Flying to Iowa

Christine called from the airport during her layover today – she’s doing great!  She sounded very much in charge (no surprise) of her group of 20+ new missionaries all on their way to Iowa.  She regaled us with stories of tough classes, bonding with others, gym, food and of Elders who would talk smack to her and how she’d verbally take them down a peg or two.  Apparently, in good fun, one of the sisters put her in a choke hold and she deftly got out of it, much to the surprise of the other sister.  

The predicted glorious pizza was indeed very good…. It was heavenly in comparison to mass produced food, but to her it was from a chain…much like at home.

Since we sent a new, larger piece of luggage, there was some consideration of what to do with the third piece….as she is only allowed to check-in two pieces.  The smallest piece is the right size to be, and is now her carry-on….whew!

Her original companion left the MTC due to family concerns, so she was assigned to an established pair, making it a trio. While girls tend to work better in pairs, the trio worked well together.  One is about her age and is from San Diego, the other is younger and from Utah.  They got along well.

She is good with all that she had to learn, and she feels reasonably prepared.  Her dad was able to give her a bit of advice regarding expectations and first days on mission, in the field.  We all gathered around the phone (on speaker) so we could all hear her stories and hear that she sounds well.

Our prayers are with her and her companions.

Last letters from the MTC

Today our family received 4 letters from Christine: one for each of the three siblings and one for the family.  The family letter is posted here.

Dear family,

Thank you for the letters and emails and candy and such - mail time is the best time, and I appreciate the things sent.  I feel loved!  Thank all the people who signed that card for me (her dad brought a card to Young Mens/Boy Scouts and Young Womens - the youth programs at church - all the leaders and parents that he could find to sign the card) - I need their love and support.

Things are getting better for me here.  Having a calling helped (she was made Training Leader and had young new Sisters in her care) and getting mail helped.  Turning to the Lord and catching the Spirit has helped.  I'm still struggling, but it's getting better.  I'm excited to get in the mission field and use what I've learned in the MTC.

I'm hopeful that I'll love the people and corn and the work.  I'm still not sold on the state of Iowa, but I am there for the people, not for me.

Prayed about my anguish over language and mission zones (she was REALLY hoping to serve in a foreign country, barring that, she wanted to at least learn a language if she were to serve in the states.  She was disappointed to not be assigned with either of those things.  She knew, though, that ultimately, the Lord would place her where she needed to be, when she needed to be there.  Our family agrees that the famously stubborn Iowa people would best be taught by someone who spoke their particular language!), have been comforted, and got the promise that if I worked hard on learning a language when I get home, I would get help...so I'm really pumped to come home and learn German and Japanese.

I love you.  I miss you.  Extra love to mom who is extra sad in my absence.  Extra love to dad who has been supportive and loving.  Love to my brothers and love to my sister.  Tell me about what's happening at home.  I love the mail!

Christine

(She tried to send a few photographs before leaving the MTC, but the computer didn't want to download them.  Hopefully, next time she'll get on a computer, it will be more cooperative!)

Almost done at the MTC

We received a package from Christine today…she sent her spats home.  Waaah.  They called too much attention to her and when she’s teaching, the attention needs to be on the Gospel and Christs message. 

We found out that she is flying to Iowa on Wednesday, July 30.  She will be able to call home from the airport, so the parental units are taking the day off so the whole family can all be together when she calls.  She will have been at the MTC for two weeks exactly. We can't wait!!!

She received her larger piece of luggage today, and she’ll repack with more room. 

MTC days

MTC Day 1

We did this group role play things that was kind of intense.  While it was nice to be challenged for once, there was some serious bungling and I feel like we didn’t get enough information.  It was good though.  I learned really abruptly.  Wish I had remembered to get a copy of the “17 points of the True Church”… (I sent off 2 copies the next day)

My luggage is much smaller than everyone elses (Her luggage was purchased for temporary traveling, not her mission, so a larger piece was sent to arrive before she leaves for Iowa).  So I’m feeling a little under-packed – I could have my Temple gear!  (Some LDS people attend Temples, which is different than Sunday church – click here to find out why) Oh well.  Missing tennis shoes for mandatory gym time.  We’ll see what I can do about that.  Kinda missing my plethora of blankets, too.  Love love love the notes mom left scattered through my stuff!  Thank you!  And the snacks are great too! (From the MTC Survival Kit)

MTC Day 3

We’ll be going to the Provo Temple this Thursday as well ( so much for my prep time being for me!), but even those who have their stuff are being told “don’t bring them”, since they give us our gear for free… we’ll get to go to the Nauvoo Temple every 6 months.

I’m so tired and burnt out already, and nine days to go.  P-Day can’t come soon enough.  Gym is nice, too – pants and shirt. 

Allegedly, there’s a day where they serve pizza and that is it glorious; don’t know when that is, or how good it actually is.  We have many options every meal, even cereal and PB&J sandwich makings if the two or three entrees don’t appeal.

I’m rather overwhelmed.  I haven’t ever lived through an immersion program before.  Camp was the closest, with the schedule and the necessity of early bed just to have enough sleep to function the next day, it wasn’t mentally challenging like this.

                Christine

(Unfortunately, Christine was unable to attend the Provo Temple on 7/24/14 because it was Pioneer Day for the LDS church.  It is the anniversary of the day when the Saints, who had crossed the plains in covered wagons, entered the Salt Lake Valley for the first time in 1849.  It is something close to a National Holiday in Utah.  Businesses are closed, parades are marched, and celebrations are held all over the state.  The Temple was closed that day, too.) 

Defining "Over the River"

Des Moines takes its name from Fort Des Moines (1843–46), which was named for the Des Moines River. The French "des Moines" translates literally to either "from the monks" or "of the monks" [To get to the city of Des Moines, she will have to fly over the river of the monks].

The historian Virgil Vogel claimed that "Moingona" was derived from the Algonquian clan name.

A controversial recent hypothesis using a study of Miami-Illinois tribal names concludes the word Moingona comes from mooyiiinkweena, a derogatory name which translates roughly to "the excrement-faces." The name was apparently given ... by a tribal leader to dissuade them from doing business with a neighboring tribe.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Des_Moines,_Iowa           

Facts:
Des Moines populous: 203,000+
Iowa populous: nearly 3.1 million

Motto: "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain"

The Hawkeye state - It honors Black Hawk, a famous Indian Chief. Black Hawk took part in the Black Hawk War. Iowans are often called Hawkeyes.

Des Moines is a major center of the U.S. insurance industry and has a sizable financial services and publishing business base.

Des Moines was credited as the "number one spot for U.S. insurance companies" [including] Blue Cross, Blue Shield, & Wells Fargo.


Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, and Facebook have established data processing and logistical facilities in the Des Moines metro.

Forbes magazine ranked Des Moines as the "Best Place for Business".

In 2014, NBC ranked Des Moines as the "Wealthiest City in America" according to its criteria.

Des Moines is an important city in U.S. presidential politics because it is the capital of Iowa, which is home to the first caucuses of the presidential primary cycle.

First Letter and First Companion

The survival kit is fabulous! (I gave her an "MTC Survival Kit" with many little items including beef jerky labeled: use this to work out your frustrations, a lint roller labeled: so you'll be clean in class, and breath mints labeled: so only sweet things come out of your mouth) I read them to my sisters in my dorm and they thought they were cute too. I haven't had the attention or need to graze too much- I've been busy and the food is pretty decent. Definitely mass produced, but good considering. (probably better than Camp Whitsett!)

My companion is Sister Fetter, and she's a sweet thing from Arizona, so she's nothing like what I was afraid of having! The tender mercies. Only qualm I have is her disbelief in immunizations? I just can't wrap my mind around it and I've made it a point not to bring it up because I get really worked up about it. She's otherwise good though. She's got a boy back home, and she's worried about most of the same things I am about our mission. She understands the fears of going from a hot, arid place to a cold, humid one. Ewwww.

So as per the usual, a small list of things I forgot or haven't really worked out - I don't have  tennis shoes (so I guess my flats and boots will have to do) , or lotion (I bought a new bottle in the store), and I'm under the impression my luggage is smaller than it could have been, so blah. Oh well.

These keyboards are horrible- I've had to back space a lot. I guess this much use is really hard.

 I have so much more to tell you, but I only have a few minutes to write today- our first p-day (P-day is preparation day= the day they do laundry, shop, relax....a day off) isn't until Thursday. Next Thursday! Horrific. But it's been mostly good here. Already running into arbitrary rules, but my teachers have been mostly tolerant and very pleasant about everything. Someone described the MTC as a fire hose of information - its true.

I love you

Christine

 

She'll be able to call home at the airport when she leaves for Iowa....otherwise, the only calls home are Christmas and Mothers Day.

Missionary Training Center

Christine was dropped off at the Missionary Training Center on Wednesday July 16, 2014.  We drove up at the appointed time and was guided into a slot of empty space at the curb....along with dozens and dozens of other cars coming and going.  The operation was smooth and organized.  We were in and out of the parking lot in under three minutes.... they gave us time to unpack her and her stuff from the car, take a family photo, hugs, and see her be swept away by another missionary.

She is on her away to a new adventure!  We are very proud of her decision to serve the Lord in this way.

They will teach her what she needs to do to be the best missionary she can be over the next 10-14 days....then she'll fly out to Des Moines for the remainder of her 18 months.

And so it Begins.

So it's been quite an adventure. I'm in Utah as I write this, and I report to the Missionary Training Center(MTC) tomorrow in the afternoon. I've got the last of my little knick knacks and am wrangling my bags downstairs(who knew it would be so hard to pack your whole life in a luggage bag?). My name is no longer Christine for the duration- it's 'Sister'.

About two years ago I got on my knees and prayed about the course of my life. My engagement had fallen apart and I was struggling to get my life emotionally back on track. School seemed pointless, my extracurriculars felt hollow, and nothing seemed to fit right. So I prayed. And I prayed again. And I prayed about it a third time. All three times I got the same answer, and I couldn't really fight it- I needed to serve a mission. It wasn't what I wanted at all- I had school to finish, and in the world of art, a two year old portfolio was an archaic portfolio. Eighteen months is a long time.

But it needed doing; I asked, I had an answer, and so I needed to do something with that. It's been a long, difficult, frustrating trip. Set back after set back plagued me- first I couldn't get into the website, then I couldn't some of the paperwork done, then I was told I had to wait awhile for some other things to happen. Appointments were hard to get. Rules weren't clear, certain things were preferences as opposed to hard and fast things written in the handbooks. For something that I was told to do, this was a lot more challenging than you'd think it'd be. If I had left shortly after the first time I completed my paperwork, I'd be back by now.

Sometimes you need to wait. And apparently I needed to wait. I met a lot of people, had my patience tried, and I've done a lot of things. I had a job for a little while, and that money helped pay for the costs. So it's not a bad thing that it took so long.

I bought a lot of stuff from Goodwill, Walmart, Ross. You don't get winter clothes, real winter gear, in sunny southern California in the middle of the summer, so I'll be doing a little more shopping after I get there.

My mother's also really ready and gungho. I guess another missionary mommy blogs had this thing called a 'Babylon Box', which is essentially a container for all the worldly things the missionary leaves behind. Stuff like movies, music, trinkets... Most of the stuff I follow is online, so who knows how much physical stuff will actually be in the box.

Several people have also been committed to keeping me appraised of the goings on in the world- new anime, video games, what's happening with the family, etc. If you feel so compelled to help, to share, feel free! I like hearing about stuff more than once, since everyone comes at it from a different direction.

So lots of people have asked for my mission address! Its worth noting that the MTC address won't be good for very long- I'll be there only 2 weeks at most. So if you want to wait a little bit, the second address is better!

Sister Christine Kurt
Missionary Training Center
2005 North 900 East
Provo, UT 84604-1793

Sister Christine Kurt
Iowa Des Moines Mission
8515 Douglas Ave. Ste. 19
Urbandale, IA 50322-2924

It's worth noting that it's best to send it by US Postal Service! Anything else(UPS, FedEx and even USPS Parcel Post) will take up to a month to get to me, because of the way forwarding things works. Send me love! Tell me about stuff!