What A Day!!! E-mail Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Hello!

Today is P-day, obviously, and today our district had the awesome
opportunity to clean the temple! The sisters got to clean the Bride's room.
One of the other sisters that cleaned with us said this is our last test to
see if we really are meant to be missionaries. LOL. It was gorgeous and we
were talking to the woman in charge, did you know that when they clean the
chandeliers in the temple they have to take it apart piece by piece wearing
cotton gloves? When the Provo Temple is cleaned in July they do it and the
sisters get to help!

Well this week was Christmas, and I got to email on Sunday so I don't know
how much more has happened. I have a lot of pictures from the celebrations
but I'll have to send them next week because they're not printed yet. I got
a flashlight shaped like a pig from Sister Moore's family. She says "thank
you" for her gift by the way. The Wagstaffs sent me a nice pair of leather
gloves that are lined with cashmere. Along with a black scarf and a big bag
of kisses. I'm not sure if you got my Christmas card yet, but I sent one to
Grandma, Aunt Barb, Zach, the Wagstaffs, and the Silvesters too. So like I
told you on Sunday we got to have Sacrament meeting with Elder Bednar. Then
Elders Ward and Schraedel went missing for a couple of hours. Turns out
Elder Ward has some connections and got to meet Elder Bednar. We teased him
the rest of the day.

Then we opened presents together, all 13 Ukrainians piled into our
classroom with our presents and opened them. I love my gifts! The brushes
are so nice, and the pen is gorgeous. The sweaters all fit, I like them a
lot. One thing I really love is the foam ball. How did you know I needed
something to act as a stress ball that is also soft enough to throw at the
elders when they get annoying? As you might imagine it was a little
difficult being sick over the holiday. When I went to the InstaCare, well
I'm still not sure he was a doctor, the guy that I saw. He said I didn't
have strep but had a lot of congestion pressure. He gave me some ear drops,
nasal spray, and magic mouthwash. I think I got better just because I
really didn't want to use the mouthwash anymore. I do feel much better,
just trying to get over the last of the runny nose. I promise that next
time I'll be more proactive about getting antibiotics. Had the clinic here
been open I'm sure they would have given me some.

I'm glad Zach got transferred. I know that he'll have fun in that area. And
Zach, take advantage of having sisters, they're awesome!

It's been interesting with a new group of Russians here, sometimes we're
really pushed to get moving with our language, but most of the time, I just
remember that there was a time when I didn't know anything like them. We've
decided as a district that we will be SYLing (speaking your language)
everyday except Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday. It's been hard but also fun.
So we got to watch 2 movies over Christmas. A Christmas Carol and Mr.
Kruger's Christmas. It was really fun. We did everything as a family this
past weekend. I have a feeling that we'll all be friends for a long time.

Well, this email has been pretty spastic, but I just wanted to tell you
different things. I'll write more in my letter.

Love You!

Sister Daniel

All of the Ukrainian Missionaries (both districts)!

Front Row:  Elders Sweeten, Bailey and Callister (other district).
Main Row: (Lto R):  Elder Casanave, Tribett (other district), Sisters Ebeling, Moore, Webb, Irizarry, Daniel, Elders Scharedel and Ward.
Awkwardly standing in the back:  Elder Call!

The Ukrainian Sisters!

Christmas E-mail December 25, 2011

Dear Family,

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!  I'm sure right now you're skyping with Zach and he's telling you about Christmas in California. It's probably really warm there. We don't have snow, but it is bitterly cold. This computer keeps freezing every few seconds so if something doesn't make sense that's why.

 

It's probably freezing because they have so many people on the computers right now. Well they keep us busy here for sure. We just got out of our sacrament meeting. Probably the largest one I'll ever be in. There are 2000 missionaries in the MTC right now and I kind of had this thought that this is probably what it was like when Christ fed the thousands of people in the New Testament. So I'm sure you're probably wondering who spoke today. We just got out of Sacrament Meeting with Elder Bednar. I'm probably the only one the in family who's done that. We haven't opened presents yet because we haven't had time to do it together and that was one of the requirements. We go to lunch next and then we'll open our presents. We got to watch a Christmas Carol last night that was fun.

 

So I'm going to tell you what happened this week, and mom you can't freak out! Sister Moore and I got to go to Babylon. I woke up on Friday morning and just felt terrible and after one look at the puss on my tonsils, Sister Moore decided I needed to see the doctor at the clinic. But because it was the day before Christmas Eve they weren't open so they sent me to the Instant Care in Provo. The reason they did this is the on call doctor at the MTC wanted a strep test done. Well turns out, I don't have strep, but the doctor did give me Magic Mouthwash that numbs my throat, nasal spray, and ear drops. I'm not feeling much better yet so I may have to go back to the clinic here on campus on Monday. But all in all a very exciting day outside of the gates. Needless to say, I'm a little bit disappointed that I'm sick on Christmas. Okay, I'm going to send this one and read your email.

 

 

Sister Daniel

 

...So we got really good seats today for the sacrament meeting. We were front and center right in front of Elder Bednar. We're having fun and keeping our spirits up here. Last night there was a devotional in which they organized the nativity story. It was really funny in certain parts because the costumes were so lame and the missionaries playing the parts looked really uncomfortable. When we got back to the residence hall, the Italian sisters and the Ukrainian sisters teamed up and put on our own version of the nativity. When I get some copies of the pictures I'll send them to you. We also plan on taking plenty of pictures during present opening today. Ukrainian is coming along. It's weird the new Russian sisters think that we know so much, we don't feel that way. I may or may not write you a letter yet today it will depend on how much time I have.

 

Well another story from this week is that Sister Moore's family and her boyfriend keep sending her food. It's so funny because she had two packages come that were wrapped like presents so she didn't open them. Her mom emailed her and told her to open it because it had cream cheese in it. It had been sitting in our room for a week. Her next package that was wrapped was from her boyfriend. She's had it for a while and didn't open it until this morning, full of carrots. Didn't smell very nice. Her mom tried sending a package two more times with cream cheese in it. One got here, but they took the cream cheese out, the other finally got to her. I told her to write her mom and tell her we don't have refrigerators and there is cream cheese in our vending machines (because of bagels) that should solve the problem. Nothing much else going on...Have a good Christmas, and say hi to Zach for me!!

 

Love you lots!!

 

Sister Daniel 

Christmas Week, New Russians, and Broken Blood Vessel... E-mail December 21, 2011

Hello Everyone,

 

I can't believe it, but today is exactly 6 weeks since I left the great state of Kentucky and entered the MTC! A whole transfer! Crazy! As the title says we're gearing up for Christmas here at the MTC. We got our schedule on Sunday and it seems like we might get some pretty cool visits. We have firesides on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the evenings, we get to watch MOVIES and we have a huge sacrament meeting with all of the missionaries together with a general authority. Last night was devotional night and there was lots of speculation because we got an apostle the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, but it ended up being L. Whitney Clayton, who is in the presidency of the 70. He was awesome!! We also have time to write a letter home on Christmas day, so I'm going to write Christmas cards today and a longer one on Christmas when more things have happened. I have gotten everyone's packages. It's been so nice. A big shout out to the Wagstaffs who sent me a package that I opened early and the Silvesters for their great card. They were so appreciated. (Mom I need the address for the Wagstaffs, could you Dear Elder it to me?) I have so much food in my room. Grandma sent me three huge containers of peanut butter balls, everyone loves them though so I don't know if they will last until Christmas. I got my Christmas presents from you mom, I love the "No peeking, Santa's watching" wrapping paper. Got your cookies yesterday mom, shared them at our district devotional review. I refused to share the fudge though. The pumpkin chocolate chip cookies were gone in a flash! Plus grandma sent me this HUGE loaf of banana bread, I don't know if I'll ever be able to even share it all! So our district, and the other Ukrainians 13 in all are one big family here at the MTC, so even though none of us will be home it will still be a family affair. We have plans to open our gifts together, and yes mom, I'll send pictures.

 

So the second part of my title, the new Russians come in today. We're really excited to get 6 new sisters, one of which is going to Kyiv, Russian speaking. All of the teachers are giddy to get a new bunch, it's really cute. We decorated the new sister's door last night in our residence hall and we plan to welcome them as they come in this week. We kind of don't know what to do with ourselves today with no temple time. I think I told you that the temple is closed for a few weeks but our district got really lucky and we'll be able to clean the temple next week! As for the last thing in my title, I was playing volleyball and of course there are some elders who can just launch the ball over the net. Thanks to my catlike reflexes I put my hands up just in time ending up giving me a broken blood vessel in my palm instead of a broken nose. My hand was full of interesting colors for a couple of days.

 

I'm excited that Zach got a mini missionary that seemed to dispel at least a little bit of the tension. Sister Moore and I have far from the perfect companionship, but we're totally honest with one another and that has helped a lot. We have about 2 companionship inventories a week, but I've noticed a definite improvement this week as we have increased our companionship study. I truly do love her, she has such a strong spirit and it is nice to know that I'm not the only one with problems. A big part of our companionship this week was me comforting her. She's a great missionary and I'm really proud to be her companion. Along with my broken blood vessel, while she was playing four square this week she smacked heads with one of the Ukrainian elders. Elder Tribett. She came out of it with a black eye. We were quite the match this week.

 

Well, I don't really know what else to say. Give Zach some love from me when you talk to him this week, and I'm looking forward to our phone call. Ukrainian is a trial and whenever I'm in the same area as some Spanish speaking missionaries I lament thinking about how much easier that would be but the Lord knew I needed a challenge.

 

Time's up! Love you!

 

Sister Daniel

Another "P" Day! E-mail December 14, 2011

Wow. This is our fifth Wednesday which means by the MTC schedule this is Week 6 and after this week we're halfway done with the MTC. This week was kind of strange. We became one of the three senior districts in our zone. All of the Russians left either Monday or Tuesday heading off to Russia and Ukraine, our floor is very quiet. Both zones are really small and will stay that way until next week. Next week we get 53 new Russians, they be spread between the two zones I think we're getting about 15 of them. But right now it's weird, the mafia floor is deserted. We call it the mafia floor because our entire floor is Russians, Ukrainians, and Italians. Upstairs are the Germans and all of the really weird European languages. Downstairs are the ASL (sign language) missionaries and missionaries learning English. Let's just say our TALL labs are ALWAYS busy. We end up going across the way to the English building to use the computers.

 

Your pictures look awesome, it looks so pretty there. I'm halfway through my letter to you so some of this might be a repeat. It's snowing here, nothing really sticking but it's been snowing two days straight. It's not really that cold though. I did find Sister Hernandez today, I knew she was coming in so I was waiting for her (one of the benefits of having your p-day on Wednesday). My friend Becca that I was talking to you about last week Dear Eldered me. She's coming in the week before I leave in January so it will be fun to see her.

 

I can't believe it's so close to Christmas! Sister Elaine S Dalton, the YW general president was here last night and spoke to us. She was telling us the Christmas story and used it in a very interesting way. She talked about how we receive and how we should act when we receive gifts from the Lord. A large portion of her talk was devoted to talking about the paths God puts us on. I have a huge testimony of that, that life never seems to work out the way you want it to. But the Lord knows us right, and gives us what we need. So I love Dear Elder. From the looks of it, and what I've heard, we get the letters the same day you write them if you get them in before noon our time. They always come with the evening mail drop. It sounds like you're just about ready for Christmas, you'll hear about how we're getting ready in my letter this week.

 

So one thing I've found interesting so far on my mission is that more than learning anything else, I'm learning a lot about myself which has been a really cool experience. I've learned that I'm way cooler than I thought I was. I've learned that I have some of the coolest friends. I've learned that I am extremely blessed. I've learned a lot of my weaknesses and also some of my strengths. I'm so very grateful for the group of Ukrainian sisters, we're all really good friends and are always there for each other. I've also learned that on a mission every emotion that you have is connected to your tear ducts. Sister Moore and I have a joke that one of us is always crying in our companionship. It's been a crazy month and some change and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to serve.

 

I wish I could write more, but I had a lot to read this week between Mom's emails and Zach's email so my time is just about up.

 

 

Love you all,

 

Sister Daniel