Email - 10/22/2010

MI ULTIMO E-MAIL DEL M.T.C.

 

 WHAT WHAT ! or.. QUE AHORA!....What NOW! hahhaa, so I have a little list of things I wanted to tell you, and then I'll just let this one flow hopefully. . hopefully. haha

 

SO! Momma! THAT IS SO HILARIOUS you full-on called mission president.. I guess we're making our NAME in N.M. early ya ! ahah, if you're worried about THOSE things, I found out that they have tarantula-eating wasps out there. And apparently if a person gets stung-or bit I dunno- by one of them, it feels like a hot nail. Fancy! How exciting is THIS gonna be :) But! NOPTHING TO CALL THE MISSION PRESIDENT OVER I PROMISE hahaha. I'll be fine! Umm other things I have on my list. READ!! In your next Family Home Evening I'm SHO you're having every Sunday night CHYEAH! Read D&C 117:13, AND!! Romans chapter 8 in the Bible. I WOULD point out my favorite verses from it, but I want ya'll to read the ENTIRE thing to find your own ;) it is BOMB!   how I said ti....BAAAMMB! ahhah

  Ooookay, so I kept my list short right! I figured whatever I don't tell you here I'll get to tell you when I shout you that !hola! on the telefono in 2 days or so.... I wonder if there's a word meaning 'telly' in Espanol ? ahah. I hope Dad laughed at that. Anyway. I'm guessing you'll be getting the call arounddd 7ish your time to 9.. I'm hoping. I reallyyy really am.

  OH! So we had our first apostle of 'my stay' here on Tuesday night for a Devotional!! Russell M. Nelson. It was crazy CRAZY amazing, in the beginning someone went up to the podium and said that when an authority comes we need to remember to stand. GIVEAWAY. But we stood! And it's crazy when you can hear a pin drop in a room FULL of people. SO COOL.

  I don't have TOO too much time left, I honestly don't know where this e-mailing time goes. But I guess I'll say what I learned and loved most about the MTC while I've been here real quick..

 

I may not wanna leave because I'm not the minority here. In the real world, we don't walk out of class and have 2 Elders ask to bear our testimonies, and when they bear theirs they start crying and it's different. It's not unusual here. It's not unusual to share your deepest feelings because we need to be as strong as we can for the people that don't realize these feelings about themselves, if that makes sense. So even though I DO NOT want to leave, it's because we're trying to make it so this ISN'T a 'minority' thing.. if that makes sense.!

We CANNOT JUDGE. I do it everyday. But when we get to know these people and what every single person has to offer te world, good more than bad, we can come to realize we are all more alike than we are different.

Soup and cereal won't give you stomachaches. ahahhhhh

Happiness if how you look at things. It's how you try and apply your attitude to make every circumstance around you a good one, or you won't be happy!

 

ahhh I don't have much time left.. I have learned SO MUCH here. It really is like Heaven on earth that I never ever would have guessed. If anyone that reads this wants to go on a mission, "Usted sabe lo que es arriba!".. which is like. the DIRECT translation of 'you know what's up!' haha, but not the Spanish translation. ANYway!

 

OH! SUPER cool! So yesterday Hna. Holland was in the bathroom and I was waiting outside of it for her, so I peeked around the corner to see if anyone from my Zone was on the sofas studying or anything, so I saw some of the Elders and I was like, "Hola Elderes!" and they all looked up and said hi, and Elder Nay says, "Oh my gosh. I don't mean for this to sound creepy. But you just made me REALLY happy right now. Like honestly. That just made me SO happy." And then Elder Mortensen says, "You always make me happy!" ..which! made me realize. We need to ALWAYS be looking for ways we can make others happy, and try to be happy ourselves. Because it's true. A simple hello CAN turn a day aorund!

 

ahhh I didn't get all the feelings out I wanted to. BUT! I'll probably be able to on Monday ! HOLLA. I hope I sounded a little clearer. I have 16 months to get better at these e-mails. hah I LOVE YOU FAMILIA

 

 

from the bottom of mi corazon ! What are ya'll doing for Halloween?? Why am I asking for questions like I'll get an answer?? hahaha OH! And it's SOMEbody's birthday coming up. ....papi ;o I love it when you call me big poppa!

 

 

haha me and Elder Munk sing and dance to that when we can. BABYLON BABYLON. OKAY I LOVE YOU !

 

Hermana Lia Batchkoff

 

p.s. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE PICTURES! The photo thing isn't working, so I'll PROOOBLLY just send you my memory card soon if you send it right back !!!!! I LOVE YOU

 

TTY IN 2 haha

Email - 10/15/2010

ayyyyayayAY mi familia what it do ??!

  Solomente tengo diez días mas en el MTC, y es MUY raro.. SUPER raro that I´m already about to leave!! So only one more e'mail after this one before I´m on da plane.. We didn´t get our flight plan yesterday! And we were SO SURE we would, but I´m thinking we´ll get them today before dinner. Hermana Holland found out just now though that our flight´s at 6 a.m., which I guess is what it usually is. So! I´ll just write you about it P..I can´t do faces with Spanish mode on while typing.. but I was supposed to smile there hahah.

  SO!! YOUR MISSION.! Look up-buy-get the music-READ THE WORDS to the song ¨Lead Kindly Light¨..it´s a hymn that we sang in choir the other day, and IT IS AMAZING. The song, and the words. And allllll of it ! I´ve never had a song hit me like that before, as lame as THAT sounds. It.is INCREDIBLE. ...or increíble hah.. another smiley face.

  So guess what we did yesterday! Me and my District matched..the Hermana´s shirts with the Elder´s ties ahhah.. we only alll had blue, so that´s what we went with! We took pictures, so I´ll try to get some out to ya´ll STAT. Last night I talked to Elder Munk and Elder Stucki, the Zone Leaders who are in our District, about matching again. And they said they were going wear black and silver ties today, cuz that´s what they wear on temple days. So guess what Hermana Batchkoff did without them knowing! I´m wearing my gray skirt with a black shirt. ahhahaha. I KNEW I loved everyone more than they loved me! hah

  Umm! I´m not sure what else to say right now ! Scandalous huh.. so many things happen throughout the week, and it´s been way hard this week for some reason. It gets funner towards the end of the MTC because I don´t feel like I´m completely lost around this place, but not we´re just teaching and teaching and teaching. Which is good ! It´s one of those things I need to get A LOT better at, so it´s good practice, even though it´s not easy. Hah it was horrible this morning in the temple....which words I never EVER thought I would put together in one sentence. But check it! We did initiatories, so we were out way early before breakfast. So we decided to go to the laundry room to do some service. And the lady in charge down in the laundry room speaks Spanish AND English. And for some reaosn that I DO NOT KNOW, she thinks I´m better at my Spanish than i am! So she starts telling me about her son who´s entering the MTC December 8th, which I understood, and then she started talking and talking faster and CRYING AND I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND. I felt SO BAD because she was pouring her heart out to me! So! When you don´t understand. You GRAB them and hug them! THAT way! You let them know you care, even though you don´t understand! Haha, I felt bad though, so a little later I asked her to tell me in English, and I guess her son was wayyy inactive, and she´d go to the temple and pray so much for him, and he´s finally going on a mission and taking out his endowments tomorrow. ...I wish I could have just understood that the first time haha. But iss cooo right !

  Umm what else. OH! I got to be a host the other day! Me and my district. When new missionaries get here, a host takes their stuff and takes them to their room and to get their books and nametag and stuff. We got a super cool ´host´ sticker and it was SO FUN. People were asking ME questions! Instead of the other way around. Like always. The life here. haha

  So! To ya´ll.. you got rid of the d-o-gG.. WHAT!! haha didn´t you just get it! Or has it been that long already! I dunno. I guess I´ll never know what could have happened with Dakota. Da-cute-a. hahaha MAN! The possibilities! ...it´s really okay though, when I saw the picture of him..her.. I don´t know. I was like. Ya..we picked her!!_ ..sorry there´s no question marks with Spanish setting either.. and I don´t know how to get rid of it haha. WACK.

  Welll anyway mi familia. I´m praying for ya´ll everynight. 10 días mas no!! OH MY GOSH it´s so weird. Oh! By the way. I´m the ¨Coordinating Sister¨ here too in my branch.. I just go to a grip of meetings, it´s not really important or anything. Cuz there aren´t any problems with us haha. But! At least it´s a title I get to write home about! hahah I´m completely just kidding about that.

  Welll anyway familia. I have a little feeling this e-mail is way lame. And for that I AM WAY sorry. But! I get to hear sus voces muy muy soon no! no is like ´right´.. not like ´no´I don´t wanna talk to you haha. But anyway.

  La iglesia es verdadera! Byy the way!! This face wash deal is putting a damper on mi cara..hah! cara is face! AND cara is my sister! HOLLA !

Ok really now I love you. SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOsososososo much. More than you know. and I see ya´ll more and more in everything I do and say. I am SO LUCKY to have been raised by such great examples like you. I´ll be writing you a letter in a little bit.. anddd til then. paz. ..smiley face. haha

-Hermana Lia Michele Batchkoff


I really wish the Lead Kindly Light video would post here but it is NOT working!! But it is a really amazing song and she's right - probably one of the best church hymns. Here's the link until i figure out how to post the video up on here :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGY1niukcVI

-Batchkoff Family

10/8/2010

OH MY GOSH. The computer wouldn't log me on, so I tried exiting and it took 5 minutes off of my time! Now I have 5 minutes less to e-mail! You don't understand the pain!!! ahahh

 ok! Well I have a lot to tell ya'll this week! GUESS WHO is on her mission and lives 2 doors down from my room. President Eyring's granddaughter! And I got to meet her! I'm not gonna go into alll this detail because it's more embarrassing on MY part how I acted.. prooobably how I would act seeing Hannah Montana if I was 7. or something. hahaha WAY lame. But! She said she'll write her family about me...who knows if she really will, but at least she said it! And she sat next to meat breakfast! TIGHT! hahaha okay, but ANYway.

  SO HOW AMAZING WAS CONFERENCE mi familia! You have GOT to look up Richard G. Scott's talk, since ya'll didn't get to right ? At least I think.. it's a.mazing. But I have to say, at the end of the last session I was COMPLETELY spiritually drained after hearing all of the talks hah.. but let me tell you the BEST words come from the Lord's servants ! :P aha, oh! SO. I had THE COOLEST experience last night.

  We were teaching a teacher who was playing the role of a man named Wilfred right? And I somehow was able to relate the experiences I've had in my life, being inactive, and being in Christian school when I was younger and feeling the difference of this church, to him. And I could not tell you exactly what I said cuz I don't really remember, but I had almost started crying. ALMOST. started crying. And it was so IN.credible, because we had to go in there and help this person have a spiritual experience without even knowing him or preparing. And while we were teaching him it was like the room was still! SO COOL. And I realized that our lives may seem so small compared to the billions of people there are in this world, but when an experience in your life is God's way of letting someone else know they are not alone, it becomes SO MUCH MORE than just your life. Your experiences become other people's salvation! THAT is what we are all about! We need to make this life full of life-saving experiences for others!

 Well not to get SUPER gospelicious on ya'll :) It was hailing last night! LIKE CRAZY. It's been cloudy and cold andrainy the past couple days. And it is GREAT hah.

  Ahhh I only have a couple minutes left.. when am I gonna get to see this d-o-g-G of ours!!? I think Kota is THEE cutest name ever hah. Hmmm hm hm what else. OH! The toher day we were teaching a scripture story in Spanish that had to do with a storm.. and ya'll know I don't know scripture stories that well haha. But ANYway. We were trying to describe the storm since we don't know the word 'storm' in Spanish.. and so all we knew was to describe that the waters were evil and on fire hahaha, so we told an Elder in our District Elder Stucki about it, and he was all, "Wellll. That's worse than any storm I could think of." ..hahah. I guess you had to be there. Funny kid!

  Okay, so on Monday I'll have 2 weeks left here. 2 WEEKS OH MY GOSH. I don't wannaleave ! = ForREAL. I think by soaking up every single thing that is here that's nowhere else is the way to love it so much. Nowhere else do 19-year-olds RUN to open doors haha. NOWHERE ELSE.

  But anyway. I'm sorry there's not much Spanish in here once again. Estoy muy cansada porque mi cabeza tiene mucho ingles y espanol cada dia. CADA.dia. hahah but I love you all.. 2 more weeks til I get to talk to you! But who's counting ! I'm sorry I didn't answer all the questions I probably should have, but can't think of!

 

Lata ON! La iglesia es verdadera,

 

 

Hermana Batchkoff

10/1/2010 - Email

HEYoohhh ! Okay, so I have a couple things to say and I'm gonna take my time.. I'm SO NOT in the mode to be sweating in this sassy cardigan I'm wearing right now hahah. Okay well ANYway. So thank you for the package!! Mail for ALLL of us in our District has been um. slower. this week haha. Not that we're sad or that it's a bad thing! I just thank you so much for the package. And I have GOT to say. The Spongebob sweatbands were prooobably the best part besides the note and letter ! And my roommates think ya'll are STUDS haha :) We took a picture with the sweatbands too, so I'll try to get that out to ya'll soon :) sorry I haven't sent more pictures!! I've been wanting to.. but I feel like it's just my same exact smile in every one, just a different pose or person haha, so I didn't want ya'll to get sick of them.. did you like the pictures of mi favorito Elderes though?? That's what I have for family out here.. so do NOT WORRY. The Lord's hands and these endowed servant's hands are possibly thee BEST hands we could be in hah :)

  So! Conference is tomorrow! I learned a couple weeks back and I thinkkkK I wrote you about it, there's some scripture talking about how the prophets are saying what the Lord wants us to hear. RIGHT NOW. So watching my first full-on conference is gonna be SO COOL knowing that ! PLUS! An Elder in my District, Elder Munk, is gonna be singing in the missionary (?) choir at conference.. I don't think he knows what he's gonna wear yet hahah, but look for him! If you see an Elder Munk.. cuz you KNOW they get close-up on the screens sometimes to some people's faces or noses when they sing.. I never got that haha :o

  I'm gonna be sending ya'll something! It's really nothing much.. we were just at the Temple getting breakfast in their I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING 5 STAR CAFETERIA and they had something I haven't seen in forEVER.. so I got ya'll some. :P IS THE SUSPENSE KILLING YOU YET. hahah

OH MY GOSH! I saw Elder Jace Matthews this morning!!! I remembered he'd be coming on Wednesday and never saw him, but at 6:45 this morning we ran into each other, while I was going to the temple and he was going to gym.. he said the 2nd day's so hard, but he seems like he's doing SO good ! I was so happy to see him.. it's like the mothership landed from the outside world to remind me there are still people I know other than the people here haha :)

  Oh and hey momma! I'm glad to hear yo cumpleanos went well.. I was SO EXCITED for you to get the package.. I problly bugged everyone saying over and over how much I wondered if you had the package yet or not :P And! As a District, we sing a Spanish Hymn every day before class, and I asked our District Leader to sing a hymn you like on your day.. but I blanked when he said yes! So we just sang "How Great Thou Art".. I hope you like that one..? I remembered I THINK you liked Carrie Underwood's version.. .. right ? or no ? :/

  Well ANYway. So this enTIRE week we've had to speak nothing but Spanish, and we've been teaching in Spanish too. But our first full-on 35-minute lesson in Spanish is tonight.. so um. I don't think ANY of us would say no to prayers! What's cool about the MTC though, is if there is ANY time to fail when it comes to teaching someone, it's here. It's just remembering that that's harder hah. So! That being said.

  I can't believe I still have 16 minutes. MAN I feel like a G! Sooo ! Oh! I'm wearing the scarf Gina sent me as I type. Right now! AND the stunna shades Cara sent me too! My future's so bright, I am SO GLAD I finally have a way to shield it a little haha. Oh my gosh I am JUST.kidding. But thank you for the scarf.. I don't need ya'll buying anything for me or sacrificing your stuff to send it to me! HOW AMAZING ARE YOU! I love you so much. It's. ridiculous. I wanted to say the other word from Nick and Norah but I feel bad :/

  DANG! I LOVE the MTC. Like forREALL. I've learned it really does depend on your attitude towards it, but this will be the ONLY time most likely in my life where I'm with people who have all been set apart as full-time servants of the Lord, doing nothing but what Heavenly Father wants us to do.. or at least trying. It's so cool ! The worst word I've heard here is the 'h' word, and it was someone from the Branch Presidency talking about hell. I don't think that counts haha.

  Well! I love you all so much. I can't say it enough. 3 weeks and 3 ? days til we're out of here. It's really not slowing down enough. I feel like I'm in this weird inbetween, wanting to go to New Mexico, but wanting to stay here with everyone I've come to love SOMUCH. ..though not one person could replace you all at home. .. Well. Except God himself. But I'm sure you understand that haha.

  Has the time gone by quick for ya'll too? How's everything going? And momma HOW'S YO NECK!

  Okay. I think I'm gonna get going. I'm trying harder every single day to become better. Remember how important sincere repentance is.. I don't think I realized it before I came out here. And umm. DO NOT hesitate to send more pictures! If you can! Those with words make the missionary want to better themselves even more.. it's pathetic really. How much words on paper and boxes with food mean to us out here. But THEY ARE THE WORLD.

  I appreciate all that you do. Remember to come to Conference with questions! They'll be answered, and I'm gonna think some up too. I love you Ward family. I love you eternal family. I love you friends. I love you all. God loves you all.

 

PAZ FACIL. (Peace easy)

 

La iglesia es verdadera, Hermana Lia Batchkoff