First Email :) (March 26)

Meine Familie!

So you know when I used to get home after a first day of school, and I just wanted to talk nonstop? Well that is how I feel I have so much to tell you! So the MTC is not what I expected, for many reasons but it is a great place! Meine Metterbitten, Schwester Peterson and I get along really well. I have so much love for her and we love to work hard! She's great. We have very similiar personalities and it works well. We love to get up early and go to the early exercise class and work hard all day while having an acceptable amount of fun :) It's a relief to have such a nice companion, I was really worried. Our roommates are a 3 sister companionship. They are going to Costa Rica and leave next week! I have an AWESOME district. When I first met them, we were lectured A LOT about making sure we're not fliriting so we awkwardly avoided each other the first couple days. Now, we love each other so much! We're like best friends. We try our hardest to keep our conversations stricktly on doctrine related things, but during meals, we sometimes talk about other stuff. That is really useless information... haha. Anyways, its really fun being with them all the time. We all help  each other strengethen our testimonies and help each other with our struggles. One of the Elders might have to be going home to get surgery, and start the ENTIRE mission process over again. I really hope he doesn't need to. A sister in our branch went home yesterday becuase she was SO sick ( in and out of the hospital due to anxiety). My teachers are some of the best people I have ever met!! It's crazy! I love Bro. Woodruff and Mower so much! They both served in the Alpenlandische mission and they just teach so well, it's obvious the spirit is behind them in everything they do. I have SO MUCH respect for these teachers!

 It's REALLY hard here. Harder than I thought. I was having a really hard time, I wished more than anything that I was sent state side. I could teach the lessons so much better and really get my point across. Teaching Stefan (our first investigator) is so hard and really discouraging! So anyways, I was having a hard time, and of course Saturday night, Rachel to the rescue. Heavenly Father blessed me to be able to be here in the same time as her! She straightened me out and I was feeling happy again that I was going to Germany. Then Sunday came. Oh wow. It was so toll! All the speakers were addressing EVERYTHING I was having a hard time with! In the morning we were told to prepare a talk on Faith in Christ ( we prepare a talk every Sunday and then during Sacrement two missionaries are called).  & Oh yeah, it's in german.... So I was working on mine and I realized everyone always told me going into the MTC make sure you rely on the Lord and I knew it and beleived it. But I wasnt really showing faith because how I was letting myself feel. I know all foreign language missionaries have a hard time at first, I just feel it was hard because everyone knows German a little better than me. BUT it's great! I know I am supposed to go there. And as long as I study and pray my hardest, I'll be fine. Moral of the story, I now understand why every missionary says "if you make it to Sunday, you'll be fine" Sundays are the best!!  Sunday was also quite a humbling experience, we had interviews asking us about our leadership experiences. During our zone meeting all the Elders being called to serve in a position were called forward. My mitterbieten and 2 other sisters were called forward. I know right before I left, I realized that "positions" no longer mattered to me. This proved me wrong. haha. I got all excited as the other sisters got called to a hymn calling and knew that left us up for Cordinating Sister.... haha. My Pride is rediculous. My meterbeiteren got the position, leaving me to feel ashamed that I was so excited to get it. Well now that I've said all these things, I hope you don't think I am not doing good. Cause I am. I am growing in understanding of my Saviors love for me. I couldn't even handle the MTC if he wasn't right behind me in everything I do. Things are looking up as I realize just how much I've learned in 6 days! My german is great!! ( I just can't compare ;) ) I am SO excited to go to the field! Fun fact. There are 3,000 people here at the MTC " Drei Tousand!" at the end of the summer, there will be 7,000!!! wow! These people in here are great! I am so blessed to be around all these people that are just as excited I am to change people lives. There testimonies are so so great! Wow, I can't believe how fast that time passed! I guess I am a slower typer that I thought. I'll try and send some pictures! Thanks for sending those goodies. My miterbieten and I love them. Especially the dried apples :)

I'm super busy here, but today ( my Pday) hasn't been too busy so I'll try to write a letter too :) also, fun saying Germans say "das is hammer" or "Sie ist hammer"   Literally calling you a hammer is cool :)   

LOVE YOU!

 also, I wasnt able to look at my german spelling... so it's wrong.... they expect me to spell in german when I can't even spell in english... funny.

Miranda's Companion: Sister Peterson

My District

Farewell Celebration Video

Miranda created this on our drive to Utah!

Thank you so much for all of the support that she receives!

Mission Preparation

Preparing for my mission has been a joyous process. Since the time I have turned my papers in, my testimony has grown from what I thought was a large tree into a towering redwood. I know that this has occurred because I have been attempting to put the Lord first in everything I do. I have now seen with my own eyes, when prioritizing the church, everything gets better. 

When I got my call and saw March 20th, I was extremely discouraged. I thought I was going to be sitting at home, like a lame duck. However, this is not the case. I have benefitted from my time preparing for my mission. I received a calling in my home ward, to teach the CTR 4&5 class. I have grown to love the children of the church more than imaginable. I feel a special connection to my primary kids, and although they are not "mine" I love them so much and feel a minuscule portion of the love the savior has for them. They have taught me many things. While being home, I have had time to serve in the Oakland temple. This is, without a doubt, the greatest thing I have ever done in my entire life. I have never felt so close to the savior. I also have never been so motivated to wake up at 4 in the morning. I have very much enjoyed spending time with the missionaries. I love going out with them, they radiate the spirit and have shown me exactly who I want to be. I have also loved the opportunity to spend more time with my family. I feel that we have grown closer in a spiritual way. Being in communication with my friends on missions has been exciting. I love hearing from them and the adventures they have been taking on. They were good at making me a bit jealous (but mostly excited ;) ). 

Overall, I really benefited from being home. I was forced to be patient, probably because Heavenly Father knew I couldn't learn to much patience on my own. I learned a lot of lessons that will be able to help me on my adventure. Now as I set off to enter the MTC I am filled with excitement as I know Heavenly Father has taught me what I needed to know prior to entering the MTC. Now it's my job to continually listen, because he is continually my teacher. 

I know there is no better place for me to be then in Europe for the next 18 months of my life. I know this church is true. I know the gospel is the only way to true happiness, and this is what I want to share with others. I know I can make a difference in the lives of those german speakers, so they better get ready, cause I am teaching them whether they like it or not! 

Here's some quotes I REALLY like:

"In Germany, Switzerland and in Austria there will be hundreds of stakes, HUNDREDS! And we want you to count on that, look forward to it and help with it. In Europe there can also be dozens of temples if you start to prepare yourselves and the people around you." - President Spencer W. Kimball

"In the name of Jesus Christ, I prophesy that among the Germans there is a great work to do. Bigger than in all other countries and in a short time this work will have more converts to the Kingdom of God than in any other nation." -Orson Pratt