First Email from the Square

First email from Temple Square woot woot! So my p-day is now on Tuesdays so I had to wait a while to email you all! Everything is going great! I left the MTC early at like 4:30 a.m. and then spent the entire day on the square talking to people and preaching the word! I have my trainer, a really nice, Sister. She is from California and is awesome!

We live in Apartments which aren't too bad. There are three different complexes, #1 (infested with mice and all that good stuff), #2 (ehh they're aight), and #3 (pretty much celestial apartments). Oh and guess who is living two floors above me! A elder couple of missionaries. From Chardon, Ohio. I sort of recognized them but didn't realize who they were until I was talking and said I had lived in Ohio. How cool! They are serving a senior mission here!

I have seen Elder Uchtdorf driving out of the MTC and have a picture of him that if you zoom in really close you can totally see his face. Yeah photography at its finest. Also this past week I got to attend Elder Packer's funeral and see the Prophet speak and ALL of the apostles (except Uchtdorf he couldn't make it). It was really cool and the spirit was so strong. 

The work out here is amazing. There are so many people to talk to and contact and though most don't really want to hear it (we tell them anyways) there are those few who really are ready for the gospel in their lives. On Sunday the first man we talked to gave us all of his info and said he wanted to meet with missionaries again! And then there was this family that we took on a tour who at first didn't really understand the gospel or how it could bless lives but after talking to them we showed them God's Plan for Families and they cried and asked to send missionaries and wanted to stay in contact. We talk to everyone so that we are able to find those that are ready for the gospel. 

Oh and on Friday after Elder Packer's funeral some of the Sisters (me included) got to go to Brighton camp, a girls camp bonding thing, and go zip lining and do all those ropes coursey things. It was so much fun! I don't have my camera with me at the moment but will send pictures next p-day! Also we get iPads soon! So I can take pictures on that etc. and make people watch mormon movies! YEEEEETTT! We should also be getting Facebooks soon but I'm not sure when.

I know how to introduce myself in Chinese! And got to speak Japanese to another lady. I have met people from India, China, Japan, Germany, Canada, Brazil, Russia, London, and soooo many different places! Wo Shu E Jai Mai. Watashi no namae wa Eging des. Super cool. This gospel is true and everyday that I live it I just receive more and more confirmation it's amazing. God is good and I miss you all!

Also I have met so many people from Virginia! There was a school teachers conference up here!

Do people still hashtag? Have they come up with new lingo I haven't heard of? Do I sound stupid for using #? That's okay I'll use it anyways!

Fun Fact: The benches and pillars in the assembly hall are actually made of white pine and painted  to look like oak and marble. Also I have gotten to use a megaphone to give tours! 

Well have a good day. 

 I got to work at the Beehive House too!! Man this letter is all over the place! So sorry about that. Anyways love you all! Continue reading the scriptures! Invite people to church all that good stuff! I never realized how much missionaries relied on members but what they say is true. The true missionaries are members. You are able to do so much more to further God's work! Love you!

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE 

Sister Eging!

Arriving at temple Square Mission (Starts in the garage and all their items are sniffed by "bed bug finding" dogs).

At Brighton for zip lining and rope courses.

4th of July with this cool Elder  at the MTC

From the Missionary Momma: (Sorry for the delay of updating you guys on how Melissa is doing) We received a letter from Melissa's mission president and included a link to the Temple Square mission blog 

http://www.slctemplesquaremission.blogspot.com/p/home.html  

Last Week At The MTC

Hey everyone-- This week was my last week in the MTC! I leave next Wednesday and could not be more excited.... Lets seeeee

So we said good-bye to all of our investigators last Friday and one of them shared a really awesome story with me and my companion. It's the story of the bent nail and the basic just of it is that we are all bent nails,  hurt from sin and guilt. We can't fix ourselves or  others by ramming our heads together. That only makes us more bent. But through love and "pats on the back" the nail can slowly straighten out. It was a really cool story I loved it. 

Then on Tuesday morning at 3 a.m.!!! The two other Temple Square Sisters and I walked our district down to the buses as they head of to Indiana and West Virginia. It was so unbelievably sad as we stood outside and watched the buses roll out. Now we are just a trio. Before they left all of the Elders gave us blessings of comfort. It was amazing to hear exactly what I needed to hear from a couple of nutty eighteen year old Elders. The Lord truly does speak through us. What was really cool was that in this blessing Elder Porter said exactly what was said in my setting apart. How cool is that!?!?

This entire week has been spent training to talk with people on Mormon.org and learning how to give walking lessons at the Visitor's Center. We practiced teaching and learned how to politely tell people "No really I'm okay, my soul will be fine." As they would log on to chat and try to convert us. That was a weird experience. Then we got to go onto Temple Square. This entire week has been focused on not being just a tour guide and instead helping everyone who comes to the square have a conversion experience. This means truly teaching by the spirit and letting the Lord guide the conversation experience. What was truly amazing was being able to contact people on the streets. Sister Kratzer and I got to talk to so many people were genuinely interested and ready to receive the gospel. 

Uhmmmm well that's about it. I don't really have much more else to say.... We made a giant blanket fort out of our room.....uhm... in the vents in each room there is usually little treasures hidden. Our vent had like 6 Dr. Peppers.

We now have a new District of strictly Visitor Center Sisters. Most of us are going to Temple Square but there are a few going to Mormon Battalion, and the Washington D.C. Temple!!! The Battalion Sisters have to wear pioneer costumes so I'd say I lucked out in that department....

Your letters are much appreciated and I love every time I get them! (I only get a short time on the computer so I will have a better chance of getting to write you back if you write me the "old-fashioned" way via the US postal service,  however, if that doesn't work for you please keep writing emails, I will try to get back to you as soon as I can.) Here's my new address starting Wednesday!

Sister Melissa Miriam Anne Eging

Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission

50 N. West Temple St.

Rm BSVC

Salt Lake City, UT 

84150-1891

Also I'm going to try and petition for a Temple Square puppy. I'm pretty sure everyone would be cool with it. I'd give up my bed. Ell Luhv ya all a bunch. The next time you hear from me I will be officially on Temple Square!

Love, Sister Eging

Hey Guys

I have seen so many people I know from BYU in the MTC it's crazy! Like a ton of people that I never thought I'd see again. How weird!?!

This week was so filled with so many different experiences I don't even know where to begin. We got to teach our first "investigators" this week which has really been a challenge but has helped me grow so much. My two investigators are both really tough cookies, and it has been really cool to see how the Lord works in mysterious ways. Yesterday me and my companion could not think of anything more to teach our investigators as they have been taught and already both have such a strong faith in Christ. So we prayed and walked in with no real lesson plan truly relying on the Holy Spirit to fill our mouths and I can not even begin to describe to you how strong the spirit was in those lessons. I can't remember what we taught or even what I said but the spirit was so strong it was amazing. Sometimes it is hard to not be discouraged especially when investigators are sooooooo close it hurts! But I just always remember that the Lord works in mysterious ways and maybe for that one investigator my job was just planting the seed or building their faith. You just have to put your trust in Him and He will do the rest. 

Soooooo other cool things of the week. It is Mission President Training week. This means the buildings that we normally use for things like the cafeteria and the gym are apparently no longer a thing hahaha. So we get fed Subway and Taco Bell, the breakfast, lunch, and dinner of champions. But actually it's really cool. There are apparently apostles here to train the new mission pres' but I have yet to see one no matter how hard I stalk or try to see them. SOOO FRUSTRATING. I JUST WANNA SEE AN APOSTLE IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK? Ugh. Well I still got to be taught by the new mission presidents of the London mission which was really awesome. They were so nice and his wife was like a perfect little surrogate mom to give hugs to. (Miss yer hugs momma). Along with the new mission presidents, we had a member of the seventy, Elder Foster, come teach us personally. 

How Cool!? Man to be on that kind of spiritual level. On a whole other note.... I had to move residence halls yesterday. Why you ask. Well indeed I will tell you why. Three letters. They turn into vampires. And apparently they live in the MTC dorms. BATS. They found bats in our dorm rooms so they called us into this emergency meeting and we are all prepared to hear an apostle talk, notebooks out, super excited, emergency talk from an apostle..... Nope just bats and a surprise hour long packing and moving excursion from one building to the next. GUYS. While I was packing and moving I had the coolest prayer experience. So one of the Sisters (she is also going to Temple Square) and I took the longest time to pack. We each had two bulking suitcases, a carry-one bag, and I had my care-package (filled with the most delicious coconut *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*). We start walking down to the elevator and everyone told us to turn back because it wasn't working. Well I said they just didn't have enough faith. Laugh at me they did and laugh at them I did while I rode that elevator all the way down to the first floor. Sister Kratzer's and my prayer worked!!!! It totally worked and the elevator doors opened and we were saved PUHAISE THE LORD!

So with all of that happening you could say its been a pretty eventful week. 

Well mission is going great. It's hard and very exhausting but I love every second that I am here growing and developing in the gospel. Though I had a testimony before I came out here it doesn't even begin to compare to the revelation and growth that I have made in this past week. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and have already been so changed that I can't imagine what the next 18 months have in store for me. I miss you all so much! Remember to write and stuff because I love getting your letters. DearElder.com (Side note from Melissa's mom--If you need her address, email address or DearElder.com info, just let me know).

Love You,

Sister Eging