Hello!!!!

I hope everyone is doing well!! I've had a long week, but it's been good. We started our "deaf" time last Wednesday and are supposed to be deaf 24/7 with the district...can't say all the elders are up to the challenge, but it's going alright. Every Tuesday we go to the RC (referral center) and answer phones for 2 hours. So when people see a commercial on tv for a free Book of Mormon, Bible, or finding faith in Christ video, or whatever else is offered they call the number and that's the referral center. I was really scared to talk to people at first cuz I'm not a fan of the phone, but after a while it got to be a lot of fun! One guy called in from Pheonix and was so excited about going to church with his family...it really made me want to get out into the field and talk to some real people!
On Sunday I spoke in Sacrament meeting. Everyone prepares talks and then our branch pres (or whoever is announcing) says who's speaking about 2 seconds before you get up there. It was good though. The topic was on patience and I mostly focused on the Savior. If you have the chance you should read the talk called "the Power of Patience" by Robert C Oaks (I think) it's from general conference last year and it's amazing.
In the district we've been working on bearing our testimony without vocabulary. It was kinda rough at first, but I really like doing it. We have a box of pictures we can use, so it's not hard to point to a picture and then kind of act out what happened. Really fun. My companion and I go around the MTC every Tuesday and Saturday for 30 min and just stop whoever is out there and testify to them. They're usually pretty good about understanding it...except one elder yesterday asked "what dialect is that???" My comp and I didn't know what to say! We were like...um....American?!. He thought it was pretty cool, and I thought his comment was pretty funny. Just goes to show how little people really know about sign language. Gotta be the educator =]
Every Friday we teach in the TRC where volunteers who know sign language come in and act as investigators for us to teach. Our whole week is really focused on teaching that one lesson. This Friday (tomorrow) will be our first time teaching in ASL. I'm way excited about it!!! This is what I've been waiting for =].
Anyways, to answer some of mom's questions...My companion (sister Grover) went out to the field in NY South. I haven't seen Sister Robineette since she took that picture, and I sent you a letter with some pictures in it...I hope you got it!! I have to develope them in order to send them. I'm going to be here till Aug. 15th. We never leave the MTC except in emergency, or to use the bank or something. The temple is closed right now so we haven't been able to go for 3 weeks =[. It should open up soon though and then we'll go back to the normal schedule of going every Thursday (my preparation day). My insurance should've been stopped! I don't know why it's continuing. That kinda worries me though, so if you can call them and find out what you can do...lemme know what's going on by writing a letter, cuz I can only look at my email once a week on Thursday morning for 30 min, but the mail comes twice a day. The weather is pretty normal for Utah. A little more humid than AZ but only around 100. Not bad at all.
I'm glad your trip to Washington went well! How is Dena?? and the kids??? how's everything going with everyone?? I like to hear news from the outside world cuz it's such a bubble here!
Our RS lesson was given by Sister Ardeth Kapp and it was really good! She used a quote by Pres. Hinckley that we missionaries hear often, but it's good for anyone. It is: "when obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, at that moment God will endow us with power."
Everyday I notice new ways in how the Lord has prepared me for this mission and I'm amazed and how much He is helping me to progress in the language and in the gospel. This is a great work which I have been called to do! I love it, and cannot wait to get to DC! I love and miss you all and hope you are doing well!
~Sister Witbeck~