Andan.....kits!!

Kumusta pamilya nako!! Kumusta ang inyong mga kinabuhi??

Another semana has come and gone! I can't believe how fast time is going by. Craziness! Life in the MTC is great. I may be going crazy, but that's okay!

Plasensya ko (I'm sorry) if these emails are boring. Basically the same things happen in the MTC: sleep, sit, study, eat, repeat. I am super anxious to get out into the field and move my body! Let's see...what happened this week. Being stuck here in the MTC it's hard to believe that I'll ever be out of here. I feel like I'm going to be here for a while and then go home. It's weird to think I'm actually going to the Philippines. Yesterday as I was reading my scriptures, I got SO excited to be a missionary. Studying a crazy language and being stuck in a room has not been the most exciting thing ever. But let me tell you what. I am going to be a MISSIONARY (I know I am now...but it's different) and I know it's going to be so hard pero lalaki o lalaki (boy oh boy) excited ko!!!

The new Cebuano district got here last Wednesday...which means I have little time left here at the MTC. It's fun to watch them learn and remember how I couldn't even pronounce most of the words when I got here. It's been great for our district as well. I've seen the elders really step up. Being in my district has definitely been a learning experience for me and I am so grateful for everything I've learned. On Sunday we had a fireside about becoming the kind of missionary we want to become. I made a list and I want to be SO much. But most of all I want to be the loving missionary. I still have so much to learn especially about pushing myself away in order to really love those I serve and work with. Being here at the MTC has taught me that in every problem the solution is love. It may take a while to love that one person who drives you crazy, but if you develop love for them your perception of them will change. In real life I was always able to avoid somebody I didn't necessarily care for but here at the MTC I've had to learn to love them instead. I hope that I will choose to love more openly in these next 16ish months and when I come home.

Tomorrow we will be hosting the new missionaries. I am so excited. I remember how strange it is to be dropped off on the curb of the MTC. It will be fun to welcome in the new missionaries. I will get to help take them to their residence, get their books, and then take them to their classroom. Pretty fun stuff.

It sounds like everyone is doing great....but I haven't heard from Nate and Megan in a couple of weeks....so I hope you are alive! I always think of all of you...how was I so blessed to be part of the Trayner family??

Okay well you will only be getting one more email from me!!! I leave on March 13th....in the evening....(pretty sure at least) ok so maybe you'll get 2 more emails. And I have Mom and Dad's numbers, and Rachel's and Josh's, Nate if you want me to try to call you before I leave, send me your digits.

Also, we're having an "english fast" this whole week. Which means walay ingles!!! So keep me in your prayers.

Well, naghunahuna ko nga pinakamaayo kamo. I think you're all great.

Nasayud ko nga manluluwas si Jesukristo. Nasayud ko nga si Jesukristo miantus para kanato tungod nahigugma siya kanato. Nasayud ko nga makadawat kita kapasayloan para atong mga sala. Nasayud ko nga makatubag ang Dios sa atong mga pagampo. Importante ang pagampo! Pinaggi pagampo, makakaplag kita sa kalipay ug kalinaw para atong mga kinabuhi.

This Church is true. Kining sibmahan mao ang tinuod!

Nahigugma ko kanamo!! I love y'all!!! Have a great week!!! Maayo semana!

Sister Nicole Trayner

Maayo Kaayo!

Kumusta ang Pamilya! Kumusta Ka? Maayo? Maayo ako. Maayo Kaayo. Naghigugma ko sa MTC ug kada usa sa akong pamilya!

Another week has come and gone, what the?! Oh, it's so challenging to get on here and type all of the past week's events! All of the days just kind of mush together so I'll just do my best.

Dad, you are right. I must be living right! Last week we were just sitting in the audience and a volunteer approached us and asked if we would want to sit on the front row of the Devotional. Umm....YES! So yeah, I got to sit on the front row and we had a great speaker, Elder Clarke of the 70. You know, the MTC is not always easy, and that man must have known what I needed to hear right in that moment. Simply amazing.

Let's see. Lima (5) sisters came into our zone this past week, so I have been busy helping them get situated. 4 of them are going to West Virginia. They all came on Wednesday and so I have been busy helping them get acquainted....and answering a billion questions....haha. Then on Sunday we were in our room getting ready for bed when I hear "Is there a Sister Nicole Trayner here?" The front desk is able to page inside of the residency over the intercom....anyway, a new sister came in on Sunday night (to my surprise!). Her name is Sister Seru and she is from Fiji! So we ran down there and did our best to help her settle in. I often think of how grateful I am that I went to China because I know how it feels to be all alone in a completely different culture and how overwhelming it can be. So I have been staying pretty busy with my assignment as Coordinating Sister! It's fun! Anway, tomorrow 7 more Cebuano missionaries are coming! So in total, now 15 missionaries will be learning Cebuano! I know time is going to FLY by....I can hardly remember when the older Cebuano district was here.

My Cebuano is getting better. Which you know, is good and all. I have been reaching my vocabulary goals and I know that this is the time to prepare. I will have no idea what in the world is going on when I get to the Philippines, so I need to study as hard as I can while I have time. You know, I was talking with some Sister friends and they are going to Poland. They try to teach me how to speak Polish, but let me tell you what. I was NOT meant to speak that language, haha. I have a testimony that Cebuano is the language I was supposed to learn. The words felt weird at first, but now I can remember them and they sometimes just fall out of my mouth while I am teaching.I am SO excited to get out there and hit the ground running. I love this gospel so much and speaking Cebuano is actually becoming fun now!

Missionary life can be quite the adjustment but these past few days have been going great. I love both of my teachers so much and I feel that I have learned more here than I have ever learned in my whole life. Spending hours upon hours in a tiny classroom can make me so crazy but I know the Lord has blessed me with so much patience and love for people. I have learned to turn to my Patriarchal Blessing during my hard times here. Never before in my life have I received so much counsel from my Patriarchal Blessing.

Let's see...what else can I say? OH Josh and Britt, those babies are gettin' HUGE!!!!! Oh my chubby goodness. You know, if you get around to it, I would love some hard copies. Jaxson has so much hair. Can I just say how much I miss little kids? I used to play with little kids almost every day for a long time and I miss them. My teachers tell me that I will fall in love with the Filipino kids. So, I guess Josh and Britt are right. I will have the most kids- because I will want to adopt one from every single country. Philippines, Africa, China, Samoa, a Latin baby.....so cute. Also, send my apologies to Maddie and Mercedes. I have been an awful penpal as of late. I will be drawing them some pictures tonight. Promise!

Dad, I have met several missionaries going to McAllen. In fact, one of them stopped me in line! Oh, I am so jealous. Cebu may be the best mission in the world, but I know that Texas McAllen has the best mission president and companion...hands down :)

Okay so guess what??!?!?! Only 3 more emails from the MTC!!!!!!!!!! Please pray for my sanity.

Gipahiuli ni Joseph Smith ang tinuod nga ebanghelyo. Nasayud ko nga si Joseph Smith mao ang propeta ug tinuod ang Basahon ni Mormon. Nasayud ko nga kini ebanghelyo makadala sa kalipay ug sa kalinaw sa kanato. KINI ANG TINUOD EBANGHELYO!!! Nasayud ko nga ang Dios naghigugma kanato ug Gusto ang Dios kita sa pagkaplag sa kamatuoran para sa atong mga kinabuhi!

Love you all,

Sister Nicole Trayner

Ako si Sister Trayner ug naghigugma ko niini ebanghelyo!

Well, dearest family, another week has come and gone. Now I only have 4 weeks left!!! Bastilan! I have so much work to do. You know, I feel like the longer I stay in the MTC the less that I have to say....

We had 4 new sisters join our zone this week so I have been busy making sure that they are getting the hang of the MTC. It is always so fun to get to know different sisters. On Wednesday I meet them and help them get acquainted, then on Thursday I do an orientation meeting with them and give them a tour of the MTC campus. This week we have 4 more sisters joining our zone and I am so excited! They are all state side except for Sister Tapu and I. But we will be getting some roommates, so we are excited.

Last Thursday was TRC day. That is when you go and teach return missionaries lessons. Sister Tapu and I had prepared a lesson about Receiving Inspiration Through Scripture Study. We had prepared our best but it's hard to know if you will actually be able to say what you want in the moment. Anyway, we went in there and I could feel the spirit so strongly. The words just came to my mouth. These awkward, funky sounding words just came out. It was a great experience. I love TRC. Anytime you get to talk with someone who lives in the outside world it is SO exciting!

On Sunday Sister T and I taught our district the 3rd lesson (the Gospel of Jesus Christ) and the District President (you know, like Stake Pres.) came. Can I just say I love being able to teach in English? From day one we have had to attempt to teach the gospel in Cebuano. I guess it was just nice to be able to express my full emotion about the Savior. Anyway, he complimented us on our preparation, so I'm glad we passed that test :) Then each Sunday every missionary prepares a topic on one of the subjects in Lesson 3 and then the Branch Presidency randomly chooses 2 missionaries to speak. I knew it was going to be my turn. Of course. So I was called up to the stand. I spoke about Faith in Jesus Christ. It's a good thing our branch is in English-speaking else it could have been pretty interesting!

Josh, thank you SO much for getting my viola to Brother Gale and thank you SO much for the treats. CADBURY EGGS!!!!!!!! Oh, they are my favorite. Heaven help me if they start to sell them here at the MTC bookstore. I'd better start praying that for my sake they don't let those things near me, haha! Anyway, I am going to audition for a musical number...hopefully it's not too late. They had a violin here and I played it once and a part of me died. One, because it wasn't a very good violin, and two, because it's not my viola :) Mom, thank you for helping me cultivate my musical talents. When a district leaves, they have to sing together in Sacrament meeting, and let's just say that I've heard things I've never thought I would hear before...I guess I shouldn't comment on it because at least they are trying. That's what matters.

Mom, thank you for the package :) I am so happy to have a Valentine! I also got cookies from Nana and Forrest. Thank you both!! I loved both Mercedes' and Madeleine's valentines. So cute. They are the best pen pals! I know they must love me a lot when they put all of their precious stickers on my letters :)

This past week I realized how much I am going to love my mission. Our teachers tell us so many stories and I am so excited. I know it will be hard. But I know I am going to love it. Can the LDS church have nuns? We had an English fast yesterday and it actually went pretty well. With faith, I can do anything! I CAN learn this language, and how to teach in it!!

I love this gospel. Naghigugma ko niini ebanghelyo. The gospel is a light in my life. Ang ebanghelyo mao ang kahayag sa akong kinabuhi. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet. Nasayud ko nga tinuod nga propeta ang Thomas S. Monson. Scriptures are important. Importante ang mga kasulatan. If you read them every day, they will bless your life. Kon magbasa ka kada usa, sila makapanalangin imong kinabuhi.

I've learned the importance of commitments this week. So, choose something you want to do better and DO IT. Read one verse each day of the scriptures, start having morning prayer, or have more faith. As you do what you know to be right you will come closer to Christ and he will bless you. He loves you!

I love you all so much. Thank you for the example each one of you are too me. Each time I see the last name Trayner on my name tag, I think of you. I want to do my best while wearing our family's name as a representative of Christ.

Love you!!

Sister Nicole Trayner

Maayo Kaayo!

KUMUSTA AKONG PAMILYA!!!

Kumusta ka? How are you doing? Dili ako nagdawat sa mga sulot!!! I didn''t receive any letters from Dearelder this week!! Are ninyo alive?? I''m giving you the benefit of the doubt...I know dearelder has been delayed by days giving me my letters, so maybe that is what happened. I did get mom''s though, because she sends the email along with it. And I did get Rachel''s email :)

Tell the neices that I LOVE their artwork. I miss those kids. I miss kids in general. My district makes fun of me because everytime we watch those "I''m a Mormon" videos I just talk about how cute every single kid is!! So yes, Britt and Megan, keep the artwork coming!

Last Tuesday we had 2 Apostles come to the MTC. Elder Nelson and Elder Holland BOTH came!! Everyone knew that somebody important was coming so people started to line up over 2 hours in advance. It was crazy. We were all basically standing right next to each other (okay, basically spooning...ehhem....awkward missionary moment!) They let us in since my companion is Samoan, but then they separated me from her so that other international missionaries could have a seat. So they had me sitting in this sound booth thing and then right before it started they told me I could go sit on the floor! So I got to sit on the 6th row. It was soooo good! I love both of those apostles. Elder Holland bore his testimony about honoring the tradition of missionary work and Elder Nelson gave a talk about the history of the MTC. It was great. The Spirit was so strong.

The Cebuano is still coming along. We have taught lessons without any notes! it''s always kind of a leap of faith but I know I can do it. I've already seen the Lord's hand in my missionary work here at the MTC. There is no way I could be doing this alone. Our district gets along great and are more unified. It''s kind of crazy to stick 8 random people in a small classroom for like 10 hours each day and expect them to love each other, but I feel like we''ve come a long way.

Sister Tapu and I have been the only sisters in our zone but tomorrow we get 4 more!!! I am so excited to meet them. I''m grateful for Sister T. We are competely different people with different personalities but I learn so much from her every day. I always ask myself, "WWPD?"" As in, ""What would a Polynesian Do?"" Haha...so yeah, I''m getting really good at sharing anything and everything with people. You can learn great things from other cultures!

I hope that everyone is doing well. I had a pretty nasty cold this week but I''m finally getting over it. Does anyone know if allergy season is starting early or something?? Where is the snow? This is the weirdest winter ever. We just got an email from our roommate who left last week for the Philippines...haha....all I can do is laugh. It''s going to be crazy.

Anyway, I love you all. I think of you often! Go read your scriptures!! I love them SO much. I just finished reading about Christ''s sermon on the mount. I loved it. I hope you are all taking time to read and study the scriptures. I LOVE YOU!! Nahigugma ako kanamo!!!!! The Church is true. Tinuod ang simbahan!

Cebuano word for the day:

""bong bong"" = wall

haha, what?!?!

Love,

Sister Nicole Trayner