First Email from MTC

hola! I finally get to email you! my p days are on tuesdays, so expect emails on tuesdays. i can also only write letters today too. anyways, thanks for the dear elders. it just makes my day to get a letter, and i love it so much. just hearing about everything that is going on back home makes me feel connected somehow. thanks also for sending me taylor's note and uncle john's email. they were so sweet. i would love for you to send me taylor's adddress. could you get that? also, my debit card doesn't expire until july 2012 or something, so I am good with that. also, thanks so much for sending the deferment email and getting that done. one thing. in order to get into paraguay, i need some official card with special stamps or something proving i have yellow fever immunization. they did not give that to me and what we have will not work. please look into that and call them. the people here were really surprised that I wasn't given one. lame. when I went to the immunization place, a sis knapp had taken my name out so she would remember to talk to me. she was at stake conference and wanted tell me that she enjoyed my talk and that if i ever needed anything to come see her and she would hook me up. so unexpected. very sweet though. I just love having someone know me when i feel like i don't know anyone. i did see elder larsen and hermana russel who were in my mission prep class a few times. it was nice seeing a familiar face. and and you will never guess who i saw here and keep seeing. elder david noren. he is going to the ukraine. i was walking in the hall and saw him! i was like, no way! small world. also, i arrived here to have a letter from mrs wallace. so sweet. she had some great advice and meant alot. expecially it being such a long day that day. to have a letter was so great. anyways, the past few days have been the most humbling 6 days of my life. so much to do and think about I hardly have time to miss home. yes, I did have some tears the first night. sitll can't sleep very well yet, but I am jsut trying to do my very best and dive into the work. that is what i am here for after all. it will take some getting used to. we wake up at 5:45 every mornign and go running so that during gym time we can get some things done. and the rest of the day is spent studying and in classes. we have two awesome teachers that switch off. I already can only pray in spanish. it makes it kind of hard to say what I want to say, but I know that heavenly father knows what is in my heart even though I can't express it in spanish. yet. I have two companions, a trio. hermana kavaka and hermana gonzales. they are so great. we clicked right away. hermana kavaka is tongan but from reno nevada. she is so fun. hermana gonzales is half mexican and from so cal, but her dad never taught her spanish. so we all are kind of in the same boat. and they both have boyfriends back home who plan to wait for them. also, that elder holmgren is in my district. so i see him everyday. there are us 3 hermanas and 2 elder companionships in my district. we are slowly getting to know the guys, but i have been so blessed to have the companions that I do. we get along so well and they both have such a pure desire to share the gospel. it is a bit tricky teaching with a trio, but we will figure it out with practice. everyone in my district is going to the same mission at the same time except for one elder who is going to oklahoma spanish speaking. he kind wishes he was going with us to paraguay. I have already learned so much. I wish I had time to say it. i only have 30 minutes to email, and it is so much pressure to get everything out. haha.
well, ya this is going to be a tough experience, but i am learnign to rely on the Lord and let him mold me into the best missionary i can be. I have never felt so reliant on Him, and have been so humbled. during relief society, the woman who spoke said that "I choose to let adversity bring me closer to God." Even though I feel overwhelmed abotu my capacity, I know I can do it and that the difficulty will only bring me closer to God. He isn't going to take away our trials, but he will strengthen us to overcome them . I jsut try to keep in mind my purpose and why i am here. it is easy to lose track and get discouraged with everything going on.
We got to go to the temple today, and that was so great. just what I needed to get a boost for the coming week. I will need it. remember you are always in my prayers. I love and miss you so much. time is going to fly by. also, please keep hermana lavaka in your prayers. she is really struggling with spanish and could use some prayers. sorry everything was so sporadic, I tried to fit everything in. can't wait to hear more about the outside world!!
Love,
Whitney