Claire's Mission to Armenia: MTC Week 2

Well thanks everyone for writing me emails, not.... that's okay, all of your letters and dearelders were so great this week! First off, thank you so much Mom and Mimi and Sis for the packages! Mimi, that pencil bag is seriously the cutest! Sis, the cookies are great, but I would rather not get anymore treats, there are TONS here and my comps all get lots and lots too, so things other than cookies would be much appreciated. Mom, the silly putty was amazing, my whole district has decided to email their moms to get some because they were so jealous when I got mine. haha.

 

Well, as to my subject line, I said this once to some elders who were out of class when i was getting a drink and I have not been able to hear the end of it! They say they have never heard of being "on the lamb" and so they constantly use it in reference to anything they are doing, it is really quite funny.

 

Here I am, two weeks in and I am really feeling like I am hitting my stride, the days are starting to run together and go by so quickly! Which is good, but scary in that in less than 8 weeks I will be Armenia bound! AHHH. It's great though, the language is coming, slowly but surely, and my new comp, Elder Sarafian, and I have been doing really well in our lessons. So, yes you read correctly, my comp is now an elder. haha. just for teaching, but it is super fun. He is from Australia and as you can surmise from the last name, he is Armenian. He speaks Western Armenian and we are learning eastern, so just a few things are different, he can't read in it, but his understanding is great. He is a wonderful companion, and so much fun! It turns out that Vasgen, our investigator, was just one of our teachers, so very sneaky! So now we have three invesitgators, two armenian (just our other 2 teachers) and an english one, to help us practice. Its great, and kind of stressful, but it helps to take risks with the language and allow the Lord to work with us.

 

My other two comps are great. Sister Nelsen, from Brigham City, was a nursing student at Weber State and left an engagement to come here. She has had some health problems but she is super and she just broke the sister's MTC bench press record! haha. Sister Kellis is great, from Harrisburg, Penn. and graduated in Euro studies from BYU, she studied German for 8 years before this and so like me was suprised to see armenia on her call.

 

The rest of my district- Elder De Bry (going to California Armenian speaking, he grandpa is a big personal injury lawyer in SLC), Elder Wood (Both of his parents are in MoTab), Elder Kopsa (my favorite elder, such a sweet guy, one of four boys, he can be such a goof, but is one of the most wise people I have ever met), Elder Marco (from Toledo, OH), Elder Ericsson (6'5'' our ZL, he kinda looks like Matthew Crawley, haha), Elder Littlewood, Elder Frey, and Elder Morley (An amazing convert from Bountiful, is depth of testimony is amazing, and he is such a sweet guy) then we have the Georigians, those who are going to our mission but will be in Georigia speaking that language, Elder Luette, Elder Doty and Elder Fagg ( A darling 18 year old Brit with a lovely accent). Then just me and my comps. Our teachers are great, and we have so much fun together!  I have become the designated mender for the elders and have fixed a shirt for Elder Sarafian and socks for elder Morley and elder Kopsa, haha. That sewing kit grammy made is coming in handy!

 

The weather has turned cold, and snow fell yesterday. The coats and scarves are coming out and I would love some more tights, just simple opaque ones in grey and black if that is possible. Also I would love a bit of my perfume, and mum don't worry already have one of my handcart necklaces.

 

Olivia left this monday, I can't believe that she is in France already. So exciting, she was such an amazing asset to have here at the beginning of my mission. Good friends are just the best.

 

For movie night on sunday we watched "Missions are Forever" a MTC devotional by Elder Holland, it was AMAZING!!! you all need to see if you can conjure it up! It seriously just set me on missionary fire! Its all about just living for the moment now and enjoying every moment of your mission, the good and the bad. I highly recommend it! Also the mormon message, "Daughters of God" amazing, look it up, and mimi, please put it on my FB please! Well the time is running out, and I am sad to say farewell but keep the letters coming! I love love love them, and feel all of your love and prayers from far and near and it is amazing the strength that it gives me. Its almost as if you can see the prayers pouring into this place, each of us is so blessed by the faith and love being sent to us from the outside world. thank you. The MTC is a special place, we get amazing speakers, Sister Dibb for R.S. and Elder Echo Hawk for devo, the church really takes care of us! I am coming to love it here, its still hard, but each day gets better.

 

Please reply via dearelder, I get them each night and I LOVE it! Also, a learned a trick about how to read emails without it gobbling up my time, so you can send those along! i love the pics too!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

 

I can't print pics here at the MTC, dumb if you ask me, and i can't really attach them on here (the technology here is weird) but I will ask some techy boy in my district if he knows what to do...

 

Asvatz dzez het! (God be with you!)

 

Sister Claire Haynie