Fourth Floor, Last DoorTuesday, June 14, 2011 3:11 PMFrom: "Jillian Hicken"
Another week is over! Everyone was right about how time goes faster after the first four days - it does! I can't believe I leave next week. Speaking of, I leave June 22. My flight out of SL is at 5:50 so I'll probably call you from our layover in Denver? But I'll tell you for sure next Tuesday what my plan is. And I did get my release date... Mom, I'm sorry to tell you that you're going to have to add 18 days. It is December 19th. So basically, I will get home and have Christmas and then go to school. Nuts. But that will probably be good for me, I think.
So, more on my companero and the district. Sister Cochran is from Bear Lake originally, but has lived in Logan since she was 15. She is blonde, is 5'3. I will send a picture soon! I should have done that today. She went to Utah State for a couple of semesters. And we laugh SO much. Like as in, we are worried that it's a problem sometimes. But we also are both really committed to what we are doing and want to be the best missionaries that we can. So I am so blessed. Can you believe it?? Sister Cochran is convinced that our next companions are going to be lame because we lucked out this time. I am hoping they're all like this. Sister Cochran is going to THE with me, along with Elder Curtis with the glasses and Elder Cox, the addition, and Sister Baldwin. Headed to Texas Houston Mission are Elder Curtis the DL and Elder Leishman the redhead, and Elder Boehmer (who is an organ performance major and who played prelude at the fireside on Sunday! I was so proud :]), and Sister Hurren. I am like, beyond bummed that they are not all going to the same mission as me. Then the Elders going to Lansing Michigan are Elder Piena and Elder Meng (who is acutally nothing like James after all haha) and Elder Dixon and Elder Bagley (who, I'm sorry to report, had the coin purse sent to Michigan directly. Believe me, I let him know how disappointed I was.)
So, Mom asked what I do every day. ALL THE DAYS BLEND TOGETHER. It is nuts. But we spend a lot of time doing this pilot program called "The 8 Fundamentals of Preach My Gospel" and they are fantastic. I am learning SO much. I've already discovered so many weaknesses. For example, I am horrendous at listening. I just like to talk to people. When I watched "The Distrcit" and Elder Moreno did that, I was like "what is his deal, why is he always talking??" but I completely do that. So, Sister Cochran is helping me work on that. We teach our "investigators" who are our teachers and then randos in the Teaching Resource Center. Some of them are volunteers and some of them are employees. It is so cool. Teaching is BY FAR my favorite thing to do. If I'm having a bad day, and we teach, it flips it completely around. I am excited to teach real people and get to know them and help them. SO EXCITED. And we study. A. Lot. But that's really important because there is so much to know.
Our teachers are the world's best. Brother Depperman served in (guess) London. and Brother Lisonbee in Oakland San Fransisco. Brother Lisonbee is my very same age, which i can't think about because it is too weird. He graduated in '08. Brother Depperman is married and Brother Lisonbee is "working on it". haha. I hope he gets engaged before we leave. That would be so cool. They are such good teachers and I am so grateful for them. One thing that Brother Depperman (who has been working her for 2.5 years, so he's a little older) did for us is let us watch Elder Holland's address "The Miracle of Your Mission". OH MY GOSH. I was so incredbly fired up to get to TEJAS when we watched that. If there is anyone you know who is contemplating going - PLEASE find that and have them watch it. Not just read it, but watch it. Elder Holland is amazing. I loved it.
So, good things about this week: last Tuesday we went to the temple and it was the best. I love the temple. It is the hardest thing not to fall asleep though! haha I'm hoping I'll be better this week. I didn't sleep last week, but my eyes would close and I'd be like "uhh when did that happen??".
SO. the Weavers are coming when to the MTC? I would absolutely freak out if they came next Monday!!! Cause then I would see them for sure. Please let me know. I bet their talks were incredible. I have met a couple of missionaries who are going to their mission and every time, I freak out. I'm like "You have the WORLDS best mission president and mission mom coming your way! You should be so excited." So the missionaries are pumped to get them. They will be so great.
I'm glad you're going on Trek, Jony. I LOVED Trek. I think you'll love it too. I can't wait to get home from my mission so that I can study church history and pioneers more in depth. There's so much to study, so it's not like I wish I could just study that, but I thought this week how cool it will be to get home and study whatever I want to.
As for the mission being "hard", you know I hate that word and I think it's because it is so not descriptive of what we do here. It's not enough. It is strenuous, wanting to give 100% every day after day after day, and then sometimes just not having the guts to. It is nerve wracking meeting someone whose progress depends on how well you teach them and invite the spirit. But it is GOLDEN teaching someone and forming a relationship with them. It is hilarious to be with my district. I can't say how much I will miss them and adore them. We laugh so much. Seriously. I am smiling just typing about it. I love em. And it is humbling - SO humbling - to realize that so many people are praying for me. I feel like I wish my letters could do half as much for you, as yours do for me. I almost feel bad that they're not as wonderful. I LOVE them. Even when you say "I didn't do anything exciting" I still can't get enough. James, your letters are so great. I'm sorry that Tony is... Tony. Maybe you can mute him haha. Mom, I seriously think you were made to be a missionary mom. You are the best , I feel bad for everyone who doesn't have you as a mom. And Daddy, I just gulp your letters down. You always know what to say to get me thinking in a long term perspective and and remember that both you and James have been down this road before. That just leaves... who....? Just kidding, Jony. I know you're busy and mom and Dad tell me about your basketball etc. But I want you to know that I think about you a lot - how well you'll do here and how much you'll add to YOUR district.I'm so excited for you.
Can you tell that I love the MTC?? Cause I do. I am overwhelmed sometimes that I have been so blessed in my life. I want to work hard adn be the kind of missionary the Lord watns me to be. That brings me to the title of this e=mail. I heard a story about Elder Uchtdorf's wife, that the missionaries were trackinga nd not having success anywhere and they were on the Fourth Floor, the Last door of this enormous building when they knocked on his wife's family's door. I WANT TO BE THAT KIND OF MISSIONARY. Fourth Floor, Last Door. I want to go as many hours and doors and people as I can. Because I already love it. okay 10 seconds got to go. love you.
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