First Email! and Pictures!

Dear Family,

Well...I'm still here!  They say that if you can make it through your first week then you are good! I guess we will see! I still feel good so that goods! 

Life at the MTC is so good.  Hard and tiring but good.  I really love it here, but I do miss everyone at home. It is hard because I want to write home everyday but we can only on wednesdays.  So even though I'm not writing back, keep sending me letters!  They make my day!  Write me everyday.  10 times a day!  haha...but seriously.  i should be grateful though, I have gotten more mail then anyone else.  my family and friends really do love me! -haha the shift button doesn't work on this computer...too many desperate missionaries writing home!- but keep the mail coming!  i love hearing from y'all.

jacob- I'm so proud of your ACT score.  I was crying when i read it, lame i know!  You are so smart!!  Everyone in my district knows about it because they wanted to know why I was crying.  Witicha State in the final four!?!?! What seed were they?  didn't i have Michigan in the final 4?  how am I in the family rank??? 

Zach- the dear elder didn't like whatever you wrote to me in russian, it turned it into numbers!  but yes, i can read and write russian now. Send me some in a letter and I will tell you what it means.  also, I will send home your names today! 

Tyson- I love you! Thanks for the mail!

Parker- the letter i got from you made me smile!  You are so cute!

So...MTC life!  My companion's name is Sister Sink, she is good.  We teach really well together!  Russian is coming along great, sometimes it gets discouraging but I just have to take a step back and look at it in the big picture, last week I didn't even know the alphabet and now I can read, write, bear my testimony, and pray all in Russian.  This might crack you up, remember Mr. Anderton.  His classes are most like what the classes at the MTC are like, minus the horse stories (that was for you, jacob!).  They are intense, almost always in russian, but a lot of fun.

The first day is crazy! You are on such a tight schedule, you don't even have time to breathe!  but it gets so much better!  i didn't sleep hardly at all, but i have slept really well since.  Except last night, one of the girls in my room was like, "How can you sleep with no bar keeping you from falling?" then i realized she was right, and I was a little worried about falling off the bed. But I haven't yet!  i have been talking in my sleep like crazy though, it must be the stress!!!!

My district is awesome.  We have 8 sisters and 3 elders.  that has never happened before!!  All the other russian districts can tell that we are new, simply because we are females!  As you can see, they even converted some mens bathrooms to girl's bathrooms!  We are taking over!!  I know a lot of the sisters from facebook, and they are fantastic.  I run with Sister clark (redhead) almost every day.  We run for 20 minutes then we play 4 square. i am a 4 square champ!!! They have all these records missionaries can try and beat.  The mile time for elders is a 4:44, maybe jacob can beat that when he gets in!  Gym is so great though, super chill and relaxed.  Then we have time to shower and get ready again, which i appreciate.  I'm so glad I practiced getting ready in 30 minutes, it has made a world of difference!

We have already taught 3 lessons all in Russian.  it is kinda tricky but amazing how the spirit can come, even if we can barely talk.  The Lord is blessing me with the gift of tongues, i am positive of it!  I can't wait to go to the temple today, since coming to the MTC I have been so much more in tune with the Spirit, I know that he guides me and prompts me!  i just can't wait to get Ukraine and start teaching and loving his people.  first I have to learn though!!

Easter was so great!  Probably the best Easter ever. i missed you guys but it was totally focused on Christ.  We had a huge missionary devotional on Easter morning and they served the sacrament.  over 3000 missionaries partook, crazy right!  When i worked here there were only 1500 missionaries.  it doesn't seem that crowded, russians know how this place works and we avoid the crowds.  but then Bishop causee spoke.  he is the presiding bishop.  it was so good.  Then we had meetings with our branch.  My district was on the way to district meeting when we were stopped by a huge group of people.  It took me a minute to realize that is was bishop causse and his family and security.  They asked where we were going and one of our sisters said, 'district meeting'.  He looked so confused for a second, then he asked where we were serving.  Kinda embarrassing but so funny.  his daughter took seminary from our mission president though! Small world, right! 

At our fast and testimony meeting that night, our branch president got up, talked a little bit, all in russian, then went to the piano.  i had no idea what he was doing.  Then he played a beautiful Easter medley.  It made me think how I know christ died for the sins of all of us, but that he lives today.  he lives, and he loves us!  What a blessing that it!

That night we had another devotional and our speaker was Sister Sheri Dew!  Oh my lanta!!! It was so great! I loved it so much! She spoke about asking God who we are and who we can become.  so great!  I loved it! 

Then we got to watch a movie then we went to bed.  it was a great day!  Thank you so much for the Easter basket, it made my day!  The necklace is perfect mom, i wear it everyday! 

Last night we had a member of the 70 come to speak. I sang in the choir, which was great!  If you are at the MTC, be in the choir.  There are so many people though that they have to limit who can sing.  It is first come, first serve!  But it was an awesome devotional. I felt like he was speaking just to me!  Loved it!

So I have like one minute left but to close--

Highlights --

 Letters, send more!

Being here

Devotionals 

seeing old friends (i saw Sister Hafen, and sister bay before they left on monday, what a tender mercy!) I have seen 19 friends here, which is awesome, and pretty good for someone that didn't go to a high school in utah!  I see them all the time and they make me smile!

Easter

More letters

Russians have the best meal times.  We eat early so everything is fresh! 
Also all the Russians are super united.  Maybe it is because there are so many of us, but we mesh well.  We have russian pride!

Lowlights --

Everyone cries here.  Like all the time.  Even the men. and our teachers.  It's weird but good too in a way.  

im a little scared I will fall off my bed.  pray for me that I won't!

i miss--

family
friends

chex cereal 

muffins

sitting on the floor.  It isn't allowed for sister going to ukraine, it is a culture no-no.  Hardest rule for me but its ok! 

craving --

cinnamon rolls!! 

and muffins

Funny --

YOSO- You only serve once! 

The language...i can't say so many sounds. sometimes it feels like i'm puking out words.  but people laugh at my attempts all the time.  i laugh at my attempts all the time.  

Apparently the MTC is like hogwarts.  First person to guess what house Russians are wins!!  i will explain it next week!! Haha. 

Tender Mercies-

seeing my friends
letters

favorite quotes
devotional speakers

I love it here!  Read Doctrine and covenants 18, people are worth a lot in the sight of god! God lives and he loves us!  christ lives and he loves us and suffered the atonement so that we could be with our families forever!  What a blessing! 

I love you and miss you!  Keep the letters coming! 

Sister Ford

PS- elders are weird!  I think i knew that already though! Great but weird! 

WRITE ME!  FOR REAL!! 

Saying Goodbye!

We all said goodbye to Kati before she went into the MTC.

Kati and family at setting apart.

 At the airport.

 Grandma and Grandpa at the MTC.

HOW TO: Write a missionary (ME) while I am at the Provo MTC

So...eventually I will leave and I know most of you (hopefully) will want to write me!  So instead of explaining this to people over and over again, I decided to create a How-to movie.  This is the first time I have ever done this, so if it is awful, I'm sorry.  

This is for how to write a missionary while they are in the Provo MTC.  It is great to use dearelder.com, because it is FREE, EASY, FAST and if it is sent before noon (MST), it is delivered the same day! Plus, you can do it all on the computer!  

So, here is my video.  

Also, coming soon are videos on how to use pouch mail and how to use dearelder.com to send a letter through pouch mail!

(P.S.- I don't have my address yet- but as soon as I do, I will post it.  It will obviously be different then the one in my video!) 

UKRAINE!!!

Ukraine Flag 

All right, to tell the truth...I really didn't know much about Ukraine before I got my mission call.  And by not much, I mean hardly anything!  Which is really sad. BUT now that I have my mission call, I have realized what a beautiful and special country this is.  I am so excited to actually get to go here! And I can't wait to met and serve the people, people who seem just as beautiful as this beautiful country! 

A video that showcases some of the best that Kyiv has to offer! 

time lapse of Kyiv

Lots of veggies in Ukraine

The food of Ukraine - borscht 

I love this picture.  I thought it was photoshopped
but apparently it is just after a crazy snowstorm.  It looks so pretty!

Celebration of the Ukraine temple

Pictures from the temple in Ukraine 

The Kyiv Ukraine temple

 I am so excited to serve here!  I can't wait! 

Great Memories: Sisters in Salt Lake

So... a few weeks after I received my call, I had this opportunity to meet up with (soon-to-be) sister missionaries that would be serving all over the world.  

How did this happen?  Well...I was a member of a future sister missionary Facebook page and they arranged a date to meet at the Salt Lake temple and sing and talk. It worked out perfectly for my roommate Laekynn and I to head down there!  

We drove down there and it was SNOWING!  So much snow. But for some reason, the snow made the day more magical.  

Originally, only Laekynn and I were going to be going, but my Grandma and Grandpa Lindsey decided to come with us, so I have them to thank for all the great pictures! 

This was such a great experience for me.  It was wonderful to meet sisters that were going to serve all over the world.  I even met a Sister going to MY MISSION!! (Ukraine)!!!!  <----This is a pretty sweet story, due to traffic and other things, Laekynn and I arrived after my grandparents.  When we got there, my grandparents had already met Bryn and her mom.  It was so awesome to met her!  I felt so blessed to meet someone that is going to my mission! 

The other great opportunity I had was that I was interviewed by the news.  Originally, the news interviewed tons of girls so I didn't think I would make the cut. But then we were watching the 9 o'clock news, and there I was!  It was so much fun! (News store here - I'm quoted!) 

Also, someone created this wonderful sister missionary video from that day.  Look for me! 

This was such a happy day for me :) 

The Call

 It was FINALLY here!  But I still had to wait 2 hours to open it.

When the mailman (actually a lady...) drove away, I ran down the stairs.  RAN...like the fastest I have ever run!  I was shaking and excited and now that I think back on it, really surprised that I didn't fall down, crack my head open, and then die.  Thank goodness that didn't happen!

I opened the mailbox and there it was!  It was actually there. I pulled it out of the mailbox, screaming and jumping up and down! I took my first look at it!  It was beautiful!

I saw the postage...$1.90 (supposedly postage of $1.90 implies foreign).  I freaked out a little. Ok, A LOT!  I couldn't believe that this moment was finally here!

I thought about where I would be going.  I took some Spanish in high school, so I thought South America, maybe Spain.  I could see myself going to a Visitor's Center, or in the United States, maybe speaking Spanish.

But I didn't know!
I went back up to my apartment, made the appropriate calls and texts, and waited.  While I waited, I made cookies.  They were shaped like little worlds. While I waited, I cleaned the whole apartment.  While I waited, I held the call. And just looked at it.  (Is that weird??? maybe a little bit...)

Finally it was time to open the call. Or so I thought.  Setting up the Skype, waiting for people to get off work, Making sure my parents could hear...Everything took longer than I wanted it too. I just wanted to open my call already!

Finally we started...We sang Called To Serve.  We said a prayer.  Many of the people that I loved and cared about and that love and care about me were there.  My grandpa and a member of my bishopric said a few things.  And then it was time for me to open my call. 

I was shaking SO much!  I could hardly use the letter opener.  My aunt joked that I was going to rip my letter in half.  I was shaking so much that it could've happened! 

 

Sorry for the poor quality of the video...But anyways...

After I opened the call I hurried and put it under the packet so I couldn't read ahead.  I began reading and this is what is said...

          Dear Sister Ford, 

You are hearby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  You are assigned to labor in the Ukraine Kyiv Mission.  It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.

You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, March 27th, 2013.  You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Russian language. 

The Letter, signed by President Thomas S. Monson

UKRAINE! 

I couldn't believe it!  Never in a million years would I have guessed Ukraine!  However when I read it and once the shock passed, I knew it was the right place for me!  BUT I must say that I was a little shell-shocked for probably a week!

Something I love about mission calls is that it is like the ONLY time when the Lord sends you a letter, through his apostles and prophets, that tells you what to do and where to serve! He loves me and is sending me where I need to go!  That is a huge blessing in my life!

Friends there to support me! 

love Lonna and Kelsie! 

Brother Perkins and His Wife both came 

Grandma and Grandpa! 

 It was so great to have the support of everyone that came.  I remember looking up and seeing more than one person crying.  It was a really special moment for me. 

How Book of Mormon, Ukraine, and my name look in Russian! 

 Now it's time to start learning some Russian! 

Russian Book of Mormon!