I only have about 5 minutes to e-mail today. I may also be able to e-mail tomorrow once I get to my new area, but I'm not sure. Tomorrow morning I'm leaving the MTC! The time has flown by and I will really miss it. I am so sad to leave my district, and even more sad to leave my companion. She is going to the same mission as me though so hopefully we will be able to see each other occasionally. All the missionaries going to London South are going to meet at a chapel in Staines. There we will meet our Mission President and trainer. I only have a few minutes, but I wanted to share an experience my companion and I had this week. We had been teaching loads of fantastic lessons to our investigators, but then Friday night we just couldn't teach anymore. We taught two awful lessons! We couldn't speak, it was awkward, we didn't know what we were doing.I couldn't even speak during the lesson. I felt horrible, but then after talking to one of the teachers we realized that the reason we couldn't teach anymore was because we had forgotten whose work it was. We realized that we had mistakenly thought that we were getting good at teaching. We aren't really the teachers; we can only teach because Heavenly Father has given us the ability to. If we forget that He will take it away from us. This isn't our work. It is His! Yesterday we taught the best lesson we ever have! It was our fist time meeting the investigator and he accepted invitations to read the BOM, pray, go to church and be baptized! It was a great way to end (it was our last time teaching together)! I love this church, and I know it is true!

-Sister Ernenwein

You may get another e-mail tomorrow, but if not don't worry. I'm not sure what day p-day will be in my mission; it's probably Monday though.

Letter from Erica's Mission President

 

ENGLAND MISSIONARY TRAINING CENTRE

Temple Way, Hartwood Green, Chorley,

Lancashire, PR6 7EQ, England                                       

May 24, 2013

Dear Brother and Sister Ernenwein,

Your daughter will be departing from the England Missionary Training Centre on Wednesday, May 29.  We want you to know how much we have enjoyed having her with us. 

Sister Ernenwein is a fine young woman and we are grateful for the opportunity we have had to work with her on a daily basis. She is well-prepared for her mission and she continues each day to grow spiritually.  She is developing good teaching skills and is excited about the work.  She is ready for full time service in the England London South Mission.

We love this young woman and are grateful to you for all you have done to prepare her for this wonderful time in her life.  Your love and continued support are important to her success.   Letters from home are always greatly anticipated and appreciated.  Please address all future mail to:

England London South Mission

The London Temple

West Park Road

Newchapel, Surrey

RH7 6NB England

United Kingdom

May you and your family be blessed as she continues to serve our Heavenly Father.

Sincerely,

President and Sister Edwards

President and Sister Edwards

President and Sister Durkin

To everyone who reads my blog:

Please send me your addresses. I've realized a lot of you wrote me letters just before I left and I'd love to write back to you but I don't have very many addresses. Courtney Rose, Julia, Rachel, Corey, Lisa, and Sami especially I need your addresses.You can e-mail or mail them to me! I also would love mail from everyone else and will try to write back! Just don't send super long e-mails because I barely have enough computer time to write e-mails let alone read them.

I also wanted to share with you that although this is the most difficult thing I've ever done it is also the best thing I've ever done. I have had so many special and incredible expereinces in just a few short days. This morning I attended the temple with my zone, and it was one of the most powerful experiences I've ever had. Attending the temple as missionary is so amazing.

I am also beginning to feel the Spirit work through me when I am teaching our investigators, and I am amazed at how much love I feel for them even though they are just our teachers roleplaying. I spend hours just thinking of what my companion and I should teach them in order to make them feel joy and improve the quality of their lives.  I can't even imagine the way I will feel when I am bringing the joy of the gospel to real investigators.

I really have to go know since I have gone way over on my computer time!

Love,

Sister Ernenwein

This week was great! I love my companion. Her name is Sister Finch, and she is from Lincoln England. The elders in my district are also amazing! I am in the Lehi District  with 3 other sisters and 6 elders. All of the sisters in my  district  are  from  the US except Sister Finch, but the elders are from all over the world. Elder Caluag is from the Phillipenes, Elder  Mossner is from Switzerland, Elders Orr and Wilson are from Canada, Elder Lloyd (our district leader) is from Idaho,  and Elder Rodriguez is from the Dominican Republic. So don't worry I''mm  still  putting my Spanish skills to good use. They have us on a really tough schedule, but I am learning a lot ,and I have had a lot  of  really  incredible experiences. There are only 23 sisters in the MTC for these two weeks so we are all getting to know each other  really  well. I  love  them  a  lot, and they are incredible. II  truly  feel like I am among the Lord's finest. The MTC President is also awesome, and his wife is so kind. We  are  teacching  three  ""investigators""  ((our  teachers  take  on  the role off  investigators  that  they have taught) and it is going really well. Yesterday Sister Finch  and I committed one to baptism. It is so beautiful here. You should google earth it! we go running on the streets around the MTC and it is gorgeous! But I don't think I'll get too  exercise much anymore because Sister Finch fractured her wrist yesterday :( playing volleyball.  We also study outside on the temple grounds, which are  also  beautiful.  Sorry  II  can't  write more. Hopefully the computers won't  act up so much next time.

I love you all!

-Sister Ernenwein

Also Elder  Donaldson who is an area authority for England is coming  tonight and somehow I got roped into singing in a small group for him so we'll see how that goes.

next week I'll send a quick e-mail Tuesday night before I leave here,  and I don't know when my p-day will be once I get in the field. 

Pictures

I  don''t have  time  to  write  explanations  for  all  of  the  pictures  but the map is where all the missionaries at the MTC are from and the white board art is a stick figure drawing of our district, teachers, and investigators. Those pictures are at the bottom.

 

 

 

 

The MTC is beautiful, and the countryside even more so. The building is really nice, and there's a big pond out in the front. You can probably find some pictures online. We are allowed to go anywhere we want in the temple complex during our free time which includes the MTC a chapel where we can go play volleyball and basketball, and the Preston temple grounds.

The MTC has a big meeting room, classrooms, and offices on the first floor. Downstairs there are more classrooms, a cafeteria, and a workout room. Upstairs are the dorms and living areas.

Everyone is jetlagged, but they told us we shouldn't take any long naps because it will make it worse. My companion isn't here yet so I've been assigned temporarily to a trio with the other two girls who are going to share a room with my companion and I. Their names are Sister Allred and Sister West, and they are both super nice! Sister Allred is from Utah and Sister West is from California.

They gave us a checklist of things to do today, like interview with a member of the MTC presidency, meet the medical advisor, and fill out a questionaire. My companions and I just finished all of that stuff though so we have the rest of the day free to unpack, excersise, and walk around the temple. Then we have orientation later tonight.

Missionaries are coming in from the airport through out the day today, and some will be here tomorrow. In total, there will be 64 of us, and we will all be going to either the England London Mission or the England London South Mission.

The MTC Presidency and their wives are incredibly nice, and because we have such a small group we will be able to get to know them pretty well.

I love it here already, and I'm looking forward to learning more each day.

 

Love you lots,

Sister Ernenwein

 

P.S. My P-Days are going to be on Wednesdays while I'm in the MTC so expect an e-mail then! I get about a half an hour for e-mailing.

And she's off

 

 London, England here she comes!