I Love Being a Missionary

OH MY HEAVENS I LOVE ENGLAND AND I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!! YOU BETTER ALL BE READING THIS IN A BRITISH ACCENT BECAUSE... WELLL... I AM IN ENGLAND SO DUH!!!!

Ps the accent we do on accent Thursday is nothing like the real deal. We suck. Literally. Okay not literally but we are terrible. Okay I changed my mind, we literally suck at faking a British accent. Here is my proof:

So the other day I was practicing my accent (all my teachers are from England and they are awesome) and I walk into our district room (District Lehi baby. Lehi is cool but I wish it was like Moriancumr or King Nebedkadnezzer or something.. however you spell it. That would have been much cooler.) and I ask my teacher in my British accent... 

"Can I ask you a question? Does my accent sound real?"

His answer: "No."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME.

No hesitation or pause to think about it or anything... just a straight no.

I couldn't focus the rest of the day I was so mad. 

I must say it is quite hilarious hearing everyone attempt an American accent... and it especially makes me realize how ugly we sound. The Brits all sound so proper.

So the MTC is AWESOME!! There are only 34 people here and some are learning German, Greek, and some are from China learning English. So seriously whenever someone stands up to say a prayer you just never know what language it will be in and it is AWESOME! The best part is that even though I have no idea what they are saying, the Spirit is still the same. THE CHURCH IS TRUE!!!!!! AHHH I CAN'T EVEN STAND IT IT'S AMAZING!!!

Oh my goodness guess what is a swear word here... "crap." For example... when you mess up on something... "oh crap!" Yup. and I say it on average 58 times a day. Sometime count how many times you say it because I grantee (how do you even spell that?) you say it so much more than you think. So now I try to say "rubbish" instead. "oh rubbish!" yeah doesn't flow so well. I'll work on it.

Oh and we aren't supposed to use the word "cool" cause we are supposed to speak with refined dignity... so the other day at lunch someone told a story and I said... "oh cool!" then after realizing what I said I said... "oh crap!!!" yeah my bad.... everyone had a good laugh about that one.

Okay the funniest thing ever is when we all sing together because it is just a giant jumbled mess because of all the languages and all of the elders cannot sing on pitch to save their lives and I can't help but just laugh every time we sing a hymn. I just imagine Grandma Jarvis's face looking around at those Elders with absolute disgust written all on her face. 

Guess what I already have a calling! My companion Sister Mussman and I have been called to be Sister Training Leaders!!! So basically we are in charge and responsible for all the sisters and basically we are just supposed to love them and help them with whatever and I love it! These Sisters are amazing and some of them have made huge sacrifices to be here and they come from all over the world and WOW they are amazing. Such great examples and I learn so much from them every day. So basically I have just been called to love them to death! 

My companion is the sweetest thing in the world. We have become really close already and I love her to death! The minute I met her I was very humbled because she is just that amazing. She has such a kind spirit but also we can joke around and have fun together and laugh and we both laugh at everything so sometimes that isn't good haha because we can get distracted. hahaha but did you pray for laughter???!!! Because seriously it is the best ever. She is amazing and I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT SHE IS MY COMPANION!!! Oh yeah and guess what she is the girl I was talking to on facebook also! How cool is that!! I love her to death!!! And I hope I get to be companions out in the field sometime because that would be amazing. We work really well together!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD AND GRANDMA RANCK! You guys my dad buys my family presents on HIS birthday and he even sends his mom flowers on HIS birthday too. Life Goal: Be like my dad. Love you daddy!

SANTA EXISTS! Here is the proof: Zechariah 1:8; 2:6

Oh and some of my other new favorite scriptures that have really changed my life..... 

Proverbs 21:19

Ecclesiastes 4:11

Yup. We sure know how to have fun at the MTC.

Okay so here is a look at life in the MTC via schedule... (they pronounce schedule.. Shedule... yes. shedule. no "c.")

630 wake up.

7 breakfast.

730 personal study

830 prepare to teach investigator

10 or so.. teach investigator and it is recorded then we go watch it.

11 exercise. We go play volleyball and oh boy it is one big giant mess I tell you.

12 lunch

after lunch consists of classroom time/companion study/teaching investigators

6 dinner

7 more classroom and study and such.

930 snack time

1030 lights out... okay lets be real we suck at going to bed on time so that usually ends up being like 1115. But we try and that's all that matters right?

The days are very long but at the same time there is not enough time to get everything done and in just one week from now I will be in London.... CRAZY.

Okay funny story time. Sister Mussman and I had our first lesson with an investigator on Saturday... and oh boy Friday and Saturday were very stressed and overwhelmed because I was feeling very humbled by my inability to teach. And already we were having to teach an "investigator..". (our investigators are our teachers.. but they are great actors and pretend like it never happened outside of the lesson..) and so we were stressed out about this lesson even though it is practice and not real... it sure feels real. like they even have rooms with couches and pictures and stuff like a house does. 

So we go in to teach Tebogo.. he's from south Africa and we are doing okay.. I was feeling the Spirit at least so that was good! So we were teaching him how to pray and he asked if he could show us how he prays so we said sure... So he puts his hands in the air and starts yelling this chant about praising Jesus and it was the most bizarre thing I have ever heard in my entire life... So after trying to hold in my laughter for like 6 seconds... we both start hysterically laughing in the middle of his prayer so hard and we couldn't stop!! Like seriously he finished and was like "I don't understand what is so funny!" and we COULD. NOT. STOP. LAUGHING. TO SAVE. OUR. LIFE. Let's just say that the Spirit just went right out the door and it became a total disaster!!! hahahahahhahahaha but I am so glad that that is how our first lesson went because we sure needed a stress reliever!!! It was awful... Imagine if it would have been a real investigator..... 

But I am literally laughing thinking about it because it was the most embarrassing thing but most hilarious thing in the entire world. AND the investigator is our teacher and HE NEVER EVEN BROKE CHARACTER ONCE. Wow I would be a terrible investigator.... Cause I laugh to much.

But seriously pray for laughter sometimes. It is my favorite thing to pray for. 

The MTC is basically a fairytale.. outside our window is this giant pond!!! AND THERE ARE SWANS IN THAT THING. REAL SWANS. Well actually the swans haven't been here since I've been here but no fear. I have been praying that the swans will feel comfortable at the MTC. Well.... After I said that prayer I soon found out that one of them got stuck in the fence and died........ sooooo... ummm... well.... I STILL BELIEVE. 

TU SEI UN TAMARRO.

^^^^ the above is a sentence in Italian and I will leave it to you to translate... This message is directed to Thomas and Adam... Oh and Kasan....... Good luck.

I can't even tell you how many pen marks I find on my clothing every day. How do they get there? I don't know. Torn up I tell you... Torn up.

It's cold here but not like miserable cold, unless you are Melanie Ostler where even when it's warm and sunny, it is still miserable cold to her. But it's cold enough that the pond froze overnight....

ALL THEY FEED US HERE IS PASTA AND BREAD. UGH.

Tomorrow we are going into Manchester to proselyte for a few hours!! Should be an adventure:)

As you can tell, I really do love it here and am having lots of fun. Today we had the opportunity to go to the temple and it was absolutely incredible. What a beautiful place to be.. The house of the Lord. 

Sunday was definitely my favorite day all week. It was fast Sunday and not only did I have the opportunity to fast, I had the chance to hear all of the testimonies of the amazing missionaries here. They all were in different languages but they were all so simple and powerful!! The Spirit was incredible. 

We also got to watch my favorite movie on Sunday afternoon.. AKA Joseph Smith: The Prophet Of the Restoration. Wow I was a bawling baby that whole 1.5 hours. Seriously. Joseph Smith was a prophet I know it and I wouldn't be here if I didn't know that truth for myself.

The first night here was amazing. As I was in my room with the 3 sisters I room with, we were all reading scriptures and writing in our journal and it was quiet and peaceful and the Spirit was powerful then I look over and see two of the sisters including my amazing companion on their knees.... That was such a powerful moment for me to see that. I can't help but think of all of the people who need what we have.. but don't know where to find it. Who are lost, and broken, and hurt, and scared, and overwhelmed, and everything else and how much they need the gospel!! I have such a special privilege to represent my Savior and share my testimony with a few of the thousands of people in England, and I feel completely honored. 

The Gospel is what makes me happy. I love it and I love being here. My testimony is very simple...... I know God lives. 

Thank you all for your incredible support. I was truly blessed with the best and have the most amazing teammates, friends, and family. Thank you for your emails and I'm sorry if I didn't get a chance to reply!! 

I LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL LIKE CRAZY!!!!!!!

Onward and Upward.

Sister Ranck