Week Two in the MTC

Dear Family and Friends! 

I cannot believe that I am on my last week here at the MTC. It is seriously such a wonderful place. The spirit is so strong here!

I absolutely adore my companion! We laugh so hard and we teach really well together. We invited one of our TRCs to be baptized on the second lesson and she said yes!! It was such an amazing feeling and makes the hard parts of being on a mission worth it!

I saw Joe Lard 3x's in one day this week! It is so awesome to see people I know! I also saw Logan Ozment which made my whole life! I will insert pictures of both of them!

Brother Lim is like the best teacher I have had here at the MTC! I will try to get a pic with him this week! He literally makes the gospel so fun and gets us so pumped to go out and work! I also love when Sister Schmidt comes and helps teach my district. She served her mission in Russia and gives the best hugs!! 

My district memorized the first vision this week. It is so powerful when we recite it in lessons rather than reading it. I am so thankful that Joseph Smith had the courage to ask of God what he should do and then to act on his revelation. That is so powerful. The more we follow our promptings, the more we will recieve. We will all have personal apostacys. We all have moments when we turn away from God. If there is one thing I have learned it is that personal apostasy must end in personal restoration. Like it says in James 1:5 "If any of ye lack wisdom, let him ask of God" I know that God answers prayers and he can guide us in all that we do.

Brother Lim challenged us to have more meaningful prayers. He said that because we pray in Jesus' name, our words should be his words and we should sincerely converse with our father in heaven. This has been so effective as I have applied it into my life and prayer has become much more powerful!

As we have been preparing our TRC for baptism, we have been teaching her the commandments. Yesterday she said that these commandments sound so easy to follow because the blessings that you recieve are empowering. I know that God does not give us commandments to make life boring, but to do quite the opposite. Following the commandments helps us become more like Jesus Christ and blesses us beyond comprehension. 

I also can testify that if we read the Book of Mormon with a question in mind and prayerfully ponder it. God will reveal his mysteries to us. You will find words and phrases that you did not even know were there and your questions will be answered. Your testimony will grow and you will have a greater desire to ponder it more. 

My absolute favorite experience this week was when a companionship in my district (Elder Taggart and Elder Dietz) gave me a blessing. I asked Elder Dietz to offer the blessing and it was amazing. He was so thoughtful in his preparation. He made sure we found a quiet room and he stepped out with Elder Taggart to pray first. Then he came in the room and before laying his hands on my head he closed his eyes and continued to pray. I could feel the spirit so strong in that moment alone. Then he gave me a beautiful blessing of comfort which contained everything I needed to hear. I am so impressed with these young missionaries that I get to spend everyday with. There is great power in our generation. Sometimes I cannot believe that the Lord lets teenagers do His work, but in moments like that I am so glad that it isn't any other way!

I love you all dearly! You are in my thoughts in prayers

All my love,

~Sister Anzie Mae Gish 

Elder Lard and Sister Gish

Sister Gish and Sister Fuge

Sister Gish's MTC District

Sister Gish and Sister Fuge

Sister Gish, Elder Ozment, and Elder Gross

Sister Harkness, Sister Gish, and Sister Fuge

Sister Gish loves getting mail!

Sister Fuge, Sister Gish, and Sister Harkness

Sister Gish loves her baby hands!

Sister Gish and Sister Fuge

Sister Gish and her dozen Bundtinis

Sister Gish pointing to her mission in Ft Collins Colorado

This is the Provo UT Temple. Sister Gish has had opportunities to attend this temple on her last two P-days!

Rundown of Sister Gish's District in the MTC

Okay but let me tell you about my District:

There are 14 of us. The 4 sisters are all headed to Fort Collins, Colorado which is so awesome! My companion is Sister Harkness. Sister Harkness is from Clovis, California. She is a little soft spoken in class but says just about everything on her mind when it's just us sisters. She cracks me up! The other sisters are Sister Van Camp and Sister Fuge. Sister Van Camp is awesome! She's an incredible musician! Also she has a natural white stripe in her hair just like Ana from Frozen and it's the coolest thing ever. 

Sister Fuge is my bestie! She keeps me laughing all the time. I met her on instagram before my mission. She is from Phoenix Arizona. She is also brilliant at calligraphy.

Elder Thorpe is from Springville UT and is heading to Chicago West Mission. He's our district leader so he gets our mail and helps lead class a little. He's a little reserved but funny if you can get him to talk. 

His companion is Elder Eltsosie (el-so-see) He is headed to Chicago West as well! He was born in Phoenix but His family currently lives in Page, Arizona. He's Navajo so he grew up on the reservation. He is such a spiritual giant. I am blessed by the experiences he shares. 

Elder Scoresby is from Idaho Falls, ID and is also headed to Chicago West. He is 6'5" and a gentle giant. He is so sweet and always asks how we are doing and offers advice. Since he's from Idaho, he brought solar eclipse glasses with and let us pass them around during the eclipse. We didn't have totality here so it never got dark but it definitely dropped like 20 degrees. It was crazy. 

His companion is Elder Tanne. He'll be going to Chicago West as well. I don't remember where he is from, probably somewhere in Utah hahaha. but oh man he is hilarious. He paid for half of his mission by creating a minecraft video hahah he's probably the class clown of the District. He can make any and every situation into a joke but when it comes time to be spiritual he has incredible insights.

Elder Dietz (deets) is from St. George, UT and headed to Chicago West too. He's pretty reserved most of the time but if you sit next to him you'll hear all of his jokes under his breath. He's quiet but when he opens his mouth I am always blown away by his comments. Yesterday in the middle of class He interrupted to tell Elder Eltsosie how incredible he is and it was such a powerful moment. 

His companion is Elder Taggart, who was born in Russia but has lived in Logan, UT for the last 8 or so years. He's headed to Chicago West with the others. He's started to get comfortable and is also very humorous. He's great at wording things so I learn a lot from his comments in class.

Elder Morrison is from Sandy UT, headed to Washington DC south. Here at the MTC we aren't supposed to give High fives and fist bumps because it's unprofessional so Elder Morrison always shakes our hands and says "this is a fist bump" hahaha. I am so impressed with his strength and faith. He is serving faithfully while His sister is in critical condition in the hospital at home. He is very genuine and He is always helping Sister Van Camp and I with our lessons. 

Elder Carter is his companion. He's from Springville Utah, headed to DC South. He is very mature and focused on the work. Another very genuine Elder that's super awesome at role-playing with us!

Elder Smith is from Sandy, Oregon and headed to DC South. He ditched his lead singer and guitarist position in his punkrock band to be here. They met in calculus so they named their band "undefined" hahaha He is awesome! He has so much energy and love for what we are doing. 

His companion is Elder Sawyer from Queen Creek, AZ!  He is headed to DC South as well :) He is probably the quietest out of the crew but he's focused and has a great attitude about everything :)

-- 

 ~Sister Gish~

Week One at the MTC!

Dear Family and Friends, 

I am absolutely loving the MTC! I love my district, teachers, and of course learning more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ! The new buildings are amazing... I cannot even imagine having to study in the dungeons. It is pretty crazy to think about all of my family members that served missions walking the same grounds as I am now.

 I was pretty nervous the morning I was leaving, but Tom gave me a blessing of comfort which was really beautiful and helped me so much! It was so fun to spend time with family and friends in the days before i entered the MTC! It was so fun to have Donna, Susan, Samantha, and Katelyn drop me off! I cannot believe that Samantha will be joining me in a couple of weeks! 

My Companion's name is Sister Harkness. She is from California. She is very sweet and humble. My district is really what makes the MTC so much fun! We have 6 elders going to Chicago, 4 going to DC South, and then all 4 sisters are going to Fort Collins. We are constantly laughing! It is great. One of my favorite experiences this week was when we met our branch presidency and everyone bore their testimonies. The spirit was so strong and I just know that every single one of them will do amazing things. 

My teachers are Brother Lihm and Brother Hackman! They are so awesome! They make learning the gospel so interesting and fun! Brother Hackman served in Anaheim so he knows Christian Durney! I have seen so many people that I know this week! I saw Joe Bradley, Joe Lard, Ben, April Meaders, and Elijah Harmon!! 

We were supposed to have a lesson with this girl named Whitney, but she didn't show up at the MTC that day so me and Sister Harkness just studied instead, but when people in our district asked how it went I told them that we invited her to be baptized and she said yes. I used her bio and created a pretty solid backstory. They believed me until after dinner when Elder Scoresby was like "I hear we have a liar in our midst" I laughed and asked him how he knew I was kidding and he said he didn't he just wanted to see if I would fess up. We were all dying laughing about it. Everyone in the district said I was very convincing. Of course, I apologized to them after class!

I really love the sisters in my district! We have so much fun together!! I have especially become close with Sister Fuge! I met her on instagram before my mission. Our teacher let us out of class early to go watch the eclipse. Elder Scoresby's dad sent him two pairs of glasses so we all just passed the glasses around and looked at it. It was so fun. It made our shadows look warped. 

We got to watch Character of Christ by David A Bednar on Sunday. It is a beautiful talk about putting off the natural man and turning outward to serve others. I walked away feeling very guilty, but it really set the tone for the kind of missionary I want to be. I also got a calling in sacrament meeting, but they definitely called me Elder Gish, sooooo that was really funny.

I also have been giving Elder Eltsosie bean boozled jelly beans and I can't tell if he's getting bad ones because he keeps asking for more. I went to the temple with the sisters in my district this morning, as well as Sister Caten (our STL) her companion went home though, so she just hangs out with us. She is so cute and fun!! The Provo temple was amazing and I could not believe how massive it was compared to our cute little temple in OKC. I love the temple and like I said in my farewell, do whatever you need to do to be worthy to enter it!

Since I have a tablet, I can read my emails all week and I am allowed to repond my whole p-day so I would absolutely love to hear from anyone, whether they email or dear elder me!

I am forever changed because of the experiences that I have had here at the MTC and it has only been week one. I have found that the reason I came on my mission and the reasons I want to stay are very different things. I know that Christ is our savior and he is at the center of everything we believe! I love you all so much and I hope you have a great week!! 

--

 ~Sister Gish~

Sister Gish, Sister Fuge, Sister Harkness, and Sister Van Camp

Sister Gish and Sister Fuge

Sister Gish's name tag she will wear throughout her mission

Sister Gish's District

Sister Gish and Elijah Harmon

Sister Gish is in the MTC!

Hi everyone:

Here is Sister Gish's first email that was sent when she arrived to the MTC on Wednesday 8/16:

MOM!!

I'm here! It is beautiful! the new buildings are amazing! It was really fun to have Donna and Susan drop me off! My room was so hot when I got here though! I will send tons of pictures on Tuesday because that is my p-day while I am here! I love you so much! Sorry I didn't call you again... I couldn't even take another goodbye! Love you to the moon and back!

-- Love

 ~Sister Gish~

Sister Gish with her cousin Ben who works at the MTC

Sister Gish with her cousin Samantha, who will soon report to the MTC on Aug 30.

Sister Gish going in to the MTC

From left to right: Aunt Donna, Sister Gish, Samantha, Katelyn, and Aunt Susan

Anzie's Farewell Talk

· I am so excited to dedicate myself to the lord for eighteen months, because I know that he will bless me and I will find greater happiness than I have ever felt, but sometimes it’s hard to think about leaving when it seems like I have found the greatest happiness right here in the New Haven Ward.

· The topic that I have been assigned is “How to be prepared when the call comes.” 

· I think that this topic is so beautiful, because no one is ready to receive a mission call or any other calling overnight, but we are prepared by a lifetime of events and choices that shape us into the people we are today. 

· As I pondered on my preparation to receive a mission call, the first thing that came to my mind is that I did not do it alone.

· I have an amazing family that loves and supports me through everything! I have had wonderful bishops who have given me wonderful insight and counsel throughout my life. Even though I was the worst student in history, I have had 3 amazing seminary teachers and some wonderful institute teachers that have done a brilliant job at teaching the scriptures and principles of the gospel to me. I have had a succession of righteous young woman leaders and advisors who instilled values and virtues into my heart for which I will always be thankful. I can testify that there is great power found in our ward family and I have learned lessons and gained strength from everyone in this ward. 

· That’s the first way we can be prepared when the call comes. By surrounding ourselves with good people. We are heavily influenced by the people around us, so I hope that we can all follow the counsel in the For Strength of Youth regarding friends. It says “ Everyone needs good and true friends. They will be a great strength and blessing to you. They will influence how you think and act, and even help determine the person you will become. They will help you be a better person and will make it easier for you to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. Choose friends who share your values so you can strengthen and encourage each other in living high standards. As you seek to be a friend to others, do not compromise your standards. If your friends urge you to do things that are wrong, be the one to stand for the right, even if you stand alone. You may need to find other friends who will support you in keeping the commandments. Seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost as you make these choices.”

· I love that because more often than not we are surrounded by people that will test our faith. I know that I went to high school with a ton of kids who did not make good choices. I know that making good choices is easier when we have friends with the same high standards we should hold. 

· That being said I can testify that making good choices will sometimes feel lonely. 

· I love the poem that President Monson shares in his talk titled “Dare to Stand Alone” It reads:

Dare to be a Mormon;

Dare to stand alone.

Dare to have a purpose firm;

Dare to make it known.

· He continues to say “May we ever be courageous and prepared to stand for what we believe, and if we must stand alone in the process, may we do so courageously, strengthened by the knowledge that in reality we are never alone when we stand with our Father in Heaven.”

· I add my testimony to his that as we stand up for our beliefs and set a good example for all who we come in contact with, they will come to respect and love you, and they will have a desire to emulate you and follow your example.

o The second way we can be prepared when the call comes is by making choices before we are placed in situations that can damage our testimonies. I know that I had to make the decision to serve a mission far before I started my papers, so I could make sure I was living a mission worthy life, because I promise if you are not you will not feel comfortable serving the lord. 

o In another talk by President Monson titled “You make a difference” he says “When the time for a decision arrives, the time for preparation is past.” 

o There is so much truth in that statement! Luckily I have never been offered alcohol or drugs, but I have been in plenty of situations where my friends have wanted to watch a rated r movie and I have been able to draw strength from those decisions I made early on and say no. 

o If you need to know what situations to prepare for, I would strongly advise you to read the For Strength of Youth. I know that when I was in YW that many of those standards seemed strict, cheesy, and unlikely and I felt like the pamphlet was made for other people that were making bad choices. I finally realized the importance of that book when I fell short of some of those outlined standards. I can promise you that the consequences outlined in the pamphlet are felt when you lower your standards, but the For Strength of Youth also gives wonderful counsel for repentance and I can testify that following that counsel will allow you to become a better and a happier person. 

o I hope that we can all strive to predetermine our decisions, because I know that when our standards are put to the test, it will make it much easier to stay on the straight and narrow.

o We also need to make sure that we are making the gospel a priority.

o I know it’s hard to wake up and go to seminary when you would rather be sleeping. Just do it. It’s hard to go to mutual when you are surrounded by homework… do it. It’s hard to say your morning and evening prayers when you are either rushing for school or going to bed… do it. It’s hard to go to church when Sunday is the only day you could sleep in… do it. It’s hard to read and study the book of Mormon… Just do it, and develop a testimony of it. I know that when we put the gospel first that everything else will fall into place. The lord will bless us and the things that seem hard will quickly become easy.

· I know we are not perfect and I know we all will make mistakes. 

· So the third way I think we can be prepared when the call comes is to have an understanding of Jesus Christ’s atonement.

· I think to understand the atonement we first need to have a testimony that Christ truly knows how every situation feels. 

· I want to share a quote by Chieko Okazaki she said, “We know that Jesus experienced the totality of mortal existence in Gethsemane. It's our faith that he experienced everything- absolutely everything. Sometimes we don't think through the implications of that belief. We talk in great generalities about the sins of all humankind, about the suffering of the entire human family. But we don't experience pain in generalities. We experience it individually. That means he knows what it felt like when your mother died of cancer- how it was for your mother, how it still is for you. He knows what it felt like to lose the student body election. He knows that moment when the brakes locked and the car started to skid. He knows about drug addiction and alcoholism. On a profound level, he understands the hunger to hold your baby that sustains you through pregnancy. He understands both the physical pain of giving birth and the immense joy. He understands about rape and infertility and abortion. He understands your mother-pain when your five-year-old leaves for kindergarten, when a bully picks on your fifth-grader, when your daughter calls to say that the new baby has Down syndrome. He knows your mother-rage when someone gives your thirteen-year-old drugs, when someone seduces your seventeen-year-old. He knows all that. He's been there. He's been lower than all that. He's not waiting for us to be perfect. Perfect people don't need a Savior. He came to save his people in their imperfections. He is the Lord of the living, and the living make mistakes. He's not embarrassed by us, angry at us, or shocked. He wants us in our brokenness, in our unhappiness, in our guilt and our grief.”

· I don’t think I could say it any better than that. Christ is our savior. He knows how to succor us. There is nothing that we could do that would change his perfect and unconditional love. 

· I also want to testify that the power of the adversary is real. He will attack us in our weakest moments. At times it will feel like he has defeated us but to quote Brad Wilcox

· “Satan doesn’t win when he can get us to cross the line, but when he convinces us that there is no way back.” I know that the only thing Christ and Satan have in common is that they want us to become as they are. So choose Christ. You won’t be disappointed.

o The fourth way to be prepared when the call comes is to live a temple worthy life. 

o I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to work in the temple this past month, and I can testify that there is no greater joy than being in the House of the Lord. 

o So I am going to be so bold as to say that if you are not worthy… get worthy.

o I know for a fact that the only sins the atonement doesn’t save us from are the ones unconfessed. 

o So get on your knees and pour out your heart to your father in heaven. Sure, he already knows what you have done, but I know he wants to hear it from you. 

o If you need to see your bishop… please do it! I know Bishop Morley is really crusty, but I promise that when you talk to him it will not be uncomfortable. You will be received with love and he can help you get on the path that leads to the temple. 

· But, I know this church is true. 

· Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have blessed me beyond what I deserve. This gospel has brought me so much happiness, and I cannot wait to share it

· I am so thankful that a young Joseph Smith had the courage to ask Heavenly Father which one to join. 

· I know that heavenly father and Jesus Christ did appear to him and told him to reorganize this gospel. 

· I know that Christ took on all of our sins, and that because of that we can return to live with Him and our Heavenly Father again. 

In the name of Jesus Christ amen.