Week two: Camera...

Okay, so I have no clue how to upload pictures from this blasted device, so if you could kindly look up some hints for me, then you can get a good look at my district. Motivation?

MTC food gets more sickening by the day, and I'm more than certain that by the time my six weeks here are up, I'm going to be completely stir-crazy; this is why some missionaries go a little... weird. ;) I kid.

German is coming a little easier, but you'll be pleased to know, Mother, that my default filler word has switched to 'alors'. My teachers give me odd looks for it, though, since the closest German word is "hallo", so every time I get stuck, it sounds like I'm saying hi.

There are 17 total lehrers for German, which is hilarious, since there are only 7 students. Oh! But the Italians are next door to us, and the anziani and sorelli are really nice. (Three of the anziani are from Canadia, which might explain it.) Teachers are really nice, too. I think Bruder Alston, Bruder Pedersen, Sister Covey and Sister Pingree are my favorites, though. They all rotate through, but Bruder Pedersen has another job, which means we don't get to see him every day. That's okay, though.

Laundry is exhausting. Well, to be fair, everything about the MTC is exhausting, but only laundry involves dragging half of my possessions across campus to the laundry room under building 2.

Chelsea: I love you, and you're a hypochondriac. :)

David: Heard from one of the new sisters that a new Imagine Dragons song came out, and I know you're on top of that. How is it? Is it awesome? I can't believe I missed it! AGH. I miss my music. You know we're not allowed to play music in the residence halls? I knew it would be bad, but I didn't know it would be THIS bad. I'm going insane(r)!

Maggie: Sssssssisssster... How are you? How's Mr. Craven? Did you remember to give him that card yet? Darling, I wish I could hug you right now, but just imagine my arms around your shoulder and my voice whispering in your ear of world domination~ XD

Daaaaaddy: Even if dein Deutch ist rusty, es ist besser than mein Deutch! Ich habe nicht vocabulary. Hear me roar in frustration. Oh well. I've only been here two weeks, und ich habe so mer belernt. (Just learned past tense, can you tell?) Thanks for sorting out the departure date thing with Mark, by the way. We sing Called to Serve in pretty much every meeting, you know. Sort of par for the course as a missionary. So stop making me cry. I mean, my allergies are acting up. *Single... manly... tear...* I love you, and I'm grateful that you're my father.

Mother: I've run into Seth a couple more times since I've been here. He seems to be doing pretty well. I need athletic socks and a stopwatch. (Laundryyyyy.) Oh! I may be sending some of your boxes back to you with slightly different contents. Did you know that really soft shirt you sent with me needs to be handwashed? Got any advice concerning that?

All in all, I'm doing pretty well, though I think I've gotten more ADD since I've been here. I ramble more than usual, which is at least helpful for practicing Deutch.

Oh! There was a sick sister in the hall the other day. Sis. Davidson went with her companion to get the elders from their district, and Sis. Biery and I stayed with her. We talked with her for a bit, and we had a sort of mini testimony meeting. It was really spiritual, and she felt a lot better. Sister Kopta (the sick sister) said something that sort of made me think:

"Sometimes, we feel like little, crusty loaves of bread, but the Savior can use us to feed thousands."

Pretty cool, huh? She wrote us a letter later, thanking us for staying with her and talking to her. I've stuck it in my journal for now. I wish I could make a photocopy.

Anyway, love to all! <3

Write to me. Write to me. Write to me. Write to me. WRITE TO ME. Okay? I get DearElder every day, (twice a day), and I always have time to hear from you. And I'm starved for normal human contact. PLEASE write to me.

Comps are making me leave. Stupid laundry.
Sister Moss


ONE MORE THING

Thanks for your package! The elders enjoyed the chocolate. And the cookies from that first one. That owl is adorable, by the way. It's on my shelf next to Jareth and Verdi. (Arthur is, of course, on the bed.)

The lehrers really liked the Heaven cookies you sent me. And the elders. And my companions. I liked them too. I've told them about the Happiness cookies, and they want to try those as well.

Sis. Biery would like to request oatmeal raisin cookies, but if you do send them, make sure to send something else for Elder Heil and Sis. Davidson. (They don't like raisins, the heathens.)

Elder Sheffer wants love, and Elder Mitchell wants to be adopted. XD

I need another towel. If you've found my cool blue one, send that, please. I need to wash the first one, and I keep forgetting to put it in the bag.

WRITE TO ME. EVERY DAY. I WILL HOUND YOU IN EVERY LETTER UNTIL YOU DO.

<3
Sister Moss

Week One: P-Day!

Und es begab sich...

Apparently, I've not much time, so I'll just throw words at the screen and hope they make sense.

Hey! How's everyone doing? I'm pretty okay, myself. I've become a note-taking FIEND like unto Rachel, though I've not had as much practice as her. I may have to switch to another computer.
Oh! my Normandie notebook somewhat broke at the spine, but it's still functional.
I'm writing in my journal every night.
The Spirit is so strong here!
You should be expecting a nice, long letter soon.
I'm not really sure what to say, except that I love you, and I miss you.
Send thicker knee-highs; my tan pair died a noble death. Also, some extra garments; exercise causes SWEAT, did you know that?
Ich lerne Deutch so schnell! Not so fast as I'd like, but you know.
The majority of my information will probably have to be in letters, though email is much faster, since I only get a half hour to read and respond. Abuse DearElder! I miss you entirely too much fiveminutesleftcrap.
Please, please, please tell people to write me! Stalk the blog! Anything! I feel like I'm on an island!
I've made a goal to read all of Alma before I'm out of the MTC.
My departure date still seems to be Jan. 7. If you could get Dad to work that out with Mark...? That would be great.
Craptwominutes.
Um! David, keep playing. Maggie, keep singing. Chelsea, keep studying and stop stalking my blog so much! If you have time to read, write me!
Craponeminute.
Daddy, I love you, and I have your rules written in my Normandie notebook (the broken one, haha). Mimi, I miss your hugs (and your food).
Gaaaahhhhh.
Pa, I miss your hugs sooooo much.
30 seconds.
Love you!

Im Namen Jesu Christi, Amen.
Schwester Moss


Okay, so I found another computer. Apparently, they don't all have timers. (Just the one.)

So, where was I...?

Dear To The Heart Of The Shepherd is a new favorite hymn. I've been singing a lot of things auf Deutch of late, for some reason. I really can't imagine why. I'm learning it stupidly fast, by the way.

Also, send more ink, if possible. I've been writing so much I've going through it like Maggie through outfits.

Alma 32:16-7.

Companions are summoning me. "I must go; they'll wonder where I am!"

Bye~ <3

Elizabeth's Farewell Talk

For those who were not able to attend Elizabeth's Farewell, I thought I would include her talk. She did embellish parts a bit, but not much. It was so powerful. 

Those of you who know me, this is the last week I'll see you for a while.  Those who do not know me… look for me in 18 months.

I have been called to labor in the Germany Frankfurt mission.  I leave for the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah tomorrow.  This is my farewell.

I was asked to speak on why I decided to serve a mission, but, while my older sister has an excellent story of her decision, I honestly cannot pinpoint when I started wanting to serve.  For most of my life, it wasn’t a choice; it was a foregone conclusion.  I was going to serve a mission, as soon as I was old enough.  The only uncertainty was where.  And now, there is no uncertainty.

I have a non-member friend, and I’ve known her since we were kids.  She doesn’t understand why I’m doing this.  She doesn’t get why I would leave school for what amounts to two years to work for 18 months without pay, and without the freedom to talk to my family and my friends whenever I want.  I’ve tried to explain it to her, but I guess I didn’t have my head together, because I think she still doesn’t understand.

My mission is a symbol of my devotion to God.  It is the opportunity to “have the wish of mine heart… [to] go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people… as with a voice of thunder”.

Alma was one of the greatest missionaries and prophets in the Book of Mormon.  He converted an entire nation, and yet he still had moments where he wanted to scream to the whole world, moments where he is so very human and relatable in a way that some of the other prophets aren’t.  And his wish rings true with me.  Sometimes, I want to shake the world with my hands and voice.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ makes me so happy.  But I see the world, and it's dark and violent and so sad, and I just want everyone to know what I know, to feel what I feel…  I feel awkward saying it sometimes, but I want to be a missionary because I want everyone to be as happy as I am.

And now that I’ve made my point, I need to fill another 8 minutes.

I have two hands.  They can write, they can draw, and they can feed me.  I use them every day, and they are strong.  They are useful.  But I look at them, and they are not perfect.  They have scars, and they get tired and ink-stained, and there are things that they cannot do.  My hands are not perfect, but I can use them to do God’s will.  I can use my imperfect hands to do perfect, inspired things.

The next 18 months will not be easy, but that’s okay.  We are not here because life is easy!  I did not come down to this earth to watch cartoons and eat popcorn!  I was given into the care of my parents because they were the ones that would make me strongest.  

The Gospel has saved my life in so many ways.  There are places I would’ve gone, a person I would’ve been, that would have put me in danger.  But the Savior, and His Atonement, and His love, kept me from straying into dark pathways.

One thing that I feel like some people overlook is that Christ was not only taking our sins; He took our pains, too, so that a perfect being could understand the imperfect people he was saving.

“I lied, and I feel bad.” “I feel sick with grief over my loved one.” “I am afraid of spiders.” “I am afraid to go home.” “I am afraid to die.” “I want to die.”

Imagine His grief when He began to experience guilt, grief and pain, knowing that these were feelings that his brothers and sisters were going to feel, even with his sacrifice.  Imagine the fear that might’ve come upon Him when He knew that some would act on their feelings of guilt, fear, loneliness and self-loathing in ways that were not a part of the Father’s plan.

And then, remember that He pressed on.  He believes in us, even when we don’t believe in ourselves.  He obeyed the will of the Father, out of love for God and love for us.  Maybe your parents don’t understand you, maybe your “friends” don’t care about you, but He does.  I cannot fully express to you in words, brothers and sisters, the absolute power and purity of His love for you and for me.  He loves you so much that He doesn’t care what you’ve done, because no matter what has happened to you, you are still His sibling.  If my brother broke his arm, I would be at his bedside.  If my sister killed a man, I would still love her with an unchanged fierceness of feeling, because my siblings, my family, my friends mean more to me than anything in this world.  That is who I am.  That is who He is… though I’m sure He’s better at it than I am.

As a sister, even if it means suffering pain or death, I would put myself through anything to protect my siblings, because they are mine.  And this is the love of an imperfect child for three people; imagine, then, the love of a perfect big brother for His billions upon billions of siblings.

One of my most powerful spiritual experiences was at my last EFY.  As I knelt in prayer, I found myself wondering what I was even doing.  I didn’t doubt that God exists, and that he lives.  I never have.  My doubts revolved around why God, with all the wonderful things He’s created and the wonderful things He does, would care about me and my little problems.  So I prayed to know whether or not He was listening.  Before I had even finished my prayer the second verse of a well-known Primary song came into my mind: “Pray; He is there.  Speak; He is listening.  You are His child.  His love now surrounds you.”  And I was so comforted that my pleas for knowledge became tears of gratitude.

The Atonement and the Plan of Happiness mean that I always have someone there, ready to listen to me, to teach me, to comfort me, and to forgive me, and that means everything to me.  And it kills me that there are people out there who don’t know about it, or don’t believe it.

That, my brothers and sisters, is why I am going to Germany.  That is why I am leaving school to work every day for 18 months without pay, and without the freedom to talk to my family and friends whenever I want.  If, over the course of my mission, I can bring only one person to the knowledge of the truth, every heartbreak, every slammed door, every promising lead that doesn’t pan out, will be completely worth it, because I’m not going out there for the 99 who say no.  I’m going out there to bring in the one person who says, “Yes.  Yes, this is the place for me.”

I would like to close with two quotes, my testimony and a song.

I’m sure you’re all familiar with Doctrine and Covenants, Section 18, verse 9.  “Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.”  The whole section is chock-full of wonderful missionary scriptures, but I think my favorite part is the end: verse 44 to the end.

“44 And by your hands I will work a marvelous work among the children of men, unto the convincing of many of their sins, that they may come unto repentance, and that they may come unto the kingdom of my Father.
45 Wherefore, the blessings which I give unto you are above all things.
46 And after that you have received this, if you keep not my commandments you cannot be saved in the kingdom of my Father.
47 Behold, I, Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God, and your Redeemer, by the power of my Spirit have spoken it. Amen.”

The second is one that I picked up in my first semester of college, and I’m not sure if anyone else knows it.  “Truth, in spite of the transient success of prejudices, and the support they receive from the corruption of governments or of the people, must in the end obtain a durable triumph.”—The Marquis de Condorcet

Testify as it feels right. (This was so powerful and heartfelt. I couldn't even begin to summarize it.)

Now, for the song. (Here are the words to the song. I'm not sure how she got through it, but it was beautiful.)

Savior, Redeemer of my soul,
Whose mighty hand hath made me whole,
Whose wondrous pow'r hath raised me up
And filled with sweet my bitter cup!
What tongue my gratitude can tell,
O gracious God of Israel.

Never can I repay Thee, Lord,
But I can love Thee. Thy pure word,
Hath it not been my one delight,
My joy by day, my dream by night?
Then let my lips proclaim it still,
And all my life reflect Thy will.

O'errule mine acts to serve Thine ends.
Change frowning foes to smiling friends.

Chasten my soul till I shall be
In perfect harmony with Thee.
Make me more worthy of Thy love,
And fit me for the life above.

Writing to Elizabeth through dearelder.com

The best way to write Elizabeth right now while she is in the MTC is through dearelder.com. It is a service provided that prints out your letter and delivers it to her. The deliveries are twice daily at noon and suppertime (whenever that is for her). That way it doesn't take up the limited computer time she has for writing letters reading them. She can do that any time, plus, with the printed letters, she can reread them to her heart's content. And we all know how contented her heart is rereading letters, notes, books, text messages, conversations.

So here's how you do it.

Click this link or go to www.dearelder.com. First, click "write a letter" at the top of the page. Then, ignore the square about the pouch deadline and look at the box below it that says "letter selection." There is a drop down menu with a red star by it. Click that and chose the "Provo MTC." Then click on "Write a Missionary." A mock envelope comes up. You have to put in your name and address and then fill in her information. Where it says Elder, click the drop down menu and choose "Sister" then add her name. Her unit # is 133, her mission code is GER-FRA, and her estimated departure date is Nov 27. Then under that box it asks for your email address. I think you have to put it in to make it work, but the other box is optional.

Now you are ready to write your letter. The bigger blank box is where you type the letter. They give you 7900 characters. I've never come close to using all those in one letter, so I think most of you are probably pretty good. If you need more I suppose you could send two letters or three. If you have any questions just ask me. Once you get it set up you don't have to fill her info in again.

Happy lettering!! I've already had a quick note from her, and she is doing well. Working hard. She says she thinks it's the hardest she's ever worked.