hi!
i never know how to start these dang letters. i think of a million things throughout the week, but the dang count down timer makes me forget everything.
first of all: BABY GIRL NEVERS HAS A NAME! how many people have you told?? i won't shout from the rooftops yet just incase. except i just squealed in the computer lab and told cectpa coulson. hope that's okay. haaa. :)
I HAVE A MILLION AND ONE THINGS TO SAY, SO BUCKLE UP! the bullets will have to do, cause i'm stressed out by time. and last week after reading my email i realized i have NO idea what i said. hope it was good. ha.
first, you guys are rock stars. i think my district hated me a little bit at the end of last week cause i kept getting so many dear elders. hopefully i can reply. if not, I LOVE YOU and maybe teared up a little with some of them. no big. judge all you want.
the FOOD. that was the number one thing i had questions about in multiple letters. i meant to mention it last week but ran out of time. well, i won't sugar coat it, cause they sure don't. the food is kind of flat out disgusting most of the time. on a good day, it's tolerable and maybe slightly appealing, but not usually. even things like salads and everything else are just so fakeish. i don't blame them considering the mtc nearing on full capacity right now and i heard will reach it this month (there are WAYYYY too many people here. it's out of control.) so that's fun. every meal i leave full, but enormously unsatisfied. i would kill for real food. being able to cook something? a REAL piece of fruit or heaven forbid, vegetable? but it's fine. we're on week 3 now. baby steps to week 12. ha. good one. on the bright side, at lunch and sometimes dinner they have a wrap bar that's like a ghetto/simple version of free l&t every day, so that's cool. though it's not all that great or fresh either. shooot.
elder mikey left this week! he flew out on monday, though you mostly probably already know that. last week we took a map picture (sorry, no sending pictures from the mtc. i'll try sending my sd card to steve when he's back in provo and have him or kenzie work their magic and send it back fast.) BUT we have one! oddly enough, i saw him a bunch my first few days, but the past week after that i barely ever saw him. i was kind of hoping i'd get to say a final farewell though before he flew out. and what do you know, sunday morning he walked into the breakfast hall and my compy comp saw him so i ran over and we both appreciated a final farewell. i felt awkward not being able to hug him. but all's well. he looked nervous, more than he would even admit, but i know he's tearing it up already in chile and they will love him. he's SO ready. yay for cousins. :)
this could have been first, but you guys. (we're not allowed to say you guys. it's a problem in my vocab. so i'm used to saying sorry. ELDERS. or something.) anyway. GUYS. my companion is hilarious. like, we really laugh way too much. i think it's partially because we are all starting to go a little crazy with all the time we spend in one room here and the awkward schedule and oh, yeah, the all day with 19 year old elders thing. but we are hilarious. love her. oh, cectpa coulson. on sunday night after the fireside around 9:30, we had a man walk by us while we were planning and tell us we truly had the spirit of the Lord. our faces were glowing and we were cheerful. the gospel and spirit are meant to make us HAPPY. why the heck more people aren't happier more often, i really don't know. but it was a neat experience. HAVE JOY. :)
fridays and saturdays are the longest days here. there's nothing to break them up, there's usually less mail, and it's full days spent in the classroom with fewer things breaking it apart. but, we're baby steppin it. this next 6 weeks (or more) c. coulson and i teach twice on fridays, which is actually super exciting. even though it's stressful, it makes me feel like i'm actually doing what i came here to do. this week we had a lesson with some new investigators (who are really our teachers bpat (david) tate and bpat (tyson) eckersley role playing as an actual investigator from their mission. IT'S SO REAL, THOUGH. it's super neat. the other day cectpa coulson and i taught, i decided to go in without using the crutch of the book of set phrases they have for us. which is good, but also a crutch that can be relied on too much. it was so exhilarating to see how much i could do from pulling from every part of my brain and the spirit, and really feeling like this is what we're here to do! this is what it's all about. it was so real, and i could truly feel the sadness and hopelessness of the situation of our investigator, anton, and wanted to shout from the rooftops everything i can feel. however, it doesn't work that way. good thing we have the spirit. that's what we HAVE to rely on most. otherwise we're nothing. so great.
on saturday nights between 9:15 and 9:30, the russians all gather outside the main building and sing hymns! there are a whole bunch of russian speakers in the mtc right now, because the group that came in the week i did was big. the point is, it's the most INCREDIBLE experience. some hymns are easier than others with the whole, let's read in russian thing, but i love every second. and i love the missionaries that walk by and look at us like crazies as they go back to their residence. last week, i think my favorite part was hearing just a few missionaries of another language that had joined in (maybe the 5 ukrainians?) it was such a powerful testimony of the gathering of saints from all nations and tongues in ONE cause. this life is so great.
sunday temple walks are the best, though it still freaks me out sometimes when i can see grandma's house through the trees. don't worry, i don't think about it. i'd go crazy if i did. haa. but it's a nice time to just lay on the grass and talk to our elders, or study, or whatever. have i mentioned that yet? i love our elders. they're good eggs. they feel like brothers or cousins to me, including the fact that they're completely INSANE sometimes. good thing we love them.
okay. a few shoutouts are in order. steve, you were winning the letters, though i don't know anymore. / i told cectpa pace about her dad and uncle gary! that's crazy. small world. / doug, all week i keep thinking about what you said last week. let's face it. russian just wants to be learned by me. that's my pep talk at least once (or a kajillion) times a day. :) / sarah syphus and levi anderson! what the heck you know brat eckersley?? that blew my mind when he told me. and you guys were roommates levi?? chto ta koi??? (what the heck, russian style). / roslyn grandy! this week i finally made the connection that cectpa holmes reminds me of YOU. i love it every second. hahaha. ps. write me a letta. / lauren rose avondet. WRITE ME A LETTER WOMAN. seeing mark multiple times this week was a hoot, but you need to tell me all about your life. ALL THE THINGS. how was st.george?? hearing you talk to him through the phone while he was sitting at my table outside was priceless. and then when he told you that i was right there and you screamed? the best. write me. and send me your address! / lauren celeste, you're the best. i heart you. / grandma, your letters are so great. i got your dear elders! and i thought it was interesting that both you and my mom mentioned dr. suzuki when it came to learning russian words. and i think the best part was when you said you don't need replies, but you'll always be there and loving me always. i read it to all the cyostri and they agreed you are the best.
i've been thinking about romania a lot lately. last night after rex pinegar's devotional, we had a testimony meeting of sorts with our district, and something one of the elders said suddenly brought david ganta's face to me. he was talking about the love of god for us. and then i thought of ana maria, who inspired me to write about the moment i truly loved my kids, and that everyone just wants to be loved (you should find that link on my romania blog steve. it was in july i thinik and called everybody wants to be loved.) and i had a dream about ghita last week (aislynn, you were in it. and PLEASE write me about how your farewells were, and london, and the transition home!) anyway. for those who don't know, ghita is 'fred' from anything i wrote on the blog last year. and i out of control have been missing him a lot this week. he was like my little man. anyway.
i have to go, but i decided this week, that if anyone ever truly wanted to get to know me for who i am, they'd need to read the things i've written. maybe i'll pass around my mission journal someday for those who want it, and then you can truly know of my thoughts and feelings. these emails just don't give enough time. in the end, though. it's okay. i just wish i could give people the words i've written to help teach them. i wish i was more verbally eloquent. baby steps. d&c 84 there's a scripture (i don't remember the verse) that our mouths will be filled at the very hour with what we need to say. as we open our mouths, we will receive strength not known among men (d&c 24:12).
this place really is kind of like prison, but it's an uplifting prison at least. we learn about rules by breaking them. no music. no sitting on the ground. you know, just the little things. we'll be PROS by the time we get outta here in october.
wish i could say more, but i gots to run. write me letters so i can write back!
YA VAS LOOBYOO (awkward american romanized written version.)
i printed any emails i received so i'll try to write back to them and read them after this.
love, sister HEBEPC. sister em.
No comments:
Post a Comment