Week 1 - Sister Bolliger's Life at the MTC

As of yet, I have been awake before 6:15 EVERY morn. I feel weird. But it's kind of cool. They surely dooo pack a lot of stuff in here!

My District is pretty much the bomb. It's pretty small, only 7 of us, but it's hilarious. …My trio, or trifecta, is money. Sister Payne and I have yet to find something that we do not have in common -- oh wait, I've got it. She's four inches shorter. But that's about it. We keep reveling in SNL skits, or movie quotes, or ridiculuous things that only we find hilarious (which is many things). Sister Speakman is our coordinating sister and gives a little normalcy and direction and focus to the otherwise ridiculous happenings of Sister P & B.

Planned activities and situations to make you humble may not be my favorite, but the MTC has definitely been effective in these last week of making me realize truly how little I know and am able to teach. Haha.

I bought new scriptures. And they are suhweeet. I have been color coding like a beast and I don't know why I didn't do this earlier! All the colors keep me awake and excited.

General Conference was INSANE! I probably took twenty pages of detailed notes. And didn't even contemplate falling asleep during the meeting. Isn't that a miracle? Haha. We were challenged to think of questions conference that we wanted answered, and I ended up having to think of new questions for each session because they just kept getting answered! Being surrounded by so many missionaries and at the MTC is seriously amazing.

I have found the biggest struggle here at the MTC to be teaching simply. I am learning a new way to do things! Distilling the doctrine, the TRUE doctrine, down to a few simple sentences is a challenge that I have willingly taken on! Sometimes when I let myself, I get a little bit nervous at this concept of having to be the Lord's hands in Fresno, but then I just do a few quick breaths, think of something absolutely ridiculous, and I'm back on track.

There is such a Spirit here that it almost makes up for being so close to my stomping grounds without being able to go out and visit everyone! I'll ride the bike in gym which faces a window to 9th east and I see people's cars I know. Soo strange. I feel like I am constantly growing and being challenged to grow even more than I thought possible! In practicing extending commitments, we have commited each other to do crazy hard things, such as be in bed with the lights out already when the announcement comes that it is 10:30PM. My my how I have turned into a normal person (in only a select few things).

It has been such a privilege to be surrounded by people whose faith and pathway to get to the MTC have led them here to do something that will arguably be the hardest thing in our lives up to this point. The Sisters are such an example and constantly allow me to find ways to be better and to help those around us. A companionship goal for us is to help the Elders. Haha.

The crazy thing is that all of these Elders are going to Fresno! And, there are four more that leave the same day we do! And....I am the only Sister. Geez Louise. I will be the Mother Hen at the airport. But I am trying to get over that. They try to do anything they can to get my 'pity laugh' ... I don't think they're ready for the 'squawk' yet. But I am sure it will come with time.

I miss y'all so much! It has been so crazy. I can't believe that I have only been here for a week. Waking up early and planning seriously means that SO much gets packed into one day. Absolutely mind-boggling for Sister B.

Sister Bolliger (I've actually gotten used to saying that!)