Saturday, February 21, 2009
Feb. 15, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Dear Family,
I’m doing really good. Really tired, but that’s o.k. Today was a really good day. We watched Music and the Spoken Word, and then Relief Society was awesome. Sister Beverly Thomas and Janice Kapp Perry talked to us about the power of music in the mission. We sang a lot with them and it was super neat. Sacrament meeting this week was on charity and love. Next week it is on knowledge.
I accompanied the musical number for the Sunday night fireside and it went really well. (Side note from Janae: The MTC mission president sent us a copy of the musical number on DVD! He sent a note with it saying, “Dear Brother and Sister Coy, We appreciate so much having your missionary here at the Missionary Training Center. Many of our missionaries are very talented musically and we have tried to let them share that talent while here. Enclosed is a DVD of the wonderful musical number your missionary presented in one of our meetings. We hope you enjoy it. Please know that we love and appreciate you and your missionary. President and Sister Smith” Wow! We were elated, of course! If I can figure out how to copy it onto the computer, I will post it on the blog soon!)
The speakers were President and Sister Paul B. Price (Branch President here at the MTC.) They talked about the relationship between having the power of the Holy Ghost and virtue. I really liked how they said, “The Lord will bless and magnify you as you develop your virtue by studying the scriptures and working hard in faith. I know that is true, and I am trying to search for ways that the Lord magnifies me.
I love you all, and I’ll email on Thursday. MUAH! Sora Karina
Dear Family,
I’m doing really good. Really tired, but that’s o.k. Today was a really good day. We watched Music and the Spoken Word, and then Relief Society was awesome. Sister Beverly Thomas and Janice Kapp Perry talked to us about the power of music in the mission. We sang a lot with them and it was super neat. Sacrament meeting this week was on charity and love. Next week it is on knowledge.
I accompanied the musical number for the Sunday night fireside and it went really well. (Side note from Janae: The MTC mission president sent us a copy of the musical number on DVD! He sent a note with it saying, “Dear Brother and Sister Coy, We appreciate so much having your missionary here at the Missionary Training Center. Many of our missionaries are very talented musically and we have tried to let them share that talent while here. Enclosed is a DVD of the wonderful musical number your missionary presented in one of our meetings. We hope you enjoy it. Please know that we love and appreciate you and your missionary. President and Sister Smith” Wow! We were elated, of course! If I can figure out how to copy it onto the computer, I will post it on the blog soon!)
The speakers were President and Sister Paul B. Price (Branch President here at the MTC.) They talked about the relationship between having the power of the Holy Ghost and virtue. I really liked how they said, “The Lord will bless and magnify you as you develop your virtue by studying the scriptures and working hard in faith. I know that is true, and I am trying to search for ways that the Lord magnifies me.
I love you all, and I’ll email on Thursday. MUAH! Sora Karina
Thursday, February 19, 2009
week 3/4 at the MTC
Hello everyone! I am learning more of the language every day. It is way hard, but fun and enjoyable as I keep working on it. I am getting better at teaching each time I try it, and I am always amazed and grateful for the Spirit that is ever more present with me each day as I strive to be a better servant to the Lord.
Tuesday devotional was with Elder M. Russell Ballard. It was so cool, and he talked about a lot of really good things. He said that we should never pass up an opportunity to bear our testimonies, and how important it is to internalize the message of the Restoration of the Gospel in us so that we can teach it in any circumstance to any one at any time, and that they will be able to know we believe it because we know we believe it.
He also talked a ton on how crucial it is to have a positive attitude when you serve the Lord. We must go forth as engaged crusaders for the Lord and let the light and joy of the gospel show in the example of our face, our spirit, our attitudes and our actions. Humility gives us the power to have this attitude as we increase our capacity to believe. As we continue to become true servants of Him in our desires, increased testimonies and ceaseless actions, we will find joy in that service. I have already found this to be true, and I am so grateful for it. Sometimes I feel a little behind and I don't know how to catch up, but I know a lot of it is just that I want to know more, and Satan doesn't like how happy I am each day :D But I am doing good. The lord is on my side, and I am working harder each day to be on His.
The Temple this morning was amazing, and I love it all so much.
I have now memorized my purpose as a missionary in Romanian (pg 1 of PMG) and also "I am a Child of God" and I'm starting to learn "Called to Serve". It's so much fun and so rewarding to study the gospel so much each day. I love studying the scriptures, and learning more and more about how much God loves His children. I know He loves us and I know that I am here because He has called me here.
I hope you are well and happy and that you are also able to experience the joy of sharing the testimony of truth with others. There is so much joy in the service of God and I know it.
I love you all so very much, and I'll write next week!
Love always, --Sora Karina
Tuesday devotional was with Elder M. Russell Ballard. It was so cool, and he talked about a lot of really good things. He said that we should never pass up an opportunity to bear our testimonies, and how important it is to internalize the message of the Restoration of the Gospel in us so that we can teach it in any circumstance to any one at any time, and that they will be able to know we believe it because we know we believe it.
He also talked a ton on how crucial it is to have a positive attitude when you serve the Lord. We must go forth as engaged crusaders for the Lord and let the light and joy of the gospel show in the example of our face, our spirit, our attitudes and our actions. Humility gives us the power to have this attitude as we increase our capacity to believe. As we continue to become true servants of Him in our desires, increased testimonies and ceaseless actions, we will find joy in that service. I have already found this to be true, and I am so grateful for it. Sometimes I feel a little behind and I don't know how to catch up, but I know a lot of it is just that I want to know more, and Satan doesn't like how happy I am each day :D But I am doing good. The lord is on my side, and I am working harder each day to be on His.
The Temple this morning was amazing, and I love it all so much.
I have now memorized my purpose as a missionary in Romanian (pg 1 of PMG) and also "I am a Child of God" and I'm starting to learn "Called to Serve". It's so much fun and so rewarding to study the gospel so much each day. I love studying the scriptures, and learning more and more about how much God loves His children. I know He loves us and I know that I am here because He has called me here.
I hope you are well and happy and that you are also able to experience the joy of sharing the testimony of truth with others. There is so much joy in the service of God and I know it.
I love you all so very much, and I'll write next week!
Love always, --Sora Karina
Thursday, February 12, 2009
1st and 2nd weeks in the MTC
hello mom and dad and family!
Here I am making it successfully one week in the MTC, and now I am doing laundry on my first Preparation Day. w00t! It has been so much fun so far...I'm loving evrything. we have about 4-9 hours of class each day with study times, service activities and food all thrown in somewhere. But it is really neat. I've learned so much that I don't think I could list it all.
As hard as trying to get everything stuffed in my brain and keeping it there is, I am having fun with my companions and my teachers, my district and branch. My whole district is going to Romania...I'll send you pictures of them this or next week I think. There is another Romanian district and they only have 2 weeks left. It will be sad/happy when they leave. It's weird to think they're not staying with us until we go but they're ready to go out to the field.
Anyways, I got to go to the Temple today, and it was amazing. I was impressed how the things we need to learn are not only line upon line and precept upon precept according to our understanding, but also according to our obedience to the things we've learned. I think it's so neat how the Lord has such compassion and patience as to wait for our agency to be used according to what He asks us to do in the first place, and it is always worth the amount of sacrifice it might require. But it's neat...our district does service in the Temple for 45 min about after the session helping with laundry and folding clothes and such to say thanks for letting us rent free. I'm looking forward to doing that each week.
Oh, and somehow I've already become an accompanist for 3 different things. The other Romanian district rejoiced when they found I was a piano major. 1. they don't have to stuble through hymns in sacrament meeting anymore 2. Elder Lyon has been wanting to sing in Devotional since he's been here, but had to provide his own accompanist and here I am...we'll be finding out when we perform in 2 or 3 days and 3 when the music staff found out I could play easily, they asked me to accompany a musical number for a sister who is singing at a farewell devotional on monday. I laughed, but it's so fun to be able to play the piano when there's time. Anyway, I need to go now, but I love you all so very much! Smile lots! --Sora Karina Ok, now that you know about week number one, here is week number two:I think that it is crazy how much stuff there is to learn. we have been learning about 2-5 new grammar concepts plus vocab each day up to today where we have review until monday when we will be learning more and more next week. Then we get a week long breather before we begin learning how to teach the lessons in Romanian. Ahhh! But I'm so excited for it all. It is super hard and yet it is the best thing ever to be trying to hard knowing that there is no way that you can learn any of it on your own, and then feeling the Spirit take over in your head small step by tiny step, and yet it is such an amazing blessing. We are teaching about 2-4 times each week, and we are getting better at teaching each time. It's so much fun. Even though all the people we teach are member volunteers or teachers, but it is all a good experience, and we are trying to take it as seriously as possible. The Lord still guides by the spirit as we teach them, even though they are already members with good testimonies.
The RC is super fun...its where we go and talk to people all over the US on the phone or chat lines through mormon.org and ask them if they received the Bible, Book of Mormon, or the DVD that they requested, bear our testimonies and invite them to receive the missionaries or go to church. It's so much fun...despite the answering machines and the people that hang up on you, people are out there to listen. Our Tuesday devotional this week was with Elder Teixeira from the 70 (last week was Elder Mask from the 70 I don't remember if I told you) It was amazing. His wife talked about how we need to sanctify ourselves to the Lord as His missionaries, and then he talked about the importance of having the Holy Ghost with us always so it can sanctify our hearts, testify to those we teach, and lead us to the elect that God has prepared for us to teach.
Yesterday was also a good day. I think that everyday has been a good day ;} If they aren’t then that's just silly and something needs to change - usually us! (lol)
I should have pictures for you soon I hope. Last time my order didn't go through properly or something, so I am trying again, and I will try to send them out on Monday.
Congratulations to Jenna for getting a piece in the art show! w00t! I am so excited for her, and I hope that Shaley is feeling better and that Tamara is having fun with the violin still. I'm playing the piano for a flute solo this Sunday at the Fireside ;} I think it's so interesting how the Lord puts use to our talents. This sister who is playing the flute remembered me from piano pedagogy last fall, my first semester there at BYU-I and she isn't a piano major. But anyway, she said that she had been praying to find an accompanist so she could play her flute for a devotional or something, and we sat in front of her during Music and the Spoken word on Sun. So we auditioned today, and we're playing on Sunday. It will be fun. We're playing "Come thou Fount" which I love. My companions and I are trying to memorize "I am a Child of God" in Romanian...we have the first 2 vs. so far, and are planning on singing it for our class by memory next week. Fun times!
I know that you are praying for me each day, and I pray for all of you each day, too, and I am so happy to know that the Lord is taking care of you. He gives me that confirmation every night, but I felt it extremely strong in the Temple this morning. I love going to the Temple, and I am going to miss it when I go to Romania. But the Lord's will is what brings us joy, and I have the amazing blessing of being able to partake in this joy each day here, and I know that will continue when I am in Romania. If there is anything I am missing, I'm sorry, but there is just so much to tell about and I don't even know how to say half of it ;} but I love you all so much, and I look forward to writing to you again next week. Stay happy every day and I'll ttyl! Love always, Sora Karina
Here I am making it successfully one week in the MTC, and now I am doing laundry on my first Preparation Day. w00t! It has been so much fun so far...I'm loving evrything. we have about 4-9 hours of class each day with study times, service activities and food all thrown in somewhere. But it is really neat. I've learned so much that I don't think I could list it all.
As hard as trying to get everything stuffed in my brain and keeping it there is, I am having fun with my companions and my teachers, my district and branch. My whole district is going to Romania...I'll send you pictures of them this or next week I think. There is another Romanian district and they only have 2 weeks left. It will be sad/happy when they leave. It's weird to think they're not staying with us until we go but they're ready to go out to the field.
Anyways, I got to go to the Temple today, and it was amazing. I was impressed how the things we need to learn are not only line upon line and precept upon precept according to our understanding, but also according to our obedience to the things we've learned. I think it's so neat how the Lord has such compassion and patience as to wait for our agency to be used according to what He asks us to do in the first place, and it is always worth the amount of sacrifice it might require. But it's neat...our district does service in the Temple for 45 min about after the session helping with laundry and folding clothes and such to say thanks for letting us rent free. I'm looking forward to doing that each week.
Oh, and somehow I've already become an accompanist for 3 different things. The other Romanian district rejoiced when they found I was a piano major. 1. they don't have to stuble through hymns in sacrament meeting anymore 2. Elder Lyon has been wanting to sing in Devotional since he's been here, but had to provide his own accompanist and here I am...we'll be finding out when we perform in 2 or 3 days and 3 when the music staff found out I could play easily, they asked me to accompany a musical number for a sister who is singing at a farewell devotional on monday. I laughed, but it's so fun to be able to play the piano when there's time. Anyway, I need to go now, but I love you all so very much! Smile lots! --Sora Karina Ok, now that you know about week number one, here is week number two:I think that it is crazy how much stuff there is to learn. we have been learning about 2-5 new grammar concepts plus vocab each day up to today where we have review until monday when we will be learning more and more next week. Then we get a week long breather before we begin learning how to teach the lessons in Romanian. Ahhh! But I'm so excited for it all. It is super hard and yet it is the best thing ever to be trying to hard knowing that there is no way that you can learn any of it on your own, and then feeling the Spirit take over in your head small step by tiny step, and yet it is such an amazing blessing. We are teaching about 2-4 times each week, and we are getting better at teaching each time. It's so much fun. Even though all the people we teach are member volunteers or teachers, but it is all a good experience, and we are trying to take it as seriously as possible. The Lord still guides by the spirit as we teach them, even though they are already members with good testimonies.
The RC is super fun...its where we go and talk to people all over the US on the phone or chat lines through mormon.org and ask them if they received the Bible, Book of Mormon, or the DVD that they requested, bear our testimonies and invite them to receive the missionaries or go to church. It's so much fun...despite the answering machines and the people that hang up on you, people are out there to listen. Our Tuesday devotional this week was with Elder Teixeira from the 70 (last week was Elder Mask from the 70 I don't remember if I told you) It was amazing. His wife talked about how we need to sanctify ourselves to the Lord as His missionaries, and then he talked about the importance of having the Holy Ghost with us always so it can sanctify our hearts, testify to those we teach, and lead us to the elect that God has prepared for us to teach.
Yesterday was also a good day. I think that everyday has been a good day ;} If they aren’t then that's just silly and something needs to change - usually us! (lol)
I should have pictures for you soon I hope. Last time my order didn't go through properly or something, so I am trying again, and I will try to send them out on Monday.
Congratulations to Jenna for getting a piece in the art show! w00t! I am so excited for her, and I hope that Shaley is feeling better and that Tamara is having fun with the violin still. I'm playing the piano for a flute solo this Sunday at the Fireside ;} I think it's so interesting how the Lord puts use to our talents. This sister who is playing the flute remembered me from piano pedagogy last fall, my first semester there at BYU-I and she isn't a piano major. But anyway, she said that she had been praying to find an accompanist so she could play her flute for a devotional or something, and we sat in front of her during Music and the Spoken word on Sun. So we auditioned today, and we're playing on Sunday. It will be fun. We're playing "Come thou Fount" which I love. My companions and I are trying to memorize "I am a Child of God" in Romanian...we have the first 2 vs. so far, and are planning on singing it for our class by memory next week. Fun times!
I know that you are praying for me each day, and I pray for all of you each day, too, and I am so happy to know that the Lord is taking care of you. He gives me that confirmation every night, but I felt it extremely strong in the Temple this morning. I love going to the Temple, and I am going to miss it when I go to Romania. But the Lord's will is what brings us joy, and I have the amazing blessing of being able to partake in this joy each day here, and I know that will continue when I am in Romania. If there is anything I am missing, I'm sorry, but there is just so much to tell about and I don't even know how to say half of it ;} but I love you all so much, and I look forward to writing to you again next week. Stay happy every day and I'll ttyl! Love always, Sora Karina
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
letter sent Feb. 1, 2009
Dear Family,
I am doing great! They really immerse you in everything so quickly here at the MTC. The very first day we were taught the aplhabet, how to pray in our new language, and how to bear our testimonies. Then the next two days we learned irregular verbs, two kinds of A and I verbs as well as E verbs and how to greet and make street contacts. That sounds like a lot, I know, and that is maybe half of what I'm doing each day.
Oh, I ran a mile yesterday (proud!) and we are singing in Romanian each day and it is awesome. It's interesting how I'm not at all homesick because this feels so much like home. My companions are awesome -- Sora Larsen's companion from Ukraine had visa problems so she will be joining Sora Kiriyama and I for the 9 weeks I'm here.
In our 4th week we will be teaching all our lessons in Romanian. Crazy. My teachers are awesome, too. Fratele (Brother) Sperry (who served in Romania) and Sora Petrisor (she is a native Romanian) and they are great teachers. And today we had mission conference and learned from the MTC presidency. It was a really neat message.
They talked about fucus and how our focus needs to be centered on Jesus Christ. The sacraent helps us do this by turning our thoughts, opening our hearts, and aiding in the cleansing, purifying and healing of our souls. This is so important because we can not help anyone or convert them beyond the point of our own conversion. We stay focused by listening to what God has to say to us, usually through His Son, Jesus Christ.
We never stop in our service, and with our hearts, minds, and desires focused always on our Savior, we will all find joy in our Savior and our service. I know this is true. I know that the atonement can change our lives and if we allow that to happen and press forward in all dilligence and righteousness, we will have joy in the Lord.
Love,
Sora Karina
I am doing great! They really immerse you in everything so quickly here at the MTC. The very first day we were taught the aplhabet, how to pray in our new language, and how to bear our testimonies. Then the next two days we learned irregular verbs, two kinds of A and I verbs as well as E verbs and how to greet and make street contacts. That sounds like a lot, I know, and that is maybe half of what I'm doing each day.
Oh, I ran a mile yesterday (proud!) and we are singing in Romanian each day and it is awesome. It's interesting how I'm not at all homesick because this feels so much like home. My companions are awesome -- Sora Larsen's companion from Ukraine had visa problems so she will be joining Sora Kiriyama and I for the 9 weeks I'm here.
In our 4th week we will be teaching all our lessons in Romanian. Crazy. My teachers are awesome, too. Fratele (Brother) Sperry (who served in Romania) and Sora Petrisor (she is a native Romanian) and they are great teachers. And today we had mission conference and learned from the MTC presidency. It was a really neat message.
They talked about fucus and how our focus needs to be centered on Jesus Christ. The sacraent helps us do this by turning our thoughts, opening our hearts, and aiding in the cleansing, purifying and healing of our souls. This is so important because we can not help anyone or convert them beyond the point of our own conversion. We stay focused by listening to what God has to say to us, usually through His Son, Jesus Christ.
We never stop in our service, and with our hearts, minds, and desires focused always on our Savior, we will all find joy in our Savior and our service. I know this is true. I know that the atonement can change our lives and if we allow that to happen and press forward in all dilligence and righteousness, we will have joy in the Lord.
Love,
Sora Karina
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