answers and thoughts

Questions from mom:

1.  What kind of foods are you eating?

....nothing out of the ordinary. :) There are markets right where we live. I love the feeling of going to a market instead of a store. :) Again, I'm in a fairytale :)

2.  Who are you teaching right now? 

We are teaching Daina. Her daughter is baptized but we are kinda waiting for her to decide on a couple things before she can get married. We are going to teach her tonight in Karoasta. Most of the Russians live there. Before the lesson we are going to go play in the old forts there. Look at the pictures on the internet.  

3.  Any bed bugs yet?

Ashley and Kelcie got attacked by them.  They had to fumigate their room. 

4.  Have you been doing service projects for the people? 

We did the Farm last week for Daina and then english class counts as well. 

5.  How are the English classes going? 

They stopped for a bit but then we will start up again here soon

6.  Did you do the talent show yet?  How did the singing and dancing go? How did your cowboy sweetheart song go?

Nope, not yet!

7.  Do Latvian kids fall in love with you as easily as American kids?

.....................................I'm not answering this question....... :)

8.  Are you walking a ton? 

Every day! But we do ride the trams 

9.  How do you make contacts?

We do street contacting but Europe will probably be the first to do fb and so forth, that's what pres. said.

10.  Are you getting exposed to traditions and other religions?

Hm. Everyday, I learn more about the Latvian people but not really about other religions. 

11.  Did you stay out of the woods during the Summer Solstice celebration?:)

hahaha of course I did. But next time I come here? No way. 

Random thoughts:

• Last week I went to Kuldiga...I have never felt so happy in one place before. I said outloud, "I'm home." I felt like a princess, passing her guards house on the left, while the remains from the castle are to the right... I am def. going back there. 
• I think i've finally learned how to cook cracked wheat. def. not as good as Grandpa's though.
• It's so humid here! I love it, although clothing wise, I wasn't really prepared for summer, just cold winters.
• my comp sleep walks and turns on the light at 1:00am and then sleeptalks and asks what time it is everynight...I love her. 
• loved the conference thing about member missionaries. I'm going to be the best ward member when I get home!

Love, Sister Woodland

some questions

• Why does your hair fall out in Latvia?  -the hard water. Which is why your teeth stain yellow was well. so I might talk to danny about getting me some of those teeth strips because he loves me :) he writes me alsmost every week and I plan on writing him today. Love that boy so much! OH!!!!! I saw Harrison Ilano?! You'll have to tell Fish. Ya didn't know that he was goin on a mission!!!!!! It was so AWESOME!
• Have you heard from Ben since he has been in FL?  Today YES! I didn't have his address so I couldn't send anything!!! But now I can. 
• How is the language coming?  How did you manage speaking all day?  haha we not fluent by all means, but I can kinda street contact, and I can bear my testimony, say 5 scriptures like nobody's bussiness, and I have lots of words memorized...but then you have to conjugate them.
• Are you going stir crazy yet? stir?? mabye you mean still? and what? I'm not going crazy. not at all. I love everythihng. seriously.

-I love you

the little mermaid?

I walked into the classroom and all I heard was Latvian. No English whatsoever...It. was. Awesome.

Sorry I didn't write last week. We were supposed to wrtie on Thursday night but our zone leaders took way too long on the tour of the MTC. Half of our zone just went to greece. We called them the greeks. They were from Norway, England, and Finland. And then yesterday we got new greeks! They are from Sweden, England, Spain. In my district there are 4 of us (three girls and then Elder Webb) that are learning Latvian. Then one is in the classroom by herself (she's a solo sister) that's learning Lithuanian. Then two are learning Armenian. Then the last two are learning to speak georgian (they will be the first sisters going there they said).

My companion...is a red head!!! God knows me best. :) She is perfect. I absolutely love her. We are always laughing. I totally thought she was the Little Mermaid when I first saw her because she had her red hair and then she wore this green dress. Love it!

I don't have much time to write so I apologize...

I love dear elder by the way. Best thing ever. If you don't want to send letters, write me on dear elder! Thank you to all who have written me. I have felt the love pouring out of the envelopes when I open them!

• What have you been learning in the MTC? Nathan -I have mostly been learning how to listen to the language of the spirit.
• What have you been doing in the MTC?  Nathan-Praying...a lot.
• Have you been drinking chocolate milk?  Nathan YES!!! Adam was right. He should be jealous because I will be here longer than him. Oh, 9 weeks total here.
• Who is your companion?  Alex -My comp. is Sister Stout from Layton, Utah.
• How do you say I Love You in Latvian?  Alex - Es Tevi Milu (with some lines over the I and U)
• What is your favorite thing to eat in the MTC? Alex -hm...They have everything you can eat basically. So Alex, the ice cream is really good but I've had it only once. I now just try to control myself and have salad, bananas, and then once in a while I will have like a main dish like enchilada or something- oh they have guava dad. The drink we would have on Sundays.
• What do you do in your free time?  Taylor - There is NO free time.
• How is the language coming?  Taylor -It's coming. I was sooo glad I learned my numbers, baby words, and some hello's and things before I came. Because I've always struggled with grammer in English so Latvian...is difficult.
• Does your companion sing?  Taylor- Yes
• Do they still have the MTC choir?  Dad -Yes but Haven't done it yet. Will next week.
• How are your teachers?  Dad -I have three of them. I really like them. One speaks way to fast.
• Are you sleeping?  Dad -not really. I wake up at 5 every morning. I've been using Dotera so that helps but it's hard when My brain is only thinking of Latvian words and how to conjugate them.
• How many people are in your district?  Mom -11 and then the new greeks which is like 5
• How many sisters are heading to your mission? Mom- three of us girls
• How many missionaries in the MTC right now? Mom - 3000? And we all just took the sacrament together in one room and in an overflow. it was a cool experience.

I love gym time. I am so grateful for my Military Fitness class. It taught me alot of things/exercises that I ended up teaching to some girls in gym. Also....I love BASKETBALL. I work out then the last of the time, I practice shooting hoops...hahahahahaha oh, if only you guys could have seen me trying to do it my fist time. Bahahaha! I was hilarious. And then I realized I really don't know what I am doing. So I asked. I asked someone how to shoot. Haha funny. And guess what? I can now make some pretty good baskets! But I had to ask first, practice and I'm still practicing. I never thought that I would like basketball. It's like my favorite thing. :)

I teach an investigator with Elder Webb. (I know, I thought it would be with a girl but....He's solo so we are kinda companins right now. We plan, teach together. Never heard of that before. And...I'm trying to learn patience. He just turned 19) The second day we went in and with the little latvian tha I knew, we tried to teach her. It. Was. Horrible. Haha we even forgot to start out with a prayer...man. It was rough. But then the second day was Awesome. Mostly because I wasn't focusing on the grammer or how to pronounce things. And the number one reason that made it a great lesson was because it wasn't about me. I didn't focuse on the me getting everything right part. We made it about her. I thought I was a great teacher but I have learned that the greatest teacher of all, is the spirit. I am merely an instument. One trying to learn a new tune to be able to be heard by the Latvian people. My strings are being pulled to be able to stay in tune, I mess up the notes sometimes, but the melody will be heard because the spirit is there. I have a song. A wonderful, beautiful song. And it will be heard by those that are ready. If I am ready.

 

Love you all!

Māsa Vūdlande (Sister Woodland)