Week 1 MTC

Wow! That was a really fun month at the MTC...

no, wait. that's not right...

Wow! That was the longest day ever in the MTC...

no, wait. that's not right either...

Wow! One whole week in the MTC. "NUTS" as Ben would say. I love this place SSSOOOOOOO much. I seriously can't believe how much I've learned in just this short time. I feel like Bella when she gets transformed into a vampire: memories of my "old self" are so hazy. I feel like I've learned more about God and my relationship with Him than I have, like, my whole life!!!! Ok, fine; that's an exaggeration completely: but still. I feel like I've been here for a long time based on the amount that I've learned. I keep thinking how cool it is that all of these people I love that have served missions have done the same thing. It's SWEET!

Ok so my district consists of me and my companion, Sister Batty, along with another sister trio, and two companionships of elders.

My zone consists of 4 more sisters and 4 more elders.

ALL GOING TO IOWA.

My church branch consists of my zone.

And my church zone consists of my zone plus another zone.

I have 6 hours of class a day with my district, and 1 or 2 hours with my zone.

Confused yet? SO AM I !!!!!

Average day:

5:55 wake up

7:00 be at breakfast. chug down quickly.

7:15 be to class. 1 hour personal study with my favorite 9 missionaries.

8:15 3 hours from Brother Gallo. BYU student. Explains things easily. 

        Comic relief MUCH NEEDED.

11:20 lunch

12:15 3 hours from Brother Taylor. Married. Knows missionary work. 

        TEACHES ME SO MUCH.

3:15 companion study

4:20 dinner (yes you read that right: we go to bed early, ok?)

5:15 GYM TIME

6:45 Zone lesson. Brother Fairclough. 

        MY FAVORITE PERSON IN THE WHOLE WORLD. (see following paragraph)

7:45 Some kind of devotional or the like. aka more learning. Usually Spirit-filled. 

         Usually crying. from happiness.

9:30 journal time

10:15 companion study and accountability time (I'll explain later)

10:30 lights out

Ok now that we've covered the basics, I'll let you in to an experience that pretty much describes everything I've had here:

So we have these "mock investigations" with our teachers. Experience = the best way to learn. So me and my companion go into our first one (almost 48 hours after gettign here) basically with absolutely NO knowledge. Our teacher is just like: "Feel it: ready go!" 

So zone lesson is right after that and my compnaion and I come in and our teacher turns to us as I talk to my companion.

 I'm like, "Brother Fairclough, you are making me nervous." 

He's like, "why?" 

I'm like: "I just had my first lesson."

He suggests we say a prayer.

So all of a sudden, my companion and I are bawling our eyes out in a prayer, telling the Lord how completely scared we were to talk to people. I'm like freaking out cuz I'm all of a sudden SO trusting of this teacher in front of me and my companion and my Father in Heaven. The prayer was one of the most magical experiences I've had in a long time. I was pouring my heart out to my Heavenly Father, and it felt like nothing in the world mattered any more. I forgot where I was, I forgot who I had been. All that mattered in the moment was my relationship with my Father. I told Him I didn't like talking to people. I told Him how horrible my first lesson had gone. 

And at that moment, all I could feel was that He knew. And I was completely calm.

That calmness hasn't left me all week.

Words are put in my mouth when I open it, trusting that He will fill it.

I never doubt His love.

I feel Him talk to me.

And it's the most amazing thing ever. It makes me feel like I can do this. I'm not good. I have no idea what I'm doing, actually. 

But I know He's there.

And that makes everything different.

It makes everything easier.

and it makes everything and anything possible.

I LOVE THIS PLACE SO MUCH. 

It's hard to think I'll do anything else with my life after this.

I love you all,

~Sister Chloé Michelle Sumsion~

Iowa Des Moines Mission

8515 Douglas Ave Ste 19

Urbandale, IA 50322

SHOUTOUTS:

Mommy: You have your very own snail-mail letter coming. More details, I promise.

Katie: your package was the best thing ever: only you forgot Onion soup mix. :) hehe I'll write you asap

Grandparents: I MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH. Your support is the best out here for some reason.

Friends: THANK YOU FOR MY LETTERS I SO LOVE YOU. 

All the people who love, support, and came to my farewell: THANK YOU. I so so so love you.

Mission Day 1 MTC

I LOVE MY LIFE!  and the MTC

First day, I showed up and already talking like Jordan Murray -
(friend of ours who described the MTC email clock as very stressful counting down to your death...)

Sister who takes suitcases from curbside: talking at a million miles an hour.  Me: "EXCUSE ME I'm HAVING AN EMOTIONALLY TRAMATIC EXPERIENCE HERE." Ha ha.  And the whole time she's like "This is so awesome.  You'll do awesome." And I'm like "Can it woman and let me cry!"

Walk in. "You're late to the district meeting sister."  I'M A FREAKING "S" - DON'T EVEN!  So I watch orientation video alone - except companion who has to watch it twice.  Sorry sis!  Oh well, she's adorable.  Sister Batty.  From Freemont.  We had a game where we thought of as many things as you had in common with your companion.  Neither of us has been bucked off a horse - although my comp here has been bucked off a cow. #Loveit #Don'task

District = straight faces.
I think my teacher is HILARIOUS.
Only one laughing.  #awkward #don'tcare

Saw Emily Hales (her roommate that checked in the same day) at the first meeting - I think.

Some more meetings.  Lots of SUPER energetic people who have been here like 8 days & know everything.  #prosasap

5 girls in my room.  All going to Iowa Des Moines, English.
GIANT SLEEPOVER.

ok time and paper is up now.  Love you. 
- Sister Sumsion

(from a handwritten letter.  Her P-day is Thursday so she only gets this Thursday before she leaves for Iowa)

Chloe's Addresses

Her MTC address:

Sister Chloe Michelle Sumsion
Oct 09 IA-DMOIN    
2009 N 900 E Unit 111
Provo, UT  84602

Her Mission Home address is:

Sister Chloe Michelle Sumsion
Iowa Des Moines Mission
8515 Douglas Ave Ste 19
Urbandale, IA  50322

CHLOE TO THE MTC!

Chloe left for the Iowa Des Moines Mission on Wednesday Sept. 25th.  I am her mom and will updating this with her emails.  I am not as creative as she is so I will just post the pictures of dropping her off at the MTC.  It was a great AND a hard day.

Thanks for your support!  - Kristen

Writing a letter to her brother and sister before she left.

Last meal in Park City before she left.
(Yes, we made Sam change his clothes.)

Sister Sumsion

Saying Goodbye near the Provo Temple

SO HARD to say goodbye.

Our new favorite picture of her.

3 suitcases, a backpack, and a purse for 18 months!
She was smiling.

Dear new adventure,

Your life is in slow motion. You say goodbye to your closest friends, hoping you'll get to steal more time with them anyway. 

It's those moments you steal that leave the magic lingering in your heart. 

When one smiles at you on the lawn, on a blanket, and you know they understand you completely. 

In those moments where you can't picture life getting any better than this. You can't imagine being happier than you are at this moment. 

And yet you know everything will be worth it.

This is the day I've been waiting for.

Goodbye, my world as I know it.

Hello adventure in Iowa. 

I love adventure. Especially the beginning of adventure. It's my favorite.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Signing off as Chloé Michelle.

Here comes Sister Sumsion.

FAITH AND LOVE!!!!

Dear whiteness,

Sometimes you take something, and you make it yours.

Sometimes you feel a part of this massive universe.

Sometimes you see responsibility and power.

Dear subjective definitions of the word love,

Sometimes, I glance out my window into the darkness just to make sure he didn't come. It's usually right before I jump into bed, giving his headlights one last chance to shine across my driveway before I tuck my faith in and try to tell it goodnight.

And yet, somewhere deep inside of me, there is a voice telling me I'm wrong. It forces my heart to accept that maybe a man-like-jazz-standard-lyrics-have-made-me-believe-in doesn't actually exist. Maybe he won't be the throw-pebbles-at-my-window kinda guy. Maybe he won't be ideal in a tuck-my-hair-behind-my-ears-before-he-holds-my-face-in-a-long-romantic-kiss sort of way.  Maybe he won't be anyone like any-male-role-from-a-chick-flick has let me imagine. Maybe there won't be fireworks or butterflies or the romance of marrying the boy that's been in love with me the whole time and I was too blind to see he was everything I needed. Maybe it will just be some guy. Who I meet and have a pleasant conversation with. Who dates me for awhile and falls in love. And maybe that will be enough. Maybe I'll want to be with him so much that I will let go of all these stupid childhood expectations that have stuck to my mind ever since I watched my first Disney movie and created a concept of the way fairy tales are supposed to work.

But my heart can't make sense of it all. Is he out there or not? Is my idea of the person he will be only a combination of ideally timed moments and one-liners? Or do I really have a good idea of what I need? Of who he will be.

And yet I can't help but wish that magic exists. And that someday, not letting go of someone will actually be a concept I understand. 

So I let my heart turn into solid color so that my mind will turn quiet enough to sleep. But there is a part of my gut that never sleeps: the part that clings to the fact that someone out there belongs to me. And that maybe he's lying awake tonight too, wondering what's taking us so long to find each other. 

photos courtesy of the band Sway