Sister Heywood

Natalie in the Iowa Iowa City Mission

Last Call with You from the Provo MTC, July 25, 2026

July 25, 2026 · Provo MTC / Herriman (home)

Seventeen and a half minutes on Saturday night, starting around 9:30, three days before you leave the MTC for Iowa. Mom and I were each on our own device at home and you were in your dorm room packing and running laundry the whole time.

Opening, and packing your whole life

Mom opened with "Hey" and I asked how you were doing, Sister Heywood. You were mid-packing and turned away for a second to talk to someone in the room about locking and unlocking the doors, then came back with "Okay, sorry. Hi, Dad." You said you were packing your whole life.

I said it seemed like the MTC had gone by really fast. You said "I know, isn't that weird? I feel like I live here," and that you had done laundry twice: "I've done laundry twice. That's how you know I'm a big girl." You said you forgot to turn your socks inside out both times.

The socks

Mom asked "So do they still stink?" You said "I don't know. I didn't look at them," and that they probably still looked gross. You were doing laundry right then and said "There's too much to do and not enough time."

Travel moved to Tuesday morning

You asked "So basically, Dad, do you know my travel plans?" I said I did. You said "But this is on Tuesday morning now, not Wednesday morning." I said "Yeah, they moved you up a day."

You said that if you were leaving Wednesday you would have had all of Tuesday to get things done, because Tuesday is your P-day, and that as it stands you have zero time because you are busy Sunday and Monday. You said "Which is highly inconvenient."

The two-hour nap and the missed workshop

You said that the day before, you and Sister Dillingham went to dinner around 5:30 or 6:00, then came back to the dorm during free time. You were feeling tired, so you both fell asleep for two hours and accidentally slept through a workshop. You said missing it was fine: "Which was totally okay to miss because they're stupid and I already know all this stuff." You said it was the only workshop you have missed and that it was worth it.

Somebody made a joke about being smitten for your wickedness. I said "I think that's Heavenly Father reminding you of your blessing that you got."

Still tired, and the hallway after quiet hours

You said that even after the two-hour nap you woke up still tired, and then could not fall asleep until around midnight, which you said was fine because you were entertained.

You said that around 11:00 the night before you went to the bathroom with Sister Law and Sister Dillingham. You noted that after 10:30 you are supposed to stay in your rooms, but going to the bathroom is allowed. Just as you were about to go back in, the sister training leader came out into the hall at the same time. You asked what STL stands for. Mom answered sister training leader and you repeated it back. You said the STL went back to her bed, and you called it the funniest thing in your life.

The bunk bed and the tasing

You said that the night before, Sister Dillingham and Sister Law were both on your bed, and that Sister Dillingham was at that moment on her own call telling her parents the same story.

Mom asked "Did she tell it with happiness or shame?" You said "No, with rage."

You said Sister Dillingham was closest to the edge of the bed and near the ladder, so you reached over and "tased" her. You said "She like flops like a fish into the ladder," and fell off the bed. You said "But it's okay because she's pantsed me before too, so we're even now."

Practicing the restoration lesson in class

You said "Dad, I was telling mom about... My lesson giving skills," and that you had two things to tell us about: your Helping Others appointment and something that happened in class.

In class you practiced teaching the restoration lesson in companionships. It was you and Sister Dillingham with Elder Jensen and another elder you did not finish naming, and you said the second one is weird and just stares at you, so you tell him to stop.

We got joking about the elder wanting a blonde. You joked about him marrying your cousin Danica, saying they could get along well if Danica were blonde.

The restoration lesson that came straight from God

You said you do not have the First Vision memorized yet, that it is okay and you should do it but will get to it eventually because you have lots of things on your plate.

You said that when you got to the restoration part you got on a roll, talking about how Jesus knows you because in the First Vision Jesus and Heavenly Father knew Joseph Smith by name. You said "I don't even know what I was saying because it was straight from God," and "There was a fire in me and it was the spirit."

You said your time ran out and you all yelled "no!" You said it was sad to end but it made you so happy, and you were on a spiritual high for the next thirty minutes. You said you thought about doing that with someone who does not have the gospel yet, and that they would have said "baptize me now," which you said you cannot do yourself but you will find someone who can.

The Helping Others appointment with Parker

You said that later the same day you had an HOA, a helping others appointment, at about 7:20. You had prepped a little the day before and more that day, so you felt decently ready. You said the hard part is not knowing the material but figuring out how to say it, and that much of it has to be worked out in the moment, so you prepare a lot of material and go with it. This was your second one.

The contact was named Parker. You said "he's like the sweetest kid ever" and that he is in his 20s. You said you had a good relationship going and a joking vibe, and that he told you about living in Florida and being friends with alligators and polar bears.

You said you had not planned to talk about the Atonement at all. The plan was faith, and how going to church is beneficial and makes you feel closer to God. But he asked what to do when he keeps making the same mistake over and over again, so you started talking about the Atonement. You said he then asked what if he keeps calling his sister "Potato," and when you asked why he calls his sister potato he said he does not really do it, but just in case he keeps doing it. You said it made you laugh and was not real, but the lesson went well: "And he gave us amazing reviews."

Excited to teach real people

Mom said "Good job." You said "I'm just so excited to teach real people. And to bring them closer to Christ," and that it is beautiful. Then you said "I want to come home and get married and retire," followed by "I'm not ready to do that yet, probably." I said "Probably."

The shorts, and the club of one

You said that the night before, around 9:00 or 9:30, you went to fill up your water bottle. Two girls at the drinking fountain were wearing the same brand of shorts you have, so you told them you loved those shorts and that they were a club now: "We're a club now." You said they walked away and did not want to join your club. You said "I felt so dumb. It was so sad."

You said you had run to the drinking fountain in the first place because you had eaten Takis and they were super spicy, and that after the interaction you got back without having taken a drink at all, so your mouth was still spicy. You said "But it's okay. I can make my own club," and "A club of one. It's like table of one, but club of one."

Then you said "I don't want to pack anymore," and asked whether we liked your stripling warrior shirt.

Packing, and the carry-on for Iowa

I asked how much more you had to pack and whether you were leaving out what you need for Sunday and Monday. You said the issue is that Tuesday night when you get to Iowa, you and Sister Dillingham are staying in a hotel for a night, which you said you are really excited for. Because of that you need a personal bag or carry-on with everything you will need for a night, since you will not have access to your checked bags. You said "Which is dumb. That's fine."

Aunt Kathi and the aunts message

I said I had told Mom she should print a whole bunch of pictures of Aunt Kathi and stick them in the Cheez-It box. You said Mom had written you a funny message about all of your aunts, and that you thought it was funny and cute. You said you got that from your dad, who taught you to be cute.

The notes in the Cheez-It box

We asked whether you had found any papers in the Cheez-It box. You said you had, then worked through some confusion about whether they were inside the Cheez-It box or inside the Nike box sitting on top of it. You said the box was right over there and you had been sitting next to it, and asked how it had been opened and how the note had been fitted in.

We told you that you did not have to open them, but there is a note in it. As for how it was fitted in: "It was Mason. He was really proud of himself." We told you that if you leave the Cheez-Its behind, you have to open them first and get your notes.

You said you would put them somewhere: "Those are too valuable to leave. I'd rather leave shoes or something."

The Reeboks

You said you love your shoes. Mom said "Reeboks. They're good."

Travel day, the layover, and the phone

You said that on Tuesday you will be traveling all day, with a layover in Minneapolis of about two or three hours.

We asked whether you would be able to call during the layover. You said not yet, because you will not have met your trainer yet. We asked whether you and your companion share a SIM card, and you said you will have to connect to the airport Wi-Fi to call if you want, and that you should be fine at the hotel to connect to Wi-Fi as well. You said you would let us know, and asked whether you had sent your flight info in your itinerary. Mom confirmed you had.

Closing

You said that was your stuff and that you needed to go shower and finish packing that night.

Mom said "We're really proud of you, Nana." I said "Yes, we are."

I said I loved you and your nostril; when you asked what I had said, I repeated "I said I love you and your nostril." Mom added a remark about the nostril and said you do not have any boogers.

You said "Thanks. Appreciate you," said you love us, and said "I'll talk to you on Tuesday."

Mom told you to embrace the last of your MTC time: "really embrace it, be present," and "Make the most of the MTC every moment of it." You said "Yeah. It's about to get real." We traded "I love you" and I said goodbye.

Cleanup Notes