It Feels Like I'm Repeating Week 1!

Hello To All! Another week has passed me by and I'm about to hit the half way point here at the MTC... pretty crazy! This week was actually a really hard one. I knew I was going to miss Hna Sanders but I didn't realize how much I would! It strange how after three weeks of a constant companion I felt SO strange without one. I've been getting used to being a solo and the elders in the zone are really good about it. I pretty much switch from one companionship to another, it's funny and it's a good way to get to know people. The new hermanas are great! Once again, two of them moved up to a higher spanish class so we only have two new ones. They are awesome! Hermana Veazy is from North Dakota and going to the Oakland/San Fran mission and Hermana Wolfgramm is from Salt Lake and is going to Spokane Washington. We share a room and I do a lot of different activites with them so it's really fun. We are all pretty different but get a long very well. Luckily they are early risers like me and we get stuff done in the morning. I know Dad, I am sure you don't believe I am an early riser but I get up by 5:30 every morning so I have time to ready my spanish Book of Mormon out loud. Well, a little run down of the week. Monday was a good P-day, I felt very strongly that day of needing to be better and more diligent in my studies and I've tried really hard with that this week. We had a zone activity that night where some elders from the zone taught us to our needs and we taught them. It was really good and it was fun to be able to teach someone something that wasn't part of the first two lessons. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the first two lessons, but it was a good break. It was also nice to be taught as who I am. We role play ALL the time and always pretend to be investigators so it was nice to just be me.. Um, tuesday was a pretty crazy day. I almost went to the doctor for my leg. Don't worry, it's better now. It just started filling up with lots of fluid type of stuff and was getting us worried but I decided to wait it out and it's going down now. (PS: family I sent you a pic of it... it's great!) Wednesday I had to say goodbye to my dear Hermana Sanders... it was so sad. The whole day was pretty off for me but meeting the new Hermanas was fun. I got to do a little MTC orientation with them on Wednesday and it felt nice to be helping someone else out instead of worrying about myself so much. Hna Peterson (one of my teachers) paid me a very high compliment and said that I am at the same level with gospel understanding that she was when she returned from her mission. I think it was something that I needed to hear because I have been feel very inadequete latley. I like her a lot... I think one reason I'm going spanish speaking is because teaching in english is easy for me so Heavenly Father knew I needed a bigger challenge in my own life. I hope that doesn't sound like I'm trying to brag or toot my own horn or anything... cause I'm not. I just find that Heavenly Father knows us best and he knew I needed something that would challenge me. The rest of the week felt a lot like my first week in the MTC. It was just a lot of change and took some adjusting to. The teachers interview us once a week and it is nice to be reassured that they want to help us as much as possible. Thank goodness for sundays in the MTC! This sunday was amazing and something I needed! Sister Oaks (Elder Oaks wife) spoke at Relief Society and Sheri Dew spoke for our sunday night fireside. It was such a spiritually uplifting day! We also found out that Elder Holland is coming for Thanksgiving!!!! I'm so excited about that! The MTC is such a different experience but it is so good! My testimony grows every day and I am able to become closer to the Savior every day. What an amazing gift we have in the atonement! We are so blessed to know how much our Heavenly Father loves us! I know he loves every single one of us! Even if someone doesn't believe in him, He believes in them. It's so great! Oh, random note that is not related to what I was just talking about. Yesterday during our temple walk I was walking back to the MTC and I said to my companions, "You know, I just wish my friends would drive by so I could wave to them and not be breaking any rules." Then about 30 seconds later my name is yelled and there is Brianne, Chels, and Jenn waving and screaming from their car! It was crazy and sooo exciting! Totally made my day soooo much better! It was awesome. Ok, to end this e-mail here is a quote from True to the Faith... it is so good. Thanks for all the love! "If you have a difficult task before you, Heavenly Father is pleased when you get on your knees and ask for help and then GET ON YOUR FEET and GO TO WORK!" It's so true!
Love, Hermana Passantino
PS: Random note, if you use dearelder on Saturday I won't get it till Monday or Tuesday... just so ya know :) thanks for all the support from everyone!