Brooke, President Irion and his wife.

Brooke will be in the Knoxville stake,  Loudon area in Tennessee. Her companion is Sister Bowman.

Brooke and ?

I got to Tennesee

It's a lot different than what I expected. I don't have my companeras with me so it's a little different. I feel pretty alone. Also no one hear talks to each other so that's weird for me because my old district never shut up. ha ha 
Tennessee is muy bonita. It's so green and there isn't any mountains but there are some "rolling hills". I guess that's what they call them. There's also lots of bugs.
I'm sorta bummed out though because I don't think I'm going to speak much Spanish here. That also makes me nerviosa por que I have never taught in English and that scares me a little bit. I guess I will be fine either way. I just feel like I have been exhorting all this enerjio to learn espanol and I might not even use it. 
The first thing my mission president told me is that I'm the first sister missionary speaking Spanish EVER in Knoxville. I guess that's pretty cool. Entonces... no tiempo mas.  Hasta luego(:

Brooke is the assigned travel leader headed for Tenn.

I got a call from Brooke this morning. She is excited to be going to Tennessee. She is doing great!!

She writes: 
I got my travel plans! I figured out that there are 10 people going with me in my group. Later that night I stalked some of the girls because they live on the floor below me. I found out that ALL of them are English speaking! Like what?? I'm all by myself. There are no Spanish speakers going to my mission. I'm kinda excited about it but kinda not because I want someone to be with. That's not even the best part though. Okay.. so there I was reading over my travel plans ans I read this line... "You have been assigned to be the travel leader for this group" and I didn't really comprehend it until like 5 seconds after... then I realized that I have to be the leaders of all those English speakers!! Ha Ha so then I told my Elders and they just were laughing and making fun of me as usual. Also, I have only been to the airport like twice so that's weird that I'm the leader because I know nada about airports. I just hope I don't get us lost or something!
We have a layover in Atlanta for two hours then we will head over to Tennessee. I'm really excited  but, I'm even more terrified out of my mind! HA HA I guess I just thought that 6 weeks in the MTC would never end. It has come so much faster than I thought. It's out of control. Also I'm really sad because I have to leave my district and I'm really going to miss them. They are probably the BEST people I have ever met. 
Entonces... I guess my point is my district RULES and I am going to miss them so much.

THANKS to everyone for always writing to me! It means the world!!

Yeah pictures!!

Brooke and her 2 companions

B

Her district

Brooke's companions

Brooke getting her travel letters

The Elders in her district at the MTC

The sisters in her district at the MTC

Her companionship getting their travel papers.

Brooke leaves the MTC on 4-23-13. Letters to Brooke after that should be mailed to:

Sister Brooke Ashley Bateson

11320 Station West Dr. Ste101

Farragut, TN 37934

That is the mission office and mail is forwarded to them daily.
Forwarding requires packages and letters to be sent 1st class or priority.

This is a picture from facebook

How is everybody??  I don't really have much time to write this week because I have to teach in T minus 20 minutes but here goes.

Mom- Thank you for sending me your mission stuff. That was awesome to learn about everything that you did on your mission. Plus, there are two super duper awesome Elders in my district going to Buenos Aires South and they are excited to learn all about it.

 Also, I have had so many people write me and tell me that they are reading the blog! What are you putting up there?? They are all making me sound so... interesante. hahaha I guess I just need to keep being super cool here at the MTC so people will remember my awesome legacy! Okay okay, your right. Too far. But really, what are you putting up there??

Entonces... as for me... same old, same old. Just rockin the espanol. Just kidding. My Spanish is improving though. I have worked really hard at it lately because everyone in my district seems to know a lot more than me. So I have been studying like crazy! 

My companeras y yo are doing well. We have had a few rough lecciones pero, esta bien. The espanol just really gets in the way sometimes. I actually had a really GREAT experience with one of my "investigators" the other day. We went into our lesson prepared and ready to teach the first vision. Of course, that didn't happen. Our investigator is a little 14 year old kid named Ryan. And as we were trying to get to know him more, you know, assessing his needs, he told us that his parents told him that morning that they were getting separated. So I jumped on that opportunity. I had probably the most spiritual experience with him. As I was teaching him, I just shared my testimony and told him that everything was going to be alright and that with the help of the Lord, everything will be alright. The spirit was so strong, I have never had an experience like that in Spanish. It was amazing. I know that he came closer to Christ as I was teaching, and so did I. 

 

I promise I will put pictures on next week. I just have to hurry and go because I am trying to be obedient and stuff. haha

Te amo! Mucho!(:

Hermana Bateson

The MTC gets better and better

As an update for me, The MTC gets better and better everyday! I am going to be sad when I have to leave. I am learning so much by the hour! My Spanish is improving so much. I speak in Spanish most of the day. And I can understand about 90% of what is being said in class so that is amazing. I love it! Also, I love teaching investigators AND members. I have learned that the spirit doesn't have a language and that even when you are speaking in a different language you didn't know three weeks ago, that it can still be there. I also have learned so much about the gospel and so much about how to teach it. There is so much to the gospel that I didn't know about before now and I love learning it. I also love being able to teach it to others and help them with what they need.

My district is the BEST! We are so close! We do everything together...and I mean EVERYTHING! Some of the Elders in my district found out that I could do the splits so they started stretching with me during gym time. HAHAHA Now, my whole district stretches together. During gym they all call me coach because apparently, I am teaching them how to do the splits. haha It is so funny because we are just like a family, we HAVE to do everything together. haha I LOVE IT!(: Anyways, more to come. Muchas Gracias! Te amo! Mucho! Love, Hermana Bateson

P.S. I  can't put pictures on because apparently, you have to have certain computers to do that. UGH! Next week! Promeso!(: Nos Vemos.