I learned how to play Rugby

July 22, 2013

Dear family and friends,

I don't have long to write, and yesterday I just hand wrote you a letter so it has most of the stories from my first weekend in the MTC. It won't get to you for a long time, but I don't think that I will recap everything I already said. You'll just have to wait in anticipation!! I'm sorry I haven't uploaded any pictures yet. I've only taken a few, but I didn't have time to grab my camera before class started and I didn't know that I would get to write today. Every day we have to walk out in a courtyard to get to class and the cafeteria, and this morning there was a beautiful white fog all around. It was quite beautiful. It's been very cold here and the sun is weird here. It doesn't fully rise until around 8:30 am, but then it sets around 5 and is completely dark at 6 pm. It messes with my sleeping! I feel way tired in class and "shut my eyes" while trying to stay awake in class at 7.

Class has been really hard, teaching investigators and being taught so much. So yesterday was a wonderful breather as we had Sunday worship. The Leadership meeting was really great and I enjoyed that a lot. During sacrament everyone had to prepare a 5 minute talk on Faith, and then after the sacrament they just announced the program. Surprise talks! Of course they called my name to speak, but I think it went well. We all sang Called to Serve during the meeting and it was so great! It just made me smile to hear such powerful singers all together.

Yesterday we also got to watch the Restoration video, we had Temple Preparation in anticipation of our visit on Wednesday, and we watched a devotional given in Provo by Elder Nelson. I really loved Sunday and am looking forward to next week already.

I'm learning all the good things of Polynesia like how to give a kiss on the cheek when you hug the Sisters, understanding a few works they speak in Tonga, and understanding the lingo they speak here. It really is so fun to have such diversity in the MTC. We have so many cultures and languages that people speak here. The English is all so different, it's hard for me to understand but I am learning.

I learned how to play Rugby on Saturday!! We went out for exercise and since there was a baptism in the Stake Center where we go for sport, we played on the field. I mostly just ran around and tried to touch people on the other team with the ball, but by the end I had held and passed the ball twice and it was very exciting! I'm not good and I really don't know much, but I played. There are a lot of people here who have brothers playing on professional teams in Australia and New Zealand, and a lot of Sisters have played themselves. I still have a lot to learn.

Sister Keung is the 1st counselor's wife and she has become my little Mom. She brought me a water bottle from home, checks on us at night before we go to bed, and visits with me during the day. I love her! We have such wonderful people helping us here and we're all a little family because there are only about 50 missionaries and then the teachers and leadership, so we're quite small. But I love it!

Good luck this weekend in all that is going on. I love you all!

Sister Rachel Kennedy