Let it Snow!

Here is her email this week.  Same ole Courtney!  We can't wait until next week to hear all about Christmas in the MTC!

HOLY MOLY!!!  Have you looked outside? have you seen all the snow? Well I don't know if there is a lot of snow where you are, but here it has been snowing nonstop since yesterday morning! Crazy! Anyway... So I was trying to think of things that happened to me this week, and I can't really remember anything. Nothing terribly exciting has happened I guess. This week I have been trying to grow closer to Christ and it's working. I love Him and all that He has done for each one of us. I was sitting in relief society this week and the speaker said, "Really, What would Jesus do?" And so I just thought that was a good though, and it reminded me of Kandace... so when you don't know what you should do, just think "Really, what would Jesus do?" and then I bet you'll be able to make a good decision.

Well if you are thinking to yourself right now, "That Sister Leavitt is such a weirdo." then it's okay, I've been a little sick this week and my head is a little bit... foggy. On Sunday there is nothing I wanted more than to run home, hop in my mom's bed, watch the Polar Express and have mama K make me some homemade chicken noodle soup. But I decided against it because I love being a missionary and I haven't even gotten to the good part of teaching yet. So I'm holding out. I'm going to Russia !! Hooray! And if all stays the same then I only have three weeks and I'm out of here! Hooray! I'm getting pretty excited about that. Three weeks is nothing.

Well here at the MTC they put up Christmas lights all around and so every night sister ward and I go strolling through them. We sing songs and laugh and talk about the day. I think that is my favorite thing i do all day. I look forward to it so much! I love Christmas time. I miss all of our family traditions and the smell of poppyseed bread cooking, but Christmas time here has proven to be good. I can't wait to see who is going to come and talk to us! I have a feeling it will be President Monson. I'm sure he heard that I'm here and so he probably wants to come see me... Okay, maybe not, but that would be pretty cool.

Oh, one last cool story. I was talking to the newer missionaries the other day and one of the elders said that he loved the feeling of the MTC because the spirit was so strong and it was like we got to live in the temple. I've always wanted to live in the temple because it is so peaceful there and I love it. So I guess the MTC is as close as I will ever get to living in the temple. And for all of you who are contemplating whether or not to serve a mission... Just think, you too could come live at the MTC and feel like you are living in the temple. Well that's all... nice story Hanzel. Well I love you all and I hope you have a fantastic week. MERRY CHRISTMAS! From me to you and hugs all around! And remember, never suppress a generous thought... "Really, what would Jesus do?"

I love you!

Sister Leavitt

P.S. Bridget, I'm sending you a small something to mama k's house, so you'll have to go there and get it!... :)

Joy to the World

We have been out of town, so here is last week's email.

Hello!

So this week was good. The highlight of my week started on Thursday when a maintenance worker was in my room and stepped on my glasses, which were under my bed?, and broke them. So I know that doesn't sound like good news, but it is fantastic news because on Saturday Sister Ward and I got to go to the eye doctor and pick out new glasses! Yep we got to ride in a huge van to the nearest eye doctor place and pick out new glasses, which they made right there so I got to have new glasses that very same day! Well let me tell you a little bit about my new glasses. They are brownish red on the outside and bright blue on the inside! So I look cute and kinda businessy when you look at me, but little do you know that I feel like I'm in the ocean all the time because I see bright blue all around me. It's fantastic. I had a photo shoot with them, so I 'll send some pictures. The picture printing place was broken yesterday, but I'll try to ge them to you soon.

Alright, other news... How about Russian news. I would like to take a minute and tell you about how cool Russian grammar is. First of all Reflexive verbs. I already told Sneaks all about it, but they're these cool verbs that refect back to the subject of the sentence and make it so the verb is being done to the subject of the sentence. It's kind of hard to explain. But by adding a sya to the end of a word, it makes it reflexive. It's pretty darn tootin cool. Okay, so something else funny about Russian is that sometimes if you were to put what you are saying back into English it would sound so funny, kind of cavemanish. Example: Boy tall. See they don't have words for is and are so when you take them out it sounds funny, and they don't have a word for the... So crazy, but it makes it shorter, except not really because all of their words are really long... Well one last thing. The say BOT (vot) or behold all the time. Like "Behold I saw a rabbit..." it's funny makes me laugh every time. Well then end about The Russian Language. One funny story though. This week I was practicing reading with some of the Russians and one of the Elders started laughing because I was reading like a 6 year old, but I am so old. It was funny, and true. Sometimes I feel like the kids that I used to tutor because I have no idea what's going on.... But I'm getting better and as of last week we started speaking Russian every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday all day. 

Okay, well what else... Oh, the BYU mens chorus came and performed on Sunday, it was amazing. Oh and I have the best roommates in the whole world. So on Saturday Lexi got married and I warned them that I might be a little sad on Saturday. So Sister Watts got me the best surprise ever... Mint Oreos! Yep, she asked her dad to get some for me and they all wrote me a nice letter and gave me a package of mint Oreos. It turned out to be an okay day :) Oh, and this Sunday Sister Watts and Sister Harrison and I are singing what child is this in sacrament meeting. One funny thing... What child is this in russian means what's with kid for... Bahaha! Ok...

Last little bit, as most of you know I love Christmas! Last Christmas Lexi and Bridget and I made a chain in September to count down. Of course then we thought it looked so good that we never took it down, but the point is I love Christmas. And yesterday I was thinking about Christmas and an Oakcrest song popped into my head and was stuck there all day so I thought I would share it with you..."Faith is the power that gets us thourgh each hour. Obedience is the price that brings joy to our lives, the spirit is the key that unlocks the door to eternity. And love is always in season and CHRIST is the reason." I hope that at this Christmas time you will all take a few minutes to read about Christ's life. I know that some of you don't know much about Christ or even believe in Him, but I know that He is our savior and Redeemer. I know that he is the reason. I know that Christ is our brother, and he is one of my best friends. He brings with him joy and peace and love. JOY to the world the lord has come! Merry Christmas to you all! I love you and I am so grateful to know you!  

Love,

Sister Leavitt

PS I found out that if you want to send me a package for christmas that the last day the MTC with be accepting them is the 22nd.. just so you know. Also thank you grandma White and Aunt Cheryl for your presents. I haven't opened them yet, but I can't wait to open them on Christmas morning.

It's a Great day to be ALIVE!!! Week Seven

Here is Sister Leavitt's email for the week.  We will be out of town next week, so we will not be able to post her email next week, but then we will all get a double treat the following week, just in time for Christmas! 

Hello Everyone! 

It really is a great day to be alive! Can I just tell you all how much I LOVE Christmas time? Well let me tell you I love it just as much as I love tacos. And that's alot of love. Well this week Was wonderful. Yesterday my district and I spoke Russian ALL day! Yep, all day and it actually went well. We had new missionaries come in last week, so that was a ton of fun. Also we are getting native speakers... today. That means they are from Russia . Some of them were at breakfast this morning and I talked to them. It went okay. They could understand me but laughed a little at my "English Russian" that's what they called it. Anyway, there are 9 of them that are coming in and 2 of them are going to my mission! AND! One of them is a sister! Hooray for life! I love that I'll know a sister already when I get to Russia , I was feeling kind of lonely not having a buddy to fly with. Oh and my departure date was not changed this week... So maybe it will stay the same now.

I cannot CANNOT Believe that my dearest friend Lexi Loueez is getting married on Saturday! WHAT THE! Absolutely crazy. But I will be sending you a surprise today, so I hope you get it before you leave, if not then would my dearest friend Bridget please give it to her? That would be the best.

So last night I got a letter from my other dear friend Calamity who is serving in the England Leeds mission. In her letter she had a joke that she wanted me to say it goes like this.. "Does it smell like up Elder?" (other person) "What's up Elder?" Bahahahaha! So funny. Anyway I was telling my roommate, Sister Hannah Haymond this joke and she thought it was so funny that her nose started bleeding right there. On the spot. So I tell you this because if you want to use the up elder joke you should be aware of the consequences that could follow the above joke. Use caution and care and remember to laugh at the end if no one else is laughing.

Well in other news my district is trying out for the Christmas talent show We're going to sing a Russian Folk Song called Katiosha... I don't know how to spell it in English... But that's close. So we're going to sing that song and we made up a little dance to it. The elders love it. :) But I'm trying to work something out so that we can record it... We'll see but all of you may be the lucky viewers of this remarkable talent... Hooray!

Well that's pretty much it. I'm just doing the same old things. Oh and YES I did put the wrong zipcode on those little cards with my address... Woops! Hopefully Mama K can get the right one for you because I can't remember it right now. Also just FYI one of my teachers, Brother Delemare, is Abrielle Davies cousin... So that's pretty cool. Well Peace out A town Word to your Mother.

Love Always

Sister Leavitt

PS I am so happy! I love my life!

Never a DULL Moment....week six

Here is this weeks letter.  What a wonderful way to spend Thanksgiving!  Hope that you all had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends.

Hello!!

So this past week was Thanksgiving. Elder Holland came to speak to us with his entire family. His grandkids even sang for us. It was so amazing and it made me so happy that they would spend their holiday with us at the MTC. We got to do a fun service project and I had a blast doing it. We cut out school bags for those school kits we are always collecting stuff for. I missed home a little on Thanksgiving, but there really is no other place I would rather be than here doing the Lord's work so overall it was a very splendid and happy day. Oh, that night we had a thankful fireside and a bunch of missionaries got up and said what they are thankful for. One said, "I am thankful for smiling, it's my favorite." It made me smile so much because I love smiling too! It's my favorite too!

On Saturday morning the alarm went off and I was trying to turn it off, I thought that I was facing the side of my bed that the alarm was on, but really I was facing the side of my bed that was next to a brick wall. So I smacked my head on the wall and got a huge goose egg from it, but it was funny and I helped me wake up really fast that day. They turned the Christmas lights on and I was joyous about that. Sister Ward and I took a stroll through the lights so that we could enjoy them and we sang Christmas songs as we walked along.

On Saturday I was stretching before gym and this sister in my zone, Sister Holmes, let me put my hand on her shoulder so that I wouldn't fall over and So I just thought you would want to know that the people in my zone really "support" me. Bahaha! Really though they do.

On Sunday this sister played an amazing arrangement of "I Stand All Amazed" on the piano during Relief Society. It made me realize just how amazing our Savior is and how much he has given us at this time. In am so amazed at the love and support he gives me each and every day. I know that Christ lives and loves every one of us. He has given me so much and I am so grateful for him and His atonement. I learned this week that a testimony born from the heart, with the power of the spirit is always understood. No matter what language it is given in. I have become convinced this week that I am here in the MTC not only to learn the Russian language, but more importantly, the language of the spirit. When I can learn the language of the spirit and be able to speak with it, it is then that I will truly be able to touch hearts and change lives. It takes a lot of practice and a lot of mistakes, but I know that I am slowly learning the language of the spirit. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is truly the Church of Jesus Christ and with the knowledge that we gain from this gospel we can be happy and have joy in our lives right now and throughout eternity. Our Heavenly Father loves us and I can't wait for the day when I get to live with Him again and live with my family forever. I love you all and I'll talk to you next week.

Love,

Sister Leavitt