SINGING IN CONFERENCE PICS

Here is our cute hermana!  Not the best quality, but we LOVE technology!  One of the pictures is all the way from Brandon's camera in Seattle, Washington. :)

Letter#8 March 24, 27, and 29, 2012

Dear Mother,                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                     3/24/2012

I am so tired! Ha!  There is not enough time in the day and I utilize a 16-hour day.  Other than that, I am great!!  The MTC is great!  Spanish is hard, but it is coming!!  Sounds like you’re super busy yourself!  My companion is good and so are the other hermanas.  They leave this Tuesday for the MTC in Guatemala.  I’m sad, but excited for them, too. 

                                                                                                                                                     3/27/2012

The hermanas left today…it was weird to say goodbye to them.  It’s just my companion and me in the room now and we are the only girls in the zone.  It’s just strange because they’ve been such a big part of my MTC experience thus far and now they’re gone…but change is a big part of the mission so I might as well start getting used to it now.

Well, I just emailed you yesterday because of the special circumstances with my tooth and singing in conference, so I hope you got it and read it!  It was so strange to be in the room with that lady as she talked to you!  I didn’t know she was going to need to call you so I didn’t expect it and it caught me off guard.  I think I almost cried.  Ha! Ha! But…I didn’t.  It was just weird!

You are such a wonderful mother, mama!  I’m so grateful for the opportunity I have to be here! This is seriously such a huge blessing and there is no way I could be here without you!  It gets frustrating sometimes, but I’m learning soooooo much!  I’m learning things that are in no way possible to learn anywhere else.  It’s hard here sometimes.  We are pushed and stretched to our limits, and it’s only going to get harder, but I am ETERNALLY grateful to be able to have this experience!!  From what I’ve heard from teachers is that this new MTC program is meant to push missionaries and be really rigorous and hard.  And believe me, it is!  But we are learning so fast, it’s incredible.

How is everybody?  How was seeing grandma and aunt Kristie?  Oh, did I tell you that I got called as the coordinating sister for the zone?  It’s not that impressive considering there are only two girls in the zone and one of us has to be it…but it’s basically the equivalent of a zone leader for the sisters.  If we get new people, then I have to help orient them and if we get new sisters, I need to help them, be their friend, and solve their problems.  Fun. Fun!

So, Spanish is coming ok.  I’m having a hard time with English now actually.  Like grammar and context and sentence structure/order.  I even think some words in Spanish now, which is good, but makes me nervous for when I come home because I just know I’m not going to be able to speak English at all.  Ha! Ha!  That will be fun.  Spanish is still hard sometimes, though, and frustrating.  I just want to be able to speak fluently now.

                                                                                                                                                     3/29/2012

Ok, I need to get this letter sent today.  So, I’m going to wrap things up.  I guess that’s it.  Ha! Ha!  I don’t need a shirt for conference anymore as probably already gathered.  I am just wearing a sweater I have buttoned up as a shirt.  It’s bright yellow so you should be able to spot me pretty well in conference. J  Saturday afternoon session…remember.

I was notified yesterday about my dentist appointment getting changed.  It will be sort of weird to come back to Riverton. 

So, there is this “give away” box on each residence floor where you can put anything in that you don’t want.  We have found some incredible treasures!  I’m talking the most incredible sweater dress you’ve ever seen!  And one of those 90’s button-down floral print dresses.  We’ve worn them and taken pictures so I will have to send those. J  

I best be going now!  I love you and think about you all the time (but not in a distracting manner).  Thanks for getting me thinks that I need!  I SINCERELY appreciate it!!!  I hope all is well with you and everyone else!  I love you! 

Love,

Hermana Hermansen

P.S. I totally saw David Archuleta in the lunchroom on Wednesday!

SINGING IN CONFERENCE

Today is not my p-day but they said we could e-mail about conference. So, I am lucky enough to be in the choir to sing at general conference! How you ask and how did they pick? Pure luck! Not everyone gets to do it so I'm super stoked! We are singing in the Saturday afternoon session and I will be wearing a yellow sweater with ruffles on the front. :) Keep a weary eye out for me and tell all the rest of the family and my friends (if you can) because I don't know if I will be able to in time!!!

By the way, I've chipped my crown... I was right next to the lady when she called you on the phone today. I could almost hear your voice! That was harder than I thought it would be. So I have an appointment on Thursday at 10 am. I have to take a bus to the place that they've arranged my appointment at and their office will need to call you for payment and dental plans, etc so make sure you have your phone with you at that time! The other hermanas leave for Guatemala tomorrow! Sad day, but it will be good for them.

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!! Thanks for being loving, caring, and supportive!!!

Love, Hermana Hermansen

Letter #6 March 19, 2012 and Letter #7 March 23, 2012

Excerpt from my letter:

So, Relief Society is good!  We have a guest speaker every week and one sister also gets up and shares her conversion story (if she is a convert that is).  It's usually really spiritual and almost makes me cry. Ha! We also watch, "Music and the Spoken Word" before Relief Society and that makes  me a little emotional, too....Ha! Ha!  

My entire district is going to Chile!  All 8 of us. :)  Hermana Ortega and I are going to Vina, one elder is going to Concepcion South, and the rest are going to Santiago West.  Another district in the zone is going to Honduras, one district just left to Argentina, and the other one is going to various places in the states.  I've run into other missionaries across campus that are going to Chile, too!  I know of another Hermana going to Vina even, but she's in the intermediate Spanish class. 

Keep me in your heart, mi hermana!  Love you!!!

E-mail:

Dear Family,

Thank you much for writing me!! You're all the best! I don't have much time left so this will be short and I will respond to letters individually. The MTC is great!  My companion and I are getting along great!! I feel just like we are friends that are always together rather than companions. It's awesome because we are sooooo different!  The spirit here is awesome!!! It's amazing how much more you can accomplish and keep focused without all the distractions of the world. So one cool thing! I will be singing in the choir at a session of General Conference!! Cool huh?? I believe it will be a Sunday session. I love you all and hope you're all happy and doing well!!  Thanks for all your support!

Much love,

Hermana Hermansen

Letter #5 March 14, 2012

The MTC is good!!! I don't think I will e-mail very much cuz we don't have much time! The computer literally times us.  I'm glad to hear everyone is doing well!!! I've only heard from Mom and Rachel and from my friends Spencer, Gabby, and Taylor (who is on a mission in Argentina). There is not much time to write so my letters will be pretty short usually.... Spanish is coming along. It was super overwhelming at first but it's getting better!! I'm actuallly already starting to have a hard time with English now.... Like grammar and sentence structure, it gets so confusing!!! Anyway I only have 6 minutes left so let me tell you a cool story.... Last night brach President calls in the other 2 hermanas to talk with them, when they get back he announces they've been called to go to the MTC in Guatamala for the rest of their MTC stay and they are to leave for Guatemala in a week and a half!!! Way crazy huh?? We were all freaking out!! We've gotten super close as a district and I am going to miss them SO much! Crazy how close you can get with people here. That's the spirit for you! Our district seriously feels like a family. It's AWESOME! But anyway, I'm just about out of time! I'll write handwritten letters. I hope everything is going well for everyone! I miss everyone so much and I LOVE you all!! I LOVE hearing from Mom and Rachel. The support is so awesome! Especially at the beginning because it was hard at first. Have a good week!

-Hermana Hermansen

P.S. I miss those chocolate chips!!!! And those chocolate cream cheese w/chocolate chip brownies!!

Letter #3 and Letter #4 March 13, 2012

Excerpt from my mom's letter:

The MTC is different than my expectations because most of the studying and learning is self-engaged.  We only have a teacher about 4 hours/day.  The rest is mostly by ourselves.  It's hard because there is SO much going on and SO much scheduled into one day that it's overwhelming.  Both of the other Hermanas that share our room are going to the Santiago West Mission.  My companion and I are both going to Vina del Mar.  My whole district is going to Chile.  There are four hermanas and 4 elders in my district, which is unusual, but so fun!  I love the elders in my district!  They are so funny and genuine.  They ALWAYS take our trays for us at lunch.  Us four hermanas are the only ones in our zone, though (of about 40 total).  I'm getting to know the other elders in our zone and they all seem super nice, too.

I'm always so busy  and my brain is always thinking about something to do with the gospel or Spanish.  The spirit is so strong here.  It's the best feeling!  It's also very discouraging at times.  It's weird that I have already been here a week!  Weeks feel like days, but days feel like weeks here!  I'm starting to really enjoy it, though.  It was hard the first three days, but it really is great to be here.  I've had a lot of personal inspiration to help me through.  I love you SOOOOO much, mi madre!  Thanks for all of your love and support!  You are such an incredibly strong woman and daughter of God.  I love you!  Muchas gracias!!!

P.S.  I haven't seen David Archuleta yet, but I have heard some rumors and I'll keep a weary eye out!

Excerpt from my letter:

Well, I'm still adjusting to missionary life, but it's good!  It's like an emotional roller coaster here.  One day you feel invincible and on top of the world, like you could convert the pope and the spirit is so strong and concentrated and strong and powerful!  Then, the next day you feel lower than dust and dumber than a doornail.  Ha!  Ha!  It's great!  It's hard to learn the language because they literally just throw it at you.  When I say that I've taught lessons in Spanish already, that doesn't mean that I have taught them well.  It's good that they throw so much at you because it forces you to learn.  I can pray and bare testimony in Spanish pretty well, though.  So, it is coming, it's just hard at first...so much is happening and being thrown at you with extreme velocity.  I'm studying all day and I don't feel like it is enough time.

Sundays are good!  Way different than normal Sundays.  We get a lot of personal study time, which is nice to not be cramming new information into your brain, although sometimes you are doing that anyway.  We have relief society in the morning, sacrament meeting at 3 pm, and a fireside that night.  The rest of the day is packed with personal study, interviews, district meetings, branch council, meals and a few other variable things.  There is so much spirit residing here on Sundays!!  It's AWESOME! Sundays are more relaxing in the sense that you don't have official classes, but they are definitely just as packed, scheduled, and busy.

That is crazy that Hermana Ortega being Chelsea's old roommate!!!  Also, Hermana Ortega and I have the same CTR ring.  (then she drew a picture)  My teachers names are Sister Self, Brother Jensen, Brother Vargas, Brother Vincent, and there's also another guy that comes in and helps sometimes, but I don't know his name.  Sister Self is our main teacher, though.  I love Brother Jensen!  He is so funny!!!  There are other random people that come in every so often, but I don't know there names either.  Well, I am out of time, but I love you and miss you!!!

Letter #2 March 10, 2012

Sarah sent home this cute quote in her letter:

"Many young women are serving missions.  Many are preparing to serve.  Not because they aren't married yet or have anything better to do, but because they have a desire to serve and are therefore called to the work.  The reason so many are going is because in the next generation, Heavenly Father will be sending His priesthood army to earth and wants to send them to mothers who have been properly trained and taught  in the Gospel.  What better training can a young woman have than a mission?"  -President Gordon B. Hinckley

Letter # 1 March 10, 2012

Ok, so the MTC is not entirely what I expected. It is so overwhelming. We already have taught one lesson in Spanish and have to do so again tonight! It's still weird for me to think and realize that I am actually in the MTC!! ha ha. I'm sure I'll get over it eventually though. 

So my companion's name is Hermana Ortega. No, she is not Hispanic. Her father's parents are from Spain and her brothers look Hispanic, but she looks like her mom (a.k.a.) 100% white. She is great! We are different, but we get along great and have no problems arise so far! We are doing our best to work together and it's going well. There are 4 sisters in our zone of about 40. Me, my companion, and two other sisters who are our roommates. They are very nice too!! We all get along very well. One sister is from South Jordan and we have mutual friends. Apparently she was dating Chance's good friend Marco before she left. Her name is Hermana Spencer.

Things people tell you about the MTC sort of are making sense. You have every second of every day jam packed with studying, gym, eating, etc. from 6:30 am- 10:30 pm. You are constantly supposed to be doing something and it's just hard to keep your brain on and focused ALL the time. There is always so much going on in my brain!! I'm not too tired though, which is surprising considering we all know how much I love to sleep! But I am getting 8 hours in the night which is unusual for me.

Well that's it for now, I hope to hear from you all soon! It's hard to think that the world exists and goes on outside of this place. It's good to hear that I'm missed from mom and Rachel! I loved hearing about the Napoleon Dynamite laugh/cries Rachel so tenderly shed for me ;) ha ha. She's great!

Anyway, I love you all!! Thanks for your love and support!

Love, Hermana Hermansen

The Drop Off

Here are some pictures of our MTC missionary drop off from today.

Getting ready to leave. 

Such a cute sister missionary!

Sarah and my mom

Sarah and me

A sweet moment right before she left.

The cute missionaries helping unload her luggage.

Her final walk away....we'll see her in 18 months!

Entering the Missionary Training Center

Sister Hermansen will be entering the Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, March 7.  She would love to receive letters from any friends and family.  She will be in the MTC in Provo for 9 weeks.   We wish you luck, Hermana Hermansen!!!