Week 4

AMERICA!
That's what I've been hearing all the elders say today. Happy America
Day. Home of the free and brave! Hopefully you all are having a
wonderful fourth. Today has been basically the best day ever. First of
all. It's PDAY! Second of all it's the 4th of July. SO the temple is
closed and we don't have class. So we literally have all day to do
whatever we need to. Except for the book store and everything is
closed. But it's been great! Woke up did laundry and personal study
and then went to the gym and worked out hardcore with C. Biggs and
some of the Elders in our district and then painted our toenails and
now doing emails and letters and soon having a district picnic for
lunch! It's grand. Supposedly tonight we have a little bit of teaching
practice and then there is a variety show and rumor has it we get to
go up to the fields and watch the fire works. I'm like 90% positive
it's true. So I'll have to let you know how that is and if I can hear
the beach boys from my dorm. Chances are I will cause it's not that
far away. haha

This past week has been incredible. We've been learning a lot. It's
hard to believe that in 2 weeks we will be the older district and
we'll have some new kiddos move in and we're supposed to know the
answers! This sunday was our first fast sunday and also my first 25 hr
fast. I feel like BYU has break the fast at 3 o clock right after
church so I never fast a full 24 hrs and the MTC forced us to starve
another hour. haha. But it was amazing. I've never felt the spirit so
strongly I was basically bawling the whole day. We had mission
conference and the MTC presidency spoke and it was amazing.I felt like
the whole day I was literally "feasting" on the words of Christ.
Reading all these great scriptures and learning so much! Then Cectpa
Biggs and I had to teach our district sunday lesson which is basically
sunday school but we each take turns teaching on a topic from the
mission purpose. Which by the way we totally have memorized in
Russian. It's pretty hard core. Next up is memorizing the 1st vision.

Speaking of Russian, and speaking russian myself, Our district has now
started SYL (speak your language) every even hour EVERY DAY. It's
pretty funny. There is a lot of broken russian and dictionary flipping
going on, as well as charades, but it's amazing how much we can say.
Our goal is by the time the new kids come in we can go a whole day in
russian to freak them out. haha. Funny story. Elder Betteridge and I
were looking up something in the dictionary and we accidentally
learned how to say "Damn You All" in russian. And lets just say it
sounds a lot like the english word "sheesh". We were dying. We asked
our teacher if it was right and he just laughed. So be careful when
you say Sheesh. haha. (Also I really apologize. I know I'm a
missionary and should not be saying these words. Let alone type them
out on the computer!) AHHH! My bad.

Basically my district is wonderful. I love them all sooooo much. I
just want to bake them cupcakes and talk all day. so we have to be
careful cause we tend to goof around a little to much. Elder McCaffree
said the funniest thing to me the other day. "Sister Carling, You are
the most intersting person I know." And I was like, Okay..... Thanks?
What you really mean is "Sister Carling, You're the weirdest person I
know but I love it." and he just laughed and said yes. But when you
spend 12 hrs in the same classroom with the same people they see you
in all forms of your character.

When mom's letter talked about the burger dive and diet coke, my mouth
literally watered. I'm pretty sure the lord has helped me out a lot
with the whole diet coke thing cause I never even realize I want it
untill I stop think about it or someone reminds me of it. I've had a
couple glasses of the fake stuff and one night Sister Schmidt and
Sister Thornhill (my roommates) found an unopened 2 liter of real diet
coke in the give away box and we all literally screamed. It was
hilarious. We were so excited. But that was my only sip of the real
thing and it was warm. So not amazing. So Mom if I can do it- you can
do it too! Although with this heat and me thinking about it I could
definitely go for a run to the gas station! haha

Oh. Sister Welch is not related to the Barry Welch side. She said she
kind of is but he's not her uncle. So she drew me a family tree and
I'll send it to you. But her grandparents are Louis Belmont Welch and
Hazel Tebbs Welch and her father is RIchard William Welch. So while
you're in cody figure it out and let me know asap! She's going to be
leaving for moscow on monday!

Can you send me Colette's address pretty please! I need to thank her
for everything! Oh my goodness that seat cushion is pretty intense. We
call it "THE SQUISHY" because it is blue and super squishy. I can't
really handle it every day cause it feels weird on my butt. haha So I
let the elders take turns using it. It's pretty funny. Also another
reason why our family is amazing. Becca sent me pictures of Jeff's
funeral and random family pics she had as well as a picture of a
buffalo and a couple views of the cabin. Definitely hung them up by my
bed and my roommates laugh about the fact that I have a picture of a
buffalo next to the picture of my family in footie pajamas. If you
have any other awesome pictures I would love if you could send them my
way. I really wish I had some pictures of Cassandra and Amanda and
Mackenzie our crazy BYU friends. So if you can do that that'd be
great. Speaking of Mackenzie could you facebook her and get her
address? Or give me hers? I miss her! And I don't know how to write
her!

Oh man I got to go, my 30 min on the computer is up. I write really
long letters. I apologize. But I have the rest of the day to write
handwritten ones to you. Sorry mom I have another list of things I
need. I feel like a needy baby.... I don't want you to spend hundreds
on shipping. But if you could send a few things my way that'd be
awesome.

Also. Ethan. I can't wait till you come. And mom I will definitely see
ethan unless he has a crazy meal time and he stays in his classroom.
But I've seen everyone I know that's here and more that I didn't know.
Hopefully he has meal times around the same time so we can eat
together but if you ever need to find me I'm behind the Iron Curtain
in the cafeteria or in 8m! And if he does choir then that narrows it
down too. So Yeah I'll have my eye out on my pday on august 8th. The
temple will be open then so if he just happens to do a session at like
9:30 that could be cool. : ) haha

Anywhooo. Love you all!

Cectpa Carling