this night, we had an orientation thingy and got to know them better. My district has 6 elders and 4 sisters, and we were the only district in our zone, so that was really fun!!! the president asked us to all introduce ourselves and then bear our testimonies. It was such a neat experience to hear all of their testimonies. at the end of day 2, my whole district became instant best friends. After testimony meeting, my branch president had personal interviews with us!! That went really well and it was so good to talk with him. THEN. We got callings and assignments, and I got called to be the Sister Training Leader. I was so shocked, but a little freaked out at the same time just because this was day TWO and i am now over all the sisters, and all the new sisters that were to come in the Wednesday!! It was crazy, but it was sooooooo amazing. I have learned so much just about being a leader and from having this calling. I have grown so much!!! 

Lets see, gosh i feel like i am going all over the place and not making sense hahahha. forgive me please, this is my first time!! I promise it'll get better, i am just trying to catch you all up on my week!! I was able to go to some really good classes, and one of my teachers was brother Jarman and he taught all about our purpose as missionaries!!! IT WAS FANTASTIC!!! he is such a spiritual giant!! I also have been teaching 3 investigators and it is crazy how the spirit is so real and works even when it is "practice" lessons. I am amazed. Half the things, i swear, aren't even coming out of my mouth!!! So that's been really neat and exciting!! Gym time is like my get away... it's so fun to go with the elders and they kick our butts!! It's so fun to exercise and get away from the work for an hour or so hahah!! I was able to see Grandpa Worthington the other day and that was really really fun!! :) I ran into elder leddingham at the temple and also when we went on our temple walk i ran into Kaiden's comp. Mitch! It was really fun to see him there and i hope he showed you guys that picture we took!! :) Sunday was unreal. Unreal. the 4 sisters and I sang in sacrament meeting and the spirit was so strong, we even made all the elders cry! We did a rendition of "as sisters in Zion and army's of helamen" and it was awesome! I played the piano of course, and also sang!! After that, Sister Hatch and I had to teach RS. That was quite the experience, but it was really good for us!! Then we had Sunday night devo and it was awesomeeeeeee. I wish i could just share with you everything i learned. Man, it was good. My whole district joined the MTC choir and we sang in the Tuesday night devo. It was sooo powerful, AND singing called to serve just made my heart melt!! I was in heaven!! Mom, you would've cried your eyes out. I wish you guys could have all heard it. Interesting fact, there is actually more sisters in the MTC right now than there are elders!!! Pretty exciting huh!! I have seen elder Humphrey around Many many times and thats been fun to see some familiar faces. My president's daughter actually served in Kaidens mission like 7 years ago so we talk about Russia all the time haha. He already likes me a lot :)
I want you guys to know how much i love you. Seriously. I never thought this was going to be what it was. Sunday night we were able to watch a little church movie after our devotional that only is shown at the MTC, so no one else gets to watch it. I don't know if Kaiden or Chelsea got to watch it, but i HAVE to find it somewhere... even if i have to steal a copy... OH. MY. GOSH. It was a talk by Elder Bednar, entitled "character of Christ" and it was hands down the best thing i have ever heard in my entire life. He talked all about how "christ turns out when you and I would turn in". You will never ever find the savior turning in. ever. He gave many scripture examples of how there were several several times when christ was suffering so bad, yet he always turned out, when you and i would've turned in. He also talked about how the greatest convert on my mission will be me, and i agree with that 100%. I can already tell that that is the case! He told some amazing stories and just said some things that i will never ever forget. I don't have time to share everything he said, but i promise some how some way i will find it when i get home haha. and i'll bring all my notes home so i can tell you about it. :)
Sorry this is like miles long, i just have so much to say. So many things have happened, so many things have been felt, and so many unbelievable miracles have happened. It was so fun to get all the new missionaries in yesterday, and i feel like i have been here for weeks haha. I just want you all to know how much i love this gospel and how true it is. I have never gotten a stronger witness in my life, that it is true, than being here on my mission. I know god is real. and he knows each and everyone of us. personally. and perfectly!! Thank you so much for the love and support, keep it coming!! I LOVE IT!!! Tell the kiddos hello for me, i will try to get you a few pictures, i forgot my camera cord in my room so i will definitely send you lots next week!! ps. i did see sister rife today at the provo mall!! that was fun!! I went on splits so i could go get some shoes with one sister because she brought horrible ones and since i'm from provo, they all assumed i would know best haha. I love you all, cant wait to hear from you!!!! I will be in charlotte next week!! I will get to call you when i get to the airport so..... have your phones ready!! I leave the MTC Monday morning at like 3:30am so i will probably call around 6am would be my guess!!! Love you so much fam. you guys are the best!!! xoxox

Sister Worthington