Hi friends of Hailey-

Many of you have asked for a recording of Hailey's farewell talk. Here is a link to listen to it:

http://bittv.s3.amazonaws.com/Hailey's%20Farewell%203-23-14.aiff

2nd Week in the MTC

As grandma annie would say, "I am in my third week." haha miss that sassy lady. 

I know she is with me here at the MTC. I feel her helping to uplift me and keep me sane during the 9+ hours of study we have. russian is just sooo hard but it is starting to click A LITTTTLE bit. The tiniest bit. I have the best teachers ever. They're so awesome! Sister Gish, Brother Froelich, and brother holt. I love them all, they are so patient. Last night I did TRC (which is teaching RM's) for the first time and i loooooved it. It was so fun! And we got really great reviews from sister gish so that was good. We only forgot to leave a committment, but that's okay. next time!

Sorry in advance for all you people who are sensitive to talking about gassy things but... I FART ALL THE TIME!! hahaha it's so funny. My companions are like, "how do you hold so much gas inside of you?" I just don't know. I don't know. I really don't. All i know is you think i was gassy before? all the gasses have DOUBLED. haha gotta love it.

MOM! CHTO TAQOI! (That means what the heck in russian.) You didn't email me!!! but tha'ts okay, I still love you. Thanks for the dear elders. I love them so much. I really love receiving mail it lifts me up so I can stand on mountains, like josh groban once said. AND THAT SUNSHINE PACKAGE!!! OH i just wanted to cry because it was so special to me. Thanks so much. I love you you are my bffffff. You better believe i ate the flaming hot cheetos the second i saw them. OH, and i have been savoring my marshmallow eater egg. It the tastiest treat.

RUBY and JON thanks for all the letters and treats. I eat them all and I reread the letters all the time. I love you guys. Thanks for uplifiting me!

Bonnie I am so stoked for you and jared. It'll be good to live nearer to school and that you are going to be doing piano stuff?!?!?! super cool! I love you guys. Keep writing me.

Hayley dove child. You are au pairing with a new family? Tell me all the secrets. I miss you and love you. sorry I would email all these personally, but I am short on time today.

And all of you thanks for the letters and dear elders. I love them all so much. Really, keep it up! I miss you guys and it truly does help me feel a lot more positive. 

It sounds like you all had the happiest easter ever! I miss easter dinners. But my easter was so awesome as you probably already read from the snail mail letter I sent off on monday. BACK TO EASTER. The spirit in the room was so unreal. Dieter F Uchtdorf came and spoke to us an that man is amazing. he is one word: loving. He spoke about how we as missionaries need to be fearless like peter the apostle And come to learn to fear NO man because we have god on our side so why should we fear? I loved that message. Then, he gave us an apostalic blessing. Isn't that crazy? AN APOSTALIC BLESSING. He blessed us that as we incline our minds and hearts toward christ, we WILL have angels to protect and uplift us, our families and loved ones WILL be watched over and protected, and we will have a knowledge of the gospel. I really needed to hear that. I stress about being away from my family always so it was a good blessing to receive. I know that it was a blessing not only to the misisonaries at the MTC but all over the world as well. So YOU are part of that blessing! Never forget it. we are never alone. After his talk he went around shaking peoples hands. He went up to a blind missionary and kissed him on the head and gave him a big hug. It made my heart melt. That is what the pure love of christ is brothers and shishters! 

THE MTC HAS BEEN INSANE IN THE BRAIN. Seriously that's all I can put it as. I have been blessed to hear from 3 apostles! We heard from Neil. L. Andersen, then dieter f uchtdorf And then on sunday we had dallin h oaks speak to us. It is interesting because their messages were all different, but they were all similar too. the common message that I got out of all three was to HAVE FAITH IN HEAVENLY FATHER! And that as we do we will be blessed to have angels to surround and uplift us. All three of the apostles said that so it's true. It's just crazy to think that there really are angels around us at all times. I am so grateful for that because i can have a sense of peace and know that we are never ever EVER alone and that there is always somebody protecting us and helping us learn, and helping us stay positive when we get frustrated. That refers back to gma annie. Love her! 

I have learned so much about the atonement here. I really just throw all my problems onto the savior. that sounds bad but really it is beautiful. I am so frustrated with this language, but then I take a step back, breathe, and say to myself "this is what the atonement is all about. I will turn this over to the savior because he felt ALL of what I am feeling so I don't need to feel it right now since it's already been felt." then I get back to my chipper self and just try to soak everything up. I know how to share the most simple testimony, and how to introduce reading a scripture and how to offer a simple prayer and that's it. But i know it will come with time, and seeing all my friends and my precious Hayd truly receive the gift of tongues gives me hope in knowing that I will be able to receive that gift that I was blessed with as well. It's going to be okay! Thanks for keeping me positive all you beautiful family+friends.  I think of you all the time. I am so grateful that I am on this mission for many reasons, but one of the main reasons is I get to grow spiritually and hopefully get to show all of you that GOD LIVES. He is real, and he loves us. I KNOW THIS and I am trying to learn to have faith in him. because without faith you can do nothing. work without faith is dead, as they say. 

Dallin H Oaks had a great message. He just told us that this missionary period of life is a chance for us to unplug from the world and to serve god and just be engulfed in the waters of the gospel. Then he told us that we are on the lords team so we can't fail. We are all human. I loved his message. It made me want to be better! anyway, I feel the spirit really often, and I am so grateful I am learning to understand how he speaks. I know he will help me with the language too once I get to russia. Cute Ruby  was telling me that she didn't really notice the gift of tongues until she got to the field in sweden. So I guess I just gotta be patient, and I will. I am on my third week crazy? I think so. 

I have been trying so hard to love sister G and it is working. I feel that I can better understand her and I really see how much the lord loves her. She's just so stubborn sometimes ughhhh haha but that's life. "LIFE". Things are going really great and we all teach the lessons together with the spirit. I freaking love sister mackey. She's my best friend here. She's such a weirdo like me. We snuggled last night in bed while chatting haha too funny.

My favorite part about the mtc is the sisters in my zone. Sister klein an sister clark. Every night, us three + sister mackey have shower parties and just shower and talk and it's way fun. Sister G won't come because apparently talking in showers in awkward but that's okay. The floors in the showers really aren't too gross but I wear my flipflops anyway. Don't want any strange fungus in mi toesies!

FUNNY STORY. Sister gish my teacher was telling us that she is going to bring us a picture to class of her kisisng her boyfriend trevor and I didn't realize I did this but when she said that I said, "OHHHHH YEAHHHHH!" in the creepiest voice. My district went silent and looked at me like I was the biggest freak, and sis gish just looked at me and.... I starting crying and laughing SO hard. HAHAHA i'm a creep. I was thinking of getting to kiss hayden again in 18 months and that's when I said "ohhhh yeahhhhhh." like the kool aid pitcher. and.... now Im the creepy girl in the district haha lawls forever.

Whit and ben! I am so happy that the basement is finished. You should send photos. Send photos of my claire too! I love you. Mike and Spenc, I am so happy you ate tons of food on easters! That's what it's all about. Not really. It's about the savior.and when the easter bunny brings you cannnndddyyy. I love easter though for real. I know jesus is the christ and I know that he is so willing to know all of us, and he wants us all to be happy. I love him! and he loves you. He is always there. 

PLEASE, KEEP SENDING ME LETTERS. dear elder is awesome beacuse I get them asap. It makes me so happy hearing from all you that I love. I am so happy you are all happy! It really turns my day around and makes me so happy to hear from you all. CAMI WRITE ME! forward these to scott and chandra. 

Dad could you mail me an inexpensive card reader? I can't send any photos without one. These computers are ghetto booty. You can use the money from my account too! I won't even be mad. So stoked to hear about your new camera!! that is so awesome. 

 Has the DMV mailed my new licence yet? I just need it before I leave in 6 weeks. No pressure. 

AND CLAIRE SAYS BA BA?!?!?! WHAT!!! ahhh i miss you so bad. I miss the dogs. I miss you all so much it sucks. But I am really starting to love the MTC. 

i love you mom. I love you dad. I love you sibs. I love you family and friends. 

GAHHh i love you!!!!!!!! Thanks for all you do for me. I love you! I pray for you always. ALWAYS!!! 

First week in the MTC

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE LETTERS! They keep me positive and strong. Please keep them coming I am having a hard time adjusting here. 

mike and spenc thanks for writing me mostly every day. I get so excited to just hear from those that I love. whit tell shauna thanks for the money and letter. It really was upliftting. 

MOM!! I OPENED MY EASTER PACKAGE! It was so awesome. I cried. And I love the lipstick and socks and candies and oh my it was just heaven. Thnak you so much. You are the craftiest and i love you and I love you all my family. I miss you!!!!!

DAD thanks for writing me. Please keep writing me. I really miss hearing all your stories and just basking in your presence.  i love you so much

RUBY&JON thank you for the package! I raelly needed all those treats. my sweet tooth has been going wild here at the MTC. Thanks for sharing your mission stoires with me ruby. It helps a great deal. It keeps me positive! I love you guys.

everyone else thanks for writing me. I miss my clairance so much. She is just so cute. I wanna see her tooth she is a BABE. I cried the other day thinking about her. GAHHH who know one of my best friends could be a baby.

First day at the mtc was crappy. haha it was just so much unfamiliar feelings i didn't know what to do about it. But the days went by and it got better now that I get the routine. I have two companionis. Sister Mackey who is from sacramento! She is way good at russian.. She took classes at college prior to her mission so she knows a ton which saves our bacon when we have to teach our fake invbestigator Boris.

Sister "M" is so positive and is the mediator between me and our other companion sister "G". Sister G.  is from west valley and she really isn't very nice. She is so stubborn and difficult to get along with. She flipped out at me and M the other day because apparently we are "immature" for singing songs while we walk? but she is the one that throws a fit all the time because she speaks fluent french and is having a hard time with russian just like me. 

haha ahhhhhh i'm just trying my hardest to have fun here and to have christlike love and to have long suffering and charity and humility because it is so hard. I have never wanted to quit something so much in my life. i think it would be easier to want to be here If we could all just get along but unfortunately we just don't. Then she told us that we don't take this seriously and that we aren't good missionaries. I wanted to kick her and scream but I just chose to tell her that we love her. That was hard to do but hopefully the blessings will come and that soon we will understand her. She is bipolar and reallllllly doesn't like me and "M". She talks to everyone else but us which is really frustrating but I am trying to be patient. sometimes it is so hard to love gods children haha 

I have been having a rough time having faith that I will be able to learn this language. It is so hard! SERIOUSLY SO HARD!  hahaha sometimes i just laugh because it's so ridiculous. But I just know that there are russian people who need this gospel so I am trying my best to adapt to the mission life and to learn the language so that they can come to know christ too. 

My district is obnoxious haha but funny at times too. There are two tripanionships. Three girls and three elders. I LOVE MY TEACHERS! Brother froleich and sister gish. I have gotten really close to sister gish and she told me that it took her a long time to lean russian but now she is teaching it so i know that it is possible for me too to pick up on the langugae. It is just hrad because it is high stress to learn it since we have to teach a fake investigator twice a week. We are teaching him again tonight so hopefully we can plan a lesson and have the spirit to help us with what to say.

To answer the questions: the food is good. It makes you SO gassy you just feel like a balloon floating around. I am staying warm at night. We are only allowed two blankets but I am just freezing so I have three.... maybe four... oops... gotta do what you gotta do.

Neil L andersen came and spoke at our tuesday night devotional. He told us that we need to learn the doctrine of christ and to teach ONLY that. It is hard to do especially because I don't know much about the doctrine, but I know that with faith and patience I can learn all things. I have never EVER had to rely on the Lord so much. It is something that I am learning to do better. I hope that I am trying hard enoguh here... someimtes I feel I don't and sometimes I feel I do which is why I am so sressed all the time. Anyway, sorry about that rant back to the story. 

I get to share the gospel to russians. I get to share my testimony. It is so cool when you think about it deeply. What a blessing. Pray for me to be faithful and to learn this language. I need all the help i can get.

I love my zone. I had NO idea there were so many people going to russia on their missions. It is awesome. There are about 25 of us. Some giong to ukraine (hopefully) and some to russia. Most of the people are giong to samara, actually. And everyone is just so postitive. I love the other cectpas. They are so loving and kind. My favorite one is sister taylor from SLC. we are very similiar and she reminds me of Erin. Berg, that is. I love and miss that lady lady!

Well I have to go. But thanks for loving me and writing me. It means more than you kmnow. I get to go to the temple today and I can't wait to just "go home"! the temple feels like home. I love it there.

I know christ loves me and he loves each of you. rely on him to help you with all your struggles and you will be blessed. I love you ALL SOOOO MUCH!

love hailey (haha still weird to call me cectpa twede) okay miss you love you bye! I will try to send photos