Mariah, Week 10, Provo MTC, Visa Has Arrived!

MY VISA HAS ARRIVED!!

whoops i don't know what happened but i clicked send by accident?

blame my excitement~

anyWAYSSs

soo we leave on Tuesday, Sept. 3rd... the date that the MTC theorized that we would be leaving anyway... so MIRACLE!

and we'll fly from SLC to Washington DC at 8:40 AM, get there at 2:47 PM (local time, I'm assuming...)

then we have a four hour or so layover in DC until 5:35 pm when our plane leaves to Vienna, Austria and we'll arrive there at 8:35 AM. Then from Vienna, we'll fly straight to Dnepropetrovsk UKRAINE (yup, no state-side reassignments!!!!!!!!) at 10:25 AM and arrive at 1:40 PM on Sept. 4th. 

Again... I'm assuming that the times are all local times.

ANYWAY the reason i'm telling ya'll is because I can call home from one of the American airports... and I want to talk to both of you... so what time would be best? I was thinking to call when I'm in DC, so it'd be sometime between 1:45 PM CST (2:45 PM EST for me) and 4 PM CST (5:00 PM EST).

I'll probably be allowed to get on the computer again sometime I leave, so let me know when i can call... and if you don't hear back from me by Tuesday, I'll be calling ya'lls cell phones sometime between 1:45 CST, 2:45 EST and 4 CST, 5 EST.

aaand okay, i dunno if ya'll were planning on sending another box to me or anything... i would think that ya'll should try and get it to me ASAP if you are, so i can get it before i leave and everything.

i think that's it...

Mitchell, Week 5, Provo MTC, Visa Has Arrived!

BAD NEWS....

Just Kidding..... I GOT MY VISA!!!!!!!! :D

I can't believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So this Monday (Sep 02) I have to be at the MTC travel office at 9:30. I fly out of Salt Lake at 1:55pm and land in Atlanta Ga at 7:37pm. Then fly to Sao Paulo at 9:50pm and land at 8:25am. Then I fly to BELEM at 6:55pm and land at 10:25pm. THEN I AM IN BELEM!!!!!!

I AM SO EXCITED!!! I can't believe I got it!! I started crying when I told the class. But I hope some of them get there visas soon. I sure do love them all so much!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH DAD AND MOM!! For all your work towards my visa! I sure do love you and I am so grateful for this and I know Heavenly Father needs me to be in Belem! 

I have my P-day on Saturday. So I think I could email yall that day. But I know when I get to Salt Lake I can call yall there. So you'll will hear from me soon. :D I love you and can you tell everyone (family, facebook, friends, blog. ) 

I LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH!!!!! 

PROUD TO SERVE,

Elder McCrea

Mitchell, Week 4, Provo MTC, 1 MONTH GONE ALREADY!

My MTC District doing the MTC Plank together - Picture #1

My MTC District doing the MTC Plank together - Picture #2

I can't believe it's been a month since I've been here at the MTC! 100 more weeks of my mission! CRAZY!! But I am just gonna bullet all the crazy and fun things thats been happening lately! I sure do love you Mom and Dad and am SOO grateful that I am serving a Mission. But here it goes.... (:

- This past Sunday I was released as District Leader for 7-E and Elder Blackner from Washington is the New District Leader! Such a Solid Elder! Definitely knows how to make everyone smile,

- Still no word on VISAS. No one hasn't gotten theirs yet.... But next Friday we will get reassignments and I am so animado(excited)!! :D

- Tomorrow we are hosting as a district. Which means we will be guiding the new missionaries that show up tomorrow around the MTC! :D So that will be fun

- I was invited to say the opening prayer for the Sunday Devotional this Sunday. I am pretty nervous because of all the Sister and Elders that will be listening. But I know it will be great!

- As a district we are singing in the MTC choir every week! I am loving it!! 

- Elder Gale auditioned to play a duel violin duet with a sister going to Japan. Hopefully that get the chance to perform in a devotional or departure or some type of big meeting.

- The language is going! We had a sub teacher yesterday and he was AMAZING! Definitely help me out and the district to not be discouraged about the language. But I am grateful we don't have to roll the R's like in portuguese. But the discussions are going good! WE have 2 investigators that are the teachers and are acting like one of their converts they taught when they were in their missions. This week we started teaching each other. So we are our own investigators and we have to act like someone we know that isn't a member or convert. So Elder Gale is acting like his non mormon neighbor and I am acting like a good friend that was at school and played Football with me.  

- We went to the temple today! FLIIPPP. The new endowment video is amazing!! But I love going as a district! Hopefully you two can go soon! I pray yall can! But you will definitely love it!! 

- We are starting to play a district volleyball game during our gym time on Segunda-feira (Monday) morning and Cincuenta-feira (Friday) evening. It is sooo fun!!

- I have a mormon.org page. Not sure if you wanna do anything with that for the blog,

- A saying I always think of is... "Um Dia Por Vez" - "One day at a Time" I know the language will come. I try to get to stressed out and just learn the discussions, speak portuguese as much as I can, and have fun! 

- Favorite 3 scriptures this week.... 1.)Matthew 17:20 2.) Romans 1:16 3.) Numbers 24:8

I sure do love you 2 so much and can't say it enough how grateful I am for how you raised me and for all you do!! 

I hope this expresses this past week for me and all that i've done and experiences. :D I am loving it and just can't wait to get to the mission field where ever it may be! :D

Love,

Elder McCrea

Mariah, Week 9, Provo MTC

The "Leftovers" - These are the remaining members of my MTC District - Several Elders heading for Russia left yesterday, Aug. 19, 2013.  All the rest of us are heading to Ukraine and we are still here at the MTC as we wait for our visas. 

I ran into a fellow sister heading to Korea who has the same pj setup...so I thought a pose was appropriate.

Me, Sister Meyers, and Sister Garff.

My district!! (Bro. Rutter and Sister Jackson, our teachers, are the two in the middle) - Before some departed for their mission in Russia.

(From top left, to right) Elder Harmer, Elder Dillard, Bro. Rutter, Sister Jackson, Elder Hepworth, Elder McBride (bottom left to right) me, Sister Garff, Sister Patterson, Elder Myers, Elder Stewart and Elder Bell.

___________________________________________

I'm going to break a record.

I'm a nine week missionary... but I'm going to be staying in the MTC until... further notice.

Yup, that's right folks. I'm still at the MTC. 

I was supposed to leave this morning actually... But I don't have my visa yet. I'm not completely sure of the details... but sometime, somewhere -- something happened with my visa, along with the other thirteen or so missionaries going to my mission, and so we're stuck here in the MTC until further notice. Which could be next week, or the week after... we have no idea. (But we heard a rumor that we'll only stay in the MTC for two more weeks; if we don't get our visas by then, we'll be reassigned to a state-side mission until we get them.)

Anyway, to more positive news! 

Tuesday was great. Besides it being my P-day, for Tuesday's devotional, we had the opportunity to listen to... wait for it... an apostle! Elder Richard G. Scott! It was so cool to be able to listen to a inspirational message from one of the Lord's servants.

This previous Wednesday, we got to be hosts for the new missionaries coming in! It was really fun, being a friend and helping the new sister missionaries with their luggage, showing them to their dorm, accompanying them to get their books before dropping them off into the hands of their teachers. It was good experience to be able to help and serve people in that way, and it was an eye-opener to remember that I was in their shoes nine weeks ago. Whoa! How time flies! And what's even better is that we get to host again tomorrow! (I guess that's just one of the perks of being a 10+ week missionary, haha.)

In other news, I would just like to say that my teacher, Brother Rutter, is one of the most coolest teachers out there. You might think that your MTC was the bomb-diggity or whatever. But no. I'm sorry. You haven't met Брат Rutter. He's almost like the mortal big brother that I never had. This past week especially -- he's just been full of spiritual thoughts and messages and moments. This last Saturday, before "the Trio" (Elder Dillard, Elder Harmer and Elder Myers) left Monday morning, he spent practically the whole afternoon and evening with us. He finished telling all of his stories -- especially the story about how he met his wife. (He was telling us it in installments. He's a real tease sometimes.) Anyway, so he pulled us all out into 11M -- one of the buildings that has some medium-sized auditorium-like rooms, and just left us to think and have some "alone time" (we were still in the same room as our companions, the room was big enough that we could spread out and not be right next to each other) while he brought the Trio out, one by one to talk to them and say goodbye. It was a bittersweet moment, but I really enjoyed it. Before he left though, he asked us all to write our "Rainy Day Testimonies" in our journals... to read when we're out on our mission, and the going has really gotten tough... I really think that that was a really inspired thing to do. Bro. Rutter is the coolest.

And well... that's all that I really have time to write with right now. I still haven't learned how to write all that I want to say in just an hour. 

Toodles!

-- Sister McCrea

Oh, and P.S. if anyone hasn't caught on... I'm not completely sure if my MTC address will change... but I'm still at the MTC, so don't send anything to my Ukraine address just yet. If anything does change, I'm sure my parents will let everyone know.

Mitchell, Week 3, Provo MTC

Elder McCrea is still at the Provo MTC waiting for his Brazilian visa to be approved. He gets to see his sister, Sister Mariah McCrea, daily because of being in the same building for their language classes and then also having the same P {preparation} day, Tuesday. He also got to go to the Provo temple as did his sister this morning. He sent pictures showing his Portuguese name tag and the flowers at the temple.

Mariah, Week 8, Provo MTC

 Sister McCrea has written and said that her visa to D'nepropetrovsk has been delayed. She and others going to Ukraine didn't get their expected travel plans on this past Friday. There were others, of the same 'MTC age',  going to Russia, that got theirs. So she won't be leaving on Aug 20, as expected. She did get to go to the Provo temple, which has been closed for the past couple weeks secondary to annual cleaning. She sent pictures of her district in front of the temple.

Mitchell, Week 2, Provo MTC

We were told a letter is in the mail to us for Week 2.  But here is a picture of Elder McCrea's male MTC Brazilian District members.  Elder McCrea is in the upper left.

Mariah, Week 7, Provo MTC

My missionary name tag in Russian/Cyrillic. That would be 'Sister McCrea' on first line. 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th lines say: 'The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'.
_________________________________________________________

An email from Sis. McCrea, verbatim...

To wit:

Well ladies and germs...

I'm nearing the end of my stay here in the MTC. Tomorrow is the start of week 8, which means that I've only got a week and a half left here on American soil. Two weeks from today, I'll be on a plane heading towards D'nepropetrovsk Ukraine. So, I'm trying to do all the American-like things I can think of -- like play softball and frisbee during gym time -- and eat all the American food, candy, and peanut butter while I still can. This Friday also means that I'll be getting my travel plans! Whoo-ho! I just know that this week is going to fly by...

Anyway. So. This week has gone by fast, like most of the past 6 weeks have gone by... It was full seeing friends come to the MTC (Elder Gariety), meeting with relatives (Elder McCrea) and watching friends leaving to their missions (Elder Weinmuller, Sister Hill and all the rest of the "older" Russki's that were in the Russian hall). I've come to realize that it's sort of going to be hard to leave the MTC. The MTC has become my home over the past 8 weeks... and it's going to be weird to go. It really does feel like after my stay here in the MTC, I'll be able to go home, having already "completed" my service.

But my adventure hasn't even begun yet. My mission story hasn't even been gotten started. I'm just coming to a close of 'Chapter One: The MTC -- Narnia Holes and Russian 101'. And the rest is still unwritten.

PS - from the blog maintainer (who wants to remain anonymous for now)...Sis. McCrea finally sent home some pictures. Yeah!  So more pictures will be posted as processed...

Can you make out Ukraine?

• Here are 3 out of 4 of my roommates, hard at work coloring: Sister Gray (smiling at the camera), Sister Meyers, and Sister Garff.  

• Our Russian (I can't think of the word) Dolls! That hang on our door!

• Elder Bell's mom is so nice!  A fellow MTC Ukraine District Elder's mom sent name tag cookies to everyone in the MTC Ukraine District.

• I'm going to miss you Sister Hill!

Mariah and Mitchell, Week 6 Sister McCrea; Week 1 Elder McCrea; Provo MTC

Sister McCrea and Elder McCrea finally meet up at the big map at the Provo MTC.  Their companions are beside them.

Mariah, Week 6, Provo MTC

Howdy everyone!

Week six is finally coming to a close. Which means that we'll get our travel plans in less than two weeks!!! And I'll get to leave to Ukraine in three!!! dfhaerhjkefearhioewrhjwe I can't really contain my excitement! I've gotten so tired of the MTC and it's refreshing to know that I won't be here for forever and there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

This last week has been really hard. Russian has really been kicking my butt and I feel like I've hit a plateau as far as my learning goes. I'm just not progressing as fast as I feel like I can. But my teachers and companions have been nothing but encouraging. Sister Jackson has been talking a lot this week about the Lord's tender mercies. (Not to mention the fact that earlier this week, Dad sent me a General Conference talk from Elder Bednar that talked about the Lord's tender mercies. So, it's safe to say that my week has been bombarded with the Lord's tender mercies... I just need to learn to look out for them.

But there have been a few that I've noticed. One of them being that I was able to find my brother in the MTC. I think that it's a bit of a miracle to be able to find a elder out of the 46541321212 missionaries in the MTC (there aren't really that many missionaries, but it feels like that sometimes). In fact, I've been able to see Elder McCrea a couple times. And I think that it's a tender mercy that our classrooms are in the same building!

Another tender mercy that I noticed -- or rather, was pointed out to me by Sister Jackson -- was the fact that I'm now somewhat able to go through lessons with our progressing investigators without notes. Sure, it takes me a while to think and pick out all that I want to say... but I honestly didn't even dream of doing that when I first stepped into the MTC six weeks ago. So... about my statement earlier on how Russian is kicking my butt and I'm not progressing as fast as I like... I'm progressing. I know I am. I guess you can just say that I'm really impatient right now. Guess that just means that I need to learn patience.

This last week, my district celebrated Christmas in July on the 25th. It was really fun. Elder Dillard, Myers and Harmmer even got to the classroom early (something that has pretty much NEVER happened) to set up a little Christmas tree (that they found in the drop ceiling tiles in their dorm room) in our classroom. And the holiday celebration -- or as much as a celebration you can have with 10 missionaries in the MTC -- wasn't complete with a Secret Santa gift exchange. I drew Elder McBride's name and raided the free box for a present. I came out with a bottle of shampoo and a Chinese-English dictionary, wrapped it in "wrapping paper" (a.k.a. lined writing paper) and taped it up.

Well, I'm out of time. Whoever decided to only give MTC missionaries an hour of e-mail time was insane... because I cannot get a quality blog entry done in just an hour.

Cheers!

Mitchell, Day 3, Week 1, Provo MTC

July 26, 2013

Dear Mom and Dad,

I sure do love you and miss you so much!  I apologize for not writing you my first night in the MTC.

The reason this is so late is because I have no time.  I have no idea how Mariah did it her first week.

Guess what?  I have seen Mariah twice.  It stinks I can't hug her.  But we have the same P-Day.  I have also seen Elder Weinmuller.  He is in the advanced class and leaves on July 31st.  But Sister McCrea is doing awesome.  Guess what also?  I was called to be the District Leader for my MTC District yesterday.  It will change in 3 weeks when they will rotate it.  My companion is awesome.  He has his corny jokes and just an overall solid Elder.  He definitely is learning Portuguese faster than me but I am adjusting my learning ways daily and setting many goals.  I am also using my planner a lot.  My companion's name is Elder Carson Gale and he is from Liberty, Missouri.  He just graduated from High School and loves music.  He is going to the Brazil Belem Mission also.  In my MTC district there are 10 Elders and 4 Sisters.  The 4 sisters are going to the Brazil Cordia Chiba Mission.  3 of the Elders are going to somewhere in Brazil and the other 7 Elders are going to the Brazil Belem Mission.  The visa situation is really bad.  In one Brazil district 3 sisters got their visas before their 6th week.  But usually if you get it after the 3rd week you wait in Provo till you're ready to go to Brazil.  I am praying hard for it and will be fasting tomorrow for it.

I am loving Portuguese.  I am just upset .  I keep saying/reading/thinking words in Spanish.  It sometimes helps but sometimes it doesn't.  Example: "de" in Spanish is "g" in Portuguese...like a heavy "g".  But I am loving my teacher, Brother Cannon.  Also today Elder Gale and I taught a lesson to this "investigator" named Antonio.  It was quite amazing but funny for Antonio to hear us talk.  But we will teach him tomorrow as well.  By the way, we used like 98% Portuguese in 2 1/2 day.  Amazing!

I really am grateful fo this and am working hard.  I pray and I hope I can get my visa in a week or two so I can go to the Sao Paulo MTC.  I am so grateful for you...mom and dad!  I sure do love you and hope you're doing great!

Your loving and only son,

Elder McCrea

Mitchell, Day 1, Week 1, Provo MTC

Elder McCrea reporting to the Provo MTC.  Looking sharp!

Mariah, Week 5, Provo MTC

July 23, 2013

Dear Mom and Dad,

As of July 17, 2013, my name has been Cryllified: Cectpa Makpen (Sister McCrea).

I'm sorry for all the mistakes. My brain is starting to think more in Russian now.  I can't even remember how to speak Spanish very well anymore.  So when I get home, I'm going to be an English mess.  I probably won't even remember how to speak English anymore.

Being a missionary is hard.  A lot harder that I thought it would have been.  But that's okay.  I'm starting to realize that all the bad things that happen to us is for a reason.  It's Heavenly Father allowing trials to happen to me.  To help me learn patience.  Patience is something I need to learn. And I know that by the time I end my mission, I'm going to be a much better person.  During one of the Tuesday devotionals someone said that the mission isn't the best two years of your life.  Its the best two years for your life.

I love being a missionary!  It's the most fun that I have had in a long time and I know that it will be hard...but just being in Ukraine will be worth it. I know that this mission is for me.  I don't know if I've share this yet but I haven't ever been or seen or spoken to any of the Ukrainian people (other than Bro. Kulokowski, one of the Russian teachers here)...and I already love them.  Sister Jackson showed us a video of the festival for the Kiev, Ukraine temple (kind of like the jubilee we had for the San Antonio Temple...and I almost started crying.  I choked up at least.  I just can't believe how awesome my mission is going to be.  I know that I've said this a bajillion times...but the Dnepropetrovsk Ukraine Mission was made for me.  I was destined to go there.  I've thought about all the places that I could have gone to before I go to bed sometimes.  Like Hawaii or Australia would have been cool.  Or some where in the UK.  Or Germany.  Iceland even.  But they're all just cool places.  And that's it. It's just cool.  But it's not Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine.  I can't think of anywhere else that I would like to serve a mission.  There was a reason why I was so interested in learning Russian in 9th Grade.  There was a reason why we lived in Laredo for as long as we did and I grew up in a branch and where I was one of the only kids at school who was LDS.  I know that there is a reason that I'm so sensitive with others and know what it's like to live in a poorer society.  It's because Ukraine is one of the poorer European countries.  It's because there are branches there and they are all really tight knit and close with each other...just like back home.  I'm being sent to Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine so I can tell kids in middle school and high school that I know what they're going through being the only kid in school who is a member.  I'm going to Ukraine because I've been around and have friends who live on the poorer side of town and I don't think any less of them.  I know what it's like to live in the trenches...where the Church isn't very strong and we have to drive 2 1/2 hours to go to a temple.  I'm going to Ukraine because Laredo is just like it.  I came to the MTC pre-trained...culturally speaking.  I just came to the MTC to be trained spiritually.  And languagely, of course.  Sure there are times when I am scared and I wonder what I got myself into, accepting the call to go to a Russian speaking country...because I'm not kidding when I say that learning Russian is one of the hardest things I have ever done.  But then I remember what I'm doing here and the fact that I get to live in a foreign country for a year and a half...and then it's all worth it.  I think about how awesome it will be to live there, all the different kinds of people that I'll get to meet.  All the different kinds of food that I'll get to try...and the fact that I'll be able to speak Russian.  something that I've been wanting to do since 9th grade.

I know that this mission will be a blessing.  I just have to put my faith in the Lord.

With Love,

Sister McCrea

Mariah, Week 5, Provo MTC

July 20, 2013

Dear Mom and Dad,

Well, yesterday was my district's "month-aversary", a.k.a. we've been  in the MTC for a month.  Which is mind boggling when you think about it. It doesn't even feel like it's been a month.  But then when I look back at what has all happened to me in the past supposedly 30 days...it does feel like it's been a month.

This week has been a real trip.  Yesterday (JUly 19th) was a really good  day for me.  I feel.  Nevermind the fact that I had to go to the health clinic - something that I will explain later - but yesterday was just a good day.  I was in a really good mood, my companions were in a really good mood.  We taught one of our investigators, Letra (Lena), and it was probably one of the best lessons that we had ever had with her before.  I don't know what happened thanks to the language barrier but I was able to connect with her better - something that I wasn't really good at doing during our previous lessons.

Love,

Sis. McCrea

Mariah, Week 4, Provo MTC

July 16, 2013

Hey Mom and Dad,

Okay, so first. It's really hard for me to send pictures because I honestly have no time to take them in the first place. Here in the MTC, I don't have very much free time. And when I do, I usually spend it reading the BoM in Russian, studing Russian or my scriptures or something. I'm always doing something. I barely have enough time to even write in my journal at the end of the day because when we get home to our "дом" (dorm room), all I really want to do is get ready for bed and fall asleep because I'm sooooo tired. So I'm sorry to report that I don't have any pictures to send. But I'll try my best to take more this next week to send to you next P-Day.

Anyway, I love receiving your Dear Elder letters. They really do make my day feel better. The one that you sent this last Friday, it almost made me cry. (In a good way, don't worry.) It really touched me and made me think... I really do love the investigators that my companions and I are teaching. This Saturday in fact, the day after I received your first Dear Elder letter, we met with another one of our investigators (who are really just our teachers role playing). But anyway -- we were supposed to meet with Nikita, but instead we met with Igor instead. But let me back-track a little bit first. Earlier that week, we were given the new investigator profile from Brat (Brother) Rutter named Nikita. He was described to us as being late 20s, arm-sleeve tattoos and looked rough around the edges. He was a street contact and we agreed to meet with him the next week. Well, when we knocked on "his door" this past Thursday, his friend Igor answered. Igor was drunk and said that Nikita had left to go to the store and said for us to come back later. Well, we came back later that week (Saturday) and Igor answered. He wasn't drunk this time, and Nikita was at work... but Igor agreed to let us in and teach him the first lesson. And can I just say... WOW. The lesson that we had with him... it was one of the best lessons we have had with our investigators. It was better than all the lessons that we had with Katiya and Lena combined. The lesson started out like any other lesson; we got to know him, what his hobbies were, etc. We learned that he had lost his job the day before we first came to his house to see Nikita which explained why he was drunk. He seemed really sad and bummed about that. And well, anyway. We asked if we could start the lesson off with a prayer and he kind of looked hesitant, but he agreed. We said a prayer, and afterwards, he commented on the fact that we didn't read our prayer from a paper or anything. (Those of the Russian Orthadox church read their prayers from a paper... I don't know very much about it, but I've noticed that it's kind of like the Hispanic/Latin/Mexican Catholic church; Russian Orthadox members pray to saints, etc.) Anyway, we said that we didn't... and I can't remember how the rest of the conversation went, but we somehow got to the subject of him not really knowing or wanting how to pray because he wasn't worthy to pray to God or anything. His babushka (grandma) was the saint of the family and she did all the praying. So, it was then where just this surge of love started to grow inside me. It was the Holy Ghost and I just looked at him and said in my broken Russian -- and with help from my companions -- that it's okay that he's sinned. God still loves him and thanks to Jesus Christ and His Atonement, you can be forgiven of all your sins. And of course, I started to cry a little bit because I've noticed that that's something that I do when I feel overwhelmed by the Holy Ghost. I forgot to bear my testimony about that to him and stuff, probably because I get too wrapped up in trying to think and translate simple sentences of what I know how to say in my head... but I think what I said to Igor really changed the mood of the lesson. I had never really felt that way before and I really am glad that I listened to the Spirit. He actually agreed to pray at the end of our lesson after we showed him how and everything. We don't have a baptismal date set yet or anything... but I'm sure it'll come in due time. But back to why this story relates to the Dear Elder letter you sent me... if you hadn't of sent that to me... I don't know why, but I hadn't really been connecting very well to Katiya and Lena. (I'm convinced that it's probably because Igor seemed to be more open and talkative and give us more to work on than Katiya and Lena has... but that's probably just because that's just Brat Rutter's personalitiy. Sestra Jackson doesn't seem to be as talkative and open and it's hard for me to relate well to her investigators because she doesn't give us much to work on. Maybe it's our teaching style; we're not sure. We're trying to fix that though.) ANYWAY -- the point is... thank you for sending me that letter on Friday. It's probably the best letter that you've sent me yet.

So... onto different topics...

In other news, I think that you would be proud of me to hear that I am running at least a mile when I have gym or exercise time. Though, if I may be honest, it's a bit of a struggle for me to run here in Utah since I'm up at such a high elevation compared to Texas. But I'm working at it. I'm so glad that I've got patient companions who are willing to walk with me when I need to catch my breath. I even call Sister Garff (the one who is from West Jordan, Utah) my little iPod because she likes to sing to me, haha. I've noticed that I've lost some weight because my jeans are starting to feel looser. And besides, I was told that I would loose a lot of weight in Ukraine because they eat so healthy and I'll be walking everywhere. But... I don't know what I did, but I sprained my ankle this past Thursday. I don't know what exactly I did... but I got it looked at by the trainer on Friday, and they said that I had stretched some scar tissue... so remember when I sprained my ankle really really REALLY bad when I was up in Idaho? Well, that's the ankle that I've sprained again. I've been icing it every day and I was given a compression wrap... and the swelling is just barely starting to go down. I'm going to probably buy an ankle brace at the bookstore to wear when I exercise and stuff. Especially before I leave to Ukraine. I don't want this injury to flare up anymore and give me any problems in the future.

Ugh... there's so much more that I want to say... but I only have about 10 more minutes left for e-mail time. I guess that I'll try and fit it into a handwritten letter or something.

And I didn't really write a blog entry this week... so I guess that you could use some stuff from this e-mail??? I dunno... some of it feels too personal to put on my blog. But I'll let you decide.

Anyway -- I love you guys. I'm almost halfway done with my stay here at the MTC. This next Sunday will be the halfway mark. The Russian is coming along and I've basically made a pact with myself to S.Y.L. (Speak Your Language) 24/7 -- or as much as I can anyway. I started yesterday and it's been going okay. I'm still learning.

I'll try and take more pictures and actually write a blog entry for you next week.

Oh, and do you mind forwarding me the e-mails that Ian, Eric, Chantelle, Laura Tedford -- and any other missionary (Ramsey, Jared) -- I know, to me? I'd love to read their e-mails home. :)

I LOVE YOU!

Sister McCrea

Mariah, Week 3, Provo MTC

July 9, 2013

Привет! It's almost the start of Week 4! And I still don't know Russian!

Well, okay. I know a little bit... I can bear my testimony, say a prayer, and hold a very basic conversation with someone. But when I say basic, I mean to the extent of "Hi, how are you?" "What is your name?" ... And that's about it. My district has decided to impliment a rule of S.Y.L. -- Speaking (Y)our Language -- at lunch and break time during class. So far, the jist of our lunchtime conversations sound a little like this: "I know that this hot dog is true." "I am thankful for this BYU Creamery milk."

A lot feels like it has happened this week. The Fourth of July was probably the biggest thing. They didn't have any Fourth of July-colored pancakes or anything like that (unfortunately). But after dinner, we attended a devotional, watched 17 Miracles (which is probably the saddest movie I have ever seen in mY ENTIRE LIFE OH MY GOSH!!!). But the icing on the cake was probably when we got to stay up late (YUP WE GOT TO STAY UP PAST 10:30) and watch the fireworks! We weren't able to leave the MTC campus or anything, but my companions and I managed to find an okay-spot to watch the fireworks from. It really felt like a music festival -- all these bodies swarming around in what felt like such an small enclosed space -- but it was fun. And I got to see a number of different fireworks that I had never really seen before. Watching the fireworks was a nice change of tempo from the normal schedule I seemed to have fallen into. I can only wonder what Pioneer Day will be like... I heard that Pioneer Day is a huge holiday up here in Utah.

Anyway. So, I know that I haven't really ever mentioned this, but we got finished teaching our first "investigator", Katiya (Катя), a little over a week ago. After teaching her for a week and a half, we had her commited to baptism, but we didn't have an exact date set... and then -- SURPRISE! It turns out that Katiya was one of our teachers. Well, okay... technically, my district/class already knew that Katiya was going to be one of our teachers... but it was still pretty shocking to hear Sister Jackson speaking perfect English. And well, to be honest, it is STILL pretty shocking to hear her speaking English. And I have to try really hard to call her Sister Jackson, and not "Katiya".

So, like I said, the Russian is coming along... I'm struggling. But my dad taught me how to work hard, so I'm sticking in there. I'm not at the head of the class, but I'm not at the end either. I'm really starting to get close to my district. In fact, we all had a chips and salsa party at lunch today. A chips and salsa party may sound like something really random to do -- but there is a reason for it, I promise. Sister Garff (one of my companions) made up this nice little rhyme that goes like this (and please forgive me but it's said in Russian, but I don't exactly know how to spell the words, so I'm trying to spell them out phonetically)

Spaseba, polzhalsta. We need some more salsa~ (Which basically means "Thank you, you're welcome..." etc.)

Anyway, so one of the elders in our district was nice enough to buy us a bottle of salsa and so we decided to buy some chips (some of the lime ones, yuummm!) and make a party of it. It was fun.

And welp. I've only got a little bit of time left. I need to actually write a roughdraft of what I want to say next time, rather than trying to write something off the top of my head.

Until next week!

Mariah, Week 1, Day 5, Provo MTC

June 23, 2013

Week 1, Day 5 at the MTC (And I'm sure in a few days I'll lose count of how many days I've been here.)

Dear Mom, Dad, Mitchell, Noire, Trix, Kiki, and/or whoever else just so happens to read my letters,

First things first: did you guys get to see the worldwide leadership missionary broadcast?  I did.  And I actually got to see it in person!  It was cool seeing the General Authorities up close like that.  Or at least closer than I did when I watched General Conference.  Anyway.  So what did you guys think?  Especially how they're really going to start pushing member missionaries (which is something I remember Dad commenting on).  I also thought it was cool how they threw in the thought of the Church leaders working together with the missionaries and Church members to help bring people to the gospel and show them love and that they're wanted.

There was something else, a nice little comment made - in Relief Society - how we shouldn't be scared, something I am at times.  I need to learn to not be scared because Heavenly Father trusts me to do His work.  He doesn't really need me because there are thousands of others out there who can and will take my place in the ranks.  The mission is a privilege for me.  And I should treat it as such.  (That was said by someone in the Relief Society Presidency here in the MTC...whose name I didn't write down.)  But back to the missionary broadcast - someone else said something similar (I din't write down people's names...something that I need to do from now on).  They said to invite others to come unto Christ because you love them, not because you're scared to offend them.  Which is something that I definitely need to work on.

So that's that...but Russian.  It's coming along okay.  It's only day 5 and we've taught 2 lessons to our "investigator" in Russian.  When I think about that, my mind feels blown!  I seriously can't really believe it.  And not to mention  that I can almost say a whole prayer in Russian too!  (Granted, I'm limited to the few phrases that are in my language book, but who cares!  I still think it's cool!

My companions are okay.  Cectpa Garff is a real angel.

Well, I think that's it for now, I guess.

Sincerely,

Me
(Me because I'm not exactly sure how to sign these letters, either Mariah or cectpa McCrea)

PS - You can use dearelder.com to send me letters that will get to me the day that you send them.  It's basically like an email and the people at dearelder.com print the letter off on paper, tape it up and deliver it to me before the day's over.  I'm not sure how much it costs or anything, but Aunt Laura used it to send a letter to me and it was cool.

PSS - Can you add my address to the Sunday Branch newsletter?  Please?  And how's it going with making my missionary plaque?  Do you all need me to send you guys a photo of me?  Let me know!!

Mariah, Week 1, Day 4, Provo MTC

Sister McCrea and her MTC (Missionary Training Center) Ukraine District. Sister McCrea is the female on the left.
__________________________________________________________

And now her first email home from the MTC during her mission:

HELLO EVERYONE! And I'd say that in Russian, but alas -- I'm not exactly sure how to type in Russian yet, haha. I think I'll learn that somewhere around week 4 or 5? Maybe?

So, I've survived an entire week at the MTC. (Well, tomorrow it will be exactly a week, if we're going to get specific here.) Something that I didn't think that I would be able to do... But I did it, and I made it to P-day! (which is on Tuesday for those of you who were wondering)

ANYWAY! This first week has been crazy. It's been filled with missionary teaching seminars, Russian, scripture study, more language study, more scripture study, and not-so-bad MTC cafeteria food -- and not to forget plenty of running around, trying to get myself familiar with the buildings and my surroundings. (I still feel lost from time to time, but I'm glad that one of my companions isn't directionally challenged like I feel that I am.) The Russian is coming. But I have to keep reminding myself that I've only been learning Russian for 6 days and it's okay if I sound like a 5 year old Russian kid and I can't speak in complete sentences yet. I'm just keeping a prayer in my heart that I'll one day understand it.

My companions are really cool. -- Yes, I said companions. I'm part of a trio. (Be jealous). Sister Garff is from West Jordan, Utah. She's a sweet little thing who I don't think has one mean bone in her body. Sister Patterson is from Portland, OR, and she makes sure that no one forgets it! She is really good at holding a conversation and she knows how to make someone feel welcome and important. I feel really lucky that I'm with them. I know that I will learn a lot from both of these sisters.

I hope that everyone got a chance to watch the Worldwide Missionary broadcast thing that was this past Sunday. I really liked watching it. And I'm not just saying that because I was in the audience watching.

My time's running short. I've only got an hour allotted to spend time writing e-mails... so hopefully next week's message will be longer. I think I'll actually write out what I've got to say rather than writing it all out while I'm sitting here at the computer.

Till next week.

Love,

Sister McCrea

Mariah, Week 1, Day 3, Provo MTC

June 21, 2013

Dear Mom, Dad and Mitchell,

Believe it or not but I actually don't really have that much time to write letters or anything.  I mean, we're usually really busy until 9:30 or so, and 10:30 is lights out...and in that hour block I have to get ready for bed, write in my journal - and if I have time, to write letters, which at this point has only really been you guys because I haven't received anything in the mail yet. :(

Anyway, onto a different topic...today was pretty cool.  Yesterday, we met our first "investigator"...(I put it in quotation marks because I'm pretty sure she's a member - she just does a really awesome job at
pretending to know next-to-nothing about the Church).  Anyway, so her name is Katiya and my companions (remember, I'm in a trio) gave our first lesson to her today...wait for it...IN RUSSIAN!  Yeah!  I know!  To be honest though, I did a pretty horrible job and butchered the language.  But Katiya has the patience of a saint and she's a real trooper.

So that's my progress report for today.  I'm going to try and write you guys at least every day since it's sort of becoming a stress relief for me.

Love you guys lots.

Love,

Cectpa McCrea

Mariah, Week 1, Day 2, Provo MTC

June 20, 2013

Dear Mom, Dad and Mitchell,

   The MTC President actually asked us to write to our families last night...but I was kind of busy and just overwhelmed with everything and didn't really have time to write you all before lights out.  But here I am writing you all now.

   So I've survived two days in the MTC.  Barely.  It's kind of scary being thrown into this like I've been.  (And not gona lie, I've had doubts already.  And it's only day 2.)  ANYWAY, to the more positive things...because I seriously need to keep positive now.

   My companions - yes, I'm part pf a trio - are really fun and awesome.  Their names are Cectpa (Sister) Patterson and Cectpa Garff.  Sister Garff is from Utah and Sis. Patterson is from Oregon.  The elders in my district are really cool too.  And I've noticed that I haven't met a lot of people from Texas yet.

   Back to more spiritual and meaningful matters.  The food here is alright (and tell Mitch that the wraps are pretty decent).  There's a refrigerator of milk alternatives...so I'm good with the lactose thing.

   The devotionals and trainings that I've gone to have been  amazing and I've learned so much.  And yes, we've started on learning Russian and I feel like I'm struggling a bit.  I know that I've just got to stay positive.  To think positive and the Holy Ghost will be with me.

   And yes, it is kind of...odd to be using all these gospel and religious terms at almost free will.  I'm not quite used to it.  Also, I've started to catch myself saying "guys" and stuff (apparently, it's not really allowed?)

   I love you all very, very much.  And please, please, PLEASE write me as much as you can...and preferably letters because my P-day is on Tuesday and well, I only get to check my e-mail once a week which you all obviously know.

With much love and everything else,

Sincerely,

Cectpa McCrea

(We don't get our last name "Crylic-fied" on our nametags until just before we leave.)