I'm alive and well! This week has been crazyyy but so good. honestly I have no idea how it's only been a week. That saying about the MTC "the weeks feel like days but the days feel like weeks" is only half true! The days feel like weeks but the weeks feel like years! I feel like I've known my district and my teachers for my entire life. They're like family now and I've only known them for a week. It's insane.
So let's start with my first day. So firstly I got to the airport in Sacramento and I met up with some nice elders who were flying into SLC with me! one was Rudy *idk his last name* from my institute class in Stockton who's heading to Canada. then two guys who were going to Florida and Texas. one of their moms was there and she was so nice. She said "you look so nervous, but I can still hug you, right?" AND THEN SHE HUGGED ME! It was so needed. I wish it had been from my own mom but a hug from any mom is just the greatest ever.
So then I got picked up at the airport by my grandparents and they took me shopping, then the MTC! I got there a little early and after I dropped my stuff off in my residence it was off to Romanian class. Our teacher was Fratele Simmons (Fratele means "the brother", when we're talking about him we use Fratele, when we're talking to him we just use Frate which is brother wihtout the the) and he spoke full Romanian to us it was crazy. My companion is Sora Anderson and she's great. She's from Roy and is majoring in elementary ed at Utah State.
Our other sisters are a trio: Sora Idiart, Sora Lee, and Sora Doosenberry. Our elders are Varstnic Perrett, Varstnic Jacobson, Varstnic Lemon, and Varstnic Trottier. They're fantastic.
I was so blessed to be able to see all my friends in the MTC on the first day! so shoutout to Larissa, Emma, Canen, and Andrew for being real homies and saying hi to me.
Thursday we had our first lesson with an investigator (just our teacher pretending, actually) her name is Mele and she's 16. we had to teach the whole lesson in just Romanian! we've taught Mele four times now and she's committed to baptism (botez) and we have another lesson tonight.
I already can pray in Romanian and have a basic conversation. I've also memorized the missionary purpose and baptismal invitation. this place is INTENSE.
This email is all over the place because I'm trying to rush because I have to change my laundry soon..... sorry.
I've gotten really good at four square during exercise time. like, I'm balling with the elders now. #forcetobereckonedwith haha. I was awful the first day but Sora Lee and I worked hard and now we're pretty good :)
Our Varstnicii are basically the best elders ever. A lot of the elders here are *cough* rude and immature, but ours are so great. Sora Anderson and I were having a rough time for a few days so they made a list of what they call Purple Scriptures and that means scriptures that strengthen them. They got all of the Italianos to do it too! It was so thoughtful.
Okay so our district is all Romanians; we're the only Romanians here, and our zone has three other districts of Italians. It's great.
Our other teacher right now is Fratele Brundage and he's also great.
Also some guy who works in the cafeteria stopped me one day because I guess he served in Weston Ward a year ago and remembered me? He was Asian and his first name was Ben but I don't remember him.
On Thursday I think we had taco bell for dinner. Hallelujah. The food here is actually pretty good most of the time.
Okay, so now time for the mushy gushy spiritual stuff. The power of prayer is SO REAL. Sora Anderson and I pray all the dang time and it's so cool because we both get the same answer every time and it's immediate. I'm so grateful for prayer.
I'll probably send pictures and reply to individual emails later. I love y'all!
ALSO: send me dear elders. go to dearelder.com and put in my info for the provo MTC. Our unit is 61. They get delivered every day so y'all all need to write them so my district thinks I'm popular.
papa! (goodbye)
Sora Lucy Gleason
România/Moldova Mission
July 2016-January 2018
