Amanda's letter 1/22/09

Dear Family,
I hope everything is going well at home, I told you life would go on without me there. How was Ethan and Ella's birthday party? I wish I could have been there, but I'm having a good time here at the MTC. This has been the hardest week of my life, nothing could ever prepare me for sitting in class from seven in the morning till nine thirty at night. We're constantly going from one meeting to another or from one class to a workshop. Most days I feel I'm some animal being constantly herded from one place to another, its quite tiring, especially after sleeping on a twin bed with no support in a room with five other girls. I try not to complain, even though its hard I still love it!
I'm amazed at how much I've grown in one week (not physically, although they feed us all the time here, and good food too! Self control is a pound saver) Spiritually though I can't believe how much I've learned. Heavenly Father truley blesses missionaries with the gift of knowledge and understanding. Nights are the hardest for me here. When class gets out at 9:30 Sister Thatcher, my companion and I head back to the residence hall and get ready for bed. Although its nice to sit and relax, its difficult because without constant work and study my mind begins to wander off towards home. I start to think about what everyone's doing and then I can picture Dad watching Jay Leno while Mom plays solitaire. I can see Molly stretched out in the hallway, and then I start to imagine myself there with you. some nights when I have a hard time falling asleep (which isn't often) I can almost feel Mom hugging me goodnight. During the day I receive constant comfort from my district, even though we've only been together for a week they're like family to me. We have four sisters: Sister Thatcher my companion, Sister Waters, Sister Anderson and myself. There are six elder: Elder Miles our district leader. Elder Curtis, Elder Vanotten, Elder Robison, Elder Waite, and Elder Reeves, he's my favorite! We spend all day together, so ts going to be hard when we leave for the field because only Sister thatcher and myself and Elders Waite and Elder Reeves are going to South Carolina, everyone else is heading to New Mexico.
There at the MTC there are a lot of missionaries learning another language. so when they pass by they always say hello in whatever language they're learning. since my district is all English speaking we came up with our own way to slay hello. Everyone going to Mexico puts their hands up and says "how", then only sister Thatcher and I say in a very Southern accent "hey yall!" with a big grin and a really stupid wave. Along with all the spiritual experiences we try to have ourselves a good time too!
Today is our p-day, which means that we got to go to the Temple. I was so excited. I think on the outside the Provo Temple is one of the more....less fashionable Temples, but inside it is gorgeous! While I was sitting in the Celestial room, I had an amazing spiritual experience. When I was done saying my prayer that I always say, I felt a warm wave over my body and I could feel a definite presence. I could feel Grandma and Grandpa there with me. It was like I could almost see them smiling at me. I just cried because I know now how proud they are that I made it to this point in my life.
Well I love all you guys, but I really need to go put my laundry away. Thank you for all the letters, thoughts and prayers.

Love, Sister Amanda M. Richards

P.S. Justin, I laughed my butt off when you put that "men in tights" quote in your note. I really needed it, thank you. Tell Melissa I said HI and that I love here. Tell Erin that I'll send her a seperate letter. I love to get stuff from "dear elder.com" it makes me feel special ... hint, hint........

P.P.S. I love this Church, I know what I'm doing is what Heavenly Father wants me to do. I know that while I'm gone you will be blessed.

P.P.P.S. Tell everyone that asks that I'm doing fine. I love the MTC and I'm learning so much!

Amanda's Latest Email

This letter was originally sent on 1/22....Hope every enjoys and once again no spell check was used when Amanda wrote this.

So this is my e-mail, i can only check it on thursdays which is my p-day. If i don't get a lot in this message its because i have to be to class in less than twenty minutes. I did however write a very very long letter today which im going to mail off after dinner along with my cell phone charger. Sorry about that by the way, i only just realized that i had it in my bag. I am keeping myself very busy here, work, work, work. Its amazing that i've already been here for one week, it feels like ive been here forever. No one ever told me the MTC was going to be so hard. This has easily been the hardes't week of my life. There is little time to do personal things and even when i do im never alone so it gets kind of crazy. I think of the MTC as a spiritual "prison", always in the room and never alone:) I have a wonderful companion, her name is Sister Thatcher, she's from orange county california and she's just amazing, we get along so well, just this morning we were singing out loud together on our way back to the residence hall after the temple. We get a lot of laughs, we're live entertainment. Eventhough times are often very tiring and stressfull i always have something to smile about. I am deffinately blessed to have such a great companion and district, we're like our own little family. Even though its only been a week, we feel like we know pretty much everything about everyone, that happens when you spend 12 hours a day with one group of people. There are four sisters in our district including myself and six elders, they are all so wonderful! Heavenly Father knew exactly what he was doing, he knew exactly what i was going to need to get me through theses three long weeks. Another thing that really helps is meal time:) There are at least three options for every meal and its all you can eat, i never go back for seconds, i don't want to leaver here fatter than i came! Spirituall this has been the most amazing experience ever, learning the first discussion means learning more than i though i would, but its been very rewarding. I love you all and i miss you so much, im so thankful for the oppertunity to be here as a missionary and learn more about our savior and his church. I'm thankful for all my many blessings that i recieve daily. I'm thankful for all of your support and prayers. I really have to get to class, but im going to try and send another email later, i still have 11 minutes left in my email bank. If not jut know that you are getting a very big letter in the mail. Oh, and if you get the time you can always send me letters at dearelder.com, i always enjoy recieving the messages you have sent me so far. I love you, Sister Amanda Marie Richards.Dad, if you would like to forward this to all the aunts and uncles who's email we have i would appreciate it.

Amanda's first letter

This letter was postmarked on Thursday, the 15th of January. We received it on the 20th or the 21st. I will transcibe it to the blog with all spelling and grammatical errors intact. Hopefully the rest of her communications will be in electronic form.

Dear Mom and Dad and Family,
I'm still alive after one day here at the MTC. I hear all the hard stuff starts tomorrow so we'll see. I love it here so far, everyone is really nice, and theres a constant spirit present. I have a wonderful companion, her name is Sister Thattcher, she's from Orange County California and we get along great! I'm really greatful to have the oppertunity to be here, I know its only been one day, but I know this is going to be an amazing experience. I wish I could write more, but everyone is waiting for me to finish so I can turn out the lights, its been a VERY long day! I can e-mail you on my next p-day, I think next thursday. I love you all, you're in all my many prayers.
Love, Sister Amanda Marie Richards
P.S. Will someone please walk Molly for me.

Intro to the Grover portion of the family!

Hi All. This is Erin, my small branch of the family tree consisted of my husband William and my son Sam. Today is the 7th month mark of Sam being in our lives. William and I have been married for almost 4 years, and have been on an adventure ever since. We are both currently full-time students at BSU, myself going for a general associates degree and my husband for an Electrical Engineering Bachelors degree. I will be graduating in December of this year, and William will be graduating in 2011. We are both actively involved in our LDS Ward on Broadway Ave. I serve as the second counselor in the Relief Society and William work with the Bears in Cub Scouts, which is the harder of the two callings. William work on the BSU campus at the Zone in the ILC, which is basically a very high tech computer lab that specializes in helping students and faculty with computer projects. Sam is growing like a weed and learning like one too. He weighs in at 20 lbs, 27.5 inches and is just starting to move forward on his hands and knees. Our family has been very blessed, and we continue to be grateful everyday for those many blessings.

Amanda enters the MTC (Missionary Training Center)

Amanda Richards officially started her mission by entering the Missionary Training Center (MTC) on Wednesday, January 14th.

We (Dad, Amanda, Erin, William and Samuel) left Boise on Tuesday morning and arrived in Salt Lake City in time to have Amanda, Erin and William attend a session at the SLC temple. Sam and Dad hung out in the van in the interim outside the Utah Statehouse, taking a nap and playing with baby toys . Later we traveled down to Joel and Cathy's new house and they took all of us to a really nice Chinese restaurant somewhere in Salt Lake City. Sam impressed everyone at the restaurant with his stellar behavior. We spent the night at Linda and Frank's .

We made it down to Provo in time to buy Amanda some shoes that fit, have lunch at Subway. We arrived at the MTC about 10 minutes early. They really have a system for processing large groups in an orderly manner. First stop was for unloading luggage, missionaries and passengers, then the driver of the vehicle was directed by gentlemen to a specific spot in the parking lot. Missionaries went in one door and had to show immunization records and other documents. That is where this picture was taken. Families and friends went in another door and waited for the initial processing to take place. They then had a few minutes to take pictures and give preliminary good byes. We were then directed into a large room where the mission president, his wife and I believe one of the counselors welcomed the missionaries and their families to the MTC. The last speaker counseled us that goodbyes were like removing band aids, better done in one swift motion. After a short video the time came for the quick goodbyes. Large signs indicated that the missionaries were to exit one side of the room and families on the opposite side. On cue, hugs were given, tears were shed and she walked out the door marked missionaries and we walked out the door marked families.

Amanda's address is: Sister Amanda Marie Richards

MTC Mailbox #237

SC-COLU 0202

2005 N. 900 E.

Provo, Utah 84604-1793

We left and drove up to one of William's relatives near Ogden , changed out of our Sunday clothes and drove home.

Amanda's tentative date to leave is February 2nd. There is a website called w.w.w.dearelder.com. The site is free but pushes for donations and all sorts of stuff you can purchase and send to your missionary. If you sign up and write a letter by noon MST on weekdays, it will be printed, put in an individual envelope and delivered to the MTC that afternoon. You will need the address listed above. Supposedly the mail is picked up by their district leader and distributed just before dinner. She should have an official e-mail address later on in the week, but is allowed only 30 minutes a week (on p-day) and the mission rule is to email family only. We will post any appropriate emails on this blog.

This is for Amanda

I'm sure that all of you know the above, if you don't it's my little sister Amanda. She is such a wonderful person and we are so proud of her. She is going on her mission in a week, this is such a big thing for our family!

Amanda graduated awhile ago from Centennial High School and since has been working as a helper to the disabled. She had enough patients to give her love and time to those who needed it more that others. Many of you probably don't know how hard it is to work with the disabled but it is really hard, and Amanda has all it takes to do it.

Not only did Amanda work with the disabled but she helped out so much around the house and with all of her many brothers and sisters and their kids. She was always willing to watch the kids, make dinner for everyone or well you name it she seemed to always do it. One of the things that always stuck out to me was her cooking...It may not have always been the best but it was usually top notch and at least she made the effort to feed the family.

I would describe Amanda as the mediator, the one who never picked sides and was always there to help solve the problem. I'm sure that she got tired of it and yet she still did it. I would have to say that Amanda was the favorite Aunt, Sister and friend. Sorry everyone else, I don't want to hurt any one's feelings.

Amanda I will miss you so much while you are gone. It is going to be a long 18 months with out the glue to our big family, but I'm sure we will manage. And thank you for all of your help, you mean so much to me and my family especially. Harper is going to miss his Nanda!

Good luck to you on your mission. Stay positive, keep your weird personality, and think of us often.

The Mattson

WE LOVE YOU!!!