Becca's first email from the MTC! (& pics!)

SOOOO... It's been a long time since I've even opened this blog, and almost 6 years since I made a post (Remember when Mitt Romney was running for POTUS?!  Don't ask me what I think of old blog posts! LOL)!  Well, I figured I might follow my sister-in-law's example, and post Becca's letters on this family blog for those who are interested.

I cannot tell you how fun it was to get her first emails today!  I got one just for me, and I got her group email.  Here is the text of her group email (if you want to receive her group email to your inbox every week, just email her at rebecca.fairbanks@myldsmail.net to let her know :) :


Hello all, friends and family! 

First of all, I just love you. Every single one of you. :)

Second, the MTC (Missionary Training Center) is an incredible place! I said goodbye to my family on Wednesday morning and hauled my heavy luggage across a very confusing campus. But I could IMMEDIATELY feel peace from the Holy Spirit and know that I am in the right place. A helper took my luggage while I walked through what I call "the gauntlet of angels" who pinned on my missionary badge (WOW!!) including a bright orange "dork dot", gave me packets of information, keys to my room and all the buildings, informed me where to go, and all chimed, "Welcome to the MTC!" in the happiest ways. Lots of good people around here. I was sent to my room to drop of my luggage and sent off to find my classroom and meet my district and my teachers. And my companion! Her name is Sister Swallow and she's very sweet. We have a lot in common! There are five sisters and four elders, all of us sisters are going to New York Utica, woohoo!, and the elders are all going Reno, Nevada. Our teachers are Sister Kennedy and Brother Wright. They are the best MTC teachers ever, your argument in invalid. :) That evening they ushered all of the newbies into big classrooms and 50 of us collaborated to try and teach one investigator (someone who is interested in learning about the gospel) all at the same time. That was interesting... but good! It made me appreciate that we go teach two by two, not fifty by fifty, haha! Then we were able to return to our apartments, unpack a bit, and go to bed exhausted! 

Then we started full force the next day. We have six hours of class time a day, plus extra workshops and devotionals. We taught our first investigator, Lindsay, that afternoon. I think our lesson went pretty well. We spent half the time getting to know her. Something that has become very apparent to me is that you have to know a person pretty well before you can understand what they need from the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I love this gospel! It blesses so many lives, including mine! 

This weekend was Easter, woo!, and General Conference!!! It was incredible! It was so special to stand as missionaries in one united place to sustain our new prophet, President Nelson. I know that he has been called of God to give us the direction we need and spread the Lord's love for us as well. And that was so obvious to me this conference when he announced THREE dramatic changes in the work of the church! So incredible. 

So, I forgot to bring my journal to the computer lab, and I am completely drawing a blank on what we did other days... it kind of feels like I've been here a month already. But it so great! I love it so much! Oh, something we did do as a companionship was go exercise for an hour on Friday, it was leg day, which was maybe not the greatest idea, haha! Our legs were like jelly for two days, it's a miracle that neither Sister Swallow or I fell down four flights of stairs from out classroom! :D

I think my favorite part so far is the intensity of our learning and studying. My brain hurts! But it's all so wonderful. My favorite is learning to listen to people and to the Holy Spirit at the same time. It can be really hard to form words after experiences like that, but testifying of truth always brings it back around. I love what I'm doing. It's changing me for the better and I can't wait to bring all of this joy to others! 

I love you all!

Sister Fairbanks​