Christmas at the Missionary Training Center

Querida Familia,

Christmas in the MTC was nice. Hermana Howze and I agree that it didn't feel much like Christmas, though. On Tuesday Elder Neil L. Anderson from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came to speak to us. His wife also spoke and his granchildren performed a special musical number. Sister Anderson spoke about how primary children all over the world pray for us and that was really touching to me. Elder Anderson spoke on how the things of real value must be paid for in advance. He said the sacrifices we make to serve Jesus Christ will reap blessings for us and our families and that when we return home from our missions and throughout our lives we will continually be able to say that we know Christ more (John 7:17).
Christmas morning Elder L. Tom Perry came and spoke to us about Christmas and the Messiah. Later that day we had a talent show. Christmas night we had a fireside from the artist Greg Olsen.
On Sunday I was called to be the coordinating sister in our branch. This means I assist the Branch President and Zone Leaders in ministering to the sisters in our branch/zone. This includes lifting, encouraging, and inspiring the sisters and also encouraging obedience in the residence halls, missionary conduct, and dress. Sometimes this is hard because I feel like I am just learning the rules myself. Thankfully all the sisters in our zone (there are 7) are top-notch missionaries. I have already learned so much about loving other sisters and serving them. I am also improving in being able to communicate sensitive matters.
Spanish is getting better every day. I have a little notebook where I write down every word I come across that I don't know, then I look it up in the dictionary. I'm also reading El Libro De Mormon (The Book of Mormon) for 15 minutes a day which helps. I'm working as hard as I can and praying for the gift of tongues (could you pray for me?) and I know that the language will come so people can focus on what I'm saying instead of how I'm saying it.
My teachers here are great. I especially like Hermana (Sister) Cochrane. When she teaches I can feel the spirit so strongly and the storeis that she tells about her mission are exactly what I need to hear.
The gospel question that I better understood was exactly how the Book of Mormon contained the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and in what ways it better helps us to understand the Bible. This week Hermana Howze and I were studying about the gospel of Jesus Christ, focusing on the first principles and ordinances. Preach My Gospel directed us to scriptures in the Book of Mormon that clearly laid out the gospel (2 Nephi 31:10-21; 3 Nephi 11:31-41; 2 Nephi 27:13-22). These descriptions of the gospel are straight from the mouth of Jesus Christ. The principles and ordinances are also found in the Bible, but in my studies I have not found them laid out as clearly. My biblical scholars that have taught me over the years have approached the clarity of the doctrine found in those Book of Mormon scriptures, but I think it is so beautiful that we can read them there from the mouth of Christ Himself. I am so grateful for prophets and for the Book of Mormon!
This gospel is true. I know it. Have you read the Book of Mormon and prayed about it recently? We have a marvelous opportunity to have the truthfulness of the book confirmed to us continually.
This week has been a struggle for me to find the balance between being a fellow missionary with the elders and not acting like a 19-year-old. Mom, do you remember when you told me I was a 40-year-old in a 16-year-old body? Well now I feel like a 60-year-old in a 21-year-old body. :D There is definitely a time to have fun and laugh here, but it seems there are more times to focus and work hard (smiling all the way, of course). Obviously it's been a long process to finally arrive in the MTC and now that I'm finally here I don't want to waste a minute. So I pray every night for patience, charity, and wisdom.
Being a missionary has greatly increased my testimony of Jesus Christ. I rely on Christ and His atonement more than every before. I feel His love for me and others. I have to rely on the Spirit to know how to help others.
I can't wait to hear from you all. Thank you for your support. I LOVE YOU!
Con mucho amor,
Hermana Kinghorn

**** The Most correct MTC address for me is really:
Sister Andrea Joy Kinghorn
Box # 157
WA-SEA 0209
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

Please write!

Hermana Kinghorn

Querida Familia (Dear Family),


Feliz Navidad (Merry Christmas)! How are you all doing? Thank you
for the Christmas card. It is so nice to receive mail here. There
really is almost no better feeling after 14 hours of work to read
a letter from someone you love.

I have finally come to realize what everyone means when they say
that serving is one of the hardest things you could ever do. I
suppose just sitting in class all day at the MTC and goofing off
in our study time isn't very difficult, but actually being a
diligent missionary who is alert and focused and who has her
heart in the right place is very hard.

If I had written on Thursday I would have told you that I loved
being here in the MTC, that it was the greatest thing I had ever
done, and that I was so elated. Friday was another story. I spent
most of the day frustrated because I was tired (even after 8
hours of sleep), I didn't have enough time to get ready in the
morning, I had to exercise (get sweaty) in the middle of the day,
I couldn't pay attention in class, I couldn't talk to my family,
and the list goes on. I am finally starting to find an emotional
state that is somewhere in-between.

It really is emotionally and physically draining to serve 100%
all day every day, especially without a break after finals. I
can see why the standards for prospective missionaries are so
high. To be honest, I am being broken down every single day and
am coming to see more clearly than ever before that I cannot do
this alone. I am learning to be more efficient with my time,
to be more genuinely interested in others, to be a better
follower, and to be a more humble and diligent person.

My companion is Hermana Howze from Chicago (isn't that great,
Mom?). She is going to the Dominican Republic Santiago Mission
and will be leaving in 2 weeks to spend 6 weeks in the Dominican
Republic MTC. When she leaves I will be what they call a solo
sister which means I won't have a companion but I will join a
companionship of edlers in my district for most activities.
Hermana Howze and I get along great. Ella me cae bien (She
falls well with me/I like her). I don't know how else to
describe her besides "chill."

My district is great. A district is a group of missionaries
that are in a class together. We are pretty much learning
together 14 hours a day. There are 10 elders and 2 sisters
in our district. 3 of the missionaries will be leaving soon
to attend other MTCs. We are an intermediate district which
means we all know a moderate amount of Spanish which makes
learning nice. I think I have spoken more Spanish in the
past week than my whole life combined. Heavenly Father is
blessing me to be able to open my mouth and practice all
throughout the day. I have been praying for months now that
my inhibitions about speaking would be removed and I would
be able to learn the language. I love learning Spanish!

One incredible thing about the MTC is the learning that
goes on here. In the 5 days that I have been here, I have
already had 2 major gospel questions that I have been
studying for years become very clear to me. Heavenly Father
really does help missionaries to learn the gospel.

There aren't wards here in the MTC, but there are branches
that are each composed of several districts. Our branch
includes only advanced (native) and intermediate Spanish
districts. This means that most of our Sunday meetings are
in Spanish. Every week all of the missionaries in the branch
have to prepare a 5 minute talk in Spanish on a predetermined
subject. At the beginning of sacrament meeting the branch
president announces the speakers for the meeting. Scary!  Thank
goodness President Romney did not call on me this last Sunday.
My talk would have sounded like a primary talk.

The temple is closed for the next 2 weeks for cleaning so we
had extra time today to write. We were sad to find out the
temple was closed, but it makes me even more grateful that
there is a temple in my mission. Tonight I am singing in the
choir for devotional. We are not sure who is speaking but it
is always a General Authority on Tuesdays and since it's
Christmas it will probably be an apostle. Sister Uchtdorf
(President Uchtdorf's wife) gave our Relief Society lesson
last Sunday -- awesome!

Dont' forget to be missionaries this Christmas. The gospel
has blessed our family so much and when we can see the ways
in which it has, it becomes so natural to want to share that
with others. Sharing the gospel is such a privilege!

Missions are the best!

Con mucho amor (With much love),

Hermana Kinghorn

PPPS - My P-day is Tuesday which is the only day I can read
emails, but I can read letters any day.  So please send
letters.

What is a missionary?

This post consists of excerpts from an article found on www.mormon.org.

Mormon missionaries can be seen on the streets of hundreds of major cities in the world as well as in thousands of smaller communities. They serve in pairs, teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and baptizing believers into the Church. Missionary work in the Church is voluntary and missionaries fund their own missions.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is actively involved in teaching the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, with more than 50,000 volunteer missionaries throughout the world sharing the joy they have found in the gospel. The Savior taught, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19) and Church members consider it a privilege to show their love for others and the Lord by sharing the gospel.

Missionaries generally begin serving when they are from 19 to 21 years old, though many retired men, women, and married couples also choose to serve missions. Missionaries serve voluntarily for either 18 months or 2 years, receiving no payment for their service as official representatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In fact, missionaries pay their own living expenses as they serve throughout the world.

Before serving a mission, a person is interviewed by a Church leader to determine worthiness to serve, and then completes an application and submits it to Church headquarters. Then the person receives a call from the prophet to serve in a designated area. The missionary then enters one of 15 missionary training centers around the world for three weeks of training (nine weeks, if the missionary will learn a foreign language).

Missionaries teach the gospel of Jesus Christ and perform community service in the areas they are called to serve and are instructed to have the deepest respect for the laws and customs of the countries where they serve. Some missionaries take special assignments to assist with health, welfare, or other needs. Many missionaries are far from home and welcome the opportunity to visit with and learn about the people they are serving.