Week 1 @ Provo MTC "I am so stoked about it!!"

So this week has been pretty great, I Have learned so much, and I am so happy to be preparing to serve the Lord. It has been tough getting used to being SO busy all the time but my wonderful companion helps me not to go crazy. We go to a lot of classes and it helps out a lot, "seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word." So that's what we're doing! Not gonna lie this week felt like at least 12 weeks but if you can make it until Sunday you are locked in there!

Today there is a whole new bunch of missionaries coming in so now we get to tell every single person we see with an orange dot "Welcome to the MTC!!!" This morning was very uplifting and all of the love I can feel from you all is helping me so much! im here for another week so don't worry there's still time to send letters (; OH!, dearelder.com is great for that because we get them the same day, and its free so that's pretty amazing. Yesterday we had a devotional by the Primary General President, she touched on a lot of great points, about how we are here to proclaim the truth to the world! Sunday night we heard a talk by Elder Bednar, and it was AMAZING. In this talk we are told to turn outward towards Christ instead of turning inward during hard times, or trials. and that was for sure very eye opening. He told a story, about 3 young ladies got into a car crash, one was pronounced dead at the scene. Elder Bednar got a call to go and identify the girls and to tell the news to their parents. The single mother of the girl that had passed away was told of her daughters passing, and instead of screaming and fighting with the Lord, all she said was, "Okay, now that we know the other girls will be okay we need to inform their mothers that they are fine." How much faith In heavenly fathers plan would you need to have to be able to do something like that? A TON. 

I am so happy that i get to share what i know is true, something that I love and has blessed my life so much, I get to share it with the people of Scotland and Ireland. In all of Ireland there is only about 3000 members, out of 5 million people. Let me say that again in case you think you read it wrong, 3000 MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OUT OF 5 MILLION PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE. Now maybe you think I am super sad about that... I am not. I am so stoked about it!! Think of ALL of those people, all of them God's children, he loves them so much, but all of those people have yet to hear of Christs restored gospel. We have a lot of work to do! but with the Lord all things are possible. I love you all so much and want to thank you for your support and love in this new adventure of my life, I pray constantly for all of you and can feel you doing the same. 

     The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is Gods church in our day, I know this to be true. I love this Gospel with all my heart and cannot wait for the time i am able to devote to the Lord and to serve him with all my heart, might, mind, and strength.

~Love, Sister Stribling