In the MTC

It's interesting that you heard a message about the answer always starting with teaching the restoration. In my class with Brother Bishop (he's my districts teacher), we do practice lessons with his progressing investigator "Chad" (him wearing a sweatshirt) and giving him lessons and watching the other companionships give lessons you realize that the restoration can and almost always should be The Restoration. I haven't gotten the two other books that were listed as okay reading for the mission but I have still been reading Faith In Christ and re-reading highlighted sections and it's amazing how much you get every time you read with the spirit. I'm learning something new and amazing everyday and it's amazing how full my notebook is when all I'm writing are things that have really stuck out to me and thoughts that have hit me.

Most of the time though, I'm just mad that I never really took the opportunity to share the gospel with my friends in high school. Being at the MTC and feeling the spirit constantly and finding ever answer to ever question while I study makes me realize how much I want to share that feeling with those I care about. Something that really stood out to me in my reading this week as those thoughts went through my head was Lehi's dream of the tree of life. It just struck me different then it ever had before. When you are taught about it in Sunday school you're focused on what each of the things he saw in his vision mean but I drew a picture (which I'll remember to send a pic of to you next p-day) of the tree and this excerpt written out 1 Nephi 8:10,12 "I beheld a tree whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. ... And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy: wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also: for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit." think that scripture is going to be the scripture that drives me when my mission gets hard. The first thing Lehi did when he ate the fruit was to look for his loved one's in order to share it.

My companion and I are teaching a TRC investigator. The TRC investigators are either real investigators or members posing as investigators and you're not supposed to know. Sister Loveridge and I have been teaching an adorable Korean investigator who is staying with her uncle's member family while she attends the business school at BYU. At first we were rather convinced that she was an actual investigator because of the things she talked about and how sincerely confused and curious she's been but now I'm starting to think she's a little too good to be true. I'd really love it if she were a real investigator though because I feel that we've done a good job teaching her so far and it'd be nice to know that we've really helped someone. However, we might still be teaching her even if she is a member; our teacher says that the lessons we teach him as he pretends to be Chad really do help him and he always keeps the commitments that we ask him to. But no matter what, I definitely feel us becoming more comfortable and confident as we seek to help her learn and find her own answers. I'm really loving it out here and can't wait to get out into the mission field this coming Tuesday.

I get to call home before I get on the flight to Texas. Since my flight is at 8:50 am I'll probably call home around 7:30ish which we be 6:30ish for you guys so make sure you're ready for my call.

Love every one lots and lots

Sister Kalene Gillespie

The blonde missionary in the pics with me is my companion, Sister Loveridge. The last pic is the 3 of the other 4 sisters in my district (from left to right: Cooper, Manae, and Hughes, not pictured: Sister Hammond). The top pic is all the elders in my district (Brock, Harvey, Gomez, and Hannemon).

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