Hello world!! From Sister Acacia Brown

Tuesday February 16, 2010 at 10:40 AM

Hi Family!!!! Ok well, first off i'm having a hard time figuring out
this new email program they have set up. It won't let us enter so the
format of this email will be quite odd. hahaha. anyways, here we go!!!
How is everyone. Thank you fam for the loverly little valentines day
package. totally loved it! and sister bowers thank you so much for the
package and letter! that was so sweet! I will try to write and letter
to you in the next free time I have, but until then, sorry! ha. oh man
where to start!! i don't even know! ummm...so ill start you off at the
exact moment you dropped me off at this lovely mtc. So the host elders
helped me take my bags and I was given a host sister and taken to my
room, given my tag, etc. Then we started off with classes. oh man i
actually don't even really remember it feels like soooo long ago. I
think we had some orientation stuff that night and such and then
worked up till 9:30, had a little bit of free time, and then headed
off to bed. The first couple nights I kinda had a super hard time
sleepin, all that was going through my head were russian words over
and over and over again. haha. kinda funny, but kinda crazy. After the
first couple nights though i have been so absolutely exhausted that i
able to get to sleep pretty well. so that has been wonderful. Our
first teaching lesson is on wed. part in russian rest in english. Our
teachers are brat bradford and brat hansen. um there are 12 people in
my district. 10 elders and then me and my companion sister kelly. She
is totally wonderful! keeps me on task for sure! its good, cause there
are times when i wish i could be lazy, but i think we work well
together. man i am surrounded by a sea of boys here in the mtc! haha.
the elders in are district our hilarious, they make us laugh. um
brother harrison, aunt kanani's neighbor, is our branch president. So
there are 4 districts i believe in our zone. 2 are just elders that
have been here for about 6 weeks, and then there is a district that
came in with us with 3 sisters, and then ours. it was funny becuase
the elders were like super creeped out to talk to us and they said
they didn't know what to do. hahaha. kinda funny! oh man so sorry this
is so spaztic i can't even think of what to tell you. So the
language............haha. so so so hard!! its really awesome and cool,
but just even learning the alphabet and how to read and sound out the
words in quite difficult. my companion already knew quite a bit of
russian since she lived there for a few years when young, so that was
kinda intimidating and i felt kinda stupid, haha. but it's all good! I
actually know how to do some basic greetings now, bear my testimony,
and say a simple prayer all in russian!! pretty sweet right! so yea, i
was thinking man, this teachin the gospel would be a lot easier in
english, ha, but it is coming along slowly but surely, and I know that
the Lord his helping us all along. Um lets see, me and sister kelly
were called as coordinating sisters for the zone, which I guess is
somewhat like zone leaders but over the sisters. It is pretty fun, but
meetings and such cut alot into our study time, so we have to work
super hard in the time we have. I have really enjoyed it. This week we
actually have about 9 sisters who are native russian speakers coming
into the mtc, and they will be in our zone and so i am really really
excited. I hope to pick up a lot of great tips from them in the
language. I've heard they are just awesome!!!!!! Me and sister kelly
are in a room with 4 other sisters. 3 of which are learning russian,
and the other ukranian. the days here go by super slow! but the weeks
crazy fast! i can't believe ive been here almost a week already. well
family, i don't have much longer. the mtc has been a greater change
then i ever expected, seriously, haha. I never expected to be going
going going all the time, but we are! and we are alive! I know that
they Lord is blessing me with strength and energy, even though there
is rarely a moment we have to breath. we have classes from 7 in the
mornin till the time we go to bed. but none the less, it has been
wonderful!!!!!!! I cannot even count the times that i have felt the
spirit and love of God here in the mtc. So so many times. Every day it
is reconfirmed to me. Oh man, it is wonderful. really, it is. I know
that this church is true, and I know that this is where Heavenly
Father needs me to be. He will help me to do what he needs me to do.
Including teaching better, speaking the language, serving, etc. I know
that this church is true and I am so very greatful for my Savior. I
know that when one truly comes unto Christ, they can never be the
same. Coming unto the atonement makes changes in our lives, which then
make changes in us. I know that as we keep our heart and minds open to
the wisperings of the spirit, we will hear them. We will know the
Lord's will for us, and we will konw that He is always on our side,
guiding us every step of the way. I love you family! I don't know what
much else to say. I'm sure I forgot something. there is so much!! but
hopefully i will remember for next time. Know that you are all in my
prayers! and thank you for all that you have done for me, for I would
not be where i am now. All my love!!!! Sister Brown

---