Hi, Momma! Hi, Rich!
I guess if you're going to send me messages, I should probably give you my addresses. This is my new missionary email address, and its the only one I'll be checking, so this is the one you'll need to keep from now on.
My MTC address is:
Sister Hillary Megan Kiser
MTC Mailbox #201
SWE-STO 0928
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793
And yes, you can send me packages as well as letters if you like.
I love you very much, and I miss you already.
Love, Hillary
Sunday, August 29, 2010
2nd Letter
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Dear Family,
Tell Dad-Dad that I hope he heals quickly and let him know that I'm remembering him in my prayers.
Thanks for sending Paw-Paw's address. I was actually going to ask for it so I can write to him and Dusty anyway.
Jed and Jay's advice made me laugh. The sad fact is, I can't afford to miss ANY classes for choir. Which really is a shame. It would be fun. I really am way too busy, though.
Go, Momma! So tell me more about the play and about your characters. I'm assuming it's a comedy right?
As for Dad, Casey, and the car - Just tell Casey to be safe. Waiting Dad and Danita to get married could be a very long time coming, so I think it's good to do what you can about it now. I know Dad needs a fire lit under him to get this done. Just don't start a fight if you can help it.
I'm glad Keira likes her new play set. Her "Nothing scares me anymore" story cracked me and my companion up so much! I seriously have the coolest little sister on the planet.
Thanks again for the package you sent. Little nibbly snack foods are pretty much perfect. As for what else you can send me, I don't need much. I wouldn't mind having a short-sleeved cardigan (in COLOR!) and I miss my jewelry a little bit.
There are so many things I could tell you about, I don't really know how to start. I spend all day with my companion Syster Dabb and 11 hyper elders. I love the Elders. They kind of keep me sane when Sister Dabb and I are trying to work too hard. They're hilarious! 2 nights ago, they set a new record for chugging water in the cafeteria. 321 glasses of water! (I contributed 4 of those.) The kitchen staff really hated us when all 321 of those glasses came back to the dish-room on the conveyor belt. The really funny part was watching them all squirm through class for the next 3 hours because the teacher took no pity on them for bathroom breaks.
I've become good friends with one of the elders. His name is Elder Lampinen and he's from Finland. This is his first time in America and it's been a lot of fun to watch him because he's so STILL while the 12 Americans around him are always so hyper and loud. He was very solemn at first and I think he was really uncomfortable being around us, but I can see that he's adjusting. He smiles and laughs now, even though he's still quiet.
Swedish has come very slowly this week. It's frustrated me a lot since I got a small taste of the gift of tongues at the very beginning. I'm pretty nervous about tomorrow Our district is going on an "English Fast." We're only allowed to speak in Swedish all day long. I have a feeling that tomorrow's going to be very quiet for me.
Today I got to go to the temple. I LOVE the temple SO MUCH! My favorite thing about being here is that I get to go to the temple every week.
I especially want Chynna and Casey to know that the temple brings peace and teaches things that life would not be complete without. I am so grateful that I am lucky enough to enter the temple when so few even know about it. IT IS WORTH whatever it takes to get to the temple. <3
Hopefully tomorrow's English fast will be good for me. The idea is that it forces us to learn the language, and i need whatever works right now.
Aside from the language, everything else is coming fast. All day long we listen to devotionals, read scriptures, pray, talk about the gospel, and how to teach it to others. They say that a teacher learns so much more about their subject than they could ever teach, and it's absolutely true. Every day is a spiritual feast of the greatest quality.
Last of all, I just want you to know I made the right decision by coming. I know I'm doing what God wants me to do. I know that what I am here to learn and teach is true and that this is the most important thing I'll ever do for the people i find. I couldn't be happier anywhere else right now than I am.
I love you very much. Love each other. Pray. Be happy.
Love,
Sister Hillary Kiser
Dear Family,
Tell Dad-Dad that I hope he heals quickly and let him know that I'm remembering him in my prayers.
Thanks for sending Paw-Paw's address. I was actually going to ask for it so I can write to him and Dusty anyway.
Jed and Jay's advice made me laugh. The sad fact is, I can't afford to miss ANY classes for choir. Which really is a shame. It would be fun. I really am way too busy, though.
Go, Momma! So tell me more about the play and about your characters. I'm assuming it's a comedy right?
As for Dad, Casey, and the car - Just tell Casey to be safe. Waiting Dad and Danita to get married could be a very long time coming, so I think it's good to do what you can about it now. I know Dad needs a fire lit under him to get this done. Just don't start a fight if you can help it.
I'm glad Keira likes her new play set. Her "Nothing scares me anymore" story cracked me and my companion up so much! I seriously have the coolest little sister on the planet.
Thanks again for the package you sent. Little nibbly snack foods are pretty much perfect. As for what else you can send me, I don't need much. I wouldn't mind having a short-sleeved cardigan (in COLOR!) and I miss my jewelry a little bit.
There are so many things I could tell you about, I don't really know how to start. I spend all day with my companion Syster Dabb and 11 hyper elders. I love the Elders. They kind of keep me sane when Sister Dabb and I are trying to work too hard. They're hilarious! 2 nights ago, they set a new record for chugging water in the cafeteria. 321 glasses of water! (I contributed 4 of those.) The kitchen staff really hated us when all 321 of those glasses came back to the dish-room on the conveyor belt. The really funny part was watching them all squirm through class for the next 3 hours because the teacher took no pity on them for bathroom breaks.
I've become good friends with one of the elders. His name is Elder Lampinen and he's from Finland. This is his first time in America and it's been a lot of fun to watch him because he's so STILL while the 12 Americans around him are always so hyper and loud. He was very solemn at first and I think he was really uncomfortable being around us, but I can see that he's adjusting. He smiles and laughs now, even though he's still quiet.
Swedish has come very slowly this week. It's frustrated me a lot since I got a small taste of the gift of tongues at the very beginning. I'm pretty nervous about tomorrow Our district is going on an "English Fast." We're only allowed to speak in Swedish all day long. I have a feeling that tomorrow's going to be very quiet for me.
Today I got to go to the temple. I LOVE the temple SO MUCH! My favorite thing about being here is that I get to go to the temple every week.
I especially want Chynna and Casey to know that the temple brings peace and teaches things that life would not be complete without. I am so grateful that I am lucky enough to enter the temple when so few even know about it. IT IS WORTH whatever it takes to get to the temple. <3
Hopefully tomorrow's English fast will be good for me. The idea is that it forces us to learn the language, and i need whatever works right now.
Aside from the language, everything else is coming fast. All day long we listen to devotionals, read scriptures, pray, talk about the gospel, and how to teach it to others. They say that a teacher learns so much more about their subject than they could ever teach, and it's absolutely true. Every day is a spiritual feast of the greatest quality.
Last of all, I just want you to know I made the right decision by coming. I know I'm doing what God wants me to do. I know that what I am here to learn and teach is true and that this is the most important thing I'll ever do for the people i find. I couldn't be happier anywhere else right now than I am.
I love you very much. Love each other. Pray. Be happy.
Love,
Sister Hillary Kiser
First Swedish Testimony
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Jag vet att Mormons Bok ar sann och evangeliet ar sant. Jag vet att Jesu Kristi kyrka av Sista Dagars Heliga ar Guds kyrka. Jag vet att Gud lever och Jesus Kristus lever och Jesus Kristus ar var fralsare. I Jesu Kristi namn, Amen.
I know the Book of Mormon is true and the gospel is true. I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is God's church. I know that God lives, and Jesus Christ is our Savior. In Jesus Christ's name, Amen.
Jag vet att Mormons Bok ar sann och evangeliet ar sant. Jag vet att Jesu Kristi kyrka av Sista Dagars Heliga ar Guds kyrka. Jag vet att Gud lever och Jesus Kristus lever och Jesus Kristus ar var fralsare. I Jesu Kristi namn, Amen.
I know the Book of Mormon is true and the gospel is true. I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is God's church. I know that God lives, and Jesus Christ is our Savior. In Jesus Christ's name, Amen.
1st Letter
Hey guys. This is Teresa (Hillary's aunt for those of you that do not know me). I have been given the privilege of keeping up with Hillary's blog while she is serving her mission. Unfortunately I just got her letters today so I'm a little behind. I will be posting her letters and e-mails home in that order. I hope the e-mails are in the right order.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Dear Family,
It's hard to believe that I've only been in the MTC for one day! so much has happened in this short time that it feels longer. In one day I've sat through a devotional, done Pilates, and spent 7 hours in classes focusing on how to recognize our investigator's needs, teach the 1st Discussion on the Restoration, and of course Swedish. In one hour, our entire class learned how to form the sentences we need to bear testimony- and did it! I can already bear a basic testimony in Swedish! Tomorrow my companion, Syster Dabb, and I are going to challenge each other to cut every English word we know in Swedish out of our speech. Syster Dabb is amazing. I feel really lucky to have her because we've agreed to really push each other with goals like memorizing scripture masteries every day and studying the Atonement together to increase our desire to teach it. I had an amazing experience my first few hours here, in which I was able to stand before about 100 people and announce that I know that there is life after death because I prayed for assurance that Maw-Maw would be okay, and I did get an immediate answer to that prayer. As I said it, the Spirit flooded in, and I knew it even more surely than I had when I began speaking. I haven't seen Jeremiah since our 1st dinner. We stay so busy, it's hard to guess when I might bump into him. I love you and want you to know that I'm well, happy, and safe as it's possible to be.
Love,
Sister Hillary M. Kiser
P.S. My Preparation Day is on Wednesdays. Each Wednesday, I will have only 1/2 hour to read and write my emails. It will be really helpful for me if you can send your messages to me through DearElder.com instead of e-mails so that I can read it on paper then save my 30 minutes for writing back. Thanks! <3
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Dear Family,
It's hard to believe that I've only been in the MTC for one day! so much has happened in this short time that it feels longer. In one day I've sat through a devotional, done Pilates, and spent 7 hours in classes focusing on how to recognize our investigator's needs, teach the 1st Discussion on the Restoration, and of course Swedish. In one hour, our entire class learned how to form the sentences we need to bear testimony- and did it! I can already bear a basic testimony in Swedish! Tomorrow my companion, Syster Dabb, and I are going to challenge each other to cut every English word we know in Swedish out of our speech. Syster Dabb is amazing. I feel really lucky to have her because we've agreed to really push each other with goals like memorizing scripture masteries every day and studying the Atonement together to increase our desire to teach it. I had an amazing experience my first few hours here, in which I was able to stand before about 100 people and announce that I know that there is life after death because I prayed for assurance that Maw-Maw would be okay, and I did get an immediate answer to that prayer. As I said it, the Spirit flooded in, and I knew it even more surely than I had when I began speaking. I haven't seen Jeremiah since our 1st dinner. We stay so busy, it's hard to guess when I might bump into him. I love you and want you to know that I'm well, happy, and safe as it's possible to be.
Love,
Sister Hillary M. Kiser
P.S. My Preparation Day is on Wednesdays. Each Wednesday, I will have only 1/2 hour to read and write my emails. It will be really helpful for me if you can send your messages to me through DearElder.com instead of e-mails so that I can read it on paper then save my 30 minutes for writing back. Thanks! <3
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