Hermana Taryn Stohlton

Table of Contents:
Intro, Pre Mission for-fun voting, Mailing Address
Prophetic Call/Accept/President/Welcome
Mission Maps/Mission Office
Temple Day - January 22, 2013
Farewell Reception - January 27, 2013
Missionary Set Apart - February 19, 2013
MTC 1st Day - drop off February 20, 20131
MTC February-March 2013
Arrial in Arcadia - March 4, 2013
1st Area March 2013 - La Puente - Covina West Zone
2nd Area June 2013 - San Gabriel - North East LA Zone
3rd Area December 2013 - Chino - East Zone
4th Area July 2014 - Arroyo - East LA North Zone
Birthday greetings to the family

Other:
CA-Arcadia Mission Video (youtube posting)
Elder Braden Stohlton's website
The MTC
February 20 - March 4, 2013
Provo, UT

February 23, 2013
Hola Familia!

These past two days have been the longest days of my life! But they are starting to get faster......thankfully. I can not even remember everything that has happened. But anyway for the record I have not had a problem waking up and going to bed on time. My companion's name is Hermana Alexander. She learned her spanish from her dad being a Mission President in Mexico for three years. She is happy and easy to get along with thankfully! Well after entering the MTC for 20 minutes, I was thrust into my class. It was majority latinos and the class was all in spanish. It was slightly overwhelming but I was able to understand pretty much everything. My teacher Hermana Delion is from Columbia. It definitely took some getting used to. I have heard so much espanol these past few days. My thoughts pretty much are consumed in spanish these days. (Sorry if this email feels repetitive to the letter home)

Well my favorite part of the day is gym time. I've been able to run on the track and play volleyball with my district. Oh and thank you so much for the socks!!!!!! I had to buy a pair of men socks from the bookstore for the first couple of days. I feel like I've been here for so long but it hasn't even been a week!

My first day, of course I had to get a blister. But one of the Hermanas gave me a Hello Kitty bandaid so that was very generous of her jaja! And I thought I was without a companion because mine arrived late and didn't meet her for another 2-3 hours. So I just joined another companionship in my district, Hermana Runyun and Hermana Flores. They are really nice and we all share a room. We like to laugh a lot and talk but we focus when it's time to. Today me and Hermana Alexander are planning our first investigator for twenty minutes. I have a better accent than her but she can express herself much better than me in spanish. Which is causing me to try and speak better. I don't voluntarily participate, in which I am trying to get over that. I am praying for the bravery to raise my hand. Because the only way I can get better is to force myself to talk and learn that way.

I got teased for my slow talking again jaja! It was pretty funny though. It's something I used to be embarrassed about but now it's not a big deal. The hermanas had me count to ten as fast as I could and just found it hilarious! Well it would certainly help if you guys have questions for me, in which I'm sure mom has PLENTY of them. hahhahahaha. As you know I'm not a woman of many words!

Well the Lord loves us all and if we need anything, we are just a prayer away. He wants us to communicate with him because he wants a relationship with us because it will allow him to guide us and help us in our lives. (I am now the preachy missionary I NEVER thought I'd become. But I guess that's what the mission does for you hahahhaha!)

Adios!
-Hermana Stohlton

February 27, 2013
While Papi was at the MTC helping to translate -- he somehow found Hermana Stohlton and greatly suprised her! After Hermana Runyun in the district took the photos she said, "Oh Sister Stohlton, I wish I had taken a photo of the surprise on your face!" Nevertheless, the photos more or less go from surprise to joy...

March 2, 2013
Familia!

We actually got a full P-day today! It actually feels like Friday today with all this free time! Today I am going to paint my nails. Earlier I went to the Provo Temple and that was nice. After my whole zone got breakfast in the cafeteria of the Temple. It was AMAZING! I got hash browns, bacon and grapefruit juice.

This was another good week. Time just flies by now! Oh and as you know, I leave for the airport 8:00am on Monday. Crazy!

I still get along with everyone so that is nice. I am the most optimistic/don't worry about what others are doing Hermana of my zone.

Well I ran into someone at dinner time that I sat next to in Chemistry during the spring time. I would talk with her a little bit before class and would sometimes explain things to her. So I said hi to her and she asked me where I was going. I told her Arcadia and she got this huge excited look on her face and started to hyperventilate asking me who my Mission President is. So I said the Becerras and it turned out they are her aunt and uncle. So that was pretty fun to make another connection.

I saw Marci, Anita and Celest all at dinner time. It made my day! We all gave huge hugs and everyone seemed to be calm, fine and happy!

It was quite a surprise/great to see Papi lurking around the corner. All the other Hermana's commented that Papi is a sneaky guy. Papi, look at you pulling a fast one! The Hermana's were disturbed that we didn't hug. haha. Hermana Runyun kept saying that you could have hugged your dad! Good times.

During a fireside we were all singing hymns together. In my line of view I could see the ASL people signing to the songs, so I was just following along for fun. However, my companion couldn't see them and kept asking me how I knew sign language, and how I was signing along with the songs. It was pretty funny and she still believed I could sign until today when I finally told her the situation.

So far the most valuable thing that applies to me right now is to have faith in the Lord that he trusts me to be His missionary. I have confidence issues that I don't know the stuff even though it's stuff I've learned all throughout primary, seminary, etc.... And I just need to practice expressing myself better in spanish. And I need to not try and talk fast in spanish either (haha) because then my thoughts get all jumbled up and it comes out wrong. So I need to just embrace who I am and go at my own pace talking!

And of course I'm going to look cute the day I leave! Don't you worry mom! I've taken care of myself everyday. One of the Hermanas hates me because I can just wake up and flip my hair and it looks very nice and has a nice wave to it. Oh I had this dream that I was in the MTC and I had to come home because you had an emergency. It turned out you just wanted me to try a few more skirts on and I stormed away.

But one last thing that I've learned to do is to be optimistic, because I am around all of these Hermanas who are criticizing everyone and getting caught up in other people's business, when you can only change yourself and not other people. So I always try to defend whoever they are attacking.

Love you all!
-Hermana Stohlton

Hermana Stohlton with her MTC District