Hola amigos...I'm alive...

> .... But just barely! This week has been a very eventful one. The first few days in the MTC were... lets just say there were LOTS of classes. ay ay ay! Pero esta bien. Then on Saturday I woke up feeling terrible. The doctor thought that I might have pneumonia so he sent me to the UVRMC hospital. There I got chest xrays, but they turned up clear. I had a 101 degree fever though, and the doctor thinks i have exercise-induced airway sometyhing or other.... i just think he's crazy. Hence why i'm not a big fan of doctors... even though i want to be one. But ANYWAYS ... he gave me an inhaler and cough syrup w/ hydrocane (aka narcodics) in it and sent me on my way. We got to go to the real world though, so that was pretty cool! Kinda weird though. ANyways.... over the weekend my temperature has been jumping all the way from 95 deg. to 101 deg... and it changes constantly! Today (tuesday) I still wasnt feeling great so they made me go back to the doctor. He tested me for the flu... thank heavens i dont have that! But then sent me down to the BYU health center to get more chest x-rays. Sure enough.... the x-rays came back and i really do have pneumonia! Whoo hoo! .... not. haha. So... i have "a lot of bronchitis, and some pneumonia." thats my diagnosis. Pretty sad for my first week in the MTC! I cant sleep cuz of it and i threw up on saturday, but today is the first day in 5 days that i've really been able to eat so thats good!! :) I dont think i'm gonna have to worry about gaining weight in the MTC... i already lost 5 pounds in 4 days just from being sick! 
> 
> ANYWAYS>.... aside from all that the MTC is great! My first companion's name is Hermana Fox... she's amazing!!! I am SOOOO happy I got a good companion! She's from Logan, UT, and we're a ton alike!! It makes it way fun living with her. Plus, if it werent for her I never would have gone to the doctor.... (i might be a little stubborn :). SHe takes SUPER good care of me though and always makes me sleep! So... dont worry mom... she's doing your job very, very well. 
> 
> The language is coming along great. Apparently when i tested i was just BARELY below the advanced class, so being in the intermediate classs is really really slow for me. I get pretty bored fast. Its fun though. Me and Hermana Fox made a pact that I wont move up to the advanced class if she wont move down to beginning... just because i love her and dont want to switch companions!!! 
> 
> Our branch is super fun. Its all in spanish, so i love it. Singing spanish hymns is my FAVORITE!!Most of us are here for 9 weeks too, so its fun because we really get to know each other. I'm going to join the MTC choir tonight too,.,.. i'm way excited. The devotionals here are absolutely amazing. I've only been to one so far, but it was exactly what I needed! 
> 
> I can't write too much longer.... this whole timed writing thing at the MTC is really hard.. and i dont have much time left!! Hopefully next week I'll have more spiritual things to write about :) haha. Unfortunately things got a little twisted up this week. I hope everything is going great back home!! I'm praying for you all. Hope to hear from you soon!! :) 
> 
> Con carino, 
> Hermana Churchill
> -AKA- Devee! 

The MTC

Devee went into the MTC this afternoon. She was so excited and didn't have a hint of nervousness. We are so excited to hear about all of her new adventures. It was hard to say goodbye because we will miss having her around. She's amazing. I'm sure all of you understand. Here are some pictures of the beginning of her journey.

Devee with her niece Chelsea

Classic MTC picture

Dad, Mom, Devee, Chelsea, Devee's sister Melanie, brother-in-law Matt,
sister-in-law Candace, and brother Allen

Practicing tracting with her first companion

I hope they call me on a mission....

I have been called to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. My initial area of assignment is the Argentina Buenos Aires South mission. I report to the Provo MTC on May 20, 2009.

....

and I'm SOOOO stinking excited!! When I opened my mission call I couldn't believe that I was going to Argentina!! I've studied Spanish for 5 years, so I was thrilled when I learned that I would get to speak it on my mission! Also, last August I went to Peru on a humanitarian trip to work in an orphanage there and absolutely fell in love with the people in South America! Yes, Argentina isn't Peru and I'll be in the city instead of the poor country areas, but it's still South AMerica!! I'm so excited. I couldn't be more thrilled.

After waiting almost 8 weeks for my mission call, it finally came the end of February. A TON of friends and family came over to open it with me, which was a blast!! It was so nice to have everyone there supporting me! When I opened the letter and saw that it was Argentina I just laughed, since that's where Allen (my brother) went as well!

All in all, I am so excited to serve the Lord and am grateful for his trust in me. I only have two weeks now until I leave, and have so much left to do to get ready! I'm sure it will all work out just fine though.