Letter - August 4, 2010

8-4-10

Armas pere!

Our branch goes to the 10:20 session at the temple and then usually have lunch right after, then e-mail time. I think we’ve finally figured out an efficient way to get things done on Preparation days. At least, I hope I’d be a pro at this after being here for 7 -8 weeks already! My photo predicament is now solved. I went to the bookstore this afternoon and the machines are back up and running. I’ll send the pics as soon as I can.

I’ve gotta say, doing laundry at the MTC is kinda awesome. You can use as many washers and dryers as you want (or can find during busy times). We just put a couple of loads in, go eat or study for a bit, then transfer the clothes to the dryers and you’re done in like, 3 trips! Some missionaries stay in the laundry room to write letters and e-mail but it gets miserably hot and stuffy down there with the machines going all day long. It’s also funny to see Elders stuffing all their clothes in one huge load. My only complaint about my laundry experience is that there is no plug for the sink there so I can’t wash some of my things by hand very easily. Whoa, I just wrote an entire paragraph about laundry . . . WUT. Moving on……

How’s the Relief Society responsibilities going, Mom? How’s the tunin’ and family history, Dad? Ryan and Mark, I’m sure you’d be happy to know I’ve recently started playing football (soccer) with some sisters during morning gym days. How is Dallin doing with Kindergarten? Any interesting news from the singles’ ward? How’s that going for ya, Stacey? That’s about all the questions I have at the moment. You seem to all be doing fun things in the e-mails so that’s just “tubli”!

I haven’t seen Brian Gashler for a while, but that’s prolly since I sit at the other side of the cafeteria. I see Dallin Stone and Dallin Larson usually multiple times a day, so that’s fun. I’m glad they’re leaving roughly the same time too so I can still chat more : ) Boy am I happy I’m not serving in Mexico or Argentina. There have been a lot of missionaries who are delayed in their departures because of visa issues. Some of them have had to stay here a few extra weeks, or else be temporarily reassigned to the Salt Lake City South mission until the visas come through. Apparently, Sis. Aitken never received the letter I did from Pres. Dance asking for passport photos and information for visa applications. The mission finally contacted her through e-mail here and it was a headache to get it together since our e-mail time is so limited. I just hope we got it sent in on time because I would hate to be delayed or have to leave without her. I s’pose we’ll find out in a few weeks!

Last night’s devotional was pretty great. Sister Anderson was asked to give the closing prayer so I had to sit on the stand as her companion because there was not enough seats for Sis. Aitken to join us too> (Sis. Anderson is a sister going to Finland so we’re in a trio now!) We we’re hoping for an apostle, but got yet another emeritus member of the Seventy. It’s all good though. The Brethren must be especially busy this summer. ;) Anyway, L. Lionel Kendrick had some good advice to share with us. He admonished us to not simply “serve time” but to serve the Lord. He also said how we cannon judge whom the Lord has prepared for us to teach. Bro. Kendrick never could have imagined his high school Agriculture teacher (yup, he’s an old-timer. : ) Love it!!) even being interested in the church because he was ornery and mean. He later received a letter from his teacher while serving his mission that explained he joined the church. In addition to that, there are no hard areas or companions. They become what you build them up to be. I’ll only have a chance to serve with a handful of companions, but I have a feeling I won’t run into too much trouble. : ) One of the last things Bro. Kendrick mentioned was never ever ask yourself “what should I do today” while on a mission. Instead, the question every single day should be “How in the world are we gonna get it all done today?” (He grew up in Louisiana). As long as I’m doing my best and working my hardest, then I know I’ll be a successful missionary because that’s all that Heavenly Father asks of me.

Tomorrow night, we’ll be teaching the Plan of Salvation in Estonian. Somehow on Monday, we managed to teach Bro. Conway the lesson for over an hour, but that’s ‘cause we had to go back a little to the Restoration for some clarification. It was pretty fun to be able to teach for so long in the language. Having scriptures to reference definitely makes it easier because they can do a lot of the talking for you. Yay~! Yesterday, Õde Luik said my accent was pretty god. Hearing that from a native Estonian is certainly comforting! I think this week’s language focus will be grammar review. The mistakes I make are just very minor so I hope that’ll be a quick fix.

Noh! (Well!) That’s all I got for now! I am so happy that I pretty much have the coolest family ever. Tõsiselt, (seriously) like, I can’t even handle it. The same goes for my friends too! ; ) I love you all so greatly and I’m thankful for the support and prayers. Have a suurepärane week!

Hugs and kisses!

Courtney

Email: Hey Howdy Hey! - August 4, 2010

From: Courtney Smith courtney.smith@myldsmail.net
Date: Wed, Aug 4, 2010 at 12:24 PM
Subject: Hey howdy hey!'
To: Leta Smith

Hiya family!

You must be busy today! 'Tis quite all right though since I know you're sending a package soon anyway ;) I didn't have any e-mails except from my old pal Aubri Wilson. It was short, but good to hear from her! Now that I'm not responding to your e-mail, I don't know how well I'll be able to fill this e-mail up! I just finished lunch which was right after our trip to the temple. Yet another lovely day~ Now that the temple is open again, this is probably the time I will be e-mailing during the day. Only a few more ettevälmistustpäevad (preparation days) left at the MTC! [I finally figured out how to do Estonian characters on this computer :]

I'm stuck in a little predicament with the pictures for the plaque back home. I took a pretty good looking picture last Wednesday and when I went to go get to process later in the week, both of the photo processing machines were out of service. Nii...(So...) you'll either have to wait a bit until they fix or replace 'em, or I can send home my 2gb memory card early. Let me know whatcha think.

Yesterday, I received a cute little "How you doin'?" sort of card from Grandma Smithson. Oh, she is just so precious~! She feels bad that she's keeping up with my updates but not writing enough. Oh, whatever! I've at least received several cards during my stay here and Carol has sent me some e-mails too. I think they're doing just fine. Much better than Stacey anyway >.> *ahem*............ Nah, I'm kiddin'! I got Stacey's letter last week, and boy oh boy, did I laugh really hard! Thanks so much lil' sis! I hope you keep writing me back. I need those lulz~ Oh, thanks for the Morgan update! She seems to be so busy with the move, but I'm glad she enjoys her new area.

Not much new has happened except that I'm counting down the days until we're bustin' outta this place. I do like the MTC, but I've been here to long and I want to get to Estonia a.s.a.p.! We got some new roomates last week and I like them a lot. In our room is Sis. John and Sis. Soolefai from Hyrum, Utah and Brisbane Australia. Awesome. They'll be serving in Billings, Montana and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania respectively. The sad thing is that we'll have to bid farewell to another set of roomates before we even depart ourselves. Wow. Ha ha ha! I can't wait to see Rebecca Crowe and cousin Chaz show up on August 18th though!

One of our teachers is getting ready to go to India for service for 3 weeks and probably won't be back before we leave. Much of our class time with him has been just story time, but it's great because he's been sharing the many miracles he experienced there.

Well, I think that's about all I've got for now! I love you all so much. Thanks for the love and prayers!

Much love,

Courtney

_________________________________________________________

From: Courtney Smithcourtney.smith@myldsmail.net
Date: Wed, Aug 4, 2010 at 12:30 PM
Subject: Re: A new month
To: Leta Smith

Mama! I just missed you! Sorry about that. I should have tried saving a draft and then check the inbox again. Love ya!

Courtney

Letter - July 28, 2010

7-28-10

Tere Fam!

I pray you’re all doing well at the moment! The weekly e-mail seems to indicate that you are, so that’s just grand. I’m happy that the blog is up now! I think it’ll be a real treat for all my friends and loved ones to read. Thanks for your dedication for putting it all together!

So, now for some random things. I think I’ve eaten more bananas (and cracked wheat!) in the MTC than I have in my whole life. Sis. Aitken is starting to get me hooked on hocolate licorice since her friends and family keep sending it.

One of the Large Group Meeting (how original?) presenters here is like a Bill Murray impersonator. No joke. He looks and sounds like Bill Murray and I’ve heard a few others express that thought too! Too bad he’s not quite as funny. I think he tries a little too hard sometimes, he he he. I know I’ve mentioned our awesome Branch Presidency and their wives before, but this next bit definitely proves it. Sister Stice kept telling us how she was determined to sneak in some Café Rio salads for us. Well last night, she totally came through. My, what a miracle that was! Sister Stice is a Saint. Compared to the cafeteria food … I can’t really describe how happy it made me. Our leaders and teachers aren’t supposed to give us goodies for fear of upsetting other missionaries, but since we have been at the MTC since Bro. Stice just started as one of the branch counselors, we’re just a little bit special. ; )

Sunday night’s fireside featured Bro. Stephen B. Allen, the Managing Director of the Missionary Department. He also used to be the Tempe Mission President back in good ol’ 1993 and one of the producers/directors/some important person for the old “Homefront” church TV ads. His talk featured several of the commercials which made the meeting hilarious, yet meaningful. My personal favorite was the “Conference Call” Australian ad because the jingle at the end just blew me away with sheer magnificence. I want to make it my ringtone when I get back, ha ha ha! I wonder if you can find it on the Internet somewhere… Anyways, the commercials were a lot of fun, and Bro. Allen is a really funny man too. After each clip, he would explain the message of the ad. His message was focused on choices and how we can change our poor habits and weaknesses. Becoming perfect is a long process. Bro. Allen said following the promptings of the Holy Ghost is the greatest fun you can have! Let a member of the Godhead be your senior companion. He reminded us that we can do missionary work because a prophet of God called us. There’s a reason why I’m needed in Estonia. I can’t wait for when I discover that myself. : )

Our farewell with our Finland-bound roommates this week was rather bittersweet. We grew so close, but obviously Finland needs them more than we do now! Their departure is just making me more antsy to get out into the mission field! Just a month now, WOW! Vaga ponev! (very exciting) This week, Bro. Andre was joking with the possibility that President Dance will keep Sis. Aitken and I together when we first arrive. Wha-ha-ha-ha-hat?! True, our future trainers have only been there 2 months now, but the thought of the two of us, fresh outta the MTC just makes us roar with laughter. The idea is frightening / hilarious at the same time. Actually, it would seem daunting, but also rather adventurous too. Sounds kinda fun, ha ha! Although, I doubt that’d really happen. (just watch, it will : P)

I’ve finally reached Helaman in my reading of the Book of Mormon. I want to finish before I leave and I think I can at this pace. I actually want to finish it as soon as possible so I can start reading it again! I’m learning so much, and I want to see what principles stand out to me now that I’ve been a missionary for 1 ½ months. Now I truly understand why the Book of Mormon is so very important. If it were proven false, everything would collapse. But I’ve learned for myself that it’s truly the Word of God. Many have tried to disprove it, but it will always stand as a true testament of our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, prophets, and Christ’s restored church on the Earth. I know the gospel blesses families because I’ve witnessed it myself. My family is so wonderfully happy because of this knowledge. Attending the temple this week made me miss having you all there with me, but before you know it, we’ll be back together again! ;) Thanks for the love, support, and many prayers. I’m praying for you all too. (Yes, that means you blog-readin’ folk too!) Stay happy everyone!

Armastusega, (with love)

Ode Courtney

P.S. If anybody actually leaves funny comments on the blog, please share ‘em! I’m always looking for laughs : )

P.S.S. Just got your letter through DearElder.com Thanks! Stacey’s made me cry so much from laughter, idek..! (I don’t even know ...!)

Email: Summer Rain - July 28, 2010

From: Courtney Smith
Date: Wed, Jul 28, 2010 at 12:49 PM
Subject: Re: Summer Rain
To: Leta Smith

Hiya family! I just got back from lunch which was right after our trip to the Provo Temple! It finally reopened this Monday and I'm glad I'll get to attend a few more times before I go to Estonia. That's great to hear about a little bit of rain! It only spit on us for maybe 1/2 an hour Monday evening, but the cloudy skies and cooler weather made Monday night gym time very enjoyable. That's "tubli" (pretty much every word to describe something awesome in one) that you had a splendid time with the fam camping! Morgan's blog is morganrp.blogspot.com. I'm glad to hear the blog of my adventures is finally established! Veronica sent me a DearElder letter yesterday and she mentioned that she already has it bookmarked ;) I was SO HAPPY to hear from her and she gave me some updates on my former co-workers and how the Tempe Town Lake dam busted. lolwut? That's exciting news for you folks down there! I also receieved a letter from Kristin today so after this, it's letter-writing time! (a.k.a. wrist pain, hand cramp time! w00t w00t!)

Sis. Aitken's birthday was Monday, and probably the most boring she's ever had, but that's because she didn't have her family to spend it with. Not to mention, that's when our roomates left, and we grew very close in those 5-6 weeks. It left her a bit downtrodden and we tried to cheer her up throughout the day. I don't know if Bro. Conway's "MORMONI TORNADO!" (Estonian accent) dance move helped her feel better, but hey, it made me laugh! Bro. Conway is the bestest teacher in the whole wide world!!!!!!! He is so quirky and animated when he teaches, not to mention very patient and a has a great love for all people, and a powerful testimony of the church and missionary work. I wish everybody could be in his class for just one day~

The MTC does have caffeine free Dr. Pepper, Coke (and Diet!), and Mountain Dew ;) I'll see what I can do about a picture on Sunday. I think the guidelines on shoes are the same, i.e. closed-toed and all, but color is encouraged! They're trying to accomodate to what can actually be found in stores. Mid-calf skirts are practically extinct. I should ask Sister Luik what's currently in style in Estonia. She says that Estonia does really believe in sales so the clothing may be a little pricey, but she said there is a little more improvement in being able to find skirts nowadays. I scheduled a tutoring session with her for tomorrow so I'll ask her some more later.

Last Thursday, I receieved a letter from my mission president, President Dance. He pretty much just said BE DILIGENT with our studies 'cause we're gonna hit the ground runnin' when we arrive in the Riga Airport in a month. WHOA, I'm only a month away!!! President Dance must either be really in tune with the Spirit, or else it's a problem he's finding in the mission, but he specifically mentioned not taking music devices with screens that view photos and videos. Normally, I would think myself an exception to the rule, but since there have been many talks of obedience lately, I need all the blessings I can get from following his council. I'll be sending home my Sansa this week. If we have any old mp3 players without screens, you can send that to me, but I feel bad for all the time Shauna putting into loading stuff onto the Sansa. If it's too time-consuming or annoying to deal with that, don't worry about it. President Dance mentioned that many of the apartments already have cd players with some cds.

Well, that's all the time I have for this e-mail! I'll have mail the rest of the news to ya!

Much love,

Courtney

Letter - July 21, 2010

7-21-10

Hey There Family!

It sounds like you’re having an enjoyable summer! Wow, school starts back up in a month. And goodness sakes, Dallin’s off to Kindergarten! It’s unbelievable how fast those kiddos are growing. I received a post card from Mark & Marily and the fam from their California trip. This postcard was really neat since the San Diego Temple was featured alongside the other pictures of LaJolla. Marily explained that Dallin and Adam had Mac & Cheese “at 2 restaurants, 2 nights in a row! Heaven!” HA HA HA. That would be heaven for kids! I also thought it was adorable that she mentioned that “Owen loves wet sand”. I could just imagine him playing with it. : )

In addition to the postcard, I received a large envelope from “Noel Griffin & guests”. I just knew that meant they were up to no good. I opened it and lo and behold, I find a half dozen pictures drawn with crayons and markers of the oddest things. I snapped some pictures for you since I will kindlasti (definitely) post these ugly things on my wall. Noel must have hosted a shindig at her place because I had artwork from herself, Kristin van Leuven, Heather McRae, Laura McRae, Todd Decker, Devin Grimes, Rachael Griffin, Spencer Griffin, and a nice letter from Papa Griffin. I know it’s early in the mission, but I cannot think of what could top speshul-ness of that magnitude. Seriously. I hope the photos I took do them justice. They really look like a bunch of 2^nd grader drawings, but they’re more like art masterpieces to me. J I know I’ll always have a laugh or a smile when I look at them. I love my support group!

Lately, Sis. Aitken and I have been arising earlier in the day to try out the 6 A.M. exercise classes. Step aerobics, yoga, toning, pilates, kickboxing, etc. It’s a little difficult getting out of bed before the crack of dawn, but I’ve been enjoying it. Now the question is if I’ll keep doing it most mornings until I leave the MTC, ha ha.

Yesterday afternoon, Sis. Aitken and I were feeling rather snackish. Over my time here, I inherited a box of Wheat Thins, a chocolate pudding cup, a granola bar, some licorice and a banana I brought back to class from breakfast. The previous day, we both had the random notion that bananas, wheat thins, and chocolate could be like a S’more substitute at the MTC. So we used the wheat thins, banana, and pudding (I had no spoon so there was no other dignified way to eat it) and we made these odd sandwiches. The sweet and salty taste was actually decent and our little concoction made me feel like a kid again. Obviously, we need to find a better outlet for our creativity and curiosity.

Last night, my branch president, President Thorpe, asked me to be the new Coordinating Sister since Sister Herde is leaving with the rest of the older Finns on Monday. Yay for more responsibilities! Now I get to give tours to the incoming missionaries and go to meetings where I report on how well the sisters in our branch observe Quiet Time and lights out. Thankfully, we had 4 sisters leave today and the older Finns are leaving on Monday so I will only have to worry about the 3 of us left since we won’t be getting some more for at least another week or two. I’m going to miss the older Finns. I feel so blessed to have been their roommates for half of my stay here because now they’re MTC veterans, plus very sweet, and they’re all so hilarious. We’ll definitely keep in touch throughout our missions since it’ll be fast enough to send mail from Estonia to Finland. J Oh, and mail from the U.S. and Estonia may be faster than I mentioned before. That’s comforting!

The soon-to-be trainers for Sis. Aitken and I actually sent us a small package of candies from Estonia last Friday, which happened to be our one month anniversary. The chocolate was sooo delicious. I’m afraid where most of my monthly allowance might end up…. : D Ha ha ha!

Over the weekend, I browsed through the revamped Mormon.org. It’s so fantastic! There are featured clips of all sorts of members sharing about why they joined the Church, what they do and love about life. This rendition of Mormon.org really puts the focus on people and it allows members to post profiles for people worldwide to read and connect with through blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc. I think this makes it easier and more comfortable for members to share the gospel through the Internet. I started to make my own profile, but it’s incomplete since I can’t upload a picture yet. Who knows, maybe it’ll come in handy to refer to Mormon.org while teaching in Estonia. I think they’re fond of technology so this is a great resource.

Yesterday, Bro. Conway prefaced his lesson with “Remember July 20^th”. I think he wanted us to remember that day as the day we could capture the vision of what Heavenly Father wants for us to do as missionaries. He shared with us several scripture passages of the amazing miracles of missionary work in the Book of Mormon. He told us to work like we’ll convert thousands like it says at the end of Alma 26:22. Bro. Conway admitted to us that when he left Estonia a few years back, he felt that his work there was preparatory for future missionaries like us. I know the Lord is preparing the hearts of the people. My work as a missionary is to help them draw closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ so that they can do the converting, bring about that “change of heart”. Dallin H Oaks called the change of heart the greatest miracle of all.

I feel my capabilities and potential growing a little each day. Heavenly Father has some amazing things in store for me during the mission and after. Gotta make sure I’m workin’ to earn it! Thanks for raisin’ me right, and for all the love and prayers. I’m curious to see how those “long-distance blessings” turn out. ; )

Armastusega, (with love)

Courtney

PS (on back of envelope) – Correction to my story about my friends! Heather hosted the party. Noel probably had her fam write some things before she mailed the envelope off. Also, I’ve seen Gregory McDowell here but have yet to approach and see if he remembers me : P

Sis. Aitken chowing down on the gourmet fare.

Glamor shot of the wonderful new culinary creation

Nothing goes to waste here!

Email: Surprise, your Father - July 21, 2010

From: Courtney Smith
Sent: July 21, 2010 8:51 AM
To: Fred
Subject: Re: surprise, your Father

Armas Isa! (Beloved Father)

So nice to hear from you! That's so fun that they went camping! It seems like you're all enjoying your summer. Jessica was just over, going camping, having sleepovers, etc. Sounds like a perfect summer compared to being in a classroom most of the day :P We try to take a leisurely stroll around the campus to get our clear our minds almost daily. Tomorrow, we get to teach our entire first lesson about the Restoration in Estonian, WOW. I can't believe it's already MTC week 6. I'm halfway done with this place. It's just coasting from here now, (except not quite such a break since there's still so much to learn, haha!) My Finnish roomates keep reminding me that some little birdy is going around saying how talented I am at the language. I try to be humble about it. I've been slacking a little the past few days on learning more vocabulary so that's what I plan to do with most of my preparation day.

I happened to see Brian Gashler while doing my weekly service early Monday morning. My job was to replace dirty erasers and wipe away all the chalk dust in all the classrooms in one of the buildings. His class was having personal study at the time and I knew it was one of the German classes so I kept my eye out and when I spotted him, I whispered "Brian..?" and then we talked for a minute or two before I had to move on with my work. I'm happy he's enjoying it here so far. What a good kid!

Monday afternoon, Sis. Aitken and I had an appointment with an ENT doc in Payson, just 30 minutes south of Provo. A service missionary volunteer, Sis. Zollinger, was our driver. She was a sweet elderly woman, however, Sis. Aitken is convinced that if we weren't missionaries, we probably would've died. Thankfully, I kept myself occupied by chatting with her most of the way and tried to not focus on her driving. We counted our blessings that we made there and back safely. Sis. Aitken has a fungus in her left ear, real fun stuff. Apparently it's something that's been sorta going around here at the MTC. The doctor said that it should go away soon with her new medications, but we have another appointment on the 6th of August.

Yup, Tilly's living the normal dogs life. Sometimes I see people walking their dogs when I'm out at the missionary field across the street and it makes me miss my silly dog ;) Goodness Dad, you sure are on top with your Estonian info! If I had normal access to a computer, I'm sure I'd be all over that too. Must run in the genes

I don't think I have much more to report on for this week that I'll have to write home about. Things are just cruising along and I'm itchin' to get to Estonia even though I know so little. Heavenly Father has blessed me so much with my companion, roomates, teachers, branch presidency, etc. It's like they were handpicked, just for me. Thanks so much for the prayers. They're obviously working!

Armastusega,

Courtney

Letter - July 15, 2010

7-15-10

Kallis Perekond,

Well, of course I find my pictures I wanted to send home merely an hour and a half after I mailed that letter >_< Doh! I didn't notice that I hid them inside my journal so they wouldn't slide around in my bag. I think I'll have to print some extras for me to take a few to Estonia if I do send that 2GB card home. I'm still wondering how I'm going to fill it up...I think I can fit some 200 more pictures on it! Anyway, enjoy the photos. Some turned out great, and some are a little wiggedy wack, but, what else could you expect from me, HA HA HA. Love you bunches!

Courtney

P.S. Our teaching assignment went so well tonight! Now it's onto Estonian-only lesson. I'm just focusing on trying to invite and keep the Spirit like we have been doing so well recently. :)

My name tag looks cool, yes?

Heidi Anderson, Aleni Rasmussen, Lindsey Herde, Courtney Smith at the Provo Temple

Courtney Smith and Nikaela Aitken

The Estonian MTC class room. I told you about the shirt I ordered at the MTC earlier. Just showing what it looks like.












Aw, what sweet looking sister missionaries!
Sister Aitken and Sister Smith

...
Sister Aitken and Sister Smith

Baked with love ~ <3>

Leslie Jordan (friend from Mesa singles ward, going to Budapest, Hungary), Courtney

Courtney


THE MTC GAVE ME RABIES!!!
No, I kid. My sample size toothpaste was especially foamy, I couldn't help myself >D

Letter - July 14, 2010

7-14-10

Alooooooha Tere Family!

It's time for this week's LETTER˜♥ Ok. I was really bored and thought that would look cute, teehee! Anyway, following up on things I missed in this week's email (cursed email time is so short!). I really did have an enjoyable time cleaning the Provo Temple. Now I understand why people always talk about how they love scrubs, hahaha! We waited for instruction in the Baptistry Chapel, which I noticed had an entire glass wall looking straight into the baptismal font. What a neat touch! I'd love to see the whole thing while it's occupied but I'm guessing that I'll only be doing regular temple sessions once it's back open. Oh well. It was still cool.

For last Sunday's fireside, Jenny Oaks Baker, daughter of Elder Oaks and renowned violinist, came to share her talents with us. She related some experiences that lead into the themes of the songs she chose to perform. I think Grandma Smithson and Aunt Carol gave me a CD of hers when I was a young teen but I only listened once or twice. Silly me ;P Her performance was gorgeous and flawless. Her nephew, Jared Oaks, accompanied on the piano and he played just as beautifully. A very lovely evening, indeed.

Estonian is coming along well. Next week, we'll be teaching the first lesson about the Restoration entirely in Estonian . I think we've got grammar down, I just need to sit myself down and learn the new vocabulary for it. I was never one to just study vocab for a long time, but I'm afraid of what may happen if I don't put in the effort. Sister Aitken has always been a perfectionist with her school work so she doubts her abilities in the language too much. She really does just fine, so I'm trying to remind her to just relax. Oftentimes, it's not the words that matter. Knowing that the Holy Ghost is present is the real focus. He will carry the message into the hearts of our investigators. :)

I think Sis. Aitken is mostly back to her normal self except that her jaw still hurts from the infection. We went to the MTC health clinic to schedule an appointment with the ENT doc to just check on it, and they've decided to just shuttle on down to his office in Payson, UT on Monday! YAY! FIELD TRIP!!! Unfortunately, the trip is due to Sis. Aitken's condition, but it'll be even nicer to take a drive 30 min. south rather than a 5 min. drive to the drugstore! I consider myself lucky that I've been able to travel off campus so frequently. It's refreshing to observe life outside. :D

I can't really think of things I need at the moment. Some of my tights and knee-highs are showing wear, but I believe they sell some in the bookstore and there's the new dress code that is to be announced on Sunday. There are trade offs for nylons. They are a pain to put on and fidgeting with several layers of clothing is a bit cumbersome, but they are perfect for covering up my white and (sometimes) prickly legs :P

Sooo...that was a bit TMI but it's true! One day this past week, Sis. Aitken and I were chatting with the Finns (we sit with 'em every meal) about some of the cookies they serve here. We started talking about oatmeal cookies and I mentioned how my family make a bomb batch of oatmeal cookies. Would you be so kind as to send a few for them to try out? I'm wondering if plain oatmeal or Ryan's deluxe-style oatmeal cookies would be better. Meh, I'll leave that up to you :) Please don't feel obligated to make a lot. I still have most of the candy that Sis. Aitkens' mom sent me. Plenty of snacks for me!

I'm happy that Jessica is staying over for a bit! Way too many fun memories from the past! I actually received her letter today and a letter from Noel and Heather on Monday. Lots of replies to write! That's why I'm a bit glad I don't receive much more mail than I do. I think I get the right amount of love from home :) Sis. Aitken usually gets at least 2-3 DearElders a day and she's having a rough time keeping up with the replies.

It's MTC week 5 now (by the time you get this, it'll almost be 6). Nearly half-way through already. Shoot. In a month and a half, I'll be in Estonia. Boy, that's crazy/nerve-racking/exciting to think about. I really am looking forward to it, even though I'm sure I'll be smiling and nodding for a few months straight, ha ha ha! Nah, it'll be rough at first, but I seem to catch on quickly with the language so far. At least we'll be leaving the MTC to the Baltic mission in a group of 20 missionaries, half of which are Russian-speaking (5 Latvians, 3 Lithuanians, 2 Estonians (REPRESENT!)). That should make our travel plans more fun! People stop Sis. Aitken and I all the time to ask where we're going. Our name tags look so different with the "õde" on it. I would hope that those people feel special talking to one of the two persons out of 2,000+ missionaries that are learning Estonian at the moment (lolwut, prideful much? LOL).

Brian arrived today, but I probably won't have a chance to see him until the weekend since new missionaries have so many places to go the first few days. I'll keep my eyes peeled though! I've been lucky to come across everyone I know who's here!

Bro. Conway is such a squishable teddy bear. He cries more than a girl, of course that's because he bears his testimony so powerfully. :) I need to take a picture on day so you can see what I mean. He's so animated when he teaches, I love it. Plus, he's very in tune with the Holy Ghost. Sometimes, I feel he can, like, read my soul. I'm working on having the Spirit with me more. This week, Bro. Conway shared Jeremiah 16:16 with us which talks about God sending forth "Fishers" and "Hunters" (missionaries). He said that some missions are places where missionaries can just cast their net and pull up many fish. In Estonia, however, we require the skills of the Hunter in order to "hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks." I have to learn to speak to everyone and overcome fears. For fishers, the hard part is trying to pull up the net with so many fish :) . People may say I won't find much success in Estonia, but the Lord is preparing His Elect all throughout the world. My work may just require more finding, but I know there are people waiting to hear the truth of the Restored gospel from me.

Noh! (well!) I really thought I could try and squeeze this week's new on 2 pages, but I'm sure you just loooove hearing about all the excitement up here. To be honest, there aren't too many exciting things to talk about, but I do notice small joys and blessings every day. It's these little things that make this MTC experience worth it. I hope the pictures will keep you satisfied for a while. These are pretty much the best pictures I have for you so far. I know I must repent and snap some more for you!

I just remembered that Pioneer Day, the 24th of July is coming up. It'll be interesting to see how mad it gets here in the center of it all. I heard some folks say it's bigger than Independence Day. SAY WHAT?!?! Ha ha, I wonder what's in store...

Oh, I finally met Elder Coolbear. Elder Coolbear is a cool dude after all, haha! Aaaaand that's about all I have to report on this week. Writing all this makes my hand cramp up. So I can't wait to use a normal computer in the field. Then I could attach photos and sound clips! Väga põnev (very exciting)! At least I hope that's possible out in the field. You shall find out by September!

Thanks for the hugs, kisses, and prayers! For tomorrow nights TRC, I get to show off pics of the fam, so excited for that :) I am so grateful I've been raised so well and have so many loving family members! Sometimes I think to myself, "What have I just committed myself to?!" But then I quickly remember who's supporting me and why I'm really doing this. To bring souls unto Jesus Christ and prepare them to return to the presence of their Heavenly Father. That, and I think "If [so-and-so] can do it, then you better believe I sure can!" :) But in reality, it's not my mission, it's the Lord's mission. I love you all immensely!

Love always,
Courtney

P.S. Ok, so somehow I misplace the photos I was gonna send home and don't have time to go look so I can get this in before cut off. SORRY!

Email: From Sunny Mesa - July 14, 2010

From: Courtney Smith
Date: Wed, Jul 14, 2010 at 10:59 AM
Subject: Re: From Sunny Mesa
To: Leta Smith

Hey family!

I just got finished cleaning the Provo Temple for 3 hours. Loved it~! I did some vacuuming and detailing (cleaning with q-tips and toothpick, awww yeah!), and Mom, I'm sure you're proud to hear that I clean just a bit of the baseboards too. It really was kind of nice because we were all decked out in white scrubs and they had a central vacuum system, something I had no idea existed! All you gotta do is plug the hose in the hole and SHAZAM!!! Vacuum power!! Somehow, I find an odd sense of joy in vacuuming. Dunno why. I think the temple will be back up and running in about 2 more weeks. It's been hard waiting, especially since I was cleaning today. We've had some cloudy skies which made me happy, but NO RAIN. That makes me sad Usually it's the opposite, right? Not when you're from Arizona!

I am so happy for Rebecca! When I first met her, I actually thought she was a member of the church already! Oh, she's going to be such a great missionary I think I did meet Elder Carroll already, but I forgot to check his name tag and introduce myself as a friend of Sally Sue's. Oops :P I ordered some picture prints, so I'll mail some for this week's letter. I figured I'd order some to keep you satisfied for now since I don't take too many pictures and plus I some of the pictures are kind of random, ha ha. I don't have a July Ensign, but I may be able to get one from the bookstore or something. Maybe I could ask the Branch Presidency's wives about it. They are so so so sweet! It's kinda nice having a mother/grandmother figure to check up on us and bring us nice things like flowers for our bland dorm rooms! Most of our Finnish roomates will be leaving on the 26th, and they've been talking about using a pay phone in the airport to call home for a bit. There are no rules on the matter, so whaddya think? Would you like to hear from me at the end of August? ;) Sundays sometimes don't feel like Sundays since we have meetings scattered all throughout the day. At the moment, we have 10 sisters, which is amazing. The other sisters, besides us Finns and Estonians, are going to North Carolina and one is from New Zealand so her accent is tight. We probably have about 30 missionaries. To kick off Relief Society, all the sisters gather in the gym to watch Music and the Spoken Word and then a talk afterward. Then we go to lunch, then an hour for Sacrament meeting, and then a district meeting (think Sunday School) and then we usually walk to the temple at 3pm. Then it's back for dinner, a wee bit more of free time, and then a fireside in the evening and optional church films after that. We finally got to see the ending of The District 2 on Sunday. I've never been so excited to see the conclusion of a church movie before! I just got so excited watching these missionaries in San Diego teach people and experience the joys and hardships along with them. Much better that District 1, ha ha ha!

Rumors have been floating around that there's a new sister dress code, and I think it's finally going to be officially announced on Sunday, HALLELUJAH! It may still be up to some missions, but now bright, happy colors and patterns are encouraged and nylons are optional! Oh, and knee-length skirts are ok, as long as it covers the knee when you sit. We're still waiting to hear the official proclamation, but this is a long overdue improvement. One that probably should have been done at least 5 years ago. ((Why couldn't they tell me sooner... xP)) SHAUNA, DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS MEANS?!?!?!??!

Aww, I wish Jessica could've stayed before I left, but alas, 'tis not so. I mailed her a letter over a week ago, so maybe now she and Stacey will finally write me something

Much loves fam!

Courtney

Letter - July 7, 2010

7-7-10

Dearest Family,

It was so fun to hear you had an eventful week. It didn’t feel quite like the 4^th on Sunday, but then again, I wasn’t with family and it’s a little irreverent to party hard on a Sunday . Sunday morning was actually a wee bit nippy and overcast, which is a strange occurrence for me on a summer morning. All the sisters needed sweaters and coats. Most of our meeting rooms are cold anyway. Usually, I associate the 4^th of July with sweltering hot weather, no matter where I’m at. Well, half way through the day, the sun finally decided to shine and it was gorgeous the rest of the day.

Like I told you in the e-mail, Carrie Underwood was performing at the Stadium of Fire on Saturday night. We heard the instrument doing their sound checks in the afternoon. That was a little odd hearing loud guitars and electric violins. However, no Carrie Underwood concert for missionaries! We had a mandatory musical fireside to attend which included a video with MTC staffers/senior missionaries playing roles like Paul, Martin Luther, Ben Franklin, etc., and led up to live actors portraying Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and the Angel Moroni (played by the MTC President. Odd). These portrayals were interrupted every few minutes by musical numbers by the choir, soloists, or congregation. It was a good program, but I do admit it was hard not to giggle a little at some of the costumes. I believe the whole congregation chuckled when the Founding Fathers came about. Their wigs were the most lol worthy. Benjamin Franklin looked like a woman, teehee ahem But, really it was a good program. Afterward, all the missionaries watched the fireworks from the south end of campus. As the show was happening, Elders kept starting up various songs which was fun at first, but got a little annoying when I just wanted to enjoy fireworks in peace. Oh well! Jolly good. Good show. Jolly good show!

Soooo, that was pretty much my weekend. I finally got Mark & Marily’s letter on Tuesday (the post office here decided to take a day off). I’m glad I have yet another picture to show off my presh nephews! Thanks again, Shauna for that photo book. I like showing it off. I was reminded by my roommates that we had a little pig out session on Sunday night! They were kind enough to print a few extra photos so I could have some! I was about to head for the shower (hence the towel and robe) and then I found them on the couches on our floor. Sis. Crowther’s mom sent a bunch of goodies for Independence Day so we decided to put it all out. Don’t worry, the mess was a little exaggerated for the photos, ha ha? It was totally perfect that I arrived with my robe on. Sister Rasmussen has the pink socks, Sister Herde is wearing the Finland tee, and Sis. Aitken has the “Run Forrest Run” shirt.

On Thursdays, Sis. Aitken and I have our TRC nights. To be honest, I don’t know what the “R” stands for, but basically, we prepare to talk to Estonian speaking volunteers for a few minutes and then teach a lesson such as the Restoration or the Plan of Salvation. Last Thursday, Sis. Aitken was feeling especially sick and didn’t think she’d be able to teach or contribute at all since her jaw was hurting so bad. This meant that I probably would have to do the whole 45 minutes or so by myself. I felt quite inadequate and all I could do was hope the Lord would help me out somehow. While Bro. Conway went to go check to see if our teaching room was ready, he asked us to look for short scriptures that would summarize the Savior’s Atonement. After several minutes, I began wondering what was going on since he didn’t return. After 10 minutes, he finally came back to our prep room and asked if we had prayed that we didn’t have to do TRC that night. No volunteers had showed up and he couldn’t find the coordinators anywhere, so we were off the hook for the night! Perhaps Heavenly Father answered a secret prayer in my heart. I loved Sis. Aitken’s exclamation “God really DOES love me!” What a relief! But now that means I have to prepare extra for tomorrow night. I do feel more at ease about it now though.

Yesterday, Bro. Andre and Bro. Conway had Sis. Aitken and I portray investigators while they taught us the Plan of Salvation. They obviously know how to teach so well with the Holy Ghost because I felt it so strongly. They’ve had 1000x more practice. This is the 2^nd scenario where I’ve been in this investigator position and after every time, I feel so good. I wish everyone could experience it. Our teachers remind us that we missionaries are the ones with the mantle placed upon us to teach. I’m sure one day I’ll be able to teach like that, hopefully sooner than later!

It’s been apparent that Heavenly Father is stressing the importance of the Book of Mormon to me lately. It’s all I’ve been hearing about since the weekend. Once we realize how miraculous it is that we have it and of the truthfulness of it, then everything else must be true, it falls into place. I’ve learned about all the convincing information that proves the Book of Mormon is tangible evidence that Christ’s church is restored again. It’s been a very enlightening experience and has renewed my determination to glean from its pages. The D&C and Pearl of Great Price are not yet available in Estonian so the Book of Mormon will be my main tool.

I got Shauna’s letter through Dear Elder later this afternoon. I think they print ‘em around 4ish. Happy to hear from ya, sis! The kickboxing wasn’t like hardcore self-defense, more like cardio and aerobics, but it worked me pretty good. Now that Sis. Aitken is improving, I think we’ll try going sometime within the week (that is if we want to get up a 6 - lol).

Ok, so random time now. I have yet to meet him, but there is a new elder in our branch named Elder Coolbear. No joke. Elder Coolbear. The Finnish elders met him already and say his name fits him. Stay tuned for Adventures with Elder Coolbear.

It’s a tad disheartening to think that people who arrived here the same day I did are already in the field now. Of course, they went to English speaking missions, but now they’re off to the real deal, where it really counts. I guess I’m grateful that I can try to understand this language in 70 – 80 days. I mean, last night we had an Emeritus Seventy, Robert K. Dellenbach, tell us that they practically dropped him off in Germany with no language training back in the 1960’s. Oooh, that’s rough.

I saw a sister using a mini tape recorder to mail home her voice in addition to letters. That’d be much more efficient and easier to do than writing a long letter and having my hand cramp up! My MP3 player has a voice record function, I believe, but I wouldn’t be able to rip the audio on the computers here. Perhaps I could try in Estonia. Mail takes so long to get there so I might be able to put audio clips on e-mail attachments… ooh hoo hoo, that’s something I’ll have to try out. They do sell mini tape recorders here, but c’mon, that’s such dated technology! And mailing them would take too long. I hear it’s 3 weeks from the U.S. to Estonia and maybe 4 from Estonia to the U.S. Guess I’m buying Christmas gifts far in advance this year. That could be dated info, but it doesn’t surprise me too much. It’s such a small country.

The portions for meal time here are fit for Gigantor. I’m doing a little better now that I’ve tried most everything I want to. I’ve got quite a sweet tooth.

I’ll be on the lookout for Brian Gashler next week. I’m able to check e-mail anytime on Wednesdays, so please send e-mails early Wednesday morning or Tuesday night. I won’t check earlier than 9, so by then would be great! Enjoy the pictures!

Love,

Courtney

Courtney Smith, Amanda Lusk, Shayda Robinette, Melany Buchanan, Elise Reynolds, Lindsey Herde, Heidi Anderson, Aleni Rasmussen

Marsali Crowther, Aleni Rasmussen, Courtney Smith, Heidi Anderson

4th of July feast!

Courtney, Sis. Rasmussen, Sis. Crowther, Sis. Herde, Sis. Aitken