A Note to All My Future Missionaries and-- Hasta Luego Utah!

Well, this is my last time emailing from the MTC. Next update will be coming from NEW YORK CITY! AHHHHH!!!! WOOOOOOO-WHHOOOOOO!!!!

I'm not really that excited or anything... (Haha.)

Thank you so much to Mom, Dad, Jaycee, Grandma Jeannette, Julie, Franklin, Drake and Cameron Palmer, Leslie Stilson, Tara and Savanah Poulsen, Kyle Martin, Elder Christensen (Thanks Sheila!), Miranda Champoux, Sis. Shelby Frampton, and.... Am I forgetting anyone? Lots of letters this week...Sorry if I didn't mention your name! I appreciated all the letters SOOOOOOO much!

Thank you also to Julie and Mom for the packages! SO much fun stuff. We all appreciated the treats and entertainment. Haha. :)

From this day forth start writing to my actual mission address... said address is off to the right, on the sidebar.

I can't believe it. I've been here for 6 weeks already? Really? No way...

I came through the door with a smile on my face, ready to work. And I'm leaving here with a smile on my face ready to work all over again.

This place really broke me down and built me into someone better. I know I will continue to change and be made better throughout the next 17 months (SEVENTEEN!).

A message to all my young friends... 

If anyone is wondering if a mission is right for you... I would like to be bold and say YES, it is.

Boys...you have been given the responsibility to serve a mission. I promise you, it will be one of the greatest things you will ever do. When the elders in my district came here to the MTC they were boys...Boys who had no idea how to teach a gospel lesson, let alone teach a gospel lesson in Spanish...Boys who didn't take anything seriously or even care about being taken seriously. Now they walk a little taller, and when they speak, people listen. They have a glow about them that is unmistakable. (That sounds cheesy, but it's true.) They've grown up so much even in just a few short weeks. I'm so proud of them. And to all you young men who are wary of serving a mission...Don't be afraid. Don't pass up this opportunity in the form of responsibility that you've been given. It will bless your life more than you can imagine.

Ladies...If you decide to serve a mission, GREAT!! The Lord needs you right now. The work is rolling forth quicker than ever. And we have been blessed to be on the earth right now, when many more of us have the opportunity to serve that may not have before. Don't doubt yourself, you can do this! The whole experience...everything from turning in your papers, to the MTC and being in the field (obviously...I'm assuming at this point...I know I've only been wearing a tag for 6 weeks...haha) will prepare you for other things you will undertake in your life...education, marriage, motherhood, careers...everything! I've changed for the better. I hope you will find similar changes and similar happiness in your own mission experience.

Here are a few pieces of advice about the MTC for my future missionaries out there...

(These are things I wish I had figured out much earlier in my MTC experience.)

1.) If you are called to speak a different language, you might get here and feel like you are drinking out of a fire hydrant. May I recommend this...DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. You may not know if what you're saying is correct half the time...You might even mess up and testify that you ARE Jesus Christ rather than testify OF Jesus Christ. (Yes. I speak from experience...) It's OKAY. Don't worry about it. You'll learn. Give yourself time and have patience with yourself. The Lord will bless you as you try your hardest. You'll get the hang of it. You'll have to learn your language all over again when you get to the field anyway. So, just be patient and enjoy the language you're called to speak.

2.) Love your companion. Your companion needs your love, your support and your example. They will be with you 24/7 and they'll drive you crazy sometimes. But as you pray for them and love them (especially when they drive you crazy) the Lord will bless you and your companionship will be strengthened. My companion has taught me things I never knew I never knew… and our differences are what made our companionship so amazing.

3.) Love your district. Look for the specific strengths of those in your district and appreciate each person. Your district is your family. So, love 'em no matter what. :) 

4.) Stick to the wrap/salad bar if you find your digestive system being eaten BY what you’re eating. That's usually the safest option.

5.) Get to the laundry room at your assigned time or even a little earlier. Trust me, it's a mad house. People turn into blood-thirsty Lamanites when there is only one empty washer left.

6.) Trust your teachers...they are the best of the BEST. Learn as much as you can from them while you have the chance.

7.) Learn to love sitting. You sit. And then eat. And then sit. And then sit. And then eat. And then sit. And then sit while eating. Sometimes the schedule varies slightly, and that's nice........

8.) Pray. Pray. Pray. Pray. You will find yourself on your knees more than ever before. That's the best place to be

9.) Just enjoy it. The MTC is unlike any other place...You'll only go on a mission (for the first time) ONCE. So make the very most of your experience at the MTC. Soak it in!

10.) If you're wondering what you might do to better prepare yourself to start your papers, or if you are still trying to decide about a mission...read Preach My Gospel. Study the scriptures in the "scripture study" sections in LOTS of depth. You will find out a lot about the gospel, and it will bring you closer to Christ. Consult talks from general authorities about missionary work. I promise if you read scriptures and pray daily, along with the other two suggestions I just made you will find yourself more excited about missionary work and you'll have a clearer (Is that a word...?) vision of what kind of missionary you want to be. 

11.) GO TO SEMINARY/INSTITUTE. 

12.) Learn scripture references (I highly regret not doing this before I came to the MTC). 

13.) Prepare to go to through the temple... always be worthy of a temple recommend, and you'll never go wrong. Obviously depending on who is reading this you may be going through the temple to receive your endowment sooner rather than later, or vice versa... Read the Pearl of Great Price. (The whole thing.) That helped me a ton.

I thank you all for the support you have been to me at the beginning of my missionary adventure... and my journey as a Disciple. I know that there is no better work I could be doing right now. Even though I'm fairly terrified, I can't wait to be in New York finding those who so desperately need the truth. Carry on as missionaries wherever you are...We need all the help we can get.

Over and out!!

"Hasta ver para siempre Dios este con vos!"

Hermana Tara Franklin