She made it!!!

Dear Brother and Sister Morris,
I wanted to let you know that your daughter arrived here in the RussiaSamara Mission last night at 9:45 pm from Salt Lake City via Moscow. By thetime we got her and her group to the mission apartments it was well pastmidnight and so we let her get a good nights sleep so that she could awakefull of energy.
During our orientation day today and her interview with me she seemed to be doing extremely well and was excited to get to work with her new companion.I have had Sister Bennett attach a photo of the three of us, taken duringour orientation day.
Her Preparation Day is Monday, and so you should usually expect an emailfrom her most Mondays. Email here is sometimes somewhat sporadic; so if you don¹t receive an email, please don¹t worry. To ensure that she receives an email each week from you, we have found it works well if you send your email on Sundays as our preparation days can change due to transfers, zone conferences and visa trips.
Thank you for lending your daughter to us for a season. We have sent out a daughter and a son on missions and I know of the sacrifice that you are making. Our daughter served in the Ukraine Kiev Mission three years ago and we understand the uneasiness that you may feel in having a child serve in Europe East Area.
We are not sure what you have heard about the Russian Missions, but we have loved every minute of our time here, feel completely safe and we have fallen in love with the Russian people, especially the faithful Russian saints. Miracles are happening all around us and we know the Lord has prepared many of these souls to accept the gospel. We know that your daughter is one of the valiant ones reserved specifically for this time in this mission and Sister Bennett and I are honored to be able to serve with her. I will stay in close contact with her during her time here and will see her every few weeks in interviews and at zone conferences.
Thank you again for all you have done in preparing such a special daughter of our Heavenly Father and for having the faith to let her serve here with us.
May the Lord bless and keep you.
Love,
President Randall K. Bennett
Russia Samara Mission

One Week Left (Part II)

Here is the continuation of Whitney's letter. She had an email all written and the computer signed her off so she sent me a written letter:
"I am so bummed about my email. I had written the most amazing email - Seriously!! It had a ton of funny stories and then it closed. I was so mad! How are you? How's the fam? I'm sorry they all got so sick! Can you believe I leave this week? I can't! I'm kind of freakin out but at the same time - so excited!! Woo Hoo!! I'ts definitely time to leave but I have loved the MTC. It is such a good experience here. It is such a spiritual high!
So I told you Elder Holland was here. It was amazing! I love having apostles here because they have such a strong spirit. His talk was all about how awesome a mission is and how it will change you and influence you for the rest of your life. I loved how he said it will refine you. I also loved that he talked about missions and that they are supposed to be hard. He said they are hard because salvation never has been easy or cheap. I loved the quote , he said, "IF it was hard for Him, it has to be a little bit hard for you - or else you don't get to be His disciple - you're going to have to walk part of the road, cry some of the tears. The road to salvation always goes through Gethsamane." I loved it! I didn't get it exactly but that's the gist.
Also last week I went off campus - I think I told you in my email. We taught some Russians and it was really good. I'm amazed at how much I'm able to understand.
I am sending home a big bag with stuff with Jules (Emily's Mom). Either Emily will have it or it will be at the house. It will also have a CD with all of the pictures on it from here (or most). You can just get it the next time you're in Utah. Like I said, I don't know when I'll call you. We won't get to the airport til 5 am and then leave. Hopefully I can call from Atlanta. I am not sure but if we find out - I'll make sure and write you a quick note with when I'll call.
We have been teaching Dima, our progressing investigator and it's been going well. I'm sad to leave him. I don't know if I've told you but when I was teaching a native Russian one of them said, "When you speak Russian, you sound like you're underwater." I just said (something russian) and kept going. It was hilarious. Afterwards my compaion and I (CT. Birtcher)just died laughing! It was awesome!
I am so excited to talk to you! Today was our last temple day and it was so happy but sad to know it will be a long time before I go back. Keep going for me. We did sealings as a branch and it was really good.
Well, I hope all is well. I hope I will be able to write you when I can call. I love you all so much and am grateful for you!! If I get anymore news on traveling I'll let you know!!
The Gospel is true! Missions are awesome!
Whitney

One Week Left

well I had this really long and detailed email to send to you and my computer logged me out and now I only have 5 minutes so you will get a very shortened version of what I said.
This week has been good. We got our flight plans and our new tags which is awesome. I leave the MTC at 4 am and fly out of Salt Lake at 7. we get to Atlanta around 1 and then fly our of there at about 4 straight to Moscow. I arrive in Moscow 11am 29 Sept. From there it gets a little sketchy but don't worry mom. We are in a big group with a lot of Native Russians so it will be fine! Once we get there we will meet someone who will give us our stuff and then book us flights to Samara.
We heard President Holland talk on Tuesday which was fantastic. I will send you some of my favorite quotes later today. I got to leave the MTC campus this week which was pretty awesome. One of my rooomates had to go to the doctor and her companion needed to stay for something so we went on exchanges. It was so weird to a) drive in a van b) go out into Provo and c) on the way back our driver drove through BYU campus. WEIRD! I saw all of the students walking around with their backpacks and cellphones and it was really weird.
we have kind of started to pack which is fun. I hope I will make the weight limit but I think I will.
The TRC on Wednesday went really well adn I taught with CT> Birtcher. It was really really good. Well i am out of time but I love all of you and will write a letter later today, maybe mom you can put some of it up for everyone to see beacuse I have some really funny stories to tell you. AH!Well everything is good here.

Aerobics at the MTC?

Whitney wrote Dad and I this past week and shared some funny stories that I had to post on the blog:
"So I totally forgot to tell you my funny stories. So in the mornings they open the gym at 6 am for sisters to go and use. I have been going every morning with my roommate Sister Walker because I am awake anyway. This week they started an aerobics class so we went yesterday. SO FUNNY!! It's this cute little BYU girl who has 3 children. There were like 50 sisters there and we did aerobics - the best part was that it was to hymns! Picture 50 sister missionaries, doing aerobics to hymns that sound like someone just turned on the beat on their keyboard and played the melody over it. Needless to say - good times. My roommates and I laughed REALLY hard. I REALLY wanted Patricia to be there - she would have whipped us into shape!
My other funny story - yesterday we claimed the soccer field for a sister soccer game. It was hilarious. You have never heard so much screaming and yelling. Anytime the ball would fly towards someone they'd scream. My team lost - I think it's the Morris curse (thanks Devin) that the teams you like can never win. But it was really fun. Some of the Elder's just sat watching us and laughing. I have to say it was a bit ridiculous but fun. We've decided we will have to take over the field on Mondays as well. The Elders will not be happy but oh well.
Some thoughts from the Elder Hinckley devotional...
"It is in the ledger of your daily work that your greatness is shown - not in one flambouyant hour."
He talked about the importance of hard work and diligence which I agree is so important. He also talked a lot about having the faith to succeed. That was good for me to hear because I need to remmind myself I can be successful and I can do this work!
Another awesome thing about Sunday was that Sister Cheryl Lant of the Primary Presidency was our speaker (I totally forgot!). It was really really good and she focused on teaching children the Gospel, how to share scriptures with them and how to involve them in the lesson. It was really good! She also talked about how good it is to get children, even young children to pray.
Anyways, it's been a good week - the MTC is an interesting place and missions are CRAZY! Thanks for your support! I don't think I'll have time to write Sara and Sarah and Devin this week but tell them I love them and miss them. Tell them thanks for the packages!
Love, Whitney

Two Weeks and counting....

First things first- I was just in the temple this morning and guess who I saw... ALLISON! Yea! it was pretty awesome, it is so awesome to see people you know and to realize there still is a real world out there.
One more week down! It has been a really long week but altogether pretty good. It seem like the more time I spend here in the MTC the more I just want to get out and go to Russia. The lanugage is hard and yesterday started out two weeks of SYL. pure 100% Russian for two weeks. All classes, all studying everything 100% Russian. IT IS HARD! I've already made many mistakes and slipped in some English words but I know that it will be good for me to do. Thankyou so much for all of your letters and emails and packages. I got a package from Patricia this week that was AWESOME and filled with cute things to give to the kids and of course a Powerbar. I also got a package from Sara-- thankyou so much! best package idea ever was putting in some perfume! And thanks mom- I did get your package yesterday and all of my roommates loved your popcorn!
Well I guess I'll just summarize the week as usual and see how much time I have left-- it always goes SO fast!
Tuesday was our P-day which was really good. We had the Devotional and it was with Elder Hinkcley. It was FANTASTIC! It talked about a lot of things I needed to hear and again got me excited to go into the mission field and start serving people. If I have time this afternoon I will try and send you some quotes in a letter. Wednesday was of course the Softball game. Unfortunately I did not score any runs but it is okay. Our team still has not one the beautiful trophy I made so that's a bit of a disappointment but we're preparing already for the big game tomorrow and hopefully can win. Last week was "Dinosaur" themed. (Elders get really bored sometimes in the MTC and have to come up with things that seem funny:) My name for the game was Stegomorris. Yep. Also Wednesday our District was hosts for the new missionaries. When you get to the MTC you are assigned a host who takes you around to get your books and to your room and then shows you to your classroom. We had to do it last week and will do it again this week. It was really WEIRD! Standing there watching missionaries say goodbyes to their families was REALLY hard! It brought back really weird memories of the day I came to the MTC- memories I didn't realyl want to remember- but all is well. The missionaries are so excited and you can tell they are just ready to start serving. I got put with a group of Mongolian sisters which was definitely intersting because I don't speak Mongolian. They had a translator with them so I walked them around and helped them move their stuff into their rooms and showed them what all of the buildings were. I guess that Mongolian and Russian have the same alphabet and a lot of words were the same and so it was intersting to hear them try to talk to me. When I listened to them speak I was so glad I didn't have to learn Mongolian- it is crazy! They were really cute and sweet and I enjoyed taking them aruond and am excited to do it again tomorrow. It really is amazing the comfort that Heavenly Father can bring you when you are following his will and choosing the right. The sisters all seemed to be so happy to be here and so ready to serve and preach the gospel. Wednesday night we had the TRC and it went really well. We taught the 2nd lesson again- the Plan of Salvation- and our investigator was really good. we also taught about tithing which I thought went really well.
Thursday was service and our Large group meeting day. Nothing too intersting happened though. The weekend was good. We have started teaching a "progressing investigator" who just acts like a real investigator. You teach them and schedule return appointments. It is going pretty well. we have taught him, Dima, to pray and that God loves him and have talked about the importance of religion in our life. We have another appointment with him tomorrow so I hope that goes well. It is so hard to answer questions and explain things in Russian but I know that as I keep studying and praying, Heavenly Father will help me. We also started teaching Bro. Kjar (the clarinetist with the Dixieland Band). He is a evaluating teacher here and we taught him last night and it was really interesting. He gave us some great feedback and I am excited to teach him again on Thursday.
Sunday was great as usual. We went to the temple and took some pictures as a district with one of teachers Bro. Fisher. I will have to try and send those before I leave. We get our flight plans this week which seems really weird but I am so excited to see where I will fly to and when etc. I think once I get those I will know when and where from I will be able to call you. All of the missionaries that came in with us and were here for 9 weeks have left and so it weird! We are officially the oldest missionaries here. I know mom it seems like the MTC would be the perfect mission and I agree that it is nice that we get to eat, go to the temple, have nice rooms, hot showers etc. but I am so excited to go to RUSSIA! I am so excited to start meeting people who need the Gospel and who I can hopefully share it with. The church is true and I am so grateful for it. It has blessed my life and know it has the power to bless so many other lives! YEA! Well I hope all is well and that everyone is doing well. I will write one more time from here and then...Russia! Love you all and thankyou so much for all you do for me.
Whitney

3 Weeks left! What???

Oh I was so jealous reading your email! You got to do all of my favorite things all in one trip... play with babies, hang out with the family, watch good tennis, and visit NEW YORK CITY! Oh well, I guess a mission is pretty cool too! I didn't get an email from dad so when you get home you're going to have to tell him how mad I am... or just make him send me one on Dear Elder. It sounds like you all had an awesome trip and i'm so glad you had fun! give those babies lots and lots of kisses before you leave from me, they need to know who their favorite aunt is..:)
Well this week has been good. Another crazy week and only a couple more to go here at the MTC. It is strange to think that I will be leaving here so soon and actually in russia doing what I've been talking about for a couple months. It will definitely be an intersting experience when i first get to Russia and realize i don't understand a thing and I'm farther away from home than I ever have been but, oh well!
P-day last week was good. We got our laundry done and some letters written and then I studied a little bit for the TRC on wednesday. It was the second lesson 100% russian and i was really nervous because i hadn't even finished planning the lesson in Russian by the time Tuesday came around. We had a great devotional Tuesday night which i really really loved.
wednesday was again our 100% russian day which was hard but it is fun and challenging to see if you really can communicate what you want to in a different language. needless to say our classes on that day are much quieter than usual. we had our big softball game and i am pleased to announce I was got MVP. I caught 2 pop fly's and scored 2 times. looks like all of the backyard whiffle ball really paid off and thanks dad for playing catch with me. the elder's were very impressed by my catching skills and i wasn't too bad of a batter either! It was a fun game and the tournament continues. Another game tomorrow-- hopefully this time we'll actually win:)
Wednesday night we had our TRC which went okay. we had a native russian speaker who spoke faster than anyone i have ever heard. it was nuts! he would sit there and mumble and then laugh. AWESOME! we were teaching the word of wisdom and he kept asking if certain things were okay. he asked us a lot of things I didn't know in russian and so I just asked him to repeat it over adn over. finally i thought I understood and said yes, he then started to laugh and said I had just told him he could smoke. good times. He was a good "investigator" though and made me really work on my russian and listening comprehension skills. it was good to get someone who talked fast and acted like a real Russian would. He was funny and I'm looking forward to teaching tomorrow, the second lesson again (the Plan of Salvation) with tithing. It should be intersting, our District has set a goal to not use any notes at the TRC so we will see how that goes. I know that if I trust in the Lord and follow the Spirit, the lesson will go well and the investigator will hear what he needs to hear.
Thursday we served and i did a LoT of dusting and cleaning the drinking fountains. I have to say I've found my hidden talent here at the MTC-- cleaning the drinking fountains;) Not to brag-- but mine look pretty good.
The weekend was fine, not too many exciting things happened. Studied a lot, went to class etc. As a district we have also set a goal to teach in russian at least once a day so we have started doing that within our district. It has been helpful to practice certain parts in the lesson in Russian without looking at notes so i hope that as we continue to do that, we will become better teachers and our language skills will improve. Thanks for the BYU score-- saturday night my companion and I were walking around the MTC to take a break from studying and we heard people honking and screaming etc. we figured that BYU must have won the game because Provo did seem to be a little louder than usual.
sunday was Fast Sunday which was really nice. We had a mission conference in the morning and each of the Presidency of the MTC and their wives spoke. It was a really good meeting and I got a lot out of it. One of the wive's spoke about the Articles of Faith and how crucial they are to what we believe and what we teach. It was a great talk and I gained a greater appreciation for what they are and what is in them. we also had some great talks on teaching with the spirit, and finding people. We had the fireside that night and it was an MTC director and his wife who spoke. It was AWESOME! They talked a lot about just caring for the people. they told a lot of stories about when they were mission presdients and his wife told her conversion story. It is so important to remember that we will be teaching real people with real concerns and problems and things they need help with. We get used to just teaching missionaries here and don't always realize the power this message can have for real people in their lives. I loved that they really made the gospel seem personal and that is what we need to do as well. we need to make sure that we are caring about THEM and making them our first priority. I have been getting a little sick of the MTC but everytime I think about why I am here and why I do this, it gets me excited again. I am so excited to go out and meet people and teach them the Gospel and see it change their lives if they allow it to. This is about PEOPLE, not about how well I speak the langugage or anything else, it is about them understanding this Gospel and hearing my testimony. That is all I will be able to give them and then support them as they find their own testimony. It's cool to think that this is what I get to do everyday! find people and potentially change their lives!!!
Tomorrow is going to be a busy day for us! we are going to be hosts for the new missionaries coming in so that should be fun. It will be funny to see how scared they all look and remember back to when that was me! we also are teaching our new "progressing investigator". his name is Dima and he is a teacher here but you have to contact him and teach him just like you would a normal investigator. We contacted him saturday afternoon and he invited us to come back on Wednesday so we have an appointment with him tomorrow. We will probably just teach the first lesson and hopefully will be invited back for another lesson. This is another way to realize that these are real people, if he doesn't want us to come back he can say no thanks. The most important thing for us to realize is that we have to make it important to him. our message has to be applicable to his life and his concerns and his needs.
last night we taught the Native Russian missionaries which went pretty well but is always intimidating. they said we did a good job and so it was fun. They also taught us and I was so surprised by how much I was able to understand and comprehend.
anyone who served a foreign langugage mission and you have any tips for learning the langugage the last few weeks I would love them (dad and devin). I have so little time but I know that if I do all I can here, then Heavenly Father will bless me there. He will help me to speak "the language of their hearts" and testify to them in their native tongue.
Missions are great! I think this is the hardest thing I have ever done but I have learned so much and haven't even left the MTC:) I know this experience will bless my whole life! thanks for all the mail and support it really does make a difference and I love hearing what people are up to! The church is true!
love
whitney (sister morris)

Whitney's missionary plaque