First Email! - July 7, 2012

Hi Family!

How has Heber been? I hope you guys had an awesome time! You'll have to tell me all about it soon. So seriously, I love it here. It is so great. It's a spiritual feast all day long. It rocks. And I LOVE my companions! I have two of them, Sister Wilkinson (from WA) and Sister Bradshaw (from San Diego) - and no, she says she isn't related to the President Bradshaw's family. They are so fun to talk to, and they're so with it. They keep me on track when I start losing focus on preparing our lessons - something that is easy for me to do when I have been stuck in a classroom for what seems like forever. They let me go outside and get fresh air during our breaks, so that I can keep my sanity in check. It's great, because right when you walk out the door, there are so many pretty flowers right there along the sidewalk and you have an amazing view of this huge mountain here. I absolutely love it. I've learned that if I do that, I'm fine and can think again. But really, I love being in those classrooms and learning basic doctrine. Our teachers are great. Their names are Brother Gardener and Sister Stapley. Brother Gardener is SO knowledgable in the gospel and says things so profoundly, I feel like I am constantly writing down everything he says. He has spent an extensive amount of time trying to learn how to pronounce my last name. No one knows how here. It's great. However, they succeeded in not thinking it is pronounced the ugly Le-SEWER, though, so that is good. Sister Stapley is super laid back and so fun. And she can sing opera. Yep. They're both pretty young and just got off their missions within the last year. Oh and p.s. I ran into Justin Curtis, Jocelyn's brother! He's a teacher here. That would be so cool to have him as our teacher. He'd rock.

Sister Amanda Hansen and I live next door to each other!!! It is sooooo great! Seeing her every day makes me so happy. It's nice to have people here already know. I get to see Sister Rozlyn Kirwin and Sister Moriah Larson quite frequently as well. Oh and I met a sister who knows Shelby and Nate! Her name is Sister Hatfield. She is AWESOME, and she is in my zone and has been here a week longer than me, so she gets to mentor me and stuff. Love her.

Dad, I'm so sorry I forgot to call you before entering the MTC. I was too caught up in the moment with Kari, and excited/nervous, and completely forgot. I think, though, that I might be able to call before I leave to the mission field. I don't know if that is a fact or not, but I remember hearing that other missionaries got to do that. And by the way, I thought that I was only going to be in the MTC for two weeks, but I guess I'm hear for three weeks. (Which is totally fine to me, because I would like all the preparation I can get before going out there and trying to accomplish something.)

So I love you all a lot. I hope everyone had a great weekend celebrating the 4th of July in Heber! Send me pictures and keep me in the loop! I'm so grateful to have such a supportive family who cares about me so much (and helps me pack til 4 in the morning). I hope you really know how much I love you.

P.s. I seem to be missing my watch, immunization records, and...there was somthing else, but I don't remember what it is. Are they still at home? Yeah, I need them.

Well, I love you! Fill me in on what's going on at home!

Love you forever,

Sister Candice LeSueur