Picture This!

We got a ton of pictures from Sestra Schoen this week, and also a very desperate plea for letters sent via “dear elder.” I explained in the previous post entitled “my brain o’er floweth” how to send a dear elder step by step, so please, PLEASE check it out and send Carley a message if you have time. (reminder: www.dearelder.com is a website where you basically type and submit a letter as you would an e-mail, then for FREE the MTC prints your typed letter, puts it in an envelope and delivers it to the missionaries. It’s free, and it’s just like sending a letter in the mail minus the cost of a stamp and Carley claims that dear elders are just the best thing! So have compassion on my sweet sister and send her a dear elder if you can spare some time.)

Here’s her letter this week…

So I will try to cram in as much as I can right now. But this silly computer refuses to email more than one picture at a time.

This week has been wonderful and stressful (you are prolly—insert Courtney’s note: Carley replaces probably with prolly because she’s cute like that—going to get pretty annoyed with me repeating that but hey, it’s the truth).

  

Carley's first day at the MTC!

 

Everyone in Carley's "zone." These missionaries are all learning and studying together, but they are going to different parts of the world to serve the Lord.

 

In class

Enjoying the outdoors at the MTC. I had no idea they kept the grounds so beautifully kept!

She's a missionary!

Her sestri

Carley and two of her sestri that will be going to the Czech Republic with her. Sestra J and Sestra H. (not sure which is which)

Only Carley would notice that a tree on the MTC grounds smells like butterscotch. So strange, but we love her.

Learning in the MTC.

Carley loves going to the temple (see the previous post for more info on the temple)

Carley probably wanted to take this picture instead of be in it because she wanted to be in the sun, unlike those healthy folk chillin' in the shade.

These are the elders in Carley's zone. I think Carley has a special place in her heart for all these young men because she knows Dallas will be in the ranks in less than 4 months.

On with Carley's letter...

We finished teaching Honza, and now we are teaching 2 "investigators" simultaneously, Rene and Krystof. Rene is the “golden investigator,” he asks the BEST questions that make it so easy to invite the spirit and bear our testimonies. Krystof, however, is sorta lame, not gonna lie... He doesn’t seem interested at all and gives us little or nothing to work with. We also had what’s called TRC where returned missionaries come and you teach them as them not as any pretend character. We actually for the first lesson had to teach the Slovak teacher...so I understand Slovak sorta too!! Weird. Not like we are fluent. I am struggling a lot, but moving forward, so that’s good. But it still drives me bonkers not being able to easily express myself and lookin’ like a fool trying to act out words I can't remember.

Again, I LOOOOOVE the gals in my zone! But I’m sad because the polish sisters (going to Poland) are leaving in 10 days! I have become the hairdresser and stylist in the hall and I love it :) Reminds me of when I was section leader in band and did the girls’ braids. Our district elders are a hoot. So many different personalities but they are all wanting to learn so badly. I really like my teachers too, they’re great. Oh! And me and my companions (Sestra J. and H.) are singing in the MTC choir for this leadership training thing on BYUtv! Its on June 23rd I believe... but watch for me!!! :)

Please encourage people to dearelder me, I really appreciate it!

So there you have it! She's happy and healthy and loving her experience as a missionary!