The One with the Bats

(Week 2: Aug 31- Sep 6th 2016)

Last night I dreamt of Jeanie. except Jeanie was actually room 233 in 17M. It had everything; across from my class building, ground floor entrance, two closets for each Sister, a desk with a mirror, a top bunk with a view over the whole room and a spare bottom bunk for me to use as a storage space for piles of dirty laundry. This dream was taken from me on Saturday afternoon. by bats.

Friday afternoon all Sisters were called for an emergency meeting, and told that the Sisters living in the third and fourth floor of 17M (my residency building) would have to evacuate by 10pm that night due to sightings and the occasional bite from bats that had got in. Sisters Padgett, Staten, Day and I were so insanely relieved that we were blessed enough to keep our room and even gloated a little amongst ourselves.
However you learn a lot of things at the MTC, including humility. We had to move out the next day. to a building literally on the opposite corner of campus. it was built in the 70's, used to be an elders building, has construction blocking all but one entrance surrounding it, no elevator and a room on the fourth floor. We were... humbled. very very humbled.
We had to move in with two sisters who moved in the day before and had already spread all of their belongings throughout the whole room and over the span of the six closets. I left the dream and entered the nightmare.
I'm convinced that bats are the devils actual advocates.

But the vast majority of the rest of this past week has been the absolute bees knees. I adore my sisters and district beyond belief and have never felt lonely for a second. We played some sand volleyball for exercise time the other day and apparently I'm not that bad. I'm actually pretty good. Maybe I would have gone to church ball if we played on beach sand? who's to say. On the nights we don't have late night classes we meet up in our classroom and turn off the lights and watch mormon messages and cry together. It's a great time.
In fact we made Friday night movie night and watched Joseph Smith Prophet of the Restoration. My grandma sent me fresh brownies and I brought them and it was a grand old time. One of the hardest rules to follow here is not hugging the Elders. When we are all crying and loving each other and feeling the Spirit we get to share meaningful brief handshakes.

Sunday Sister Padgett and I were made Sister Training leaders! That sounds important, but really we just tell new sisters where the bookstore and the cafeteria is and pop into their residencies twice a week to make sure everything is kosher between the sister companionships in our district. But we get a totally sick flip phone from the Britney Spears ages. but it only calls the front desk and everything else is locked. so the only thing it's good for is checking the time. but we did take a ceremonial selfie to commemorate the event.

Now being an STL isn't that eventful, but the night we accepted our assignment I had an interesting situation to use my new position of leadership. Around 10pm there was a Sister in our district that was being paged over the campus wide intercom periodically for about 15-20 minutes, Until the announcement finally said, "Sister Williams or anyone from Branch 39 please pick up the emergency phone in the hallway and call the front desk immediately." I sprang into action. When I connected with the information desk they asked if Sister Williams was there, when I said that she wasn't in her residency they were concerned (as missionaries are supposed to be in their buildings at 9:30pm) and asked to speak to a Sister Training Leader. When I proudly responded I was one of the STL's they said,
"Oh, we've been trying to contact you through the emergency cell phone you have." and I said,
"Oh really? I haven-" and I opened the phone to see a notification telling me I had 45 missed calls.
45. How do you even make 45 phone calls in a 10 minute period?! The phone was on silent and we had no idea. so super great start to my career in mission leadership.
don't worry, I'll be relieved of the assignment this Sunday. relieved being the key word.

Although this letter doesn't sound like it, I'm loving it here. Everyday feels like a week and every week feels like a day. Time has no meaning. it's non linear. I don't understand how it works anymore, but I didn't really have a good grasp on it in the first place so I guess it's business as usual.

Well they're giving me the light, tune in next time and don't forget to neuter your pets.

until next time,

- Sister Olivia Petty
olivia.petty@myldsmail.net