I'm Going to Ecuador!

I'm Going to Ecuador!  Katie got her travel info--she leaves for Guayquil on Nov 18th!

November 8, 2013

Last week we got 16 new missionaries, 8 elders and 8 hermanas.  The district just before us left on Monday for Argentina, and since the four sisters I was living with all left and my apartment was empty for a couple days, I spent three nights in one of the other sisters' apartments.  I think they were sad for me to leave.  I really love those hermanas, they're all so great and really genuinely like having me around, even when I'm tagging along or dragging them places.  I'm really glad.  We got even more missionaries in our zone this week though, and there are--are you ready for this?--20 of them.  That's right, we got 20 new missionaries this week, and 16 last week.  It's half and half again, 10 elders and 10 hermanas.  So we now have six districts: my district of 5 elders and me (Elder Taylor left for the Colombia MTC on Tuesday), the two districts of 4 elders and 4 hermanas each that came last week, and we just got another district of 4 elders and 4 hermanas (these hermanas are living in my apartment with me now), a district of 6 elders, and a district of 6 hermanas.  There are 42 people in our zone now.  We doubled in one day.  Crazy.  I really like our newest hermanas so far, especially the ones in my apartment.  I haven't gotten to know the other 6 hermanas very well, but I think I'll like them pretty well.  But yeah, so we're officially the oldest district now.  We're the grandparents, the 16 are the parents, and the 20 are the babies--I mean, kids.

On Sunday, I got called to be the zone music coordinator.  I basically have to pick out the hymns for meetings and get people to lead and play piano.  I also organize musical numbers and make sure everyone knows how to properly lead music and stuff.  Should be fun!

Since Elder Taylor left and I was teaching with him and Elder Bueno Cabral, the two of us have been put with the other two companionships.  So now I'm teaching with Elder Howell and Elder Williams, and Elder Cabral is in a trio with Elder Robins and Elder Burnett.  There are two trios in our district now, a little weird.  

I got to host new missionaries on Wednesday.  Basically what that means is that when new missionaries get dropped off, I help them take their luggage to their room and get them settled in.  I kind of love it a bunch.  I super love new people.  My elders were laughing at me on Wednesday because I was just so happy and excited about all of our new people.  Anyways, as we got a new busload of people, I saw one of my friends from my last EFY standing on the corner!  I had remembered that she had gotten her call to Mexico, but I didn't know when she was reporting.  I remember we were the two Katies (except she spelled it Katy) and we both had curly hair, but she was super duper tall.  I pretty much jumped her when I hugged her and I got to host her.  I was so excited to see someone I knew!!!  I've seen her a couple times since then.

I saw two people I knew today on main campus (we went to print out our emails): one elder was a guy from my ward this past spring up in Rexburg, who is flying out on Monday for Ukraine, and the second elder was actually a friend from SOAR who went to BYU-Idaho as well and was actually friends with Brian, the first guy.  Small world!

I get like no mail ever (just two dear elders and two packages from you and a dear elder from Ashley, that's all I've gotten in four and a half weeks),

I better go, I have more emails to write and Elder Robins is dying to talk to me about some sort of girl advice or whatever.  He's an interesting guy... Talk to you more next week mom!

Love your baby girl, 

Hermana Iverson

MTC Life and Eye Problems

Enjoying some Halloween fun!

November 1, 2013

As far as my week goes, it wasn't as crazy as the last two weeks have been, but not completely uneventful either.  On Tuesday, we found out that Elder Taylor, the elder in my district who knew Eva, finally got his visa to go to the Colombia MTC.  He's really excited and leaves this coming Tuesday.  That evening, we went up to main campus for devotional, and you will never guess who sat down behind me.  Elder Anderson, Bishop Anderson's son!  I had never met him, but he recognized me from when I gave my farewell.  It was a slightly awkward conversation, made more awkward when we took a picture together for me to send to you (so you better appreciate it because oh my heavens idk why it felt so awkward).  Since Wednesday started my fourth week here, Tuesday was officially my halfway mark.  I am less than three weeks away from leaving.  AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Katie with Elder Anderson

We got two new districts this Wednesday!!  Both of them had four elders and four hermanas.  So we have eight new hermanas and they're all really wonderful!  I like all of them a lot and I think they like me so that's good haha. 

My patience was a little thin with my district this week.  Boys are crazy!  Like honestly I don't understand what's wrong with them.  I have to try and remember that they're going to be crazy and weird and I shouldn't try to change them (too much; they are elders now) jaja jota kah

So Wednesday night my eye started hurting a little bit when I blinked and looked a tiny bit red.  Thursday morning when I woke up it was hurting a lot more and was completely bloodshot.  It was pretty painful and I started worrying if it was pinkeye.  It wasn't goopy, so I was told that meant it wasn't that.  So the lady who called you had me take their shuttle to this eye doctor who was way on the outskirts of Provo.  Like apparently we were almost in Orem because one of the two elders escorting me could see on the hill the house right behind his from the parking lot of the medical office.  It was pretty weird.  Oh I almost forgot, when the lady called you her earset was really loud so I could hear your voice!!!!  I was just sitting there kind of inwardly freaking out and listening really closely and whispering to my elders "I can hear my mooooommm!!!" hahaha so yeah I enjoyed that part :)

Getting her eye checked out

As far as the actual eye appointment, it looks like the surface of my eye was irritated or something, I don't remember exactly.  I think he called it episcleritis or whatever.  Nothing serious.  He thought that maybe it could have been a result of dryness (I have decided I will never live in Utah because the dryness here will literally kill me like my knuckles actually were starting to crack because of how dry it is here), but there were no symptoms in my left eye so he didn't know exactly what was causing it.  He gave me some eye drops (the first time I have ever used them in my life btw) and now I have to put one drop in my eye four times a day for four days, and then three times a day for four days, and then twice for three or something, and then finally once a day for how many days.  I don't remember it exactly, but a lot of eye drops.  Ugh.  On top of that, the shuttle was an hour late picking us up from the office.  So lame.  

I asked the elders in my district to give me a blessing last night since I was kind of worried and my eye was starting to hurt more, especially when I was outside.  I also was (and still am a little bit) having trouble reading because my eyesight was starting to get a little fuzzy.  That really scared me, because when I went in earlier that day they were shocked because my eyesight was actually better than 20/20.  So I got up the courage to ask for a blessing.  I don't think I remember the last time I received one.  It's been a while.  I'm so glad I did though because it was exactly what I needed.  Elder Cabral mentioned that this was exactly where I was meant to be in this exact moment and that I was doing the right thing, and recently I had had a few doubtful thoughts hoping that this was for sure the right thing for me.  When he said that I started tearing up.  I feel so happy because I know for sure now, I have confirmation from Heavenly Father that there is literally nowhere else in the world that is better for me than right here.  I'm so glad because I love it here and what I'm doing.  I'm still terrified to go out to Ecuador, but I have moments too where I just want to get out there.  I'm so excited to be serving the Lord and to meet all of these amazing people.  Today we did an endowment session and I was probably praying for 10-15 minutes in the Celestial Room for everyone I could think of because I was just so grateful.  

Yo sé que Jesucristo vive y que él es mi Salvador.  Sé que podemos estar juntos con nuestras familias por siempre.  Me encanta este Evangelio y estoy muy agradecida por esta oportunidad de servir el Señor.  

Love,

Hermana Iverson