Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Week 2


Wow!  It seems like it's been forever since I emailed last!  So much has happened!!
On Tuesday, after emailing, my companion and I had to get some blood work done for our visas.  We took a little field trip to the health center across the street and felt like rebels! :) It was fun to get out and walk a little bit!  Then we went to the temple and had a lovely time! :)  After that, we went to dinner and choir practice where we practiced one last time before we performed in the devotional that night.  Elder Neil L. Anderson was the keynote speaker.  It was amazing to sit at the feet of one of the Lord's modern day apostles.  As he walked in, the entire MTC was singing "I'll go where you want me to go" and there was such power!
On Wednesday, we had a pretty typical day with a bunch of language study, but in the afternoon, our Mongolian class was invited to a teacher training.  A bunch of the language teachers had a seminar, and our class was able to be the example.  Our teacher was a big wig on campus, and she taught us so much about how we can represent Jesus Christ.  That is our goal.  Her class was just what I needed for a pick-me-up! 
On Thursday, we started the day with service.  Sister Hansen and I mopped all of the bathrooms in the women's residence halls.  It was fun to serve together and not have to think much.  (Sometimes I feel like my brain will explode with all of the information I am receiving!)  In Mongolian language class, we went over the past/present/future tenses.  I made a goal to become more fluent in reading, which after working at Scott, I value much more than ever!  I felt like a first grader again, taking literally 20 minutes to sound out one verse of scripture.  But I look forward to the day that I can read quickly, and I know that with practice it will come!  We ended the evening teaching a Mongolian native.  We didn't know all of the words, but the Holy Ghost was there to fill in the gaps.
Friday was pretty typical.  I was super bummed I couldn't be at Jordan's wedding, but I felt like I was there in spirit!  I made a language plan and saw Elder Goolsby in the dinner line.  We had a great chat about Mongolian vs. Russian, and how excited he was to go to the Ukraine.  The day ended on a SUPER high note when I was asked to say the closing prayer in our language class.  I said it TOTALLY IN MONGOLIAN!! It wasn't one that I had rehearsed (which I had done a lot previously just so I knew what I was doing.)  It was straight from the heart, and there was no English!  I was so excited and grateful for the improvements I have made.
Saturday was funny because we found out the woman we were teaching from Mongolia is actually our new language teacher!! I have learned SO much from her because listening to a native is different than our teachers.  But I'm glad to be able to make that adjustment now before I get to Mongolia.  She said my Mongolian has improved!  We memorized words and phrases together.  At the end of each day, we have about an hour to write in our journals and get ready for bed.  It is coveted time.  But on Saturday, the four girls in my room (all going to Mongolia) had a super fun time talking.  We bonded. And I love and respect them so much more after our deep conversation!
Sunday was AMAZING!!!  We started out studying.  Sister Hansen and I were asked to teach Relief Society (the class for all the women in the congregation), so we prepared that.  Then, every Sunday, each person in the congregation is supposed to prepare a 3-5 minute talk to share and then translate later in case we need to use it in Mongolia.  We had some extra time before church was going to start, so we sang songs.  Then, after the sacrament was passed, the person conducting the meeting said, "and now we will hear from Sister Bottorff...and 2 others.)  I thought for SURE I'd be off the hook, but I wasn't.  So I got up and gave a talk.  It went pretty well.  And then I gave the closing prayer in Sacrament Meeting.  It was kind of the Sister Bottorff show.  But I laughed and figure I'll be off the hook for doing anything else the rest of the 10 weeks! :)
Then, we did the temple walk, and met up with a Sister going to Temple Square.  She is from Mongolia, and we love her.  She left on Monday. :( We will miss her!  Then, we had choir practice and the devotional.  SISTER JANICE KAPP PERRY was the keynote speaker!  She was inspiring!  It was amazing to sit at the feet of someone who wrote songs that brought me closer to Christ as a child.  And then we all sang the songs she wrote.  I could hardly sing at all because I was so happy! 
Monday was great!  We have a new person to teach, which happens to be our teacher, so the pressure is on.  We prepared a ton and I learned lots of new phrases!  Dinner was also awesome because they had Chick-Fil-A catered!  It was like heaven! 
Today has been fun!  We have just done laundry so far! Its so nice to have a day off! :)
I am looking forward to tomorrow because I get to host new missionaries coming in.  I get to pick them up off the curb and show them around.  I'll be sure to let them get a last hug and picture with everyone dropping them off! :)
Another funny story was someone at dinner was making characters of everyone.  He asked for a nickname for my character, and Elder Wilding said "RObottorff!"  It was so funny!  So he's been calling me ROBottorff!  hahaha
I hope this wasn’t too long!  I love everyone!  And I love hearing from you!  I hope you are doing well!!!!
Love,
Sister Bottorff


Mongolian nametags of the Zone.


Sister Bottorff going to have her blood work done.
Mongonian Sisters with a Sister from Mongolia who is headed to Temple Square.

Chick-Fil-A!


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