Category: MTC

Hey everyone! This week has been one of the best but also one of the hardest so far. I have been trying to learn as much Spanish as I can before I get into the field. There have been a lot of things to do with packing up and making sure I’m ready to go, but I can’t wait to leave.

Anyway, on Tuesday. we had a devotional by S. Gifford Nielsen from the 70, and he talked a lot about how important the Book of Mormon is because it contains a witness of Christ, the fullness of His doctrine, and it is a foundation for our testimonies. ALSO, he brought Janice Kapp Perry with him (if you don’t know who she is, she’s a really successful music writer and arranger) and she is the most hilarious, cute little old lady I’ve ever seen! In the choir, we performed a piece she had written called The Book of Mormon has Come Forth. It was so special because even though she wrote the piece, she had never heard it performed before! I want to share my testimony with all of you that the Book of Mormon IS the word of God, and that it really can strengthen your testimony of Jesus Christ. I challenge all of you, even if you’ve never read the Book of Mormon before, to study it diligently and then ask God if it is true. I know that He will answer your prayers.

Thanksgiving was definitely the highlight of this week, as I’m sure it was for most of you. We did sooo much but it was a lot of fun. We did a Q&A session with ELDER BEDNAR and we sang in the choir for him. Then we ate lunch and went to another devotional! It was really cool to play all the music for the devotional. Sister Eubank was the speaker! We had lunch after that. The food was alright, but I really wish I could have been at home for that part haha. I LOVE cooking and baking and not just sitting in a cafeteria with a bunch of teenagers. The eggnog ran out so I didn’t get any, and the pumpkin pie was nasty, but almost everything else was pretty tasty.

After that we watched a super sad but really good movie called Love, Kennedy. I heard about it before, but I was not prepared haha. Everyone, including the elders, was crying. Then we ate a sack dinner with our zone and listened to Christmas music.

The last activity was packaging thousands of meals in the parking garage for kids in Utah and it was a lot of fun. We put together SO many boxes of food. After that we had our devotional with the Nashville Tribute band and as a choir we got to sing some songs with them. They were really good and it was perfect way to end the night. After the devotional, we got to walk all over the MTC and look at the Christmas lights and nativity that had been set up.

It was one of the longest days of my life, but it will always be one of the most memorable Thanksgivings I’ve ever had. I think getting to listen to an apostle of the Lord was my favorite part. It was such an amazing privilege to hear him answer questions that I and other missionaries all of the world had for him.

I love you all, and I will send pictures today if I find the time!

Love,
Hermana O’Barr

This has been another incredible but really crazy week. On Monday, I had the opportunity to perform with my district leader for the new senior missionary welcome meeting. The senior missionaries are so cute, and I loved getting to perform again. Speaking of which…I got asked to play for something really special this week! The MTC presidency asked me if I would play for one of the devotionals that we are having on Thanksgiving! The Nashville Tribute Band is going to play with the choir, and I am going to play the prelude and congregational hymns. I am so humbled and honored that they asked me, and I know that God has blessed me with these opportunities to share the talents He’s given me.

On Wednesday, my district was chosen to help host the incoming missionaries (grab their luggage, help them find their residency and classroom, etc.) However, the first sweet sister that I helped only spoke Kiribati and a little bit of English, and I had a lot of things to do to help her! We had to go to the travel office, the BYU health clinic off campus, the assistance office (so we could get her all the things she didn’t have), and then to her residency. She had very little and seemed overwhelmed, so I am glad I was able to be there to help her. Even though I was not expecting to help only one missionary, for 3 hours, I am very grateful that that is what I got to do. I had already done all of those things with my companion when she got here from the Philippines, so the whole process was pretty familiar to me and I was able to be her friend when she didn’t have anyone yet, and had just left the only island she’d ever known. She is going to serve in Temple Square, and I really hope that she has an amazing mission.

I ran into Bradley on Thursday! He seemed excited to be here. I haven’t seen him since, but I hope things are going well for him.

Also, I FINALLY received my reassignment! I am going to the Washington Vancouver mission, along with one other elder who was supposed to go to PR as well. The other missionaries have been reassigned to Minneapolis and LA. I am really, really excited and I know that I am going where I am meant to be. If you know anything about living in Washington or my mission specifically, I’d love to hear it.

Oh, and one more thing–I am going to chop my hair today! If I have time, I will send pictures. I don’t have any other pictures from the week because everything is pretty much the same at the MTC haha. But hopefully I’ll remember to start taking some more pictures once I get out into the field.

I love you all–thank you for your prayers and support! Have a fantastic week and don’t forget that God has a plan for each of you, and knows you individually.

Love,
Hermana O’Barr

Hola everyone! This week has flown by but so much has happened. On Sunday, our awesome choir director gave the devotional and it was sooo good.

On Monday, I had to say goodbye to my sister training leaders and some other awesome people that I became friends with. It was a little sad, but mostly exciting because I know all of them are going to go all over the world and help so many people.

On Tuesday, President Nelson gave our devotional! The main message from his devotional that stood out to me was, with God, nothing is impossible. What an amazing thought! It has been my motto for most of my mission so far because of the bracelet that one of my mom’s awesome friends gave me, which has Philippians 4:13 on it. But, it was really cool to hear that message reinforced by the President of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, because he has such a powerful testimony that that statement is true.
I’m still loving teaching in a new language and seeing how God is blessing me to have that ability. I cannot wait until I get to teach actual investigators and see the gospel transform and light up their lives as it has done for me.

Alongside getting to share my testimony in a new language, I’ve also had many opportunities to share it through music. I was able to perform a piano solo on Wednesday for the new missionary welcome meeting, and it went really well! On Monday, I’m doing another performance. This time I’ll be accompanying my district leader, Elder Smith, and we’re going to play for the senior missionary welcome meeting. I also was asked to be the music coordinator in my branch on Sundays, and I am so happy that I am able to continue using my musical abilities on my mission.

I am excited to see Bradley Cluff here on this upcoming Wednesday! I am constantly running into people I know here, because the Mormon world is a small world, but it will be nice to have one more familiar face at the MTC.

Also, one last exciting thing! I found out that my mission is probably going to be able to reopen in January! I am sooo happy! I still don’t know where I’ll be reassigned before I go there, but I’m not really worried because everything is in the Lord’s hands, and I’ll only be there for a short time anyway.

As always, thank you for supporting me and praying for me. I am so privileged to be here and to be a full-time missionary for the next year and a half. I am happy, and working my hardest so that I can be worthy to have the Spirit to help me teach those I will serve.

Hasta la proxima semana!

Love,
Hermana O’Barr

Those of you who are reading my updates, thanks for sticking with me! I know that nothing I have to say about the MTC is all that interesting, but I’ll be out in the mission field in three more weeks!

This week has been really great. One of the highlights has been seeing people that I know from school or from home. It really makes me so happy! I ran into lots of friends from BYU which is fun, but I had some other cool connections this week as well. When I was doing service on Thursday morning, I got talking with one of the custodial employees and I found out that he served in Brazil with Tyler Welch! It was so cool to talk to someone who knows my stake president’s son. He said that Tyler was his trainer, and the best missionary he ever served with. And, just this morning I ran into Jillie Garrick at the temple! The Mormon world really is a small world haha.

One other cool thing about this week is that I auditioned to do a musical number at the MTC. I got to audition for the MTC presidency’s wives, who are so sweet and nice. And I found out that I get to perform my musical number next Wednesday at the welcome meeting for new missionaries! I’m so excited to be able to share my testimony through my talents.

I got to sing in the choir at the Tuesday devotional again this week! We sang This is the Christ, which very quickly became one of my favorite songs. Go listen to an arrangement it if you’ve never heard it! I am so excited for choir days (Tuesday and Sunday) even though I can’t sing very well, because it’s just so powerful to sing with so many missionaries. And, the choir director is one of the most enthusiastic and spiritual people I’ve ever met. To any future missionaries reading this, join the choir and the director will make you even more excited to get out into the mission field than you already are!

Anyway, everything is going well for me. I love my teachers, Hermana Baltazar, and my new friends here at the MTC. I am so amazed by how quickly I’ve learned Spanish and increased my faith while I’ve been here, but I know that’s it’s only through the help of the Lord that I’ve been able to do these things. Every day I feel His help, and I feel the effects of your prayers for me. Thank you so much for encouraging me and supporting me. I love all of you!

My little spiritual thought for you this week: Watch a video on lds.org called Mountains to Climb. It is a super powerful and uplifting reminder that we are not going through our trials alone, and that we can do anything through Christ’s Atonement. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love each one of us, and will help give us peace and comfort no matter where we are in life.

I miss everyone, and I would love to hear from you. Thanks again!

Love,
Hermana O’Barr

Oh btw, I was told that I should probably give you my address haha. So here it is, if you want it:

Sister Emma Kate O’Barr
NOV28  PUR-SJU
2005 N 900 E Unit 288
Provo UT 84602

I look super awkward in any picture ever taken of me but I know my mom would be mad if I didn’t send any 😂

 

   

  

Hola! This week has been incredible, and I’m so glad I’m here at the MTC.

For starters, I’ve run into a lot of my friends from BYU this week, which is so much fun. It’s awesome to know that so many of my friends are making good choices and want to share the gospel.

One other thing–I still don’t have my reassignment yet, but hopefully I’ll have it soon! The MTC president and his wife sat by my companion and I at lunch the other day, and that’s what he told me haha. So we’ll see.

I’ll tell you all a little bit more about my companion now. Her name is Hermana Baltazar. She already served for 7 months in the Philippines while she was waiting for her visa for El Salvador! She speaks 4 other languages, not including Spanish, which she is learning now. It’s really nice to have a companion who already knows so much about what it’s like to be a missionary and how to teach a good lesson to an investigator. I’ve taught 5 lessons so far, all in Spanish. It’s crazy how fast I’m learning at the MTC! I know I still have a long way to go, but just a week ago I could barely say a sentence in Spanish, and now I’m praying, teaching lessons, and having casual conversations in Spanish. It’s so awesome. I know that God is helping all of the missionaries here prepare to spread Christ’s gospel.

One incredible thing that happened this week was that Elder Stevenson from the Quorum of the 12 came to give our devotional on Tuesday. He talked a lot about Preach My Gospel and about how to develop Christlike attributes. And I got to sing in the MTC choir at the devotional, which was broadcast to all the other MTCs! Singing Hope of Israel with hundreds of other missionaries was so powerful. I think that music is a super effective way to help people feel the Spirit. There’s special musical numbers here as well, so I signed up to audition for one! I have no clue if I’ll make the cut because there’s so many talented missionaries here, but I’ll let you know after my audition next week.

So far, I love all of my teachers and all of the other sweet missionaries I’ve had the opportunity to meet here. Even though it is sometimes difficult to be thrown out of my comfort zone and to be without a lot of things that I used to have, I am certain that I’m in the right place, doing the right thing. There could be no substitute for the way I feel when I’m learning about the gospel of Christ and sharing it with others. I am especially grateful for the temple, which I have the opportunity to attend every week while I’m here.

I’d like to encourage you all to read one of my favorite scriptures that I focused on this week! It’s 2 Nephi 31:19-20. I love this scripture because it’s about enduring to the end, and it’s so inspiring. I know that if we all keep pressing forward, we will be blessed for our faith and fortitude.

Love,
Hermana O’Barr

Hola! Saturday’s will be my P-day in the MTC so that’s when you can expect emails from me for the next 6 weeks.

I got here on Wednesday afternoon, after a long morning of flying. It was a super overwhelming first day because so much information was thrown at me (mostly en Espanol). But that evening we got to practice teaching lessons, in a group setting, and all of my stress just melted away because I was reminded why I’m here and why I want to serve a mission.

It is still difficult adjusting to a rigorous schedule and having limited communication with my family, but the Spirit is just amazing here and I’m so grateful to be a missionary.

I’ve already been asked lots of questions about mi companera, but she just arrived last night from the Philippines. She has already served 7 months there, while she was waiting on visas for the US and for El Salvador. Even though I barely know her, it such a miracle that she’s here, and I am REALLY grateful that she’s my companion. I promise I’ll get a picture with her for next week!

I’m learning so much at the MTC, both about the gospel and about my mission language. It’s amazing to be here, training to be able to bring a message of hope and peace to other people. I love my district and the people I’ve met (including 5 other missionaries who are supposed to go to Puerto Rico!)

If you have any more questions you can email me today. I might be able to respond since I have an iPad while I’m here in the MTC.

Love,
Hermana O’Barr

Hey everyone, this is just a test email to make sure I have everyone who wanted to be on my list, and anyone who doesn’t want to be on here can be taken off. I also wanted to thank all of you who came to my party or came to say goodbye yesterday. I appreciate all of you so much and I’m really grateful for all of your support. And thanks for wanting to keep up with my adventure! The next time you hear from me, I will be in the MTC!

Love,
Hermana O’Barr