Week 1 - First Email!

Hola!

My P-Days (dia de prep.) in the MTC (Missionary Training Center) are every Friday at 9:40am - 2:30pm, and I get an hour and a half to email during that time. Next week I'll be able to email on Thursday next week, though, because Friday is Christmas Day and the schedule will be different! I will be in the MTC for 6 weeks, until January 26, and so far I am loving it!

(Day 1)

The first day started out really hard because I only had 9 hours of sleep in the last three days and I was so exhausted. Immediately after getting to the MTC, I met with a host and got my nametag, went to my residence, and met my companion. I LOVE my companion, Hermana Jensen. We brought really similar clothing, say the same things, and she has 3 younger siblings the same ages as Jose, Isabelle, and Wendy. We're like the same person, and we will both be serving in the Massachusetts Boston Mission (which is an abnormal coincidence). It is possible she could be my companion again! Everyone has been sharing photos of their family, and since my family and I did new family photos so short before I left, I didn't bring any to share. It's hard, I do miss my family, and I do wish I brought pictures of them. On the bright side, while my roommates were getting emotional and homesick talking about their families on the first and second day, I will be able to look at pictures and things later when it will be easier and I won't feel as homesick. Day 1 was hard, exciting, and overwhelming. In such a short time I learned so much about what it means to be a missionary and what missionaries do.

My name tag!

Thursday

I've noticed that the main theme for this week has been loving the people we teach. Many of the classes and activities feel less about how to teach and more about how to love people. I learned that really those things are the same. My district (district C) has 10 missionaries, all spanish speaking, 5 Elderes y 5 Hermanas. The 5 Hermanas are my companion, my roommates, and me. The 5 Elderes are so great, and a lot of fun. As a district we go to class, meals, and room together (Elderes y Hermana in separate buildings, of course), and  they're becoming some of my close friends. I'm so grateful that I was given an amazing companion and district that are so easy to love and talk to. We met our Branch (branch 41, districts B and C) and our Branch President, Counselors, and Presidency wives in the evening. It was so neat, all of our lessons have been so beautiful. "Hermana Rubio" also seems to be a memorable name, because I kept getting called on and asked to do things, lol. We learned how to pray in Spanish this day, so almost every oracion from this point on should be in Spanish or Spanglish.

Today (Friday 12/18)

P-DAY! YAY! Today I get to write emails and letters and wear jeans, but it is definitely not a day off. After lunch I will prepare a talk forSunday. Every week there is a topic and on Sunday right after sacrament they will ask for two random speakers in the district, so we all need to prepare a talk in Spanish! At 2:00 pm we all need to be ready because we will walk over to the temple for a session at 2:30 pm. This morning my companion and I prepared a lesson in Spanish to teach our first role-play lesson later tonight after the session.

Probably the most amazing thing that I have learned in the last couple days is that the gift of tongues (el don de lenguas) is real. It hasn't been easy, but I've been able to remember Spanish words after hearing them the first time and I've been able to speak it more comfortably than I ever did learning it in high school. I worry that when I get back I still won't be fluent because I am staying in the States, but I definitely could not have learned as much as I have in the past few days in any other setting. 

Gracias and I love you all!

Hermana Rubio

If you want to send me anything you can send it to my mailing address. You can also send a letter through DearElder.com, where they will print it in the MTC and put it in my mailbox for free.

Mailing Address:

Sister Emily Gay Rubio
JAN26  MA-BOS
2005 N 900 E Unit  79
Provo UT 84602