Midwest Missionary: Surprise Letter! Getting Ready to Leave the MTC {7/22/13}

People who I love so dearly,

Surprise!!! They let us use today as a P Day since we're traveling on our P Day! YAY! So Mom and Dad good thing I get to talk to you tomorrow since I haven't heard from you!! I think you're liking having me gone more than you thought ;) Thank you all so so so much for all of the letters, cards, packages and prayers! WOW. Ya'll are seriously the best. I have felt so much love since I've been here and want you all to know how much it means to me!

I'm still loving the MTC and don't really want to leave this week! But, I know that I'm supposed to be in Ohio and am excited nonetheless! There are 28 of us going to Cincinnati on Wednesday but I've only met 10 or 12 of our group and I haven't met our cousins neighbor (confusing) yet, but I'll look for her!

Speaking of love and people, sorry I'm doing my best to tie things together because I know this email will probably be all over the place, I LOVE everyone here so much!! I know I said this before, but I seriously have never felt so much love in my life. My district gets closer every day and they really are my family here. Today is my last day with all of them because half of them leave for Reno in the morning :( I also love my teachers. So so much. I love seeing all of my friends from St. George!! It's so exciting every time and I think that's part of the reason I feel so at home here--I counted and I've seen over 20 people I knew from home! So cool! I've also made so many friends here, not only in my district, but other missionaries going all over the world. Like I said, I don't want to leave all of these people I love! Mom and Dad, did I tell you about Jessica Van Alfen?? She was in our ward in Vegas!!! Do you know her parents Scott and Dana? Isn't that crazy we randomly met each other? She's going to Italy!

I have so many experiences to tell you about but so little time, as always, so I'll start with this. Sundays at the MTC are celestial. Let me tell you about my day yesterday. Relief Society is all of the Sisters in the MTC combined. We get to watch Music and the Spoken Word before it starts! We really need to go to that live in a couple years. Then we all stand and sing the new verses of Sisters in Zion (and I bawl). Later is sacrament where I lead the music! It's so different because it basically feels like other days at the MTC but then we take the sacrament (in a classroom) and have these powerful talks from Elders and Sisters leaving and our District presidency and we realize it's Sunday. And it's powerful. After sacrament our district gets together and has a little lesson before we go on our Temple Walk (hallelujah!!). I love love love the spirit at the temple. Even though the spirit at the MTC is powerful, there's always a spirit at the temple, even outside, that just isn't quite like anywhere else. Especially when you're there with a few hundred missionaries. Even though there are protestors on every corner holding crosses and yelling at us. There is a spirit surrounding the temple you just can't find anywhere else. We hiked up a hill overlooking the temple and found a shady spot in the grass to sit and have a little district bonding. Did I mention how much I love these people? Later that night (after we had BYU creamery ice cream at dinner) was our departure devotional--what?! The MTC presidency spoke and it was so, so good. One thing that really stood out to me what a quote by one of their wives, "Your mission is the MTC for the rest of you live and lives to come." Think about that for a minute. What a cool way to think of my mission. Afterwards was Sunday night devotional where Jolene Allphin spoke. She writes books and stories about the pioneers and shared some of their stories with us. Every time I hear pioneer stories I am so humbled. I have absolutely nothing to complain about my mission when I think about all that they went through for the Gospel. We watched a talk by Elder Bednar after that really tied it all together for me. It was called the Character of Christ---everyone go read it now. He gave it on Christmas Day (don't know what year) in a devotional at the MTC. He also talked about the pioneers and how we often rely on their testimonies instead of gaining our own. He said when someone stands in church and bears testimony of the heritage he thinks "That's great--what have you done recently?" Wow. Blunt but so true. It's so important to remember and honor our ancestors, but what are we doing in our lives that our posterity will be able to say about us?? His talk was pretty bold but I think it's exactly what us missionaries need to hear. The next couple years are not about us. They are about losing ourselves in the service of others and in the work of the Lord. If we let ourselves do that, we will become selfless and humble. But, if we focus on becoming selfless and humble, it will have the opposite effect! I have a new commitment for myslef for the next 18 months. I can't state it better than President Hinckley's father-- Forget yourself and go to work. I'm counting on all of you to remind me if ever I forget! Don't be afraid to be bold about it either. There's so much more I could say about his talk. Please please please read or listen to it. It will change your life, I promise!

With that being said, I can't believe how much I have learned and grown these past two weeks. I seriously am not the same person I was July 9. I have learned so much about teaching, about the Gospel, about the Book of Mormon, about myself, about Christ, and maybe most importantly about how the Spirit works and learning to work through and with it. I've had incredible experiences with the spirit and my investigators. My progressing investigator I've been able to teach the whole time I've been here, Tommy, accepted the invitation to be baptized last week!! I have my last lesson with him today and am so sad even though he's not a real investigator. As my teacher says, the Spirit is never fake. Our trio decided to start every lesson out with a hymn and wow. It is incredible the spirit it brings to our lessons and our investigators.

I have to go, but let me leave you with one last thing to think about-- "The Spirit is a lot more eager to help you than you are to receive help" -Elder Holland

Be eager to receive that help from the Spirit!! I know He is there waiting for you to turn to Him.

I love you all so much!

xoxo

Sister Rolfe

Oh and please thank all of the little ones for their sweet drawings and notes. They make me so happy!!! I'm promise I'm trying to write them all back! Tell them Sister Kay Kay LOVES them!