MTC week 2

Hillary's missionary's mailing address while at the MTC is:
Hillary Kay Rankin
MTC Mailbox # 209NH-MAN 0405
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

Hello Everyone!

I survived my first week at the MTC!!! It was good. Sunday was the hardest day, because it didn't feel like a Sunday. It was just like the rest of the days, but we had the sacrament.... But I still love it here, and wouldn't choose to be anywhere else. Every day I find more and more reasons of why I am where and am, and why I am with the people I am with.

Mom, the story about Cameron and Ashley's face wash, made me laugh out loud in the middle of class. What a goof ball. I miss him and his silly ways. But some of the Elders in my district remind me of him, so it is all good!

We had our first Teaching Appointment (TA) on Wednesday. We go and teach an investigator. It is as close to a real lesson as we can get in the MTC. It went really well... Great experience for the first one. It could have gone much better, but considering, it was awesome! It is kind of hard to teach in a 3 some, especially since I am the least talkative of the bunch, but we make it work.

Funny story of the week. Sister Kinikini was in a reading class, and we all went to a lesson taught by a different district in our zone. it was on companion unity. When we were telling her what it was about she thought we said companion nudity, and kind of freaked out a little. We all had a huge laugh, and then told her what we really said. It is fun to laugh about still.

We got 3 new roommates on Wednesday. One of them is a sister I went to high school with, Sister Amber De Groot (I think that is how you spell her last name.). So that is fun.

We sang in the MTC choir on Sunday. It was such a great experience. I loved it!!!!! We sang "Be Still My Soul". It was awesome. I have such an awesome district, everyday it gets better and better. There are only 2 of them that I don't know someone is common with them. It is such a small world. Two of the Elders know Shaili's family, one knows Nash Wilkey, and was climbing buddies with him, one knows Landon Clegg, and all the other LP basketball players. One knows Jessica's husband Adam, he said he served in his stake in NM. It is such a small world!!!!! My companions get better and better every day! We all love each other so much.

This morning we got to go to the temple!!!

It was so amazing to be in the temple with 2/3 of my district. I loved it!!!! I pretty much love everything except the food... and that I'm not sleeping as well as I wish I was. It is getting better, but I think that is just because we are always so exhausted...

I finally understand why men always fall asleep during church meetings. I have been very close to falling asleep during some of my meetings. Even if we slept from 10:30-6:30, it's still an hour or more sleep less than I'm used too. But I'm working hard, so that's all that matters.

The spirit here is so strong, and amazing. Even when people share a one sentence thought, the spirit comes! I love it! I'm so excited to get out in the field and teach people for real. It's going to be super scary, but I'm so ready and excited for it!!!

I love you all, and I love getting mail!!! DearElder.com is the way to go, I get them every day!
Well I hope everyone is doing well. I sure am! :)
The church is true, and I love that I get the chance to share this wonderful message...

Love, Sister Rankin

First letter from the MTC

SURPRISE we got an email today from the MTC. I wasn't expecting one till next week
Hillary says--
My companions are Sister Hatch, going to my same mission. she is from Bountiful, Utah. then my other comp is Sis. Kinikini. She is going to Austraila, and is from West Valley. Then we have one other roommate, sister DeArton, going to Hawaii. There are 9 people in my district, 6 Elders, and us 3 Sisters. I love my district already, it is so awesome!
We have gym 5 days a week.
The food SUCKS here. I don't know what everyone was talking about. I have only had 2 meals where i liked my food. I eat lots of pineapple and juice. I saw Hermana Stolk my first day. She wasn't allowed to speak any english, but I was able to mostly understand everything she said. Then I saw her again today, and we were able to talk a little. It was good to see someone I know!

My companions gave me the nick name "tickle me Elmo", because I laugh so much! They are so funny, so it's hard not to laugh! We are having a blast

Oh mom, Sister Hatch is from San Jose, CA. her mom grew up there too. Did you know a Julia Stitt????? her family is also really good friends with the Hunters, the temple president one. SMALL WORLD!!!

So I love my district already, and I Love my companions. They are so awesome!!!! We get along so well, and it is like we have known each other for years. My teacher's great. Bro. Warner is my favorite one. He is so good at teaching us. I already know the first two lessons. We had to teach them in 3 then 2 then 1 mins. It was awsome.
The spirit is so strong here. Stronger than any other place I have been. It's awesome to be around so many people who love this gospel and want to share it!

Funny story, my fist day here we were walking around and the thought came to me, "Oh look, there are some missionaries!....... oh wait, i AM a missionary!" kind of a blond moment.

There are so many things that through out the day I am like, I wanna text mom and tell her, but I can't. and now I can't think of any of them. I even made a list of what I was going to write you today.

My p-days will be on Friday here at the MTC!
USE dearelder.com !!!! I GET THEM EVERY DAY IF YOU DO!

I'm doing great, so don't worry about me! My companions and district make me feel at home..... kinda.

Well I know this church is true, and love this gospel. I love being a missionary.
The Savior loves us all so much, and he knows us by name. He is always there for us.
Joseph Smith is and was a true prophet of God.
The Book of mormon is true, and is there to help lead and guide us. I love you all!

Please write!!!!
Well that is all I have for now!
Love, Sister Rankin! :)

Happy St.Patricks Day it is MTC day too!

Today is the big day

We started the day off by waking Hillary up at 7:30 so she could say good-bye to the younger kids before they went to school.

Then we met the older boys, JoJo and Bryon at Kneaders for cinnamon french toast breakfast.

Home to finish up packing, then off to see cousin Brady before going to the MTC

ready to go Hillary and Brady

STOP, DROP AND ROLL

MTC drop off STOP the car
unload the luggage,

hug mom, hug dad, DROP her off
missionary host ask "where are you going?" they ROLL (grab) her suit cases and

Off she goes without looking back.

It only took a total of 1 minute and 3 seconds from unloading the luggage until she walked off.

I know because I checked the time stamps on the pictures.

Set apart as a missionary

Sister Hillary Rankin was set apart as a missionary
Ashley and Sister Rankin
Cory and sister Rankin

The Rankin Family

Last time we will all be together for at least 3 1/2 years Cameron may leave on his mission before Hillary gets home.

My "farewell" and the days before.... Only 2 days left!

Last Friday I spent the day writing my talk, and then going to my wards YW basketball regions game. I was so proud of my little Young Women. We only had 5 girls, and the other team had like 10. They were also a very aggressive team. It was our lowest scoring game (by like 20+ points), but we won.... 14-10. With like 18 seconds left in the game we were only one point ahead. The other team short like 3 or 4 times, but missed them all. We finally got the rebound, and took the ball down the court. With 1 or 2 seconds left one of our girls goes for a 3 pointer (she had made one earler in the game), and gets fouled.... Yes! She made all three free throws. Yay!!! We won.

Saturday morning we had the semi-finals game. We had 7 players (that part will come into play later). 

In the 1st quater, we already had six team fouls against us... by the second quarter we had 10. The first half of the game was a rough one for us. At half time it was 14-4....  In the third quarter we caught up to them. In the 4th quarter we had 3of our girls foul out... they had one. So we were down to 4 players left, and only a head by one basket. Well with "2 seconds" left the other team scored and tied the game. (2 seconds is quotation marks because the clock wasn't started, and the game would have been over before they shot it if the clock was started at the right time. but we won't go into that... :P )

We had to go into over time with 4 player against their 5, and one of our girls had 4 fouls.... Needless to say, we lost in over time. But I was SO proud of the girls. They played so hard!!!

The rest of Saturday was spent cleaning, and then that night I hung out with my friends for the last time in 18 for months.

SUNDAY was my "farewell". I gave my talk, and then had lunch at my house.... (Thanks everyone for helping with food, and supporting me!)

(I didn't take all the pictures I was planning on, so here are some of the few I did take.)

Eric and Shaili Draper, Me, Jessica Haper, and Emilee Byers. 

Some of my roommates (and a neighbor) from school 08-09.

Pictures of me with some family members!

Hair cuts and babies.

So yesterday I went down to Shaili and Eric's house, so Shaili could cut my hair. And before and after getting my hair cut I got to hold her little Maycee. :) I LOVE babies! (and when I read in the Missionary Handbook that missionaries aren't allowed to hold babies/kids, I got so sad. So I have been trying to get my baby fix, before I wont' be able to hold one for 18 months.)

She slept most of the time. She looked so peaceful while sleeping.

(look how little her ears are.)

(and her hands!)

8 DAYS!!!!!

Days 16-11 before I leave....

So this week was full of lots of different random things.

Tuesday: I had work... Then that night two ladies in my ward took me to dinner. We went to Chili's. It was fun, we laughed a lot, and had a lot of random conversations.

Wednesday: After work I had to return some shirts that I didn't actually want anymore, and then I went shopping for some more stuff. I was pretty excited, I got 7 items and it cost less than $90. Thank you sales!

Thursday: In the morning my mom, me, my aunt Carolyn, cousin Kyan went over to my aunt Lori's house for breakfast. It was my aunt Carolyn's birthday. It was fun. Then it was off to work. Right after work I rushed home and my mom, little sister, and I went and saw New Moon in the dollar theater. None of us had ever seen it before, and it was something I wanted to see, but wasn't going to spend more than $2 to see. (I read all the books, not because I liked them, but because I wanted to know what happened. The author is really good at drawing you in, even if you don't really like it. And I HATED the first movie)

Friday: I had to wake up bright and early to get ready to go to my friend Jessica and Adams wedding at the Salt Lake temple. Well it had snowed a ton over night. (I HATE SNOW) I hurried and got ready, because I didn't know how the road condition was going to be, and then with morning rush hour. Shortly after I left I had my first slide off. I was about to start going down the hill on Canyon Road (near the mouth of AF Canyon), and I tapped my breaks. Next thing I know my car has done almost a 90* turn to the left, so I turned my wheel the way you're supposed to. Well that made me do almost a 180 turn to the right. So I turned my wheel again, trying to gain control.... well that was defiantly not what happened.  Next thing I know, I have done about a 270 turn and slid off the side of the road. I was facing the opposite way than I was supposed to be facing, and completely off the road. It took probably 3-5 min. to get back onto the road. Oh boy was I scared the rest of my way up to Salt Lake.
When I finally got to the temple, my friend Shelley and I waited for the ceremony to start. After it was over we waited for them to come out, took a few pictures, and then went home. 
That night was their reception. It was so pretty. It was in a church, but you could barley even tell. Jessica's mom owns a flower shop, so she had tons of really pretty floral arrangements. It looked really pretty. (but I didn't take any pictures of them, I wish I had....)

 

 

 (ps, when I get home all my friends I hang out with will be married...)

Saturday (today): I am going to lunch with my mom, little sister, my neighbor, and her daughter. Then tonight a family in my ward is hosting a dinner for all the parents of missionaries from my ward... My parents and I got invited, since I am almost a missionary.

Well that was my busy weeks. Next weeks is going to be just about as busy.

I leave in 11 days! So crazy, I can't believe it is almost here. I have almost everything I need, but there are still some things I need to get. It's getting SO close!