Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Dobre dayn from the MTC!

Hello Everybody!
Well, it is Tuesday, my Preparation day, and I finally get a chance to write! I have been sooo busy! More than I thought could be possible! The due date to have an entire Ukrainian prayer was yesterday and my companion, Cectpa Murphy and I did it! We also can give our testimony in Ukrainian, without notes! I never thought it was possible to learn it but we did, our next challenge is to have all the intros and setting up of appointments for a mock street contacting tommorow. I am so scared, but I can do it! That is what I have to keep telling myself. Our district's teachers are Brother Wells, who came back from his mission to Kyiv about 9 months ago and Sister Georgeva who grew up in Ukraine and served a mission in Kyiv as well. Sister Georgeva is the tough one! She really pushes us to do our very best. It is said that she made the girls in her last district cry, but the three Elders in my district Stareshna Hill, Penrose and Behuniun, laugh about everything and that is good or else Cectpa Murphy and I might have been crying too! But the Stareshny are also very serious about there call and I can tell that they very much want to be here. I am so blessed to have Cectpa Murphy as my companion! She is so wonderful and always has a positive attitude. Even though it would be nicer to have an extra hour or so each day to study, Cectpa Murphy helps me get to bed right at 10:30 and get up at 6:30 just like we are supposed to. There are so many other things that she helps me out with that are too many to name, but I will be very sad when I get a new companion in July.
There is nothing that could have prepared me for my first week here, it is so much work! But I know that if I am diligent in keeping the Lord's commands and being 100% obedient to the mission rules I will be blessed.

I wish that I can say that I miss you all every second, but they keep me way to busy to think at all!!!

Love always,
Cectpa Howell

Monday, April 27, 2009

MTC

Hello Everyone!
The first day at the MTC was GLORIOUS! There was such an awesome spirit that told me that I was meant to be here. I met my branch presidency and they are so sweet and very uplifting. Amy is my companion (as we suspected) and we are the only ones in our room so far. We think that we will get four Ukrainian women for roomates when they arrive next week to train to be missionaries.
The second day at the MTC was AAAAAAHHHHHH! I thought we were just going to learn the Ukrainian alphabet today but we not only learned that, we learned how to read paragraphs, say prayers and sing songs all in Ukrainian! We are supposed to memorize a prayer and the "purpose" in Preach My Gospel in just a few days! It all sounds like way too much to do, but they are encouraging us that it is possible! I'm just glad that I am not going through this alone!
I now understand why missionaries say they have no time to write. That statment is so understated! There is NO TIME. Period! We wake up at 6:30 - class at 7:00 - breakfast 7:45 - class 8:15 - lunch - class - dinner - class -bed. That's it. No rest whatsoever. I hear it gets easier as time goes on. I hope!

Love you with all my heart!
Cecpta Howell


Meagen's new mailing address:
Sister Meagen Shawn Howell
MTC Mailbox #106
UKR-KIE 0714
2005 N. 900 E.
Provo, Utah 84604-1793