Priviet! I know last week's e-mail was kind of short and lame, but I figure most of you don't want to read super long e-mails anyway. Besides you, Ma.  A month of my mission is officially GONE. It's a bitter sweet feeling.  I have less than five weeks left to learn as much of the gospel and Russian as humanly (and spiritually) possible bfore I get thrown out into the wilderness.  Ah!  I don't know how anyone ever wanted to leave sooner than their departure date, I need as much time as I can get!  And the MTC is so great, honestly.  Hard, but great.  The speaker at our devotional last night shared a really cool quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: "You want something from life? Pay the price and get it." He changed that for us and asked us "You want something from your mission? Pay the price (follow the Spirit), and GET it." It's so true. You can see it with the different levels of commitment amongst all the missionaries. You get out of this what you put in, and if you are willing to give everything that you are, everything that you THINK you are, the Lord makes you into something you could never see for yourself. I'm seeing myself and others in such a new perspective these days.  I already feel years wiser.  I'll probably change my mind once I re-enter the real world ha. 

 

My district continues to grow closer and closer. We're really working on being unified in obedience to everything that we're asked to do.  On time to study hours, on time to devotionals, meetings, etc.  Studying when we're supposed to be studying, studying WHAT we're supposed to be studying, and doing our best to be more and more Christlike.  We've struggled with our focus a bit, just because we all love having fun and enjoy each other so much, but there is a time and season for everything. And here in the MTC, it's the season for preparation. I think now that we're practically halfway through, we're all starting to feel the heat a little more.  There are some of us who are more advanced in the language, but I've seen more and more that those who don't struggle with certain things struggle with others.  For example, the language is coming so fast for me, but I struggle with lotsss of other things. Like focusing outside of myself, trusting the Lord and my companion, the list goes on.  I am extremely imperfect.  Unbelievably flawed. And I'm servin with such amazing examples.  The Lord knows WHO and what we need in our lives.

 

So today, we officially become the "old" Russians.  We're getting a group of newbies, two FULL districts (of 11 and 12).  Only four sisters, though. And none of them going to the Baltics.  I guess the Baltics is one of the smallest out of all the Russian speaking missions.  There were only two older sisters speaking Russian going to the Baltics that left last week (so sad), and there's actually a really good chance that one of them will be training me once I go out to the field. Which is terrifying, because apparently Baltic sisters have been training by their third (sometimes second) transfer, apparently.  WHAT!  Sister Stone is one of the older sisters that could be training me, and I sure hope that happens. She's awesome and her Russian was already amazing here in the MTC.  ANYWAY. Back to the newbies.  Our district got pretty serious in our weekly meeting on Sunday, and last night at our devotional review. We really want to be the best examples possible, and help them all feel welcome, but also inspire them to be the best missionaries they can be.  The Russian districts here are really focused on EXACT obedience, staying a bar above the rest, and working the hardest.  We have some crazy Italian elders down the hall from our classrooms that just make us roll our eyes.  And don't even get me started on the Spanski (Spanish) Elders.  Eye roll. 

 

To get things started, we're doing three days in a row of what we call Gah-Sa-Ya (гся) which stands for (phonetically) gavarit c yazuik, or speak your language.  All day, all Russian, OH DA. We've already done about four days so far. Today we're taking a break since it's preparation day, but it's back to business tomorrow.  It's seriously the biggest miracle for progressing with the language. The missionaries who don't commit to гся are the ones that fall behind, and the gap continues to grow.  It's SO HARD, but I've learned SO MUCH. Wish me luck!  I love hearing from all of you! and thanks for all the e-mails of support and love, I DO read them I'm just not the best at responding.  I only get about an hour on the computers so it's actually easier for me to write handwritten letters.  ask my mom for my address if you don't have it and want to hear back from me about all my sweet stories and experiences :))

 

Love you all!  бог жив!

сестра  макдёрмид 

Hey guys! 

Everything's great here at the REAL Hogwarts.  No really, though.  Magic happens everyday.  We just give the credit to the Lord.  And I just found out that there are staff here with the title of "prefect".... suspicious?  For all the muggles out there, be patient. Your letter will come.

Okay sorry, being surrounded by teenagers... young adults? has really taken a toll on me.  I fear my sense of humor may be crippled.  Speaking of which, I've been thinking about this for the past week or so.. but the people I meet in the Baltics are going to think I'm some kind of robot.  How am I supposed to be funny?? I'm trying my best to pick up Russian humor from listening to my teachers talk with each other and some of the older Russians in the hallways.  It's cool when I can carry on a conversation with one of them.  Some days I'm in the zone, some days.. I don't wanna talk about it.  Haha but really! Russian is so CRAZY.  cool crazy. a good crazy.  And I continue to lose Angliski as the days go by.  As my mouth adjusts to all the Russian sounds it has to make, I forget that English words are a lot less complicated and contorted, so most of the time I go around adding syllables to words and shoving nine consonants all together.  Really though, it's amazing what they can do without vowels. 

One of my teachers, Brat Villiams (note the "V"), is all about challenging us as a class.  I swear, every time he has a new idea for teaching we all want to run and hide. Whenever we protest ("niet, niet!!!" (Russian for no), he responds with, "OOOOOOHHHHH DAAAAAAA!"  (Russian for OHHHH YEAHHHHH).  It's become a district theme. 

So I've been thinking...  I feel like I've been learning Russian for an eternity.  I already know SO much, so I looked back and tried to account for the total hours that I've actually been in a formal Russian class setting.... I was surprised, and honestly felt a little jipped at first. We've only been doing about an hour a day of Russian instruction from our teachers.  EVERYTHING else is centered around the gospel, learning from the scriptures, manuals, etc in English.  But guys!  The Lord is truly a part of this place.  There is no way on Earth that I could have learned as much as I have, that I could be teaching full lessons in Russian, praying in Russian, memorizing scriptures and READING Russian in just two weeks without some kind of outside help.  And I feel extremely inadequate in every way.  Why should I deserve so much help when others in my district are struggling so much?  I have never learned so quickly or so efficiently in my entire life, and it's all because of the Lord's help. So now, my biggest challenge is to slow down, turn outside of myself, and help others in my district (including my companion) to catch up. 

The biggest thing I learned this past week was the need to be unified in all things.  To be unified in purpose with the Lord, with my companion, with my district, and with my leaders here and my future leaders when I get out to the Baltics.  Unity in obedience and purpose makes it that much easier for the Lord to bless us with opportunities to grow, and trust me, He's stretching me farther than I ever could have imagined.  it's only the first two weeks!!! It is beyond what I can imagine to think of who I can potentially become if I continue to invite change and growth in my life as the months go by. 

That's another thing. the first few days here, I was really fighting the change. I was comfortable. I knew stuff, and I had been just fine on my own for the past four years. I knew how to take care of myself, and I DEFINITELY didn't need a companion to string along 24/7.  Yeah, I was a gem, wasn't I?   Silly.  I knew NOTHING.  Comfortable is the LAST thing I want to be.  And it's the last thing that any of us should want in our lives. Why settle for comfortable when we can be so much more than what we are now?  And that process is never-ending! As long as we continue to challenge ourselves, and allow the Lord to lead us to new and exciting purposes in our lives, we can keep growing and progressing until our very last day. Can you tell I've got a little missionary fever?  I pity my first trainer :) 

 

Until next time! 
LOVE YOU ALL!

 

Sister McDiarmid

 

Oh, ps, the pictures are kind of random but I figured I should send some.  They would only let me attach a few so hopefully more next week. I kind of suck at making sure I document all the craziness that happens here, sorry Ma......

The first one ( I think?) is me and Sestra GOOOOOOCH. She's the bomb.

Then there are a couple of the Worldwide missionary broadcast from a Sunday ago or so? I can't remember? And then there are district pictrures from our Temple walk on Sunday. woooo