Travel Plans, Yeah! October 26, 2009

Wow! Okay so I have a week left today and you know me I'm freaking out! Haha. Anywoo so I got my flight plans! I leave Salt Lake at 8:25 pm and then leave LAX at 11:25pm then I got to Taiwan and I will be there on the fourth of November weird then we leave there at 9:30 am and get to manila at 11:45 am then I take a bus all the way to San Pablo which should be fun :/ haha. 

Goodbye MTC and Provo Temple

I am traveling with almost all the missionaries in three districts, the manila missionaries leave before us but we meet back up in Taiwan. It’s three districts so I think that is about 36 people. I have 4 missionaries that I am "travel leader" for, I just have numbers and call incase of a problem, they are the San Pablo Elders I sent a pic you should get it soon. They are way nice and said they would watch over me. So I have to assign companions and Elder Muller and Elder Hansen will be my companions to the trip to the Philippines because it is by mission then and I’m the only sister. 

San Pablo Missionaries

Elders Hansen, Muller, Johnson and Harris

So we learned a lot about luggage and I’m a little worried. Delta might charge $50 for the second bag and my carryon can only be 15 pounds on Eva which is from LA on. So I might have to send a lot of stuff home I’m not sure how I’m going to work that out. Any tips? Well I know it will be crazy but we will make it! Yay! I can’t believe I’m leaving.

I know it’s a huge shocker but I have already cried about it like 3 times haha. It’s good cry. Just excited and I’m going to miss everyone from the MTC but it will be great and I am excited to get teaching!

Thank you for everything that you have done for me and continue to do for me I love you and thank my Heavenly Father for you each day!

The spirit at the MTC is strong and I will miss that but I have learned so much here about myself and about life and about the gospel. I just want to improve everyday and come closer to the lord and do what he would have me do.

My Desk at the MTC

So I’m glad you enjoyed TOFW I was confused about what that was for a second haha. I love the joke about Michael McLean’s son! haha! I miss you all. It made me laugh so hard! Really! haha. Oh and Kenneth Cope! I’m so jealous! You know that’s my favorite song! I love it! That is funny that he reminded you of dad. I miss him. The other day one of the "senior" couples I put that in " " because your not old! But I told the wife your shoes are cute and the husband said oh thank you! It reminded me of dad because that is something cute and cheesie he would do! haha. I love you dad!

So cute about the kids and their programs! I love it! So I sent pics of Kevin and Adam and I forgot to send the doubles I have of Kevin and some of the missionaries in his district. I wanted to send it but then I thought they moved so it would be silly I don’t know. haha.

Anyhoo life at the MTC is fun and crazy! And I don’t know how I’m going to leave and I just know that the Lord will have to strengthen me because I cant talk to the Filipinos without his help! It will be amazing!

The Classic Picture at the Map

So I don’t have a lot of time because we have more to do today then ever we have one last p-day but that is the day we leave! I’m just trying to study hard and get prepared.

Sometime will you send me an English copy of the general Conf. Ensign? I know you will have to send it to the Philippines and I’m sorry but I think the only ones we get are the Tagalog ones I will see and let you know if that changes.

So I’m really excited!!!!! That is kinda my life right now at the MTC.

Oh we are hosting again this Wed! So last time and its nuts we also get roommates but it will be for about 5 days. But that is going to be nuts because we are used to a room of three and we will all be packing! It will work out though I’m excited because it is a group of three like us!

Well I hope everyone is doing well. I should be sending a letter out to Kristy and Heather before I leave I just sent one to grandma. And then Jill and Tom get one too. Thank you for the package by the way it was nice! Haha shared with my comps.

Oh and everyone loves Grandma Andreasen because she sent a huge box of cookies and I couldn’t possibly eat them by myself so I shared and everyone loved them and so did I thank you grandma love you!

So I don’t know what else you want to know I wish I could tell you more about what I’m learning but time is short and I am trying to get as much info in as possible.

Thank you for the towel I rushed to send that email in the last seconds I had because I thought you were going to order them as a set. Haha. I didn’t know if they would make it so I hurried sorry if it was commanding. I love you! Thank you for the towel I appreciate it! I think I’m sending my pink one home because it is way heavy and takes up a lot of room. I will send you a letter that is in Tagalog before I leave or at least from Salt Lake or LA. I love you all so much! Ask everything you want to know before I leave in the next letter because I don’t know how long it will be before I write you an email. I can write one more next Monday so just let me know everything before than! I love you!

Pagmamahal,

Sister Bethany Andreasen!

Following the Spirit October 19, 2009

Kamusta!

  How is everything? It is so good to get letters from everyone I love it! It really does make my day! So things here have been so great! The Lord truly does know what we need and helps us to grow and lifts us back up when we fall. I was struggling with the language and with my companions but everything is much better now! I just said a lot of prayers and I talked with them and the Lord will help you do anything! He helped me know what to say and everything is wonderful it will be sad to leave them! Yeah that is coming so soon! It is crazy! It doesn’t seem like in two weeks I will be leaving! It is crazy! I get my flight plans on Thursday so I will tell you what the plan is next Monday!

So we hosted and it was so funny! We get to help all the new missionaries! I didn’t get any pics though :( but good news! We get to do it again this wed! Yay! So we have 6 new sisters in our zone! Yay! And some of the new elders are going to San Pablo! One is really nice his name is Elder Davis.

So I loved what you put in from Kennedy's mom! That is great! What is her last name again? Oh and I know Sister Adams she is in the other zone but we still see each other a lot because it is all Tagalog. She told me her mom wrote her about me before I got your letter she really liked my quote.

That is exciting to hear about Jose! I wish that I was able to write him I didn’t know his mom worked at the school or I would have asked for his address. Well I can see him when I get home. haha. anywoo, let me know how he is doing and tell him I say hi.

So the T.A. this week was good! It was the first lesson and the guy, Tyler was really nice, he had been home from his mission for 10 years so he was older and really helpful! I am doing better with the language I still struggle but I know that the Lord will help me!

So I got to go to the R.C. the call center on Sat. and Sun., and I have to people that I am going to call back on, Marva on Sat. and Jinny on Sun.! I am so excited! They are way nice I sent Marva a Book of Mormon and was trying to get on to jinny but she didn’t have time to talk because she was going to work.

So I love the end notes of my letter about things that the kids did! I love it!!!!!! Keep sending those! Plus I loved their letters! Thank you so much for the packages you have sent! They have all been really helpful and I love them!

Don’t worry about the skirt. If you don’t finish it its okay! You don’t need to send anything else but if you see a nice dress that might work that would be good. Because I only have one and I love the dress! But if not no worries! Really! If you do end up sending something will you send Aussie hairspray it is the scrunching spray and I realized it works great from doing my hair quickly! But it might be expensive to send because of weight so don’t worry about it if it is too much!

I love you all! Last weeks package was great! Pictures, letters, and stuff I needed! Amazing!

Dad thank you so much for you letter and the wonderful things you taught me! I love you so much! Thank you for always being the best dad in the world! I really do appreciate it! You are the closest thing I have to Heavenly Father in this life and I am so blessed to have my Dad! Be you!!!!! I love you so much and am thankful for you every day of my life! I will always be your baby! My dads little girl! Thank you for the song too!!!!

Mom, thank you for always inspiring me to do and be better! Thank you for always being the great example of a daughter of God and showing me how I should live my life! I look up to you so much and hope that one day I might be as wonderful as you, know as much as you, and have the spirit that you have! Thank you for teaching me and letting me feel of that spirit! You have always helped me to understand more and to be there to answer my questions! Thank you! I love you so much I am blessed to have the most wonderful parents a girl could ask for! You have done so much for me and I hope that all I do makes you proud!

I love you!

Thank you grandma Beverly for your letters! I didn’t know you were in dc! I love you and sorry but I just got the post card so I haven’t been able to read it yet. But I love you and am so blessed to have your love! Thank you so much!

Grandma Andreasen sent me another package full of goodies! I’ll lose all the weight I have gained when I get to the Philippines! But they look really good and it is a huge package so my district will love it too! haha! I love you all!

So I don’t have a lot of time but if sent Jolene a letter and a Book of Mormon and I hope that it touches her I just got a letter today but haven’t read it so I will let you know next week! Tell Jill (if you have a hair party) haha that I love her and love their family! I think it is time for them all to come back to church! I hope! So we will see!

I love you all so much! I know that the Lord needs me here and I am so blessed to have that honor! alam ko na totoo ang ebanghelo ni jesucritso! Alam ko na totoo ang aklat ni mormon! Alam ko na pamilya walang hanggang! I love you all so much, the church is true! Sorry that testimony is so simple! But it is true I will write more later I am running out of time! I love you all so much give the kids kisses and hugs!

Kamusta Pamaliya! (How are you Family) October 12, 2009

So I have been doing much better this past week.  It has been really good, I talked to my teacher Sister Hawkes and I also talked to my companions so everything is better.   Sorry to worry you, I was just getting down on myself and lacking faith, which is not good.  I still don’t feel I am at the place I want to be with the language but I don’t know if that will come while I’m at the MTC.  I just know that the Lord will help ne and that I can do anything he needs me to do as I work hard and trust in Him!  Thank you for the scriptures mom I love those ones!

This week has just been fun; Elder Staples has been so out of it and has been saying really weird things.  He said his mom got the pics and liked them a lot that was really estig! (Meaning cool haha).  So you should keep talking to her because that is fun and I won’t know what is going on with him and Elder Taylor in about three weeks!  Ahhhhh can you believe it!  I only have three more weeks at the MTC!  I have so many emotions going on, it is pretty crazy!  I’m excited and scared out of my mind haha.  I’m just staying focused and trying to learn as much as I can because it flies by.

Elder Adams Sister Andreasen and Elder Fox

 I got pics with Elders Weichers, Fox and Adams I should be sending those soon!  I’m excited, they are so cute!  Elder Weichers left last week and Elder Adams left today and Elder Fox leaves next week! Not fair haha!

Elder Weichers and Sister Andreasen

 
It’s okay because the Philippines will be amazing and I know that is where the Lord needs me.  Because I know he needs me there I know He will help me in all that I do so I don’t need to worry.  Haha, you know me I just worry but I’m just leaning on the Lord for a lot of help!

Oh one thing fun that happened this week is we walk to the temple every Sunday and one of the elders was standing on the railing of a fountain, I was just about to tell him that he should get down (he is in our zone so it wouldn’t have been weird) but right as I was about to say something he started to slip and fell into the fountain.  It was sad but it was funny too and he laughed so it’s okay.  I think everyday is spiritual, you just learn something new all the time, and it’s great.  Oh, we watch movies Sunday nights I watched the Testaments again last night, I cry every time, it is so good.  It’s fun I really like the Joseph Smith movie as well and I have been able to watch Legacy and Mountain of the Lord, it is nice.

Oh, I think I forgot to tell you!  So, the people we teach on Thursdays in the Teaching Appointments are all just people who come in.  Well, last Thursday we got to teach Brother Murray!  Our old teacher!  Yeah!!  It was so fun!  Sister hawkes gave him to us (the sisters) it was awesome.  Elder Taylor and Elder Staples weren’t to happy with us though hahaha!  We all just love him so much!  So we have three districts in our zone and every district got a new district leader so now Elder Goodson is our district leader not Elder Hopkins it is weird but just change, just to keep you posted.  Also some of the other districts had to make companion changes because companions weren’t getting along.  Sad!  No one in our district because we are pinika-the best!  Haha really that is saying the best the best but it is just a taglish phrase used at the MTC.

MTC District

Oh, I took a picture with some of the San Pablo Elders from a different district and so I will send that.

Bethany With

San Pablo Elders

I miss you all so much!  Randomly we will see little kids at the temple or just visitors of MTC workers and I want to go give them hugs because I miss the kids but every time I look at one I think wow, how did I get so lucky to have the cutest nieces and nephews in the world!!!  Talaga! That means really!!! They are kaibig-ibig, adorable!  I was talking about family last week.   So yes, I talked about all of you it was wonderful!

We taught in Tagalog and I was super terrified, but it went well, I will be glad to know that my companion will know a lot more than me, not to say that I won’t talk, just to know that she will help me understand the people we teach.  I just hope she speaks English too!

I was excited to get a letter from Heather and Kristy this week! I have missed them so much and am glad to hear from them, I am going to try and send something out to them.  I also didn’t know that Kristy and Wyatt had the swine flu I just thought they were sick; I am glad that is gone!  (Kristy, I loved the pig comment!  I burst out laughing, it was pretty fun) although I am at the MTC and it seems things that aren’t that funny are always more funny here.  But it was funny.

Tell me what the kids are saying!  I would love to hear cute quotes from them and know what is going on with them.  Especially as Lizzy starts talking more that is so crazy she will be so big when I get home!  Show all the kids pictures of me so they don’t forget!!!

Grandma thank you for always writing me!  I know I haven’t been the best at individual letters but thank you for yours!  I do love them.  I was thinking you could also add just a little bit of your family history on  to the bottom of your letters that would be fun!  Not a lot because I don’t have a lot of time but it would be fun to read that when I get your letters.  I’m glad that you were able to see Fred!  I meant to have you tell him hi and that I love him!  I hope he had a nice trip and I’m glad that you all had a good time with him.

Well, I need to do laundry and get some other stuff done!  I love you all.  Oh, mom would you send me information about the Philippines?  I’m not scared I already know and it would be great to know a little bit more!  It’s so sad!  Oh, Michael how is the house?  Hope all is well!

I love you all and will write more next week, have a great week remember to share the gospel and invite others to come unto Christ!!!

Mahal ko kayo!

Sister Andreasen

Faith to Meet Challenges - October 5, 2009

Okay so this has been a crazy week!  I only have about a month left at the MTC and I don't think it is even close to enough time to learn everything I would like to know.
I'm not going to lie, I am having a hard time with the language and it is a little frustrating!  But don't worry I am staying positive and know that the Lord will bless me.  Elder Holland has a quote in PMG that says everyone speaks one language and that is the language of the spirit so as long as I keep studying and putting my faith in the Lord I will be able to do whatever He needs me to do!
I am having a hard time with my cops this week.  Not that I don't love them and think they are amazing but they like to talk about Polynesian things a lot and I don't really know anything.  Sister Betts learns the language really fast because her family would speak around her so even though she doesn't know it she has heard it and so I can't really study with them and it has just been a challenge.  But I'm working through it. I love them all!  It's like having three companions because Sister Tui is still here because of  her passport problems so it's a little weird but I am doing okay, just pushing through.  We are Tagalog only now!!!!!  Ahhhhh.  That is what we are teaching in this week and I will just say it is going to be a very short lesson.  I'm nervous about only Tagalog but excited because even though it will be hard it will be helpful and I will learn more.
So the Philippines is doing pretty bad right now!  I'm so worried for them!  It is mostly Manila and Quezon City, but I think San Pablo was hit a little bit too.  I know everything will be okay though!  The Church is already helping we heard that in conference and we are all praying everyday at the MTC!
Speaking of Conference, it was amazing, it focused so much on listening to the spirit and that is so important!  Because we can't do anything alone but with the spirit we have a power with us!  It's amazing!  Elder Holland's talk was so good! So Powerful!  I also liked the member of the seventy after him Elder Nielson I think, he talked about missionary work and it was amazing!  The Church is so true and this life is not going to be easy, it will be hard but it will be worth it and we can have so much joy through the hard time if we stay close to the Lord and the truth of the Gospel.  They also talked a lot about every day things we have to live the gospel every day, pray, study the scriptures, just remain close to the spirit and everything will be okay and we can endure joyfully to the end!  So President Eyring is also one of my favorites because he is so emotional just like me and he shares his feelings and he loves the sisters, he is so full of humility too!  He is Amazing!  I love him!  Sister Beck, wow, she had a lot she wanted to share, I think she was glad to talk to the women and tell them to keep priorities in line!  I love it!  The gospel is so important and sharing the gospel and giving that service and love!  Oh, I think one of my favorite lines was "she was a relief society woman"!  That is awesome and I love it!  Okay so I got over the young women to relief society transition but I always felt like they never talked about it and I know that some young girl was listening to that talk and was so happy!
Kevin...I mean Elder Fox is so cute!  I have seen him and  it has been so hard not to give him a big hug!

Bethany With Elder Fox and His Companion

With the food I think I'm okay, maybe I could get some fiber or something I don't know.  I have been sick the last couple days not a big deal just a nasty cold, it's been going around.  I think it is because they made me get a flu shot haha!  Anywhoo, I wasn't taking my vitamins  because when I first got here I was taking the sleeping pill and I think the combo of that and the vitamins in the morning was not good, but I have started again.
Well, I have to go clean my clothes and the computer  is going to kick me off soon!
Mahal ko kayo!!!! (I love you all)
I can't wait to see pics from home and get letters from everyone.  If you write a letter (this is to anyone) I will write back! :) it might take a little bit.  Sorry Jill and Michael I haven't written to you yet.  Tell grandma (both) that they should be getting a letter soon!  I love you all!  Next time I will write some more Tagalog  All my love,
Sister Andreasen