Sestra Erin Rhodes: January 2015

January 29, 2015- MTC

Family (or Mom cuz I don't remember anyone else's emails)!!!!

I am safe. That is what they told us today. They're just giving us a quick paragraph but here's a quick update: I'm SO happy! I am in a trio companionship and in a room with the 2 other sisters in our mission and they are going to Croatia. There are 5 of us going to my mission including 2 elders going to Slovenia. We are just drinking from a slovenian, spiritual fire hose..... or two. Haha. I looooove wearing my name tag and this morning I woke up from 3 on until 6:30 on every half hour worrying that I missed my first day as a missionary and slept in. When I finally got out of my top bunk to check the time . . . it was 6:26. I couldn't make it that last 4 minutes. So I starred at the ceiling and slipped slowly into madness. It was seriously like Christmas morning! Sister Higgins and Sister Redding are great! And one of my sister leaders is Audrey Taylor who I went to preschool with . . . I'm still trying to remember her. Haha but she knows me! So we've got to go, but I love your guts all and have been thinking about you guys! I have a little note pad for random thoughts that I've been taking for a more detailed email later. But I am happy and well and so excited and loving wearing church clothes and all. Talk to you thursday! xoxo

Love,

Sestra Rhodes

February 5, 2015

slovenian warning STOP worlds most sporadic email ahead STOP continue at own risk STOP love you all STOP

Hehehey Everybody!

I'm on a computer . . . hehe so fancy. I'm on a mission too and let me tell ya, it is good stuff. So I'm going to take some time to tell you bout' it and answer some basic questions:

Companions-awesome! I feel like a giant, which is well deserved. But we are working pretty well together . . . we've had a couple of 'let's talk through this' talks. But all is well, they are beautiful and I am so happy to be serving with them and I know that I'm going to learn many important things from them. Our 'residence halls' make me feel like I am in boot camp a little bit. Mostly the tan scratchy blankets tucked perfectly (by myself each morning) atop our bunk beds. I'm also frequently reminded of hunger games because this weird man voice comes on the speakers and announces those who didn't make it that day.

Or maybe he just tells us its lights out time...I don't remember.

Slovenian, Sloveeenian, Slovene. Turns out, they're all correct so everyone can pat their backs. However the actual language . . . hoo hoo. That's a task. I've been really grateful for German this week and suddenly it sounds like the prettiest language ever. Here was my first thought of Slovene: j

"These guys are really great at minions impression from dispicable me." Second thought, " . . . . . blank." Third thought "I feel like they are speaking just like the weird jibberish guy on brave." (Maddox may be the only one to understand that reference. But I imagine I will grow to love the sound, it already is growing on me. GERMAN HELPED ME SO MUCH. We are learning very fast and having practice of knowing how to learn a language has helped dramatically. I don't think my comps like that very much . . . I don't want to learn slower, but I feel bad knowing more .. . weird situation. Plus all my teacher giggle and tell me a speak with a german accent. On the outside I'm laughing and saying "haha really?" On the inside I'm saying, "Yeahahahahah! Das what I'm tawking about! BOOM. TOWN."

Clayton would have been in my zone if he was on a mission again. :) I spend all my time with my zone: aka Bulgarians, Czechs, Polish elders and sisters. They're all so great! Also, The Swedish elders and sisters study right across the hall! We see and chat with them all the time! So I'll be chatting it up with Sister Mecham here pretty soon!

We had our first Mission conference (aka whole MTC) and had two devotionals and it has all been super awesome. At the conference, the mtc president asked an elder to come up and bear his testimony. He is the first missionary to come from Syria and had a crazy story to tell. Along with another sister (who has already returned) who left on a mission even though her mom was going to pass away from cancer while she was gone. She came back to one brother. It made me sooooo grateful for you guys. When I think of family, the closest and best description I have is literally, "a portion of what heaven will be like." I seriously. Mmm. love you guys.

QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT: If any of you want to get in contact with me, emails work. They do. However, if you send a dear elder on wed, then I can read them in my not computer time and reply to you all! I also wanted to give two shout outs: Steph. She gave me my first rockin hand written letter. (More are encouraged. I'll write you back . . . Que creepy smile.) Second off to Pa. Who (and I quote) stated so eloquently, "Today marks a week already since we dropped your sorry tail on the curb!" Really that wasn't a shout out. I just thought you should all participate in what me me laugh. Sorry.

We've taught 5 lessons (kind of) in Slovene. Cough Cough.

And for the first time in my life, I can finally go to the temple and prayer with really specific questions. I am already loving the mtc life. I am learning so much love being here. Really it is the same feeling as the first time I came out of the temple, "I don't know what just happened. But I'm just so happy!" Yup. Anywho, I love you all. Sorry for the long email. or not sorry. You can choose. But the work is going and I look forward to hearing about your lives!

Lots of sisterly love,

Sestra Rhodes