July 17, 2013

Lieber Familie,

 

Wie geht es Ihnen? I bet y'all are having a great time in Florida! Don't have too much fun without me. Mom, will you be teaching any seminars this time? 

 

I can't believe Tim Hulse is already back, has it really two years? That's awesome you were able to see Anika, I remember when she stayed with us 11 years ago. She would play with Wiz and I on the trampoline. How long is she visiting? 

 

Janae thank you so much for the shoe bags! They are fantastic! Thank you for the Zenfolio instructions, I won't be able to upload any pictures before I leave, but if I have time later I will.

Can you believe that one week from right now I will be in Berlin?!?! Ha it's been kinda crazy realizing that this is our week of "lasts" in the MTC. We are all so excited and a little nervous realizing that we don't yet speak German as well as we would like, but ready or not, HERE WE COME!

 

One thing I will miss is playing Fußball with the sisters in my branch. Yesterday we we playing Fußball on the field and then in turned into American football, ha and then a little bit of Handball and basketball. Eventually I picked up the goal and started to run away with that. Hahaha we have a lot of fun. (Wiz, I have had a bruise on my arm for the past almost two weeks the size of an appricot. Ha I think of you everytimeI see it ;)) I was about to say I have become espcially close with: and then name specific sisters, but I have become so close with all of these sisters. I didn't know I could love and appreciate someone so much, though I've only known them for 5 weeks. I truly am grateful for the opportunity I have to serve them.

 

We received our travel plans on Thursday! We will fly out on Tuesday morning from SLC at 11am. We will have a lay over in Detroit and from there we fly to Amsterdam. We'll have a short lay over and then fly into Berlin at 11am Wednesday morning. I will be able to call on Tuesday before I board in Salt Lake around 9-10ish if you will be home. When you send then package on Monday let me know if you want me to call your cell or the home phone and if you can 3-way Sha and Cade that would be awesome, but if not don't worry.

 

Wiz I am constantly thinking of advice for you, but I always forget by the time I go to type letters. Don't get the pink skirt I got, it's cute, but won't be practical for Honduras. Get skirts you won't need to wear a slip with. I absolutely love my accordian pleated skirts. Start practicing getting ready in 20-25 min and that is with shower included. Learn the best ways to calm yourself down that will allow your companion to stay with you. ie before the MTC I would go run by myself when I would get stressed, but I can't do that here. I usually sit down close my eyes and take a few deep breaths. Learn what works best for you. I love you and I know you will be awesome! By the way I have run into Elder Lamb a few times. I recognized him from the picture of you with your future Mission Pres and other missionaries.

 

I wish I had the time to share all I have learned this week, but I don't. One thing I learned last night, perfect love casteth out fear. When we love Christ so much and realize how important this message is for ourselves and everyone, we won't have fear because love/charity is so much greater!

I love you all so much! Please send more pictures/ funny stories of Cade and JD. Have a great week and be safe!

 

-SisterTurner

July 10, 2013

Lieber Familie,

 

Thank you for the package! I was getting low on Reliv and that came just in time. I'm glad you had a great time camping! It sounds like you had a big group. Haha so you lit the neighbors yard on fire?? I thought you learned from Pres Monson's talk that fire is not the right way to get rid of weeds ;)

I really can't believe it has been 4 weeks. We should be getting our travel plans tomorrow. CRAZY!

Indepence Day was really fun. We had a special Patriotic Devotional that night and then watched 17 Miracles. Afterward we went outside to watch the fireworks and eat ice cream. They let us stay up til 11:30. Ha it was really difficult staying awake in class the next day. I'm sorry it rained while you were camping, but the rain here was fantastic! Also tell Cam I finally found/ looked for the cream soda tree. I may have gotten a few odd looks smelling it.

 

This has been a very humbling week. I have been sick for the past two weeks. Don't worry, I'm fine. It got bad at the beginning and seemed to be going away but then it got bad again on Saturday. I received a blessing and some medicine and I felt much better but it still wasn't going away. I went to the doctor yesterday and they gave me an antibiotic. So I'll be fine, it has just been a little frustrating. The language hasn't been coming along as well as I would like. I feel like everyone is finally floating and I'm still drowning in the language. I've had some other struggles and have just been feeling really down. I expect myself to be perfect and I'm frustrated when I'm not.

Last night I was praying begging for help and comfort. The answer I felt was: It's not meant to be easy, only possible. All these things shall be for thy experiece. I realized that I have been trying to do most of this on my own and it took a lot of humbling and bringing me very low to realize that there is no way I can do this on my own. Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.   I am grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who is so very patient with me. "The Lord only has imperfect people to work with. That must be terribly frustrating, but He deals with it. So should we." -Elder Holland

 

On Sunday Pres Peterson called me to serve as the Sister Training Leader for the remainder of our stay at the MTC. I feel grossly underqualified and very inadequate. But I believe the Lord qualifies those He calls, and I am putting my trust in that because I have no idea what I am doing. I pray for a greater capacity to love these sisters and receive guidance for how I can best serve them.

I truly have been so blessed. I am learning so much from my experiences here. Everyone I come in contact with has something to teach me. And I know that Lord places specific people in our lives at just the right time to teach us what we need. And when we act on the promptings of the spirit we are tools in the Lord's hands to bless those around us.

 

Thank you for the letters, packages, support and prayers!  I love you all!

 

-Sister Turner

July 3, 2013

Lieber Familie,

 

Half way through the MTC! Ha wha??? Yesterday night I told Sis Schwantes I was excited for P-day or P-tag (pronounced PAY-tah-g) and we turned to each and said, what?! P-day was yesterday!! Haha really the time is flying by! The MTC is great, but I am soooooooooooooooo excited for Deutschland!!!!!!!!!!

 

So every speaker they have at the MTC is amazing!!!! Last night we heard from Bro Matthew Richardson and on Sunday we heard from Sis Sheri Dew. Wow! Ha I don't even know where to begin, ya'll can just read it in my journal when I get home ;) The thing that stuck out most to me from Bro Richardson was a story he told about when he was in the MTC years ago. There was a little girl with her grandma who said pointing to Bro(Elder) Richardson and his companion and said, " Grandma are those REAL missionaries?!?!?!" He pointed out that we are always being watched, and that is why we must maintain the highest standards of dress and conduct. He then asked the question, "What would a REAL missionary do?" BTW can you send me a copy of my mission call, bitte?

 

Three weeks in the MTC, feeling like I know everything...hahaha and nothing. A few things I have learned:

My call is to be a missionary and that call is inspired.

What e'er thou art, act well thy part. Others are depending on me to do my part.

D&C 90:24

The pink stuff is delicious! I'm not sure what it is, but it's fantastic!

I can do hard things.

I don't know everything.

Have the courage to be true at all times. Realize  who you are and see the vision.

No accident. I am where I am supposed to be.

I was wrong. Ha Sis Schwantes has been getting bored just running laps for exercise time so she wanted to play soccer. I don't like soccer. I not good at soccer. I didn't want to play soccer. Haha guess who was wrong... Guess who now loves soccer! Ha MEEEEEE! Still not very good at it, but I am willing to try things that I normally wouldn't try. I am so grateful that Sis Schwantes is always pushing me a little out of my comfort zone to overcome fear or struggles.

Some days you just don't have time to shave the back of your legs. Ha and that's ok :)

Whatever you eat will give you a stomach ache. FACT.

Be careful what German words you accidentally exclaim when you are trying to memorize Lehre und Bundnisse 4 (Doctrine and Covenants 4) Hahah funny story for later...maybe

I have the best teachers in the MTC!

I have the BEST companion!

I am in the BEST district!

I am in the BEST zone/branch!

And I am headed to the BEST MISSION!

Every mission is a baptizing mission.

Heavenly Father is an amazing artist! He pays so much attention to detail

Walking barefoot in the grass is one of the most amazing feelings and I greatly miss it, but that's ok.

Letters are GOLD

Packages are even better!

I never have time to respond to letters.

Obedience brings blessing, EXACT obedience brings miracles.

I am so grateful for the times when I am healthy and not sick.

Sleep is a wonderful and precious thing.

There is not enough hours in the day, ha and yet the days are too long.

Smile and look like a missionary, especially when you are tired.

I love my family!

 

I hope you are all well! Have so much fun camping this week! Payson Lakes was always one of my favorites! We get to watch a special Patriotic Program tomorrow and then they will let us watch the fireworks. Sis Knect is a little bummed about that, haha she just wants to sleep. But I am SO exctited! I think we will all be on the field in front of the MTC to watch the fireworks, but I'm not sure yet. Are ya'll running the Freedom Run?? Have fun and good luck. Also, make sure you don't try to take the basketball stand with you to Black Hawk ;)

 

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Turner for the treats!! Ha I might eat all of the apples tonight...

I'm out of time. Love you all! BTW let me know if you are getting these emails and they're not just going to spam.

 

Hugs and kisses for JD and Cade! Oh and Happy Birthday JD!!!! I can't believe he is 1!

 

-Sister Turner

June 26, 2013

Lieber Familie!

 

Holy Cow! Or Holy Crow (as Sister Shelley would say). Ha I have no idea where the time has gone. I am officially in the MTC time warp. Each individual day is so long that by the end of the day I forget what I did that moring and each is flying by. I can't believe it's only been 2 weeks. It seems like just days and at the same time FOREVER. But I love it! Sis Rasmussen said she just wanted to sleep all day the next day and Sis Stuart responded: "NO! You want to be here! This is the only time in your life to be spiritually spoon-fed!"  Haha I absolutely LOVE the sisters in my room. It is no coinsidence that we are all here at the same time and all headed to the same mission. Sis Stuart's mom said of us: "I believe you all new each other before you came to this earth and knew that you would all participate in God's great work at this time." I can't begin to explain how truly blessed I am to be here. It is an amazing time to be at the MTC. There is a sign in the parking lot here that says "General Authority Parking Only" How cool is that?!?!?! I was able to participate in the choir for the broadcast on Sunday which was Ah-MAY-Zing!! Last night Sister Janice Kapp Perry was the speaker at our devotional. Wow! She had us sing a medley of primary songs she wrote and then we sang a new one. So she has changed the words to "As Sisters in Zion" to "The Sisters of Zion" and we sang the "new EFY medley"/missionary medley The Sisters of Zion/Amry of Helaman. Oh my goodness, I'm getting the chills just remembering what I felt last night the spirit and strength of the testimonies in that room was about to blow the roof off the Marriott Center!! Earlier in her talk Sister Perry was talking about when she and her husband met, at BYU in a music class. She said that the first line he said to her was as she was warming up to play the clarinet and he said "those lips were meant for something better than playing music" Hahahahaha and then Bro Perry got up and kissed his wife. Hahaha the whole MTC was dying laughing!

 

I guess I didn't tell you much about my companion last time. Sister Schwantes is from Anchorage, Alaska, Oklahoma, and most recently Houston, Texas. She is a math major at BYU. I love her to pieces. We get a long so well and we have had some pretty awesome experiences in this short time. I'm surprised that I don't mind being glued to someone 24/7. Last week we were preparing one of our lessons and we were really struggling with the language so Sis Schwantes told me to just teach her the lesson in English. It went really well and she told me something that really struck me. The past two days before this I had been really discouraged and really down on myself wondering if I would ever get it. She told me, "I can see it in your eyes. You know it's true and I can feel it. I can feel the power behind it." That was the first time I really felt like a missionary. We tried something a little different as we continued teaching. When we speak in German we try not to translate sentence for sentence, but rather the idea or principle using any language we have and not stressing about the words we do not know. Elder Holland said, "In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold to the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited. Lead with what you know, not what you do not know."

 

So we are no longer teaching "Herr Langmesser" our first investigator. He is now our teacher Bro Brogden. So as a class/district we were asking him questions getting to know him. Turns out he and I were at Timpview the exact same time and never saw each other. We didn't even recognize each other, which I was very greatful for because I was able to treat like a real investigator.

So I'm pretty sure the MTC is trying to kill us. Ha I miss REAL food. Sis Schwantes said, "it is against my religion to eat this food. I'm not supposed to put anything harmful in my body!" Hahah our stomachs agree. Sha- just so you know I have been weighing myself weekly and I gained 15 pounds in two weeks!!!! Jk I'm the same, no worries ;)

 

We are not allowed to listen to music at the MTC so we have been singing a lot. Two nights ago, Sis Knect and I were entertaing Sis Rasmussen with Disney songs. Nobody knows the Ugly Bug Ball song :'( Haha another favorite of ours is As Sisters in Zion though we changed the lyrics to "As Sisters in Zion, we all look like grandmas..."

 

Thank you for everything you sent me in the packages. I really appreciate it. BTW my P-day in Wednesday. And the temple is open! We'll be headed over there in a few hours. I'm so excited! Last week was our first time going, it was so cool to be in the celestial room with most of my branch!

I'm glad Burrios is doing well. By the way I can only email once a week so writing letters is easier for me to read or Dear Elder.com. I can't print out any letters you eamil :(

 

So two weeks out I finally miss y'all. I started crying when I saw the pictures you sent. Ha I forgot how much I love you guys! Thank you for your love and support. BTW I miss you in an I love you way, not I miss you and I'm depressed. Send lots of pictures of Cade and JD, they make me smile!

I love you all so much!!!

 

-Sister Turner