Life. Is. Beautiful.

I am OVERWHELMED with all the LOVE and SUPPORT I feel from all of you each day. I apologize, for I don't know that I'll be able to get through all the temails this week... Too many!  And not enough time for emailing here in the MTC.  ---We didn't email yesterday for the reason of leaving TOMORROW.

It's good to hear that all went well with Grandma's funeral!  While I wish I could have been there - and especially to be in Bear Lake again with you, mom - I was lucky enough to have Gram's here with me too.  I have felt her spirit everyday here in the MTC.  I KNOW she's been here, cheering me on and picking me right back up even in my smallest moments of fear. 

Also:  SO glad dad got his card.  I knew Leesh would find it ;)  AND also glad Maddy's got my back in being the mini-me for a year and a half!! Love her to death! (And beyond!)

Life. Is. Beautiful. 

And we are so lucky to have the instructors we do here in the New Zealand MTC.  Sister Niutua is truly one I will never ever forget.  She will always be in my heart.  And - like I said, we LEAVE TOMORROW.  How CRAZY is that?? There is NO possible way that it has been a week and a half already. 

But: Cool experiences for the week. 

. Wait.  A few more things.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY PARENTS!  (4 days late...) I love you!  And, regardless of the fact that I know Grandma's funeral fell over the day, I know it was a beautiful day because of that.  So lucky to have all the family and friends around ;)  Love you so much!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KESLER!  (...8 days late. Sorry- Fail.)

And thank you for putting together the poster Leesh and Rach! 

Can someone tell me what a "Taro Root" is?  ..Tarro? Tayro?  Idk how to spell it.  But it's DELICOUS.  You shold find it and try it.  Also - being here, I've eaten more meat than I think I have ever in my life.  It's weird. 

I sent home another letter yesterday... with a letter for Shauna in it.  ....I fail at the fact that I had already asked for her address.  But thank you!  It will come in handy later :) - Also, Mariah.  One for Mariah as well.

SOMEONE TELL CAYDEN TO EMAIL ME. (slacker face) And to tell me his favorite scripture :)

Okay.  Now things of the week:

RAINBOWS.  I've never, in ALL my life seen one so brilliantly vibrant.  Especially when you look out and see one while singing "How Great Thou Art."  It just goes to show you how beautiful this world is, and how much our Savior and Heavenly Father love us to give us such wonderful and amazing creations in this life.  Also: I'm sure you're all wondering "WHY in the world has Kenzie/Sister Ottley not sent any pictures home yet??? That's SO NOT LIKE HER."   --- Oh, no worries.  I KNOW.  But, sadly - cameras aren't exactly allowed here in the MTC.  But, no worries- Soon friends, soon. 

TEMPLE.  Oh, the New Zealand, Hamilton temple.  I've never realized that the NZ temple was one of the earlier temples built.  It doesn't have an Angel Moroni!  But it's SO BEAUTIFUL.  The artistry is just simply elegant in it's simple nature, and beautiful in the peace that it brought to my soul.  It was a GORGEOUS blue-sky day, allowing us to all be able to bask in the sun.  The temple is a beautiful place.  I encourage you all to set goals to go more often.  It's definitely something I can tell I'm going to feel rather deprived of when I get back.  I know we get to go once a year?  Maybe?  But... I miss it already. 

HOLA PESE.  So, here at the MTC we have "investigators" - aka, teachers that act as investigators to help us gain experience.  But here's the great thing.  It truly does help us learn just perfectly how to love people.  Because in these meetings, they truly are someone else.  They have new needs, questions, concerns and ...it's just a testimony that there ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE.  And not only are there people out there (who I already know I'll love.  That i DO love.) who are READY for ME.  Anyhoo - tangent.  Hola. She's one of mine and Sister Lott's investigators.  She was baptized 4 years ago, but fell away after her grandma passed away in a terrible accident.  ...So, this hit home. I had a wonderful experience talking with her about the scripture 2 Samuel 22:33.  ...It was just a night of realization that grandma is truly always here with me, helping me along. 

Hola Pese = Sister Niutua.  And thus, my great connection to her. 

TALKS.  I gave another talk this week - in a Fireside this time. And it was great.  I talked about the book of mormon and how it answers questions of the soul.  I can tell you that I TRULY BELIEVE THIS. 

Phil. 1:6 - look this up.  It's now mine.  Forever and ever.

I have to leave.  But I love you all. The gospel is TRUE.  The work is REAL.  And I'm grateful for you all.  Forever and ever :)

Sister Mckenzie Ann Ottley

Kia Ora from Aotearoa!!! (And RLS is a REAL thing.)

Aka: Hello from New Zealand!  Aotearoa, pronounced "Ow-te-a-roa"  (and the "r" is rolled) and the MEANING of Aotearoa is "The Land of the Long White Cloud" - COOL, right??

So, fun fact: I wrote you a REAL letter yesterday that our MTC president here will be sending out for us.  So that's fun!  And you'll have to let me know when it gets there... I'm curious ;)

This whole 18 hours ahead of you all back home is truly odd.  I realized today that I got so used to converting time from there to here, that it now confuses me to do it the other way around! 

I also apologize in advance:  These computers = no spell check.  So, when the typing gets going quickly, and as my fingers get colder and colder in this room it gets more difficult. 

Thank you for all the responses to my first email!  I feel so loved!  And I miss them all dearly -- give my love!  And I definitely believe that their packing was equivalent to 20+ hours.  There's absolutely no way I would have gotten all the things finished they did that night.

This week has been INSANE.   And it hasn't even been a full week yet.  Sister Lott (who is from Sandy, Utah by the way) and I have definitely already started acclamating to the weather here--even though we don't really know what the true weather is like outside this building and the short 45 minutes we get to spend outside for "sport" (not "gym time" or "exercise" -- it's "sport" ! Ha!).  But whenever we're not in our classroom or in our dorm, which are both very nicely heated to our liking, we're pretty much freezing and kind of wimpy.  But it's fine.  It's still definitely not as cold as we were making it out to be in our minds --NOT like the crazy snowy winters we get back home.  I'm sure that will change when we're actually outside all the time, but - c'est la vie. (Is that right?  Let's see how many languages I can get into this email.)

So - back to RLS.  I have mixed emotions of loving being back in a classroom all the time and learning so many new things, and hating sitting ALL. DAY. LONG.  But it's also been so good.  I already feel like I've learned so much, but also know how much more I'm going to be learning still.  I've realized how truly heaven-sent Preach My Gospel is, because of how it's laid out so perfectly.  Theres sections within sections within sections of information--which, while it sounds like a lot, it makes it a lot easier to remember things, and a lot easier on us to realize the important messages we will be conveying (or- moreso, the messages that the Spirit will be conveying through us)! 

With having sent a letter yesterday, you may be getting some information twice...but, that's just because I already can't remember all of what I wrote in that letter. 

Yesterday (Sunday for me) was the most busy, but also most productive Sunday of my entire life.  Truth. We had Sacrament Meeting (in which I spoke), District meeting (a sunday school-type class), Relief society, a Temple fireside (talking about Thursday this week when we get to go!!!!), another fireside in which other Elders and Sisters from my district spoke, and we watched an MTC devotional from January with Elder Nelson.  So much greatness.  OH!  And we watched the Joseph Smith Restoration movie.  Which I love.  And I also have a question about.  I need someone to look up for me if the actor who plays the oldest version of Hyrum Smith is played by Dallyn Bayles (not sure on that spelling).  Because- it looks a lot like him.  And I just... want to know.  Haha. #mylife.

So, here in the MTC we are given the opportunity to have "investigators" to practice with -- aka: our teachers who act as the investigators.  But the thing about these investigators is the fact that they actually base them on true stories.  They help us follow along what it would truly have been to meet with this person.  Mine and Sister Lott's current investigators are Christine Pule and Hola (HO-la -- not like how you would say "hello" in spanish) Pese.  They are wonderful, and though we've only met with them both once, I'm excited to get to know them more.  AND to get out of my comfort zone more and speak.... I did much better with Hola Pese.  But, I think too much - and don't quite know how to make my mind come up with things to say as quickly as Sister Lott does.  But we'll get there.  I know that as I learn to stop worrying so much about what I'm going to say next, and insead just listening to the things the Spirit is telling me to say, it will become easier for me to just talk to people.  Finding confidence in myself and confidence in the things that I know I know (ha) is definitely something that I know I'll be learning here the most.  But... that's pretty much once again #mylife.  All the confidence. 

Aaand... we now only have 2 more minutes apparently. 

Grandma memory:

One of the many things I loved about grandma was the fact that she always had something crafty for us to do.  Whether it was making miniature rolls with her so we could have a tea-party, or making crafty things like paper-weaved-things, or paper lanterns, or... so many other things (out of the little paper craft book she had -- ASK KINDRA.) we always were doing something with our hands.  And after a long day of crafting and watching movies and popcorn, she would put us to bed with Squeaky stories and tickling our backs in that big room with all the windows :)  I love her.  I'm going to miss her SO MUCH.  But I already know she's been with me all the time I've been here.  I love having this little ring of hers on my finger each day - and it's already been noticed. 

Life is beautiful. 

Sister Mckenzie Ann Ottley

Safe Arrival

HELLOOOO FAMILY! 

 

Life is insane.  And you're all so sweet.  I agree that I couldn't possibly be any luckier to have such a wonderful and loving family and set of sisters in my life.  I literally don't know what I would have done without them last night... or I suppose 2 nights ago...ish.  (ha)  But as I've unpacked a few things, I've realized why it was SO crazy full.  Apparently I'm INSANE in the things I put in that room to be packed.  Like a jean skirt -- definitely too short for the mission.  But all is well!  I truly couldn't be more grateful for the help I received from my sisters. :) 

 

*Side note: Slightly jet-laggy.  So- expect scatter-brained-ness.*

 

We arrived safely this morning, and man we've already become great friends.  In SFO we ran into a brother who took a picture with me because I guess he used to coach/work/something with Brother Bailey-so he sent him a selfie of us together!  Oh, the small world we live in.  Then, when we arrived at our actual gate in SFO to go to New Zealand we came upon a mom and dad who were on their way to Samoa to pick up thier son from his mission.  They were the sweetest little couple, and if I'm not mistaken mom- sent you a picture of all of us!?  I hope it actually got to you.  Our group traveling from the states consisted of -- Sisters: Christensen, Lott, Liataoua (spelling = not correct there.), and me - Elders: Oakes, Dailey and Clark. And, like I said, they're all wonderful.   And of course daddy-o started looking up the flights ;)  You're adorable!!!  But you also need to stop making me cry... ;)

 

Landing in Auckland was a little diferent than I expected, because it was still SO DARK.  So- we didn't really see anything out the windows :(.  But oh well.  The little pieces I've seen now are gorgeously green, and beautiful!  Also: the Kiwi version of "cold" and Utah version of "cold" are two VERY different things.  So we'll see how many of those leggings I actually end up using....

 

The people here are insanely kind, which I already knew would be the case -- but the women all give hugs and kisses on the cheek!  I love it.  A lot.

 

Anyhoo.  My companion is Sister Lott--and we're super similar, which I'm very grateful for.  I'll send pictures later when we actually have a little more time.  Also: Surprise!  We've already been asked to be "Sister Training Leaders" together here during our time at the MTC.  (What is this life??)  We're basically the "moms" in a sense over the sisters (15-ish of us), making sure everyone is okay, has everything they need, and is comfortable.  It'll be a great opportunity! 

 

Traveling here on the plane from SFO was exciting, and I was able to sit next to a Tongan man who was very sweet and knew what a missionary was.  Ha - come to later find out he has 2 nephews out on missions right now! 

 

Guys, the gospel is true. 

 

And now I must bid thee farewell - my time is almost up!  I believe my true P-day is Monday... But I could be wrong...? We'll see :)

 

Much love!

Sister Mckenzie Ann Ottley