Fun times at the MTC

Mom notes: Alyssa got to call from the MTC for Christmas Eve. Mostly when she called we were trying to figure out Adam's google hangouts video chat.  We had originally scheduled their calls to overlap just a little bit so they could each have some of their own time but, it didn't work out that way because Adam ended up calling early.  So, poor Alyssa didn't get to talk much...really not at all...mostly it was listening to Adam and trying to let each other hear each other through the speaker phone. I'm anxiously awaiting Alyssa's next pday on the 29th so she can tell the rest. But, here is her letter from the 22nd and some pictures too.  She had a lot of change last week.

Hoooooo boy I have a lot to write this week and not enough time or space.

First, my new colleague, Soeur Todd, is a runner so I've got a new goal to be able to run a mile within six weeks. Yay. I can currently run 0.1 of a mile so... we'll get there. But I can do 35 sit ups in a row... and can plank longer than any of my residence room so ha. 

In totally unrelated news, everything is sore.

Class is taught almost totally in French so that's good, and the teacher said I'm advanced and he's having me run the lessons with the other missionaries and work on the basics with the sisters. 

I don't know why google wants to capitalize everything. Aaaaand... more letters please? I love the letters. 

Belgium invited me to the medical clinic so they could steal my blood. Still waiting on news about that. That was the morning I found out about the surprise district and schedule change. its been a great few days!

Official news on my neck is the muscle in the right side is seized and it pulled my shoulder, whiplash, its still sore, they had me get an x ray and all that jazz. Good news is they're not sending me home, less fun is that I had to not take my shoulder bag anywhere and had to take a muscle relaxer. I only took it for a week though because I'd wake up at 4:30 every morning when I had it. But my right hand isn't shaking all the time anymore, so ill take it!

I've given up on correcting google when it insists on a word or grammar, sorry.

We've been doing #lighttheworld and it's been AWESOME!

Items I'm most grateful for: tablet scriptures, colored pencils, micron pens,  that rolling sheet for my bed since fitted sheets are the worst, letters from people, the origami paper from Becky that I've been using for light the world, this shoulder bag, Lara bars and protein bars, packing cubes, hangers I brought, Goop, dresses with pockets, good shoes, and insoles. The pockets have saved me with no shoulder bag.

We've had two investigators, but I can't see them anymore with the transfers, except when the one works in the cafeteria at a lunch. They were awesome and had killer questions. One got thrown off by God having a body... derailed our lesson except that the sunbeams had already asked about that so we got it back on track, thank you David.

I'm really tired and can't think of what I was going to send besides this. The food is so bad here so I've mostly just been having salad since there's nothing else safe lately and it's so gross I can't eat much... really glad I have the bars. Usually one meal a day there's some sort of plain protein, but not always. Even the chicken was bright red with a rub in the diet room the other day, or it's canned. I miss hermana Chacon my diet room buddy. And peanut butter. None of that here. I'm praying the Lord will bless my efforts to eat healthy.., trying to see it as diet motivation. Hard to overeat when you're gagging. Even the cottage cheese at breakfast tasted weird today. Apples are awesome. Fresh pineapple at lunch is usually good, stay away from the melon. I grossed out an elder by putting cholula on the pineapple, but then it started a trend, so hey.

New district presidents wife is a sports psychologist. She taught us deep breathing last night, and had us read the "love they neighbor as thyself" scripture because it tells us to love ourselves too. "Love thyself so you can love others." 

Sisters Chacon and Maieve still hug me every time they see me, and the elders are great examples of christlike love without crossing lines. Our new sisters got here Wednesday and one forgot her coat and only had a t-shirt so I made her wear mine since I was only leaving a building one more time that night, but as soon as the elders saw j wasn't wearing a coat one of them had sister Chacon make me wear his for the walk. 

The new district is awesome. Suddenly I, am the oldest by two years and on the shorter side. I'm "maman poulet " now... Yay? You say "elder where is your coat??" Too loudly one time... But it's good. Making sure nobody drinks orange juice.

Will you say thank you on the blog to people sending me letters? The letters and Dear Elder mail are awesome. It makes up for the slips of paper telling me about schedule changes and blood draws and stuff. 

WELL, speaking of, my name is on the TV again so I need to go, but wish me luck. Pray it's good news about the visa?

I love you all!