Three Weeks!!!!!!

It's definitely crazy to think that I have been here for three weeks! It seems like the days drag by so slowly but the weeks fly by. Thankyou SO SO SO SO much for the packages and I have LOVED getting everything (the Elders have also loved getting some of the candy contained within:) This week has been good. I got a pretty sweet surprise this morning. On the way to the temple there was a sidewalk message to a "Sister Weiner Morris" (who could that have been) right next to the sign that said "Please do not write on sidewalks". The elders in my district were ahead of me and looked back and just said, "is that for you?" I said absolutely! Thanks to Kubo, Brooke, Keira, Cami, Christain and Anday. I'm not sure all of those people were there but I will give them credit:) The temple this morning was really nice and always very crowded with all of the missionaries.Last week at the TRC we taught the first lesson again. Our "investigator" was very nice and we had to talk with him in Russian for 8 minutes before starting. Luckily he spoke slowly and motioned a lot of the words so we could understand:) Russian is coming very slowly but getting faster as I understand more of the grammar, the alphabet, and learn more words everyday. It is amazing to think that just 3 weeks ago I had never even looked at the Russian alphabet! I still love both of my teachers and think they are great. We have a lot of fun and I have enjoyed getting to know them and learn from them.On Thursday's we do a service project in the morning. This week my companion and I were assigned to vauumn and mop a certain building. I got to carry around a vacuumn pack and do all of the edges. It's funny the things that make you happy while you're in the MTC. I got a lot of great mail this week from everyone! Thanks so much to everyone who writes and know I am trying to answer all of you. It's a little harder because we are only allowed to write on PDAY. I got a great recap of the Bachelorette from Kubo and Brooke, thanks Sarah for the letter, Ami, Katie, Andrew, Sara, Jill and everyone else who has been writing me! It is so fun! Also on Thursday I had another sweet surprise. I just happened to run into Emily Lloyd! It was fantastic. I was dropping off my skirt at the seamstress because the zipper was coming undone and there she was. It was fantastic and I loved it.Friday and Saturday were just normal days filled with long hours of class and studying. On Saturday my companion and I taught at the TEC- which is where you sign up to teach teachers and they evaluate your lesson and give you suggestions on what you could do better. It went pretty well but I was NOT feeling very well. I have actually been sick for about 2 1/2 weeks and finally feel like I am getting better. I have just had a cold that will not go away and just got more annoying each day. Oh well! You just have to keep going. I'm just glad that I didn't break out into a huge coughing attack right during the lesson. That night we also went to the RC for the first time where you make outgoing calls to people have requested a Book of Mormon of movie or something. I only got a hold of one person the whole 1 1/2 we were there and they said it was the wrong number and that I'd have to call back. Too bad. One Elder in our group had an awesome experience though. He was able to talk to a lady that was ready to hear the Gospel and wanted the missinoaries to come over as soon as possible. She said she had attempted to commit suicide twice in the last year and just needed the Gospel. The Elder was able to bear his testimony many times to her and it was awesome to feel of the spirit as he talked with her for almost 25 minutes. Those are the experiences that make you remember why you're on a mission.Sunday was amazing at usual here at the MTC. It was Fast Sunday and so I felt like there was a special spirit all day. We had a Mission Conference in the morning which was really good and the speakers talked about different things to help be a better missionary. Then we had a lot of study time which was really nice. My companion and I walked up to the temple and took a couple pictures so I'll have to print those off and send them to you! Then we had Testimony meeting as a branch. I always thought that BYU wards were bad with the number of people who wanted to bear their testimony but the MTC is much much worse. It is good to see the change in people as they become "missionaries" and feel the reality and truth of the Gospel. I had a realization in the temple this morning that I'm not "playing missionary" I actually am one. This IS my mission. I need to step up and start studying more, learning more, and working as hard as I can. There isn't going to be another chance, this is it!Tomorrow we go into the TRC for the third time and teach the 2nd lesson. I'm a little more nervous for that because we haven't had as much time to prepare it and it is a little more confusing and (I think) more difficult to teach. Hopefully the Spirit will be with us and we can do a good job. We also have to talk to the person we're teaching in Russian and "take them to church". We have to ask about the commitments we left with them, reissue them and ask how they felt when they prayed and read etc. Hopefully by tomorrow I will be able to think and say all of the phrases! It's a little scary to think about.Overall the MTC is good and I have enjoyed it here. The spirit is strong and I know this Gospel is true. The Book of Mormon does have the power to change lives and is the keystone of our religion. I have enjoyed the time I have had to study it and am looking forward to even more in the next year and a half. Thanks everyone for your support and love! You're great! Be Happy and know the Gospel is true!Love,Whitney