Email of 10/14/10

My FAMILY!!!!

I love you soooooo much! I was reading my scriptures and it said my "beloved brethren." I never understood that until I came here. I think of you guys and think, " my beloved family." Being here is such an amazing experience. We'll be in a meeting and I'll think I've never felt the Spirit so strong in my life and then the next day I think the same thing. It is so strong and it just stays that way! I love it.

I think the most powerful experience was in Relief Society Sunday. Every single Sister at the MTC meets together for the meeting. We sang the new Primary Song I know my Savior Loves Me and I just cried through the whole thing because I know how much He does love me, and if it weren't for Him I couldn't make it through a single day here.

So my district is amazing. We are unusual and have 4 Sisters and 6 Elders. There are rarely any Sisters in a district, so to have 4 is awesome. On our 3rd day here our teacher was sick so we were practicing the 1st discussion as a group. A Sister asked a question about tithing, and it spun off into this 2 hour conversation about the love we each have for the gospel. It really bonded us and now we do everything together. We check the mail as a group and we always eat our meals together. I feel like they are my family here and I love them so dearly. They help me get through each and every day.

4 of the missionaries in my district are headed to Columbia SC so we all practice our southern accents together. 4 are going to Kentucky. One Sister to Canada and then me! So Marianne watch for Elders Williams, Steck, and Flake and Sister Wright! They are amazing and I gave them all your name so they know you're my sister!

I did get sick my second night here and wow it was hard. It really put a huge strain on my companionship and Sis. Goodman and I are just now starting to be friends. Sis. Goodman is 24 and has never lived away from home and doesn't really know what she wants to do with life. So we're each having to learn how to work with each others strengths and weaknesses.

So far since being here I've seen Elder Scott Lowry, who says hi. And Elder Danny DeLeon came in last night and I saw him at dinner.

I really want to tell you that I know the power of prayer is real. President Smith (MTC pres) told us the Lord hears the prayers of His missionaries louder than others. I truly know that to be true. I begin praying and instantly feel His love come over me and feel the greatest peace. I've learned that we often pray to have the Spirit in our lives, but do we pray to recognize the Spirit. When we teach we really have to pray to recognize the Spirit and not just feel His presence. This was brought painfully to my attention when we were in the teaching lab and knocked on our first door. We had been told we would being teaching John and Karen who had requested the DVD Findng Faith in Christ. Well, we knocked, and a very sweet Samoan woman opened who was neither John nor Karen. Our lesson plan was useless, but we had prepared and showed the Lord out faithfulness and diligence. We totally had to go 100% by the guiding of the spirit! IT WAS GREAT!!!!!!

Well I love you all so much. The MTC is amazing and I love it. It is NOTHING like what I expected. I thought we would be in lectures all day and had no idea we spent about 75% of our waking hours in the same 10x10 class room. They opened the missionary field again, so we've been going outside for our gym time and enjoying the SUN!!!

The greatest thing that has helped me here is letters. There hasn't been a day yet when I didn't get a letter or Dear Elder and that has made a HUGE difference. So keep it up and know that it is often what keeps that smile on my face and warmth in my heart. When I was sick we had to get our stuff from the classroom we left in there. It was so hard just to get dressed and walk down the three levels of stairs from our room and then up two more to get to the classroom. I walked in and there on my desk was a ray of sunshine from Erin McMullin. That letter is all that kept me going that night! So thank you all so much for the love!

I love the Lord, I love being a NOVAK and I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!

Love,

Sis. Novak