Texas Te Amo

Talofa mis amigos!!! Still doin just gr8 over here at the MTC. It is actually a very special place!!! It's like an uplifting cosmopolitan melting pot with mediocre food!!! I am in a branch with almost all international kids because we all already know English and the language we will be speaking on our missions. It has been one of my favorite parts about the MTC so far actually which I am super grateful for because I was initially kind of bummed about not being in a Spanish learning district like I was expecting to be in (basically all my classes are in English but I'll still be speaking Spanish once I get to Dallas). I'm meeting the coolest and most interesting people ever i love them a lot. There are people in my branch from Albania, Brazil, Samoa, Mexico, Colombia, Ukraine/Canada, and more. They have such cool stories and are really inspiring and amazing people. I think missionary work is so cool because these super young people are so inspiring to me!!! I've bee...

Whew! Crazy 2 days. I was crying really hard when I got to the MTC and it was slightly awkward because it felt like nobody else was crying? But everyone was really really kind and inviting. It seriously took me forever to find my district, like I didn't find them till like 3 pm. I cheered right up in like 20 minutes and started feeling super happy, and then saw the sweetest girl from my hall at Helaman and hugged her and just like burst into tears - it was funny. Also this escort who was helping me find people was like "come on Sister Rasmussen!" And I was like oh sorry, just quick emotional breakdown but I am fine now.  The cafeteria is literally the cannon center. I ran into Hannah Hayden (old roomate!!), Chris Kearl, Thomas's roomate, and about 6 other people from Helaman halls. My companion is really funny, she is from Samoa and is going to San Jose speaking English. Oh also my district is only 4 people, us and 2 Hispanic elders.  ALSO plot twist, I am...

before the storm. Here I sit at my lovely kitchen desk. On my desk, there are the following items: a huge jumble of charging cords all originating from a cylindrical, master charging console my dad installed, a somehow flourishing "ZZ" plant, a collection of origami paper, and a jumble of collected pens and pencils in a tin fjallraven mug. Cute. It feels like I am maaaaybe headed to EFY? I'm munching on eggs and veggies my mom prepared for me, so delicious. I'm hardly nervous at all, but I'm also laughing at myself because I haven't been able to convince my mind that I am literally leaving my life for 18 months in approximately 30 minutes!!! I am so excited for the idea of a mission. I have had a few choice experiences that testified to me that this work is a good work, one I would like to embark upon. However, besides that, I definitely never had some epiphany moment wherin God spoke directly to me and said "KATE SERVE A MISSION", but, to be fair,...