Home stretch at the MTC

We are on a family vacation at Lake Powell right now. I've never been as concerned about having access to the internet as I have been for this trip. I knew we would be gone for her p-day, and it's her last one before she heads off to Washington DC next week. I really wanted to be able to chat back and forth with her over the email to find out a few of the details for when she goes to the airport, etc. The house we are staying in has randomly available wifi, but luckily I have a decent signal on my phone and I was able to communicate with her that way this morning before we headed down to the lake. She is flying out on Tuesday and has been given permission to call home from the airport using a pay phone and a calling card. I'm really looking forward to hearing her voice, even if it's just for a few minutes. Her letter was great and it sounds like she is ready to move on to the next stage of her mission.

June 10, 2016
Week 4 - Final Stretch

Holy Cow, it's almost been a month since I've been out.  There's no way.  Time is flying by oh so fast.

So I got my travel plans this week for next week -- looks like I'll be flying out Tuesday morning around 7 or 8 ish (Yeah, I know the exact time, just don't have the paper on me at the moment).

Sounds like it's normal to leave the Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday morning of the week you leave.

The poor elders from my district that left this last Wednesday had to report to the Travel Office at the MTC at 2:30 am.  Luckily mine is at 5:00am so I'll actually be able to get a little sleep.

Last dinner with the elders

Last day of regular classes

But yeah, our elders have left us for Des Moines.  It's been really sad actually.  The night they left, we all had a tear fest.  They gave us all blessings that night which was really sweet.  I'm so happy that they are both willing and worthy to hold the priesthood.  They also gave us all picture frames with a picture of our district in it.  Needless to say, many many tears were shed.  Afterwards, we sat in our residence and ate away our feelings with pizza and ice cream.

Drowning their feelings with pizza and ice cream

Her district, minus the elders

But the work must go on.  We're now in Visitor Center Training -- a week of learning how to be a good tour guide.  However, something I didn't know is that when we're at the VC, we're not always on the floor giving tours; half of the time, we're on computers taking calls and chatting with those that contact mormon.org.  It's really fun.  I didn't get the chance to take a call or a chat last night in a 60-minute window just because of the sheer number of people on (Our old district was 8 people and our new one is 40).

So yeah, there are 40 sisters in my district representing about 20 countries and over half are going to Temple Square.  From Bulgaria to Peru to France to Korea to Ghana, it's crazy.  Surprisingly the language barriers aren't that difficult to overcome.  

But something cool that I learned this week.  I asked the French sister if she thought my last name was French-based because that's what my dad has always told me, and she said she didn't think so.  I've always thought it was Italian or Latin.  So I asked a sister from Italy and she said it totally was.  She even knew and Elder Galli in Italy.  Galli in Italian means Roosters (plural) which is why our family crest always has a rooster on it.  (Told you, Dad).

Last Tuesday was one of the coolest I've ever had.  

🎈🎉🎊🎈  IT WAS MY MOM'S BIRTHDAY WOOOOOOO!  :D  🎈🎉🎊🎈  

(I can send emojis?)

It was also cool here at the MTC.  Elder Bednar, indeed, came to speak.  

Our district was dead-set on getting good seats to the point that the devotional started at 7 and three of our sisters were sitting by the doors at 4:15 while the other three grabbed dinner and snacks for those saving our seats.  BUT our effort was not wasted.  We got first and second row seats right behind where the children were singing so we each got a lot of camera time.

We were in the choir of 810 missionaries and we sang the new Primary song he wrote called One by One.  It was a really powerful talk and song.  Unfortunately, I think because it was an MTC devotional that the outside world probably won't be able to see it. :/

His talk was on how Jesus taught one by one and how that's how God sees us.  He sees, knows, and loves us as individuals.  Personally.

I have four quotes from it that really described the message

"There's no such thing as a coincidence when you're on the Lord's errand."

"We go out two by two to teach one by one."

"You are a one and you are going out to teach one."

This last one is my favorite because when he said it, he looked exactly in my district's direction

"The Father and The Son know you as a one."

And I know that's true of all of us.

I've been loving my mission thus far.  It's been really hard to only contact the outside world once a week, but I know I'm where I should be doing the Lord's work and bringing joy to the lives of those that don't know the truth only because they know not where to find it.

With much love

Sister Galli