Halfway done! With the MTC. I am
also one month through my mission, which is kind of weird to think about. It
doesn't feel like I'm on my "real" mission yet, but by the time I get
there I will only have 16 months left. I'll just have to make them count. So
this week had some fun and not so fun things.
First off, this Wednesday is the
last day of one of the best teachers at the MTC, Brother Barnes. I am seriously
going to miss him. But, he's going to Medical School, so good for him. He
doesn't know this yet, but my district has put together a little going away
present for him which includes a homemade tie. As in, we sewed together some
fabric scraps into a pretty legitimate looking tie. It also helps that his
sister is a missionary here going to L'viv Ukraine, so we see her a lot and she
is wonderful as well.
Last Wednesday we also got two
new districts of sisters and elders! I think I mentioned this before, but there
are only four new sisters :( In any case, I was grateful to be a Sister
Training Leader because I got to greet them, and show them the ropes, and look
very knowledgeable as to the ways of a missionary. It was funny to hear them
attempting to speak Russian, and remember that, just four weeks ago, I sounded
like that.
We have begun SYL (Speak Your
Own Language) in earnest now, and I can see the improvement in my language
ability. Our zone has a little competition going to see who can perfectly SYL
for the most days. There are certain rules that go into a perfect
"day" of SYL that I won't explain, but suffice it to say no one in
our zone had one day. That is until Thursday. As a "dying wish" Brother
Barnes wanted us to get at least one day of perfect SYL, and we got it. As a
reward, we not only got our picture on the "record board" of SYL for
the zone, but Brother Barnes snuck in his wife and five month old baby girl
(his wife had a nametag from when she was a teacher at the MTC). His daughter
is SO CUTE. Due to mission rules and such, we couldn't hold her or anything,
but it was worth it to admire from afar.
 |
| Perfect SYL day |
Friday. Friday was no fun.
Friday I was really not feeling well at all, and finally my companion convinced
me to visit the Health Clinic. The MTC Health Clinic is not like the elementary
school one where they just take you in and let you nap and send you home. Nope,
I had to make an appointment, then come back later that day, and sit in the
little room for a long time by myself, and then they drew four vials of blood
for testing, and then I got some drug prescriptions, and then I had to pay
money for the visit. Much less fun than elementary school. I did get a cosmic
bruise from where they drew blood though, and Sister F and I got to go
on a field trip off campus to the Health Center to pick up my drugs. It was
strange being in the outside world. As a follow up, I feel much better now.
Speaking of feeling
better, my cold is finally gone. But now Sister F sounds like a
man, so really, I guess we are not meant to be a 100% healthy companionship.
Also, the left side of my jaw had been really hurting, but I happen
to be with a companion who had had the same problem, so she could tell me that
it was because there was tension on my right side for some reason. For her, it
had been bad posture, but for me, we discovered, it was because I always put
the strap of my shoulder bag on my right shoulder, since my name tag is on the
left. Well, I've switched the side my strap is on, and my jaw feels a lot
better. So future missionaries, or anyone who really likes shoulder bags, make
sure you regularly switch what side you put the strap on.
Friday we also had TRC over Skype,
with native Russian speakers. Talk about intimidating. Some people were
actually in Russia at the time, but our guy, while from Ukraine, happened to be
in Provo going to school at BYU. It was not a complete train wreck though, so
that was encouraging. I guess we did so well that we get to do it again this
Friday. As a side note, our lessons are also becoming more conversational, and
over all better. There are still many times where I will talk myself into a
dead end, as in, I start to say something, and then realize I don't know how to
say it, and then I try to think of a different way to say it, and sometimes it
works and sometimes it doesn't. But at least I'm trying.
Sunday was busy but wonderful as
usual. I played the hymns for Sacrament meeting again, which is always a little
nerve racking since I have zero time to practice them beforehand. I also
discovered the E flat below middle C does not work on the piano in our room in
the middle of playing the Sacrament hymn. That was exciting. On Sunday I also
learned that Sister F and I only have one more week as Sister Training
Leaders. It's a three week position, which means we've been Sister Training
Leaders for almost three weeks now already. Time just flies by here! Before we
get released this coming Sunday, we got to do at least one more
exciting STL thing, and that was request a room switch of the new sisters.
All the other sisters in our zone are on the fourth floor of our building,
and the new sisters were on the second. Our Branch President asked us
to try to switch them to the fourth floor, so Sister F got
to do some official business. We were successful, so then we got to
inform the sisters that they needed to pack up and move. Surprise!
They were really nice about it though, and we helped them move their stuff. Now
they are right next door to us.
Yesterday was devotional
day, which I am so grateful is the day before my Preparation
Day. I am just so worn out by Tuesday evening; it's nice to just go
to dinner early, then choir, and then devotional. This week the Carmacks spoke,
which was fun. Everything did not fall into place as to why I knew
them until I actually saw their face. (The Carmacks lived next to Troy, Diana's dad, when he was growing up in Los Angeles.)
All in all, this week has been tough, but good. Love you
all!
Diana
Where are the people in your district from?
The people in my district are from New Hampshire, Utah,
New Mexico, southwest Virginia, Idaho and Korea via the State Department,
Idaho, and Illinois (Chicago suburbs area). Yes, TALL is a computer language program that has words and phrases for the different lessons, spoken by native speakers that you listen to and practice repeating and memorizing. On some days, I also like to watch the two "I'm a Mormon" ads by Russians, and turn the captions on and off listening to them. I actually catch quite a bit here and there.
Do you have a dress and grooming class after Relief
Society? I read that in the Salt Lake Tribune article about the MTC.
On the first Sunday here, after RS they have the new
sisters stay and they go over the dress and grooming standards, and basically
tell you to not be immodest. 
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