Hinckley Zone, Preston MTC

Here is a picture of Sister Staheli with her zone at the Preston, England MTC.

Hello Mate!

Here is McKell's first P-day email home.  1 week in the MTC, and 1 more to go!

     OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!!!  What's up America?? Here, America is for losers.  So, whats up losers?  Just kidding!!  Alright, so let's start off with the plane ride over.  There were a ton of Elders at the airport, and we met even more in Chicago. I sat by missionaries on both flights over.  BUT.  On the flight from Chicago to Manchester, there were Jehovah Witnesses that were sitting in front of us.  Hahahaha.  Basically it was like the best way to start off my mission ever.  They were also going on their mission to Manchester.  So I talked with them for like an hour, but then the rest of the time I talked to Elder Stringfellow!!!!!!  And for all my fellow VHS students, he just graduated in 2013, and we have many many many mutual friends.  So that was really nice to be able to talk to someone I semi knew?  Anyways, I already love England so so so so much.  Seriously.  People are like way rude here, haha, but it's so funny.  Anyways, the driving here is way dodgy (a new english word, that I've learned).  I almost died like 20 times on my way from the airport to the MTC.  

      So my companion is Sister A, and she is 21 years old, and she is from  Australia.  She is pretty cool.  She is very mature, and makes it clear to me.  But I like her a lot.  We have a lot of fun, and laugh a lot.  She imitates Americans in a Utah accent, and I die laughing for like 20 minutes.  She doesn't talk very much in our lessons, so that makes it hard for me... but we actually teach really well together, when I can understand her... her accent is really strong.  But I like her.  Anyways.  I am in the Lehi Tribe, in the Hinckley Zone.  In my district, most of the Elders are going to Leeds.  So it's kinda weird, but like all of the sisters are going to Manchester.  There are only 4 of us sisters that are goin to Leeds: me, Sis Hooker, Sis Edgington, and Sis Wu.  Sis Wu is a Mandarin speaking missionary, and is from China/Greece, we don't know really which.  She tells us both?  The best part of my day is personal study, and excercise time.  I love being able to go running!!  Since my companion tells me she doesn't run, I go running with Sis Edgington, which is awesome.  I love her so much.  We really are the same person.  It's nice to be able to run out of the MTC fences, and actually get to see a bit of England.  I feel like I am in prison, but a happy prison. :)  

     I swear, my brain is like turning to mush.  I am like always tired, and then i study like 25 hours a day (jokes). And they try and teach us like a million things at once, so I am learning tons.  It's harder than I thought it would be to teach about the gospel.  I am definitely getting the hang of it though.  In our lessons, we start off by just talking to our investigator, and Sis A. hates talking hahaha so it's like I'm having a conversation with the person, and she is just there.  It's a bit awkward, but it works out.  By the time I get out of the MTC, I will be pro at asking people to be baptized.  Seriously.  hahahaha Out of everything that they have taught us, they teach that like every hour.  And I'm becoming very persuasive:)  Anyways, I'll talk about my investigators.  So i have Jean, Garrett, Adam, and Sophia.  Jean and Adam I have already committed to baptism, and we have only had 1 lesson with Garrett, Adam  and Sophia.  But they are coming along.  I love when we get to teach, it's the best.  

     My district is all quite young, and so they are very immature.  It makes it hard to study during personal study time.  But I just tune them out and get to work.  You would be surprised how disobedient a lot of the missionaries here are.  They talk about obedience, and people still don't listen.  It makes it a little harder for me to be obedient.  Oh btw, I'm the senior companion, so THAT'S GOOD.    And,  I have been teaching Sister A. a lot of American things, like a fist bump.  She had never done a fist bump before, so I taught her and now she wants to do them like every 20 seconds.  Haha and I let her try some chex mix and a granola bar, and now she loves America.  I love hanging out with the other sisters here.  There are many from foreign countries, so I find it interesting to talk to them, and for some reason, they like flock to me.  Haha it's the best, I just laugh at them cause half the time I don't understand what they are saying!!!  But the Australian Sisters let me try an Australian, TIM TAM SLAM??  It was like a chocolate bar thing, and it was amazing, i was like crying.  And as i was eating it, they were chanting SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM.  Oh and, the foreign missionaries always swear??  haha I don't know how I feel about it, but it sure is funny.  I guess swear words aren't the same in The Netherlands or Australia.  Haha.  

    Okay listen to this story real quick, my second day here a sister from Canada said in her prayer to please bless the orphans. Haha Sister A.  and I were like crying cause we were laughing so hard.  My teachers are Brother McClure, he looks like Neville off of Harry Potter, so he keeps me entertained, and he is from London.  My other teacher is Sister Richardson, and she is from Scotland.  Her accent is so hard to understand, and everyone keeps telling me that in Leeds, they sound like Scottish, so that's great.  Ummm, the chef sings like way loud opera, so during our studies, we will hear him belt Taylor Swift opera version haha.  The British say really weird words, like that's crackers, or rubbish. haha.  Also, for some reason, nobody that I have met that is from England has been able to pronounce my last name.  It's like super super strange.  I tell them how you say it, and they still can't say it haha.  A Dutch Elder from my district keeps calling me sunshine, cause that's what he called his girlfriends from back home? haha It's hilarious, but our teachers get mad at him.  I feel like I am becoming bipolar or schizophrenic, cause we do role play, so now I have like 20 different personalities.  haha Elder Stringfellow told his investigator that Mormons were Catholic, so I laugh every time I think of that.  I have found that I now talk to people as if they were an investigator.  For example: Sister A, what do you know about Les Mis?  Well, is that something that you think you would be interested in learning/listening to?  ahaha Who am I?  I AM ALWAYS TIRED.  Seriously, all I want to do is sleep,.  I am not sure if it is still jet lag, but I seriously am so tired, and I basically wake up feeling and looking like a zombie.  

      Oh listen to this, this was the highlight of my week, the Tongan sisters were staring at me, so I looked at them and they told me that I looked like someone off a movie.  They said I looked like the girl off of Harry Potter.  hahahaha I was literally crying I was so happy.  That was the best thing ever.  Anyways, I love you all, and I am really loving it here.  I am excited for when I get to leave and go to Leeds, but I really do like it here.  I keep having dreams of my friends and family, so that makes me sad, but besides that, I haven't really had all that much time to think of home.  I love you all, and thank you so so so so so much for writing me.  Seriously, it helps so much.  Also, Happy Birthday shout out to mom!  I love you and I hope you have a good day.  Also, please send my Harry Potter shirt asap, and also anything else I need??  Let's see if I can get some pics attached.  Love you!!!! #love

Love, Sister Staheli

She made it to Preston!

Sister Staheli made it safely to the Preston, England MTC!  Here is her very first email from England.

HEY WHAT'S UP!!!! I am just emailing you to let you know that I made it here safely.  I love it here already and its so cool.  This keyboard is sketchy and messeed up, so sorry if I sound weird.  We just arrived, and we have a bunch of interviews and things to do, and then today at 4, we will find out who our companions are.  Our P-days are on Wednesdays, so I will email you again then and let you know more.  We also get to go to the temple on Wednesday, so I'm excited for that.  Driving here is pretty sketchy, I thought I was going to die.  But it's awesome,  I  love it here, and it's so beautiful and green.  England rocks, and I'm obsessed.  Anyways, I think I have to go now, but I love you all and I will talk to you on Wednesday. 

Sister Staheli