Spiritual "Throw Down"

I can't believe that it has already been another week.

This week has been amazing in so many ways !!  It all started with the Tuesday Devotional before Thanksgiving.  We had the opportunity to hear from Elder and Sister Dallin Oaks.  They were awesome!  I sat with the Choir and got to sing "Nearer My God to Thee" for Elder Oaks.  It was also broadcast to all of the other 14 MTC's around the world.  So, I was famous for about .05 seconds! The Oaks gave great talks about dedication and how to be an instrument in the Lord's hands.

On Thanksgiving, we got to hear from Elder and Sister Bednar.  They did a Q&A session with the missionaries via texts on our cell phones.  I was able to text a question to an Apostle...no big deal !! :)  Brother Bednar spent a full hour answering questions about faith, agency, examples of Jesus Christ etc., and it was also amazing.  I wrote down 6 full pages of notes.  I also got to sing "Come Thou Fount" and sang the 2nd alto position.  Even though I may not be the best singer, I could still participate and sing in the MTC Choir.

The rest of Thanksgiving Day, we had several more activities.  I got to have some down time and eat a lot of junk food and turkey (which I am okay with.)  We also participated in a musical Thanksgiving program and a humanitarian project.  All of us MTC missionaries made 410,000 packet meals for the starving children of Utah.  It was so much fun to do an exciting service project.  Earlier in the week I'd been assigned to clean the girls dorm bathroom.. Ick.  But, both project are just as important.  We also got to see the movie "Meet the Mormon's" and eat popcorn and ice cream.  It was a really good movie actually!

For the other days of the week, I continue to study, teach, role play, and get to know my awesome sisters that will be joining me in New York !  I can't believe I have only one week left at the MTC!  I will miss the 24/7 spiritual thrown down that happens at the MTC.  I can't even count the times I have teared up here due to feeling the Spirit.

The other awesome thing that happened this week was that I was called to be a Sister Training Leader.  I get to welcome/help/guide the new sister missionaries that arrive on Wednesday!  It also meant I had to attend 4 extra meetings on Sunday, but oooh well!  I learned a lot about what it means to minister and love/serve those we are over!  Also on Sunday, my teacher for Relief Society was none other than the famous Sister Sheri Dew !!!  She is amazing and I was sitting like 10 feet in front of her.  We were taught about how we can receive revelation, "spiritually wrestle" with questions and access the power of God, and also the role of women and the Priesthood.  She gave a powerful talk, she is an amazing lady.

Sunday we ended with a live performance by VOCAL POINT !!  They sang us about 10 songs and gave us tips of how to be better missionaries from their experiences.  This week I have grown so much.  I am happy to see where this next week will take me.  But, this week has definitely been a spiritual throw down and it is kinda nice to see all these "celebrities" from Church.  I am spoiled!!

I finally got some pictures to upload, so please enjoy a glimpse of me and those whom I spend my time serving and working with. :)

1st Week at the MTC

Hi Everyone!! 

     What a wild and crazy week its been here at the MTC (Missionary Training Center). I can't believe that it has already been the first 6 days!! Here are the basics of what has been going on.

     Everyone in my District is either coming with me to Utica, New York or going to San Diego, California.  I love all of them already. I really love the 3 Sisters that I am serving with and who are also going to Utica, New York with Me.  Sister A, Sister C, and Sister H... are "the Bomb". We have learned to get along and serve each other over the last 6 days. We are one big happy family. We occasionally get really sidetracked and distracted, but we have great gospel discussions.

      I am the Scriptorian of my District.  I often hear:  "Sister Williams, where is this verse? ...etc" because I am the only one that memorized the Seminary Scripture Mastery and other verses.  And, I have learned that I best teach with them. 

     We all have been struggling with the transition from regular life to missionary life. Occasionally we get homesick or fall asleep because we spend like 7+ hours a day just sitting behind a desk learning how to effectively teach people about the gospel.   However, we all love the Spirit we feel here. Everyone is SO nice and polite and we are all here for the same purpose; to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, and repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. 

     I love how in just six days I feel like a different and better person. I have had to rely more than ever on developing my relationship with God and Christ, and I am already starting to receive the blessings in my life. I love how I could listen to the "Spoken Word" and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir from Temple Square, and be taught by Sister Marriott who is in the Young Women's General Presidency during Relief Society. She gave an amazing lesson/talk! Later I was taught by Elder Bednar through an older recorded devotional given a few years ago. 

It just feels good to be here and doing one of the best things that I could ever do over the course of my life. I cant wait to leave for New York soon and start working with real people, and not just role playing and practicing. But as sister A says "Practice makes progress!!" 

I love and miss everyone. To those who wrote me a letter, please be patient and realize that I probably won't be able to read and respond to all of them until after the middle of December. 

I can't wait for what new things will come this next week.  I hopefully will figure out how to upload pictures this next week. The computers where acting up during my short login time. I promise, pictures will be posted soon!!"

PS: I forgot to mention. I love Exercise time!! I won a lightning round of basketball and beat all the guys in my zone and won!! Woop Woop!! I wasn't too humble that day... I'm still learning.

Love Sister Kylie

Denver International Airport - And She's on her way to the MTC !

Packed and ready to go!

After a few hours of packing.... we decided to celebrate Kylie's birthday 2 days early!! Happy early 19th birthday Sister Williams!

Weather Report

Checked the weather channel this morning before Kylie's flight and also saw this....

Winter has decided to hit New York! Especially cities close to the Great Lakes. Watertown (which is in her mission) is expected to get up to 3 ft till Thursday! Burrrrr

Write me please :)

So my main source of contact for the next year and a half will be through letters and email! My mom will be updating this blog every week. However, I WOULD LOVE LETTERS FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY!!! I even enjoy hand-drawn pictures from the little ones!! If you want my missionary email account just message my facebook account or comment on this post.

But just a few important things:
1) My basic US Post office shipping address can be found on the top of the right column above my picture.

2) For packages sent through Fedex or UPS the shipping address is
Sister Kylie Williams
8439 Clark Mills Rd
Whitesboro, NY 13492

3) If you want to receive email notifications when blog is updated. Subscribe by email by entering your email in the "Follow By Email" box and click submit!

Less than 7 days!!

One week left!! Ahhhh!! Doesn't feel real yet that by next Wednesday.. I will be in Utah at the MTC (missionary training center), on my first day as a called missionary of the church. Then after 10 days of training, its off to cold New York! Now... I just have to pack (yikes!) but I couldn't be more excited!!! And when I'm excited, I usually dance..