Bone Timer.

I have this talent...some of you might know. My bones tell me about whats going on and when things need to happen. Just about 2 weeks ago they told me Kinzie had her baby early, so I wrote her about it before she told me. My bones tell me when I need to go places and find people, or...(I am remembering the first time I used this bone timer)...send people on their way. (Diana, where did this term come from?)

I can tell you one thing right now, in 6 weeks my bone timer will really be going off for Norway. Not because I don't like it here, I'm just so excited to find and talk to people and tell them about Heavenly Father's love. It is hard for me to find an exact instance when I felt Heavenly Father's love for me, but I know I am happier with the gospel in my life. My bone timer says its time to go and tell people; who am I to ignore those bones?

P.S. Apparently, Marilee has some talent too, since I have heard she has taken creative liberty with my blog. I hope you enjoy both of us, then.

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Katie's birthday is coming up April 4th. It would be great for all of us to send her a flood of birthday wishes and warmth. We will miss her on her special day!

By the way, this blog's stats tell me there are about 30-40 of you readers keeping up with Kate on the day of each new post, plus more in the week following. The lack of comments is misleading, but let us know you're here! It would be great if we could all go on missions ourselves and experience the explosion of growth and learning that she has been afforded, but alas, we all experience it only vicariously. So then let’s be a community of vicarious learners, and share our experience of it with one another!

Also, I wanted to share some of my favorite lines from personal and family letters Katie sent this week:

“Tanner, you asked if I had sworn yet, to which I answer, no. Unless of course you count my first morning when I said shisa, (I can't spell right now). The people across the hall are learning German, so I had to kill that habit before I got myself in trouble. Also, I had to laugh out loud when we learned how to say meatloaf. It sounds like shutpudding. Not quite like in shut, more like the actual word. I couldn't help myself and I busted up laughing. I have a sweet district and they put up with me. They started laughing with me...I think they appreciate my humor every once in a while. Plus, how can you not laugh at that?”

“Dad, Yo papa!! How on earth did you stay here for three months?? I love it, but at the same time I start to go a little crazy. This week I wanted to go to Norway and start putting into action all the things that I am learning. This week has been a little repetitive, and I am just like you when it comes to meetings. Isn't there some way we could have just one less meeting a day? I know it is important and I do my best to focus, but it sometimes gets hard.”

“Overall I am still doing really well. This is the first week I missed things. The things I missed where: my nephews and niece, this american life radio, "home," a song by edward sharp - groove shark it, Middlemarch (a book), and a Jamba Juice. Other than that I'm still well adjusted. Scatter brained today, though. Imagine this, a room full of people madly pounding on the keyboard, trying to make contact to the outside world. Also, I think all week of things I will want to write home, and then I forget once I am actually in front of the computer.”

“We started playing games in class to practice Norwegian, and I am just loving it. I sometimes get carried away. The people in the classes next door to us laugh at me and tell me that they can hear me all the time when I get excited. I just asked my companion what she is writing about and she said the time we were playing pictionary and I started SCREAMING relief society over and over again. Everyone thought it was funny because I got so excited, I was out of my chair jumping and dancing. That wasn't the answer, but I did end up getting the point. How was I already supposed to know how to say 'auxilery leaders' in Norwegian?”

“We are trying to think of ways that we know for sure that Heavenly Father loves us. One for me is that I’m okay even though I don’t have a mom here. I miss her this week just because we are talking more about the Plan of Salvation. I wish I could remember more…But I guess feeling even a little connected to her is a good feeling.”

Don't forget to dot your "å's" and cross your "ø's".

Great advice for any Norwegian learner. I'm growing fond of Norwegian, but if I'm being candid I'll have to admit that Spanish still has my whole heart. It is that diminutive "ita" that I miss so bad. Cue track 6 (I think) on that CD I gave you...see what I mean?

But, to be fair, Norwegian does have its bright spots. My favorite? There is no longest word in Norwegian, because they combine words and the possibilities are endless. For example:

førstegangsundervishingavtaleopplevelser

is a 40 letter word which means: 1st time teaching appointment experience. Pretty neat, huh? As a student of Spanish and English, I'm in heaven here. Really, how many times do tenses, clauses, and word agreement really come up out there?

By way of things I've learned: It keeps hitting me this week how our choices always have consequences, but, importantly, those consequences always affect more than just ourselves. I think Ado put it brilliantly when she wrote "It is our individual duty to collectively take care of one another." Part of that individual duty means making choices that will bring good consequences to most people.

Sometimes in line at the grocery store I like to wonder how the person in front of me is affecting me--and how I'm affecting them. This idea becomes intensely clear with a companion. When I make a choice she will always feel the consequences, sometimes even more than I will. We all have responsibility because we are all connected.

END POST.

It is too tempting not to make personal commentary about how Katie is-I get juicy details in her letters. For those of you who are interested, Kate LOVES the MTC and writes about that love in ALL her letters. She loves her companion and thinks they, along with the Elders in her district, make a great team. As another funny side note she would be embarrassed to know I blogged about, Katie wrote in her last letter about how two Elders in the MTC very seriously asked if they could write her throughout her mission, and she commented to me: "I think there are so few girls here the boys are starved..." She doesn't know just how darling she is, does she? Stay tuned for Katie's excellent advice on how to reach teenagers in a Sunday School class.

A God what has a body could really listen.

As far as cloistering goes, I'm afraid the MTC is nothing like a real convent would be. I love it here. My companion and the 2 elders going to Norway are, simply put, splendid. My companion is bubbly and talks more than me (is that possible?). Best part, she likes to laugh as much as I do, and, although her laugh isn't as loud as mine is, it is definitely audible. We're very different, but we get along great. The two elders in my district are such small and tender shoots. They want to work really hard and are super dedicated. I had to teach one of my Elders how to do laundry today because he has never lived away from home. I made sure the whole laundry room clapped and cheered as he started his first load. They also like to laugh. The four of us stick pretty close together, even though we don't have to all be together all the time. Our teacher says they usually have to talk about district unity, but it isn't a problem with us. It is hard to be in that small classroom all day, but soon it will warm up and we can study outside.

I love the way we are taught here. I've never been in an environment where I could learn so much in such a short time. IIt is the ideal school. No grades, only intrinsic motivation, but it feels wonderful. I work not for a grade, but for the satisfaction of what I'm learning. I know it should always be that way, but lets be honest. The way they teach is brilliant. I would not believe anyone could learn a language as fast as I feel it happening here. We started having only Norwegian lunches on the fourth day here. We rarely are lectured at but mostly just have open conversations or participate in interesting activities ( and I'm not talking about the human know, because that is lame). I've come to love the art of the question more than ever. We question everything. We ask ourselves questions to understand how we think and view the gospel. It is a super open environment, which I was kinda worried it wouldn't be. And we talk all day long about being honest, sincere, and caring to everyone we meet. I love how they tell us not to teach things we don't understand or feel strongly about. I'm all about being honest.

Last great things? I haven't missed a boiled egg for breakfast since I've been here. They have oatmeal everyday. I can run around the track to my hearts content. There is Yoga, Pilataties, and Kickboxing in the morning. And I get to enjoy the Provo mountains without ever having to really be in Provo.

Note from the Blog Manager (and sister to Katie): in her letters Katie also says she hasn't had much time to write letters yet. Just 22 minutes at the computer the day she wrote this blog post, intended for family and friends. She likes when people write her using DearElder.com because she gets the letters the same day. She has seen a few emails and sent a few, but again, doesn't get much computer time. She also says she there are lots of sweets at the MTC, so don't send her anything sweet. =) Just like her. She told me in her letter, and I quote: "I'm not homesick at all yet--having WAY too much fun." We all miss her though!

Please leave a comment if you are having trouble reaching Katie using DearElder.com and I will assist you!

Let the Cloistering Begin!

What better time to start your mission blog than at 4:30 am? I couldn't sleep again. I don't think it is from being nervous so much as feeling like I have 19 trillion things to do in 24 hours, but I really wish I could because this is my third nearly sleepless night.

My sister Marilee will be managing this blog while I'm gone instead of forwarding a message to everyone. She will be posting pictures and updates that I give her, so check back often. She's pretty cute, so I bet this blog will be, too. Also, I know nothing about what a missionary blog ought to be, so I'm just going to be candid and honest here. I hope that's okay. Thanks for reading.

I enter the MTC on Wednesday and I'm really excited. At the front end of my time there I equate the MTC to being cloistered, mostly because it's funny and I like it. But, as part of my "research," I visited the Abbey of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity Monastery (thanks, Ben). Another religion, I know, so I'm not sure how useful the research will be, but they did have a sign on the wall that I really liked. The first line read: "Seven times a day we gather here in church to praise God and pray for all people." I loved that line and thought it was beautiful, especially the part about praying for all people. It's what they do for humanity, and I believe their prayers are efficacious. I'm excited to serve a mission. I know the gospel can make people incredibly happy; it does me. In a different way from the monks in Huntsville, my mission will be my way, for the next 18 months at least, to praise God and pray for all people, especially the people in Norway. I like to think about it that way. So, let the cloistering begin!