The first email home!

Hello dear dear family!!!

First of all, I don't really remember any of your emails! I think I got Irena's right, and Mom, I also think yours is right. Emily, how coulf I forget yours?! Anyway, please forward this to everyone and send me all their emails so that I can send them emails in the future.

This week has flown past! I'm sorry I haven't written before now, but I didn't have a pday my first week because our pday is Thursday but last week was different because it was our first whole day. Last week was insanely busy! There was so much information thrown at us and so much to digest. But it was okay. I actually liked it a little, even though my head hurt from it all. My companion is Sister Burnham (Victoria Burnham, I have her as a friend on facebook if you want to facestalk her), and she is the dearest girl ever. It took us a few days to get used to having to ALWAYS be together (it can be exhausting no matter who you're with), but we have gotten into the grove of things together and here. We also teach really well together (or at least I think we do... I don't really know how our teachers feel about us yet). She is teaching me how to be more compassionate and patient, and I think I am good at keeping us on time. I think I might be a bit too um how do I say this? I'm not a slave driver because no one is the slave... but you get what I mean. I am just working so hard to try to be on task and doing the right thing. I am trying so hard to be exactly obedient, but with so many rules it gets hard, if not just because it's hard to remember all the rules!

The MTC is such a crazy place. It is amazing how much food they put out every day. Seriously, I am awed every time I walk into the cafeteria how much food there is! And how many boys they're feeding. And that explains the less than yes quality of the food. Mom and Dad, I miss your cooking SOOOO MUCH! I feel like I can never get really nourished here. I try though. I usually eat the salad or wraps. There are also so many languages here. It's crazy. People are constantly saying Hola, or bonjour, or in  our case, Barez Dzets! I love Armenian. It's crazy! The alphabet took us all forever to learn because there are so many characters that all look similar. But its a cool sounding language. I can pray now and say hello, thankyou, you're welcome and few other things. I wish I could type the letters so you could really see what they look like. Oh Dad, it's not queeeeer Smeet like you were saying, but more like kooyeer (soft on the r... like a rolled r with only one roll if that makes any sense). So I am doing really well with the language, I feel confident in it and I feel confident with teaching. We had our first TRC last night (Irena can explain what that is). We got to do it in English cause... well thats all we know, but apparently it's going to be all Armenian starting next week... we'll see how that goes. I am a little frightened. I don't think I can carry out a 45 min gospel conversation in a language I don't know.

Our teachers are really wonderful. They are Brother Dixon and Brother White. They both served in Armenia and they have pretty opposite personalities and teaching styles, so it's a good balance. They both have so much confidence in us though, and they are very encouraging. It's weird though, cause really I'm only like a few months to like a year younger than them... but I feel WAY younger than them.

My district is made up of 4 of us sisters and 6 elders. I think they send the best of the best to Armenia. Not that I am claiming to be that, but my district is so awesome. The elders are young, which often explains some of their behavior, but in general they are really mature and hard-working. They are also just such sweet guys (although I'm not supposed to use that word....oops). One of the elders isn't coming to Armenia, he is going to be serving Armenian speaking in California, which is pretty cool. He'll be the first elder to be formally taught Armenian in the MTC to go to that mission, so they are desperate to have him. The other sisters (sisters Bailey and Huntington) and also lovely, and the 4 of us sisters spend a lot of time together. We will be seeing a lot of each other in Armenia too because there are only ever about 8 sisters there at a time so we will pretty much serve with each other at least once. I am really grateful that sister Burnham is my comp here though. I love her.

I need to take care of some business now:
Mom, I need a favor from you before I forget. Can you order my vaccination records please? I had them, but I don't know where they've gone and there is one vaccination that I am not sure about. So I think what you do is call Alberta health link and use my health care number to order them. If you can't get them it's not a huge deal, I can just get the shot again, I would just rather not because it costs about $40.
Also, if you were planning on sending me a package here for Christmas it needs to be here by the 22nd at the latest because that is when the post office closes until after Christmas.
Last thing, I would love if you could send me my black jacket that I foolishly left at home. I have wanted to use it so many times! Its the one with the zipper that's at an angle. I am trying to think if there was anything else I need... I can't remember. Bah! This whole 30 min limit thing is so stressful!
Oh, please send me Chelsea's address. Im going to send her a letter to our house for now. Second, if you want to write me send me a dear elder because I don't have time to read emails and they get here fastest.

This Gospel is so true. I am learning and growing so much. Even though this is such a hard experience because I miss you all (I'm not cold-hearted like Irena, jk), it is so rewarding. I love testifying of Christ. He is truly our Saviour and Redeemer and He has the power to heal us and make us whole. Don't undermine that power. Use it! I love Him and I am so grateful for everything He has done for me and for you! I love you all!!!

Love,
Kyur Smeet