MTC Week 3!

Dear Familia,

Ah, your emails are seriously what I look forward to all week.  I feel like I have so much to answer and to tell you but I'll probably forget a huge part of it.  So this week was better, it becomes better and better each week.  It is still really hard and I still struggle with patience, but it's crazy how much I have learned.  I never realized how much prayer has helped me.  Even this morning, for example, I probably prayed five times just during the temple session.  I pray in gratitude over good moments, I pray for help in hard moments.  But what matters, is I have learned how to depend on the Lord.  I can't imagine my life without prayer, I'm not sure how well the MTC would be going if prayer wasn't such a big part of my life.  The Lord knows US and he knows what we need help with.  A sister this week was saying how frustrated she was because she felt like Heavenly Father wasn't answering her prayers and she was sick of not being able to be patient with others.  I sat there honestly astonished.  Prayer is nothing without faith, it is us showing the Lord that we know He is there and that we believe in Him.  So a little about this week.... my attitude has changed a lot.  I have come to enjoy teaching our "investigators".  Before I go in the room I imagine them as a person that I met on the street in Los Angeles.  When I do that I seriously feel so much love for them.  I don't know how it is possible that I love these people so much and I don't even know them!  The Lord is softening my heart more than ever before.  This is the most humbling experience that I believe I have ever had.  Someone talked about why we leave all of our worldly possessions home.  I've never thought about it except for just the fact that we are supposed to be on our missions and just focusing on that.  That is one reason, but the biggest reason is so we can learn to rely on the help of the Lord.  When we are going through a hard time, we usually go do something by ourselves or play on our phones.  But, during those hard times is when we are supposed to ask for help.  I have learned that really fast.  I have focused so much on my relationship with my best friend, my Heavenly Father.  I love what a sister told me, that "you are so much better today than you were the first day you started your mission."  I know that EVERYTHING is possible with the Lord's hand.  No one could do a mission on their own.  There is an incredible force here, so many missionaries!  All here for the same reason. I love Hermana Quayle (the blonde one) from my district.    Throughout the day, we share with each other scriptures and notes of encouragement.  From the time she came in, until today, is incredible.  I have watched her testimony sprout in a short two weeks.  That is the incredible thing about the MTC here.  Spanish is rough but it is coming!  I know alot for two weeks!!  I can pray and bear testimony in Spanish.  Please know that I am good and happy!  This is the best experience I could ever have. So this week I was pretty sick with a cold. Like my district leader made me go back to our residence hall, I felt so guilty not being in class.  And it made me realize how I need to constantly be doing something or I might go crazy.  I'm so used to having my whole days planned out that it's weird if I'm not doing anything.  But while I had that little break time I went through the picture book that you sent me (for like the 18th time in three days...) and seriously thought about how thankful I am for my family.  I can't even try and express how much I love you all, but never forget that you guys are my life and I thank Heavenly Father multiples times a day for such an amazing family.  Also I was wondering if you could send me some pictures of Michael?  And some more of the family? That's another thing about being here.  I have always longed to feel Michael as often as I can, but I haven't always been in the most spiritual aspect to receive that blessing all the time.  He is here with me.  I have never in my life felt it so strong, and something about this last week just hit me.  Ah!  I am so thankful for him. I also have been so blessed to be able to feel Cameron, papa, grandma, and Doug.  Truly I feel them so much, and I thank Heavenly Father for it constantly.  Easter is next Sunday!! An Apostle is going to be here!!!!!!!!!  I am so excited!!  I LOVE letters!! You have no idea!  I have heard from some friends, I have been blessed with letters and your dear elders!  Please don't forget about me! I can write letters after the day is over or if I have a free minute, which is never.  I love the EAM (Expect a Miracle) you heard at church, I am going to do that.  It's true we need to have faith or we will receive nothing after.  We won't receive a witness until AFTER the trial of our faith. Okay, well I don't have much time left but I want to leave you with my testimony!  This church is SO true.  The Lord has given me so much, I don't know how I deserve it all!!  Yo se que la iglesia de Jesucristo es muy verdadera y que Jose Smith es un verdadera profeta.  Estoy agradacido por my marveloso familia y por el amor que ellos dan a me.  This gospel is true, thank you for giving it to me.  I love you so much!! It is right before our eyes, and I hope we take advantage of what a blessing it is.  My testimony has been strengthened ten-fold in the last three weeks.  It is so hard, but it is so worth it.  I hope you have the best week ever!! You are in my prayers and all my thoughts.  I love you so much!!!!!

Love,  Hermana Michelle

 Michelle and an Elder from her Zone

 The four sisters in her district  
Hma Sorensen, Hma Quayle, Hma Warner, Hma Blair

 Sisters from her entire Zone

 Elders and Sisters from the Zone

 Missionaries from the District with the famous world map!

Missionaries from Olympus High!

MTC Week 2 !

The four sisters in Michelle's district.  Her companion is beside her

Olympus Titan 2012 Graduates!
Sister Ellingson, Elder Jeppson, Elder Sorenson, Hermana Warner

Hola Madre y familia!! Thank you for your sweet and encouraging words my dear. I've tried to think of something funny to tell you about, one day Hermana Quayle and I were going on a walk and a bug flew directly in my eye. Literally squirming and stuck in my eye. I cried and then I laughed for about four days about it. So this week, it has been interesting. Full of ups and downs. I think the best way I described it to Brooke was how on the mission you have good days and bad days, but in the MTC, you have good hours and bad hours. I am trying so hard to just focus on the good hours and laugh off the rest! It has been a very humbling experience to work on relationships with a companion and focus that this is the Lord's work! I have a long list of scriptures to share with you and of course I forgot my English scriptures (my Spanish scriptures usually do me no good at this point, ha!). But one of my favorite moments in this week was a scripture I came upon in Moroni 8:2-3.... Look it up. I changed the words 'son' and 'Moroni', to 'daughter' and 'Michelle'. It made me realize that even though I am going to go through hard times, the Lord is so incredibly grateful for the things that I am doing. He is continually shaping me into who I need to be.    I prayed before personal study for guidance and came across Charity. THE PURE LOVE OF CHRIST. 1 Corinthians 8:1, "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth." In the footnotes, edifieth means to build up, strengthen, establish, repair. My whole purpose as a missionary is to "repair" the lives of those whom the Lord is preparing for me. Another thing I wanted to know more about is Grace. Have you ever stopped to think of what that word means? Look it up in the bible dictionary. My favorite part of it says "The main idea of the word is divine, a means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ." Ha, this was made for me! In John 15:7 it says "7 If ye aabide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall bask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." (I am looking these up on LDS.org) Look at the footnotes. I can use this throughout my whole mission, no matter what I am striving to do. If I ask for it in humble prayer, then I will be blessed. I am so thankful that I have been able to point out the tender mercies from the Lord, he has helped me daily through scriptures and I have felt His love when I need it the most. 
My schedule? I wake up at 6:30, work out, breakfast, then class. In class, we study language for an hour, doctrine for an hour, and then something else that varies with the day - so 3-hour time frames of class. It's sometimes hard to focus and stay awake but I do! We have an hour of companionship study, an hour of personal study, and an hour of language study, so I am literally in the same classroom from about 7:20 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.  I am learning every single day. Thank you for the package! I was talking to a sister in my room and was telling her how it is so hard to even explain and put in to words how much I love and appreciate my family. And then she said, "That's probably how our Heavenly Father feels about each of us, we are so special to Him!" 
So Spanish, pretty much I feel like I'm in a different world when I try and speak it. It is so incredibly hard, but I know I will get it. I am trying to be patient with it, but I just need to up my study time. I feel like there are not enough hours in the day to study for everything. And there aren't enough hours in the night. I need more sleep! I am trying so very hard and am truly putting all of my effort into learning and growing. I have my moments where it is very discouraging. But then I recieve my own personal witness of why I am HERE! So we teach these fake "investigators" (volunteers) and we had our first one on Friday in SPANISH! I had no idea what I was saying, but I did bear my testimony about God's love for us and it was just like a rush flowed throughout my whole body! It was incredible!
I am learning so much everyday it is amazing.  It is overwhelming and some days I don't think that I'll ever learn Spanish, or that I'll ever be able to teach others adequately.  But, I do know that EVERYTHING is possible with the Lord's hand.  No one could do a mission on their own.  There is an incredible force here, so many missionaries!  All here for the same reason.... 
I have learned more about myself in the last two weeks than I ever have. I know this incredible experience isn't about me, this is about the Lord. I am making it a goal to surround everything I do, to do it in Christ's name and remember why I am here and why I chose to be here. I may or may not be counting the days until I am in LA., only 30 more days, less than 4 and a half more weeks! Patience... patience.... ;) 
It is hard but somehow it is so rewarding..... 
I love letters and dearelders! My family and the Gospel are the greatest blessings in my life.  
I LOVE YOU! Hermana Warner  

WEEK 1 of the MTC

Dear Mom and Dad!I don't have a lot of time left, and I am going to write you a hand written letter that will be much better.  So I am in the MTC and I am alive!  Who would have thought.  It is very different than anything I could have ever expected, but it is awesome.  There are four girls in my district.  I get along really well with Hermana Quayle, she is going to the Washington, DC South mission (Kris?)  My district is AWESOME!  I love them a lot and my teacher is incredible!  It is so fun to be with them.  It is a huge adjustment not being able to have my alone time, but hey it's all right.  I am quickly learning that we must rely on the Lord in everything that we do.  It has been such a humbling experience for me to pray throughout the day for things that I need.  I am praying so hard for charity, humility, and patience.  And I know that as long as I keep praying for that, then I will get through any hard challenges.  The spirit hits in the most random times and I LOVE it!  Yesterday at Relief Society the first councilor spoke to us and it was sooo cool!! And then we had a devotional last night. He explained that we don't have only a few "golden" investigators, but that every investigator is golden.  It was a good thing to take out into the field.  I have seen a lot of my friends!  Taylor is on the same floor as me and I love seeing him and talking to him.  I have seen Danielle and a lot of my guy friends.  So I have pictures, but I don't think that my camera works with this computer... I am trying to hard to figure it out!  So maybe if you want to send me one that had a sim card in it, it will work?  I don't have a lot of time I'm so sorry I can't answer to all of this right now! I will answer in my letter! I forgot a lot of things from home... if you can get those things I would LOVE it!  The Gospel is so true! Bryan said in his email to me, to try and deny the spirit after this week.  I could not agree more.  The Lord loves us so much and is watching out for us.  He knows what is best for us even when it is hard.  Don't stress yourself out about a package!  I just want letters!! I love you so, so much!! Hermana Warner

Michelle's first letter home, March 6th, 2013  

(Written her first day there, and we received it on Friday):

Dear Mom and Dad,  Hi! I am alive.  Can you believe it?!   I just read your kind notes. I feel so much love from you both.  My companion is from Provo and is 21!  She's really sweet!!  Today was crazy.  I seriously didn't even have time to think!  I walked in and they gave me my badge and checked me in.  And then I took my stuff to my room and went to my Spanish class.  Well, I think I'm in trouble, jk, but really. They spoke Spanish the whole time, and I just sat there like, Uh, Si!?  Then we went in to a large room of all of the new missionaries and it was awesome.  The spirit was so strong and we sang!  It was such a confirmation to me that I am really supposed to be here.  I know that Michael is with me, I have already felt him.  I am going to learn alot of patience!  The Lord will help me through this!!  Please don't be too sad without me.  Sorry this is short, it's late and I'm falling asleep.  Guys, I LOVE YOU! So much.  I can't wait to hear from you!  (Next morning) Okay, so I wrote that at 10:15 pm and was literally falling asleep.  So I had no problem sleeping last night!  And I woke up fine, believe it or not!  We just went to the gym and then showered and got ready.  My companion is a cute girl.  I think she will push me to do better.  And I think I will teach her patience, ha!  So pretty much, all day I will be in class.  We are going to breakfast soon.  I have forgotten many things from home, including my mind that I've lost.  My P-day is Monday, I'm not sure when you'll get this.  I'm stressed and never know where I am, but I am so happy!!  I am good to do this for 18 months!  I still have sooo much to learn.  You are in my prayers!  Be happy and have a good day! I LOVE you!  P.S. Please send gum and laundry detergent, and keep track of my bank account!  
Love you.... Hermana Warner

Michelle and her good friend, Amy who works at the MTC!
This was taken a few days after she arrived there.

Just before leaving the house for the last time....

One missionary comes home, another leaves!  
Last picture across from the Provo Temple before dropping her off.

He'll miss his sister.  So proud of her. 
Shine your light, Michelle

Stop the world in this moment.  We'll miss you, Michelle 

And she's off!  No tears, she was nervous and happy!
It was hard for us to cry when she was full of so much exuberance. 

Trading places
Left: Elder Warner at the MTC, November 2010
Right: Sister Warner at the MTC, March 2013

 Telling dad good-bye

Mission Farewell !

Michelle's missionary farewell was beautiful, and she had lots of loving friends to support her!   We live in President Monsen's ward and were privileged to have the Prophet there in our ward in attendance that day! The spirit there was wonderful.  Michelle's cousin, Hailee Radman, played a harp selection that day for her farewell, "Come Thou Fount", and it was beautiful and amazing!  Our open house was held afterward at the Radman residence.  We loved the home, the food, the surroundings, the family and friends who supported Michelle and everything about that day!  We are so excited for her!

Farewell Speech on February 24, 2013

I have been called to serve in the Los Angeles, California, Spanish speaking mission.  I will report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on March 6th and will be there for a period of six weeks.

I was asked to speak about how we can become closer to the Savior through service.  There are so many topics that could go along with this, so to begin I looked up service in True to the Faith.  A section of it says, "As you strive to serve others, look to the Savior as your example.  Even though He came to earth as the Son of God, He humbly served those around Him.  He declared, "I am among you as he serveth (Luke 22:27).  The Savior used a parable to teach the importance of service.  In the parable, He returns to the earth in His glory and separates the righteous from the wicked.  To the righteous, He says, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me."  The righteous, who who are puzzled by this declaration, ask:  Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee?  Or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in?  Or naked, and clothed thee?  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?"  Then the Lord answers, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

This is a great example of how the service we give to others reflects as serving the Lord.  Missionary work is the perfect way to describe how providing service for others can bring us closer to the Savior.  There is no other time in your life where you are able to put aside everything from the world and be able to fully immerse yourself in serving others, it is a time to focus on everyone but yourself.  

When I received my call to Los Angeles, I had alot of people asking how I felt about it.  Here is how I would answer them.  Opening my mission call was one of the happiest feelings I have ever felt.  I felt overwhelmed with gratitude that I had the opportunity to go on a mission.  At that moment in time, I KNEW that that was exactly where I was supposed to go and that I had been called by men of the highest authority to serve these wonderful people.  Before I turned in my papers, I so strongly wanted to go somewhere outside of the country.  Once the process was over with and my papers had gone through, I realized that I didn't care where I went.  I remembered the real reason as to why I wanted to go on a mission in the first place, I wanted to serve wholeheartedly to those who really need it. I wanted to look at others as our Heavenly Father looks at them.  I wanted to have sure knowledge of this Gospel.  We must remember that the Lord will qualify us in our service.

As I considered whether or not I should choose to serve a mission, I looked up many General Conference talks about missionary service.  I came across one that changed my perspective and played a role in my choice to go.  In the October 2011 Conference, Christopher Waddell spoke on the opportunity of a mission.  He shared this story:

"A few years ago, Elder Javier Misiego, from Madrid Spain, was serving a full-time mission in Arizona. At that time, his mission call to the United States appeared somewhat unusual, as most young men from Spain were being called to serve in their own country.  At the conclusion of a stake fireside, where he and his companion had been invited to participate, Elder Misiego was approached by a less-active member of the Church, who had been brought to the fireside by a friend.  It was the first time this man had been inside of a chapel in years.  Elder Misiego was aksed if he might know a Jose Misiego in Madrid.  When Elder Misiego responded that his father's name was Jose Misiego, the man excitedly asked a few more questions to confirm that this was the Jose Misiego.  When it was determined that they were speaking about the same man, this less-active member began to weep.  "Your father was the only person I baptized during my entire mission."  He explained and described how his mission had been, in his mind, a failure.  He attributed his years of inactivity to some feelings of inadequacy and concern, believing in his mind, that he had somehow let the Lord down.

Elder Misiego then described what this supposed failure of a missionary meant to his family.  He told him that his father, baptized as a young single adult, had married in the temple, that Elder Misiego was the fourth of six children, that all all three boys and a sister had served full-time missions, that all were active in the church, and that all who were married had been sealed in the temple.

The less-active missionary began to sob.  Through his efforts, he now learned that scores of lives had been blessed, and that the Lord had sent an Elder from Madrid Spain, all the way to a fireside in Arizona to let him know that he had not been a failure."

Brothers and Sisters, the Lords KNOWS where He wants each missionary to serve.

When Christ was on the earth, everything He did was out of love and service.  He did not portray Himself as being too good for others. I believe that a large part of service, is us, as members humbling ourselves.  Once we can get to that point, we will be able to see better that there may be others struggling around us more.  We must try and remember to put others needs before our own.

My Jr. year in high school, I remember feeling unhappy, so I took a step back to evaluate what I could do to make the situation better.  I challenged myself to attend the temple every week and participate in baptisms for the dead.  Afterwards, it became routine, and I notice a huge difference, and others noticed it too.  I cared more about the way I talked and presented myself to others.  I wanted others to know that I loved them.  Doing service at the temple is one of the many ways to become closer to Christ.  Through temple ordinances, we are able to give others what we have been blessed with.  It is a testimony to me that in times of need and guidance, I turn to the temple and the feelings of peace that I receive there.

My brother, Bryan's mission opened up my eyes to how wonderful this Gospel is, and how important it is to put others before ourselves.  One last story I want to share is from a letter we received from Bryan at the beginning of his mission to northern Mexico, in Monterrey.  He gave reference to my older brother, Michael, who passed away almost 10 years ago.  Michael was one who was full of love and loved giving to others more than himself.

Bryan wrote about his mission (and Michael):  "There are too many things we possess that are highly taken for granted.  Laundry takes a lot longer when you are basically doing it by hand.  I'm enduring the greatest blessing of my life.  Being here on my mission in Mexico poverty level:  Living how they live.  Food circumstances: eating what they eat.  Communication: speaking what they speak.  Lifestyle: adjusting to how they do things.  Emotion: loving how they love."  Bryan goes on, "From being here in Mexico and seeing the poverty and lifestyle of barely making it from day to day, my thoughts related to my brother, Michael.  How when he passed away, he was found with 30 and some cents in his pocket.  This story describes exactly who Michael was.  A few days after my 10th birthday, Michael showed up at the house.  With excitement and glow on his face, he asked me what I wanted for my birthday.  We hopped in his car and headed toward a video game store in Cottonwood Mall.  When we got there, just as any little kid would be, I was blown away by the amount of video games.  I, being a little kid was filled with tremendous joy.  Michael was about twice as happy as I was.  Not because of the video games, but simply because he saw how happy I was.  I picked out the one I wanted.  It was a game called Gex.  We got to the register and I watched him pay with every last dime he had.  At a time you wouldn't think so, I watched his smile grow from giving everything he had to get that video game for me.  He had a very special talent, in where his thoughts were never focused on himself.  The things that made him happy were simply seeing the smiles on other people's faces. I know he still is, exactly who he was.  Every time he sees us smile, his face lights up exactly how it did in that video store.  I relate this story a lot to the people in my mission right now.  How there are a few of them who give so much of what they have, simply to feed us lunch.  I find these simple little things to have the most life-long lasting effect.  My gratitude for this opportunity is beyond measure.  I am so grateful for the life I have and especially for this time in my life that I can devote to the Lord.  The things you learn on a mission are things that I can promise you, you won't learn anywhere else."

In closing, I'd like to share one of my favorite quotes by Elder Russell M. Ballard.  He said, "May we show our love and appreciation for the Savior's atoning sacrifice through our simple, compassionate acts of service."  We don't have to be going on a mission to continually serve others.  I challenge you to look for opportunities to help someone who is in greater need than yourself.  I have been so blessed to have such an amazing family who has such a desire to serve those around them, and I look up to them in so many ways.  Share testimony.....

Michelle and her childhood friend, Brooke.  Love these two!

Called To Serve

In one week my life with change dramatically.  I will leave to serve an LDS mission in Los Angeles, California.  I will be speaking Spanish.  I never thought I would say how excited I am to go on a mission.  Before I leave I want to share with those who may come across my blog what I am feeling.  A few months ago my mom and I had the sister missionaries over for dinner.  My life was headed in every way, except thinking about going on a mission.  I was dating, in school, and had my own individual plans - 21 seemed so far away.  We asked the missionaries why they decided to go on a mission.  One was from California and one was from Spain.  The one from Spain told me about when she was 18 she knew that she was going on a mission, and that had been her plan for three years.  I remember feeling somewhat envious of what she had experienced.  I quickly pushed it out of my mind, remembering all of the other things I had going on in my life.  I always told myself that if I were 21 and not married I will without a doubt go on a mission.  But, secretly in my head I was pleading with Heavenly Father that I would be married or seriously dating someone by 21 (still so young - I know).  When President Monsen came out with the new missionary age I pretty much shewed anyone away that told me to think about going on a mission.  I was in no position in my life to want to put things on hold, and to be completely honest a mission did not sound very fun to me.  I am not good with rejection and the thought of it everyday made me feel sick.  After about two months a friend mentioned about an area in my life that a mission would help me with.  It hit me.  Hard.  For days I fought with myself back and forth as to if I wanted to truly go on a mission or not.  I came to the conclusion that it wasn't right for me and I had other things in my life going on.  I knew immediately that that was not the answer.  I realized it was possible to put my plans on hold - I didn't need to get married so young, I didn't need to have my degree by 22, and a long list of other worldly needs.  Once I made the decision that a mission was what I needed to do all of my worries went away.  I didn't need to think about it anymore.  It was simply a feeling of peace.  In the scriptures it says that if you feel peace in your heart and in your mind, it is the spirit testifying to you.  I finally felt it.  I worried for weeks after if I had made the right decision, wondering if it was really the spirit testifying to me that I should serve.  Through the weeks it was plainly put in front of my face that I was supposed to go.  Getting ready for a mission is hard stuff.  But it has been the best thing I have ever done in my entire life.  I know for a fact that this is what I am supposed to be doing.  Many people say a mission is a huge sacrifice, I am not sacrificing a thing.  This is purely my own decision.  I am given the opportunity to go on a mission and serve.  I have the strongest desire to serve others and I know that there are people who are waiting for me.  I cannot wait to embark on this incredible journey that the Lord has given me the opportunity to take part of.  

(Editors Note:  As Michelle's mother, I will be updating her blog weekly. The video below was created by her dear friend, Danielle Chard, who was called to the Frankfurt, Germany mission. She compiled a video of her many classmates from Olympus High School, who had submitted their mission papers since the announcement by President Thomas S. Monsen, in the October 2013 General Conference, that young men could serve missions at 18, and young women at 19 years of age.  This video has been a tremendous missionary tool and has gone viral with over 150,000 hits!  It is a beautiful compilation of courageous, worthy young men and women anxious to serve the Lord.  Enjoy - grab a kleenex! ...and P.S. Michelle's call is at 5:20 on the video)  

Titan Missionaries from the Olympus High Class of 2012 Opening their Mission Calls! (Michelle is at 5:17)