4 Visits, 3 Apostles, 2 More Weeks, and 1 White Christmas! E-mail January 11, 2012

So excuse me if this email is a little crazy, I'm kind of having a panic attack! We found out through Elder Bailey's dad that 3 Ukrainians didn't get their visas. We know Elder Bailey didn't get his, but we don't know who else. I'm trying to keep myself calm, but it's kind of hard. Well, either way we'll know tomorrow because we get our travel plans!!

 

So let me explain the title of my email. We now have had 4 visits from 3 different apostles! Elder Nelson came and gave our devotional last night. He was here over Thanksgiving, and if you remember the other two we've seen are Elder Christofferson and Elder Bednar. Overall, that has been completely awesome! He talked about the Abrahamic Covenant and he just put some great insight into it for us. 2 More weeks is pretty obvious, hopefully I'll be in Ukraine, pray for me! And the 1 white Christmas might need some explaining. So we got our first significant snowfall this last Saturday. Saturday was January 7th, which is Christmas in Ukraine and Russia. So we're the only one's at the MTC that got a white Christmas here.

 

Today has been an awesome day. We went to the temple this morning and participated in sealings. So cool!! It was really neat to hear the blessings of those sealed in the temple. There were several older couples that are regulars on Wednesday morning, then me and Sister Moore. A couple we were in there with have a nephew currently serving in our mission. So we found out through them that our mission president allows us to go to the temple in Kyiv once a transfer! Totally Awesome! As we did sealings, we did a lot of family names for that couple. We ended up getting sealed for a Daniel! I don't know whether or not there is a relation but these were their in-laws from England. I was just really cool to hear him say that as were participating in the sealings.

 

So Mom, you asked about my cold, it's long gone. Just some occasional winter sniffles but that is it! We're assessing what we need to pack for Ukraine and I've come to the decision that I have too much stuff. So this week (hopefully), I'll be sending you my temple clothes and some extra clothes that I don't really need.  I'll send you a letter containing any supplies I may need.

 

I thought Zach's email was really funny. I want to help pick out a new dog. Of course he would want one when he won't be living at home to take care of it. Who was in that picture with him?

 

Gotta Go.

 

Love you.

 

Sister (Meaghan) Daniel

 

Week 9!!!!! E-mail January 4, 2012

Wow I can't believe I'm already in week 9. So crazy! So next Thursday we should have our travel plans. It will be exciting to know just how we're getting there.

 

I found out something really cool this week and Mom, I need your help with it. For Christmas, Sister Moore got a fan diagram of her family history. Come to find out that you can do it through your NewFamilySearch.org account! The problem is...we can't get on to that website here. So Mom, if you go to youth.lds.org on the main page there is a picture of this fan diagram and a video on how to create one. The login to myfamilysearch is the same as LDS.org, so you should have it. If you could do that for me and mail it to me I would be extremely grateful.

 

Today we finally got to go back to the temple after it was closed for three weeks. It was so nice to be there again and pretty much our whole zone was there! the session was totally full! You should know that we only have 2 more p-days here at the MTC so if there is anything you want to send to me or have me do while I'm here, now would be the time. I don't really know what all to say because life doesn't change much at the MTC. Brother Feil our teacher is getting married on Saturday, that's big news. Oh, and the elders in our district have decided that for our last 2 weeks we should be speaking Ukrainian all of the time! So starting on Friday we're speaking only Ukrainian for two weeks. We decided to leave our last few days here in English because there will be a lot to do and we will need to speak English.

 

Just in case you put this on the blog... Becca comes in the week before I leave, she DearEldered me. I'm so excited to see her, and I will definitely keep an eye out for her.

 

I don't really know what to say...it's really weird that we lost Jack this week.

 

Zach seems to be doing really well. I think it's good that you're recognizing miracles in your work. That is a great thing. I'm really proud of you!

 

So since I can't think of anything, I thought I would give you a taste of Ukrainian...

 

добра день.

Hello (literally translated, Good Day)

як ваші справі?

How are you?

мене звати сестра даниел.

My name is Sister Daniel.

я із кентуккі.

I am from Kentucky.

я місіонар Церква Ісуса Христа Святих Останніх Днів.

I'm a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

 

Fun. Right??

 

Love you,

 

Sister Daniel

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