Hello Everyone!!
I LEAVE THE MTC IN 6 DAYS!!! I cannot tell you how excited/terrified I am! Sister Okoren has been reading me their e-mails and all of my teachers have been telling me more and more stories about Slovenia and the members there. We found out that the sisters won't be going to Celje but to Ljubljana because the members haven't had sisters there for awhile. So I will either be in Ljubljiana or Maribor. I got my travel plans this past thursday!!! I am leaving monday February 28th at 1:30 in the afternoon. My flight is around 4:30. Mommy I still don't know if I will be able to call but if I did it would probably do it in the Salt Lake Airport between those 2 times...ah I don't want you to get your hopes up though. Should I try calling your cell phone or home phone if I do? Anyway I'll let you know if I will be able to! I then fly directly to Paris!!! We only have like an hour and a half there and there is a slight chance I could call then too but I really have no idea. I will be sure to write you as soon as I find out...meaning in the next couple of days:) I then fly to Ljubljana and I will be in Slovenia!! oh my goodness it is hard to even comprehend that right now! Sister Staheli, Oakley and Hegameister (sp?) sent me a postcard and milka chocolate! It made me so happy and I am sooo excited to meet them! The postcard had a picture of Maribor and they had circled where the apartment was and my teachers showed me where the curch was. It makes it so much more real when I can actually see where I will be walking and hear stories about actual people I will meet. I'm getting so excited!! The language is still coming slowly. I wish I could say that I feel prepared...but I don't. I know so little but I have put in my best effort to learn the language and I know the Lord will help me with the rest:) We had a little activity this past week where we taught with the Polish missionaries. One of them helped me feel like I was doing really well because they are in a similar place as I am with the language. Then I taught an elder who seriously sounded like he spoke fluently and I was a little discouraged. I hope he is just exceptionally smart and that I will be ok;) The MTC experience has been such a good one... a hard one...but a good one! I have learned so much and the past couple of weeks have been very spiritually uplifting and good. Jake said in his letter to me that it must be nice to focus only one the gospel. I hadn't really thought about it since I got here but it is the truth! I haven't felt stressed or overwhelmed about anything and have just been able to focus on developing my relationship with the Lord and learning how to bring the gospel to His children. Thank you Jake for helping me gain that perspective:) So we don't get mail on Saturdays, Sundays, and then this Monday was President's day so if you sent me something over the weekend and I don't respond it is because I will get in this evening! I'm sorry I will do my best:) I think mom and pops should be on your cruise right now and I hope you are having a blast!!! I only have a minute left so I will say goodbye! I love you all thank you for your love and support! The next time I will e-mail I will be in Slovenia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Sestra Powell
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
week... I've lost track. 3 weeks left to go in the MTC
Zdravo Moja Druzina!
Unfortunately I cannot type with Sloven letters or there would be a hot check above that z....just so you know:) Thank you for all of your letters! As of yesterday I only have 3 weeks left in the MTC! It's funny because we have welcomed into our Zone 4 groups of missionaries all English speaking and they all have left or will leave before me!... It's a little emotionally draining because I have loved many of them! The 4 sisters that came in 3 weeks ago left yesterday and I was so sad! they were so sweet! Sister Warwood is from Hooper and said she knew the Kites! and there is another elder here Elder...Hokison? who said he was in the Kite's ward! Sorry I'm going to be all over the place in this e-mail...as usual. We have some new girls in our room and Sister Becky Levanger is from woods cross and said she knew who Ben and Miles were...fun little connections all over! I saw Elder Gillespie(sp?) Yesterday and I am accompanying Elder Brady Johnson and Elder Josh Parkinson on a song they are auditioning for on Thursday.
Anyway I thought It was about time I acknowledged my father for his wonderful insightful letters:) Really Pops your last letter echoed a lot of the things I learned this week and I loved it! What you said about the ups and downs on a mission so far have been true for me in the MTC! and I also loved what you said about faith preceding Miracles. In our LGM this week we talked about that exact concept. Miracles do not create faith. Faith creates miracles which in turn strengthen our faith! Thank you so much for your letters papa!
Sandy Stevenson asked me about scripture cases and I was wondering if they were a specific set that her son wanted (there are different styles/colors from Guatemala) so if you could let me know I would be more than willing to pick them up for her!
I auditioned this week for a musical number (I Need Thee Every Hour) The musical numbers are performed in the Devotionals (in front of 2,000ish missionaries!!!) in relief society and the new missionary orientations. When I auditioned they said they would probably use me somewhere so I'll let you know when/if I do!
Mom wanted to know a little bit of my schedule. It is basically the same everyday except for when I have Gym. We have 50 minutes to work out except on Tuesdays and Sundays (Papa you will be pleased to know that I have been running basically everyday....except when sisters want to play basketball... I never turn down that chance:)) Other than that I eat and sit in my classroom all day! I have a service activity every Thursday Morning and I teach in the TRC (Teaching Resource Center) in the evening...Oh! I taught the first lesson in my language this past thursday!!!! Wow it was intimidating! There were 6 Slovene volunteers so I was teaching 5 people who spoke the language. Luckily one of them was my companion. It was a good experience. I still understand so little but as long as I teach simply(which is our goal anyway) I can atleast teach the basic principles. It is kind of awkward sometimes because it takes me about 5 minutes to put one sentence together but it is coming! I also said some awkward things like "I know that God loves us because I have felt your love" or "I know that we are your children" ( don't worry I've got the his and your word mix up figured out now...hopefully...).
Lorna! Thank you so much for your letter! It was so encouraging and gave me more hope about learning the language:) The Finnish missionaries are on our same floor and I found out that one of the Elders in Slovenia is from Finland. I think of you every time I hear about it!
Sister Christensen and I have been teaching in the TE and we have a progressing investigator who we just challenged to be baptized! It is onlyl a teacher who is role playing but it is the closest thing we have to a real situation here in the MTC. It is amazing because whenever I have committed someone to baptism I have always felt the spirit so strongly even though it isn't a real situation. It has been really neat!
Well that's about it for this week! I love you all and I am going to send some pictures soon! the picture card would be great mom! love you!
Love,
Sestra Powell
Unfortunately I cannot type with Sloven letters or there would be a hot check above that z....just so you know:) Thank you for all of your letters! As of yesterday I only have 3 weeks left in the MTC! It's funny because we have welcomed into our Zone 4 groups of missionaries all English speaking and they all have left or will leave before me!... It's a little emotionally draining because I have loved many of them! The 4 sisters that came in 3 weeks ago left yesterday and I was so sad! they were so sweet! Sister Warwood is from Hooper and said she knew the Kites! and there is another elder here Elder...Hokison? who said he was in the Kite's ward! Sorry I'm going to be all over the place in this e-mail...as usual. We have some new girls in our room and Sister Becky Levanger is from woods cross and said she knew who Ben and Miles were...fun little connections all over! I saw Elder Gillespie(sp?) Yesterday and I am accompanying Elder Brady Johnson and Elder Josh Parkinson on a song they are auditioning for on Thursday.
Anyway I thought It was about time I acknowledged my father for his wonderful insightful letters:) Really Pops your last letter echoed a lot of the things I learned this week and I loved it! What you said about the ups and downs on a mission so far have been true for me in the MTC! and I also loved what you said about faith preceding Miracles. In our LGM this week we talked about that exact concept. Miracles do not create faith. Faith creates miracles which in turn strengthen our faith! Thank you so much for your letters papa!
Sandy Stevenson asked me about scripture cases and I was wondering if they were a specific set that her son wanted (there are different styles/colors from Guatemala) so if you could let me know I would be more than willing to pick them up for her!
I auditioned this week for a musical number (I Need Thee Every Hour) The musical numbers are performed in the Devotionals (in front of 2,000ish missionaries!!!) in relief society and the new missionary orientations. When I auditioned they said they would probably use me somewhere so I'll let you know when/if I do!
Mom wanted to know a little bit of my schedule. It is basically the same everyday except for when I have Gym. We have 50 minutes to work out except on Tuesdays and Sundays (Papa you will be pleased to know that I have been running basically everyday....except when sisters want to play basketball... I never turn down that chance:)) Other than that I eat and sit in my classroom all day! I have a service activity every Thursday Morning and I teach in the TRC (Teaching Resource Center) in the evening...Oh! I taught the first lesson in my language this past thursday!!!! Wow it was intimidating! There were 6 Slovene volunteers so I was teaching 5 people who spoke the language. Luckily one of them was my companion. It was a good experience. I still understand so little but as long as I teach simply(which is our goal anyway) I can atleast teach the basic principles. It is kind of awkward sometimes because it takes me about 5 minutes to put one sentence together but it is coming! I also said some awkward things like "I know that God loves us because I have felt your love" or "I know that we are your children" ( don't worry I've got the his and your word mix up figured out now...hopefully...).
Lorna! Thank you so much for your letter! It was so encouraging and gave me more hope about learning the language:) The Finnish missionaries are on our same floor and I found out that one of the Elders in Slovenia is from Finland. I think of you every time I hear about it!
Sister Christensen and I have been teaching in the TE and we have a progressing investigator who we just challenged to be baptized! It is onlyl a teacher who is role playing but it is the closest thing we have to a real situation here in the MTC. It is amazing because whenever I have committed someone to baptism I have always felt the spirit so strongly even though it isn't a real situation. It has been really neat!
Well that's about it for this week! I love you all and I am going to send some pictures soon! the picture card would be great mom! love you!
Love,
Sestra Powell
Monday, February 7, 2011
sorry its late... Week 5!
Hello Family!!
So I have started taking notes in my planner during the week about what I want to write about so I don't miss anything... and I still don't think I'll be able to say everything!
Let's start out with the questions
Mom, what you said you had in the package sounded great! I think the washers and dryers eat socks....really though.
Jake I am sorry I haven't answered your questions! I think the ratio of Elders to Sisters in the MTC is somewhere around 6 or 7 to 1...(I actually have no idea but I asked the elders in my district and that's what they thought so...that's what I'm putting). I would love to teach you Slovene when I get home...as long as I know it by then;). The food is comparable to SUU's cafeteria food....except not quite as good. Wow I never thought I'd see the day when I would say something was not as good as SUU's cafeteria but there you go. It is definitely edible but let's just say every building smells a little unpleasant. Every day is pretty busy and we have a pretty strict schedule! I learn something new every day and there is always a really good moment and a really discouraging moment sometime within each day.
I wanted to say thank you to Mary Ann and Todd and Megan for their letters! It made me so happy! I don't remember if I thanked Grandma last week...so thank you!
Ok now for my list of things to talk about!
Last week Sister Wixom gave a talk in relief society (Primary General President?) and It was amazing! You know how people always ask "how well do you know God?" well she changed that question just a little bit and said "do you realize just how well you know God?" Isn't that neat? When we see our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ we will be surprised at how well we know them. That just gave me a lot of comfort and gave me a little bit of a different perspective on my relationship with Heavenly Father.
I also read a talk from Elder Holland called The Inconvenient Messiah and I want you all to read it because it is amazing! I don't have a ton of time to expound but you should read it and then we can discuss it next week:) Read it for FHE or something.
This week has been kind of wierd. Last Tuesday?.... Sister Broderick passed out on the stairs and hurt her neck at like 10:00 and we had to take her to the emergency room to get an x-ray...we were there until 2:00 in the morning because the doctors forgot about us for an hour and then the MTC shuttle took 50 minutes to pick us up... it has taken us a while to catch up on sleep! (I took some pictures of a creepy waiting room that could have been in a creepy movie...I'll send pictures) a couple of nights ago the fire alarm went off at 10:00 because the someone burned popcorn....
Mom a seam in my boot ripped... I super glued it so I'm hoping it stays.
Guess who is a new district leader in my zone?! Elder Josh Parkinson! He is such a neat elder and I was excited to find out he was in my branch! I also saw Zac Zabriskie's brother Ryan....right? he is going to Mexico somewhere and he came up and said hi. It is always fun to see familiar faces! I'm trying out for a musical number this thursday with I Need thee every hour! I hope it goes well:)
The language is coming and Like I said before I have moments every day that are really good where I remember a word I've been struggling with but then there are really discouraging moments when I feel like it is impossible and I will never be able to speak it well enough to be understood. Line upon line precept upon precept right?
The list worked! I think I got through everything I wanted to say... I love you all and hope you have a great week!
Love,
Sestra Powell
So I have started taking notes in my planner during the week about what I want to write about so I don't miss anything... and I still don't think I'll be able to say everything!
Let's start out with the questions
Mom, what you said you had in the package sounded great! I think the washers and dryers eat socks....really though.
Jake I am sorry I haven't answered your questions! I think the ratio of Elders to Sisters in the MTC is somewhere around 6 or 7 to 1...(I actually have no idea but I asked the elders in my district and that's what they thought so...that's what I'm putting). I would love to teach you Slovene when I get home...as long as I know it by then;). The food is comparable to SUU's cafeteria food....except not quite as good. Wow I never thought I'd see the day when I would say something was not as good as SUU's cafeteria but there you go. It is definitely edible but let's just say every building smells a little unpleasant. Every day is pretty busy and we have a pretty strict schedule! I learn something new every day and there is always a really good moment and a really discouraging moment sometime within each day.
I wanted to say thank you to Mary Ann and Todd and Megan for their letters! It made me so happy! I don't remember if I thanked Grandma last week...so thank you!
Ok now for my list of things to talk about!
Last week Sister Wixom gave a talk in relief society (Primary General President?) and It was amazing! You know how people always ask "how well do you know God?" well she changed that question just a little bit and said "do you realize just how well you know God?" Isn't that neat? When we see our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ we will be surprised at how well we know them. That just gave me a lot of comfort and gave me a little bit of a different perspective on my relationship with Heavenly Father.
I also read a talk from Elder Holland called The Inconvenient Messiah and I want you all to read it because it is amazing! I don't have a ton of time to expound but you should read it and then we can discuss it next week:) Read it for FHE or something.
This week has been kind of wierd. Last Tuesday?.... Sister Broderick passed out on the stairs and hurt her neck at like 10:00 and we had to take her to the emergency room to get an x-ray...we were there until 2:00 in the morning because the doctors forgot about us for an hour and then the MTC shuttle took 50 minutes to pick us up... it has taken us a while to catch up on sleep! (I took some pictures of a creepy waiting room that could have been in a creepy movie...I'll send pictures) a couple of nights ago the fire alarm went off at 10:00 because the someone burned popcorn....
Mom a seam in my boot ripped... I super glued it so I'm hoping it stays.
Guess who is a new district leader in my zone?! Elder Josh Parkinson! He is such a neat elder and I was excited to find out he was in my branch! I also saw Zac Zabriskie's brother Ryan....right? he is going to Mexico somewhere and he came up and said hi. It is always fun to see familiar faces! I'm trying out for a musical number this thursday with I Need thee every hour! I hope it goes well:)
The language is coming and Like I said before I have moments every day that are really good where I remember a word I've been struggling with but then there are really discouraging moments when I feel like it is impossible and I will never be able to speak it well enough to be understood. Line upon line precept upon precept right?
The list worked! I think I got through everything I wanted to say... I love you all and hope you have a great week!
Love,
Sestra Powell
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