She made it to Florida

Jenni left the MTC yesterday and made it to Florida.  She got to call her parents from the airport and again once she arrived and had an assignment.  Her first area is Madison, FL.

This is what her mom says after googling it:

 It is a town of almost 3000 on the very east of her mission, about 50 miles east of Tallahassee.  It is the county seat of Madison County  and “was designated as one of the "Best Little Towns in Florida" by VISIT FLORIDA”,  whatever that is.

I've put her updated address on the sidebar of the blog :) Everyone loves letters!

Oct 23, 2013

Her first email came yesterday!

Hello Family!

Wow, I can't believe that it has only been a week since I left home! It feels like it has been months! Before I get into things I just have to say to excuse if my grammar is bad or my writing is not so good. I am just trying to write as much as I can in so little time! haha

Well, I love the MTC! It has been a long and semi-hard week but has been so wonderful and amazing all at the same time. My companion's name is Sister Call. She is so awesome! We get along great. We are not really that similar and we don't have very many of the same interests but we work great together and we still laugh and have a good time together. She loves writing and reading and photography. Which I think is awesome and I wish I could be good at those things. She has just one brother and one sister. She is very quiet but just so sweet and has such a fun personality. It doesn't show very often but when it comes out, I love it.

Alright, as for my district, there is just one other sister companionship and then there are two elder companionships. We have so much fun together!! I love my district. We also get a lot done and have such a strong spirit in our classroom. At mealtimes we just laugh and laugh. I have to say that they think that I'm not shy at all. Which is super funny cause I used to think that I was so shy but I guess I just have kind of come out of my shell. And I have to say that they think that my laugh is hilarious and the things I say and do are funny so I usually start the laughter. Which is sometimes bad because I can't stop my laughter sometimes. I'll send some pictures of them next time I write. I have to say that it is so hard not to be good friends with the Elders because it is just easier to talk to guys for me so I have to be careful haha.

Anyways, there is so much I want to say but it is hard to remember everything and try to make sense of it. So here it goes. I have a Progressing Investigator (P.I.) and his name is Eric. He is one of our teachers but he plays as the investigator. Some of our appointments go so well and I feel like we are connecting and we're on the same page and then we have another one and it doesn't go bad but it just feels like we didn't really accomplish much. Then Sister Call and I have TRC and I don't really remember what that stands for but it's another investigator and her name is Chae and she is super friendly and fun and really interested in the gospel. We have only met with her once so we have just kind of gotten to know her and talked to her about God and the restoration. She really wants her life to be as "together" as her sister-in-laws and is wondering how she can have that. She is living with her boyfriend though.... so I don't know exactly how I could bring that up but I know that they Lord will help us and bless us if we are striving to live the way that he wants us to.

Alright so as for everything else, I got to bed at 10:30 and get up at 6:30 (can you believe that I actually do it???? hahaha) Then usually I just get ready and have to be at class by 7. We then have personal study time til about 830 and then I go to breakfast. After breakfast we sometimes have gym time or personal exercise time and then at 1030 we have classroom instruction until 130 when it's lunch and then from 215 until 515 we have some more classroom instruction time. Then zone teaching until 630 when it's dinner. After dinner we have different things. Some times we have devotionals or just more study time or we have TRC where we teach our investigator. During classroom instruction we just learn about one of the fundamentals of teaching and how we are to plan with our companions and then do personal study and then companionship study and then teach. Then we do a lot of role playing. I thought that it would be super hard (which it still is hard sometimes) but I find that if I really trust that I can have the spirit with me and I really focus on the investigators as I am studying I find that it is way easier to teach. This gospel is so awesome!! I know that it is true and that it does bless lives!! I am so grateful that I decided to serve. I feel like I have grown as a person already and it has only been a week. It probably has been the longest week of my life but I sure have loved every minute of it. The good and the bad times! I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and that I have a testimony of it. It is so true and if we read it everyday we will be filled with the Spirit. I love this gospel and am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to spread it to others around me. I love you all and hope that your week is great!! I sure think about and pray for you all!! I have the best family, hands down!!! Thanks all who deareldered me!! I loved getting some handwritten letters! And thanks to those who emailed me as well :) I love just hearing from everyone! And sorry if I don't write to you personally! I will sometimes for sure! Again, I love you! Thanks for everything!

Love,

Sister Merrill

Address

While Jenni is at the MTC, you can send her notes 3 ways:

By mail:

Sister Jenni Merrill

OCT29 FL-TAL

2007 N 900 E Unit 71

Provo, UT 84602

By email: jenni.merrill@myldsmail.net 

Or by dearelder.com: You type up a message, they print it out, and put it in her mailbox.  Snazzy, right?

She will be at the MTC until the 29th.