Mary Jane's first letter!!

Dear Loved Ones,

 

Mark your calendars, today is the first day you get an email from Sister Mary Jane Leavitt. I can't believe I've only been here for about two and a half days. It seems like it's been weeks. Lovely weeks at that. So many exciting things have been happening around here, I don't even know where to start! Let me start with the first day. As soon as I walked away from that Suburban full of crying people, I walked right past the news lady (don't know her name) doing a newscast on all the new missionaries in the MTC. So I was on the news! If anyone sees me on there, tell my parents. Then, the first building I went into after putting away my luggage, I ran into none other than Elder Calder. I thought he had already left for Florida so it was a wonderful surprise to see him. I have seen him again since then and I hear he's leaving on Tuesday. I also had a class with three fellow cedarians: Elder Blackner, Elder Barney and Elder Beacham. I love seeing these wonderful people I know become even more wonderful. I've also run into Elder Haynie, Elder Bishop, Sister Olsen, and Elder Frehner in the past few days, and they are all amazing and becoming even more so. I can see it! Okay onto other business, in my first class at the MTC our teacher revealed to us that we will be here for a total of twelve days. TWELVE DAYS TOTAL. I know. Well actually us Frankfurters get an extra day because of our flight plans, but thirteen days. Wowowow. So next week will be my only full week here in the Missionary Training Center. I have mixed feeling about it. But I'm oh so excited to get out there to the Deutschers. I need to make this quick because we have a time limit for computers but my companions name is Sister Muncy. She's wonderful and beautiful and extremely patient with me, as the new schedule has got me a little bit spacy and all over the place. I'm blessed to have her and she helps me find my way around (we all know I stuggle with that. Also, yesterday I was called as the coordinating sister (It's pretty much the zone leader, but sister style) I couldn't be more excited for that. I love the people here and I'm excited to serve them. For eleven days at least. I do feel a little inadequate, because as I mentioned before, I am a little unorganized at the moment, but I'll get my feet on the groung soon enough, I hope (for Sister Muncy's sake... and I guess the whole zone's stake) I am seriously so happy to be here. I couldn't ask for better people to be working with. I love everyone in my branch and expecially in my district. We all get along perfectly and I'm so grateful for them. I have learned so much in the short time I've been here. I think a lot of it I knew before from my wonderful parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, and friends, but here I'm learning it for myself. The biggest thing that I have learned about is love. I love people I've known for two days and I truly care about them. That's what this is all about I think. When God works through you, you feel the love He feels for His children, and I can feel that here in so many ways. Our branch is made up of an advanced German district and two international (ESL) districts. One sister in our branch, who is from Germany, got up in Branch meeting last night and said thank you to all the missionaries going to Germany for being willing and worthy to serve her home country and her people. I loved that. I'm so grateful for this experience and all the amazing things to come. I love this gospel with all my heart and I am absolutely begeistert to share it so soon! I love you all and I'm so thankful for the support I feel, even from far away. Have a wondeful week, and I hope to hear from you soon.

 

Love,

 

Sister Leavitt