Week 3

Wednesday, March 27th, 2013 

It is P-Day!

First off thank you so much for doing my mission blog. I've had several friends tell me it is great so thank you!

Dad if you want to just send the link to the blog that Ally has created that would be great. Just send it out once to both lists, and we should be good. Thank you for the earphones. I gave the other pair to my companion. Gym is fun. It was more fun when all the Hungarians were here and there was also 2 great Spanish districts that had gym at the same time too. There are 2 gyms. One is more of a sports gym. Volleyball, foursquare, basketball, and a track. And some weights. The other is more of a fitness center like thing and that is were the headphones can plug in.

So the past week has been so good! Things are going very well with the language and my teaching skills are improving. We taught Andras for the third time yesterday and I think that was the best time where we were able to listen and teach by the spirit. He has been struggling with knowing that God exists and loves him and won't pray about it so after I talked about the Atonement I felt very impressed to have us all kneel down right then and ask him to pray. So I did and he said a lovely prayer and I think that conveyed how important we believe and know it is to pray. He said he felt good afterwards so we explained to him that was the Holy Ghost. He says the Restoration and Joseph Smith is very logical. What an interesting choice of word. Andras said he would be baptized once he knows that it is true. It was such a testament to me of how it isn't the missionaries who are converting people but rather it is the Spirit. We are merely an instrument in the Lord's hands. Zsolt we have now taught 4 times and we teach him again tonight. He said he wants to read more of the Book of Mormon before he will be baptized. Zsolt came to church on Sunday and said he enjoyed it, but it was way longer than any other church he's been to. That is true. Fun fact at the MTC, we don't do Sunday school and sacrament meeting is only 1 hour long. Then Relief Society is with all of the sisters in the MTC, which is triple the number it used to be. And they always have someone amazing come speak. Last week it was the primary general president. This sunday since it is Easter, there is a MTC wide sacrament meeting. How cool is it that I will be taking the sacrament at the same time as 3000 other representatives of Jesus Christ who were called by God to preach his gospel? One of the 12 is coming and since we made it into choir for the week, we are guaranteed a spot! I am so excited. Speaking of general authorities how amazing is it that we have a prophet who receives revelation from our Heavenly Father on how to lead the church? The more I learn and teach the restoration the more I know how true that really is and how much God loves us because he has given us prophets who lead us today. I am way excited for General conference coming up (also probably because that means that we don't have class or anything on that Saturday so good).

Dad you also asked about the food. Yeah it is pretty much the same about the Cannon Center. Some days better than others of course. It is really easy to eat healthy because there are plenty of fruits and vegetables.

We taught at the TRC last Thursday, which was our first time. We teach return missionaries as themselves. So that was neat. But it was more nerve racking then teaching our teachers because they know the level that we are at. But it was really good. The spirit was there and I know he was definitely helping my Hungarian out. As I think about the past 3 weeks (doesn't it feel like so much longer?) I realize how much that I have learned. I know that there is no way that any of that would be possible without the help of the Savior. Crazy that in 3 weeks I can teach a 45 minute lesson in Hungarian!

I got my first package this week! Imagine my surprise when I looked that it was from Sister Othote. I was almost in tears after I picked it up. I love the Young Women's program. I had such amazing leaders who even after 3 years out of the program are still thinking of me and love me! I got a letter from Sis DaRosa too, which was fun. It was filed and filled with her AMAZING cookies, which were still amazing. There were SOOOO many cookies so we shared with everyone under the sun. Poles, English, Czech, Fins, Huns, Greeks, Russians (I think they are taking over the MTC). But let's be honest, the elders in my district definitely at the most. Since the older Hungarians left we have been spending more time with our district, which is all Finnish. which is good.

Mom I threw away the box with Sis. O's address on it before I wrote it down do you think you could dearelder it to me tomorrow? You're the best.

I played the violin today for about an hour and Sis Cribbs (going to Finland) played the piano. We are thinking of doing a number in sacrament meeting but we'll see how it goes.

Love,

Grigg Nover

In front of the Hungarian flag

With all the Hungarian sisters

Did anyone get this kind of letter?

This was on the outside envelope of one of the letters Sister Grigg sent out this week. Seems to be turning into a pattern for her ...

Week 2

Wednesday, March 20th, 2013

Hi again family!

So another week has gone by, and it was much faster than the first.

A few housekeeping things (I am so lame I know).

Send me your addresses! I wrote you letters this week, but Ally, Katie, and Billy I don't have your addresses. Dear elder them to me tonight or tomorrow so that I can put them in the mail tomorrow. And Mom and Dad can you send me the addresses of Granddad, and such? You are the best.

So exciting news! I have been singing in the choir here at the MTC (no easy feat, they only take a certain number and on Tuesday we got there 40 minutes early and almost didn't get a seat). At rehearsal and then when we sang at devotional they recorded us because in between conference session on the Saturday they are doing a thing on the MTC and we will be on it for singing. It is a really neat song that they commissioned just for us to sing for that purpose.

Really sorry. The more Hungarian I learn the worse my English gets. So the language. I was picking it up super fast until like Monday I kinda hit a rut. Tarsom (My companion) says that I am now just on a mortal level and I'm just frustrated because I am like everyone else. I feel like I have learned so many words and grammar principles and now they are all just floating around in my head and I am having a harder time getting them out. Hopefully in class tonight after Pday I'll be back at my normal pace. Our teachers tell us that we are way ahead than the older Hungarians were at our point because there is only two or us. We get a lot more help, especially when it comes to pronunciation.

This week I really gained a testimony of studying for my investigators first and then I will learn what I am supposed to learn from that. It was a really great experience. I have gained a love for the story of the restoration. It was never my favorite (that sounds really bad since I chose to go on a mission and all) but I LOVE it now and I am only beginning week 3. Think of how many more times I get to study it and teach it!

Speaking of investigators we finished teaching Edina, and we committed her to baptism and she asked a question. I had been doing really well on understanding what she was saying that lesson, and we discussed the priesthood and the Catholic church. We had already talked about how she had been baptized in the catholic church. So when I asked her if she would follow Christ's example and be baptized she said something and I thought she was saying how she still has lots of question about the Mormon church so I gave her a pen and paper and asked her to write them down but what she really said was You know I have already been baptized in the catholic church, should I be baptized in the Mormon church? oops! My Hungarian is still a work in progress. It was a good experience though. We started teaching Zsolt and Andras. Zsolt is great he accepted the commitment to pray and read the BOM and he has a family. We are going to start teaching him the plan of salvation tonight and hopefully have him pray at the end of our lesson. Andras is a different story. I'm not quite sure why he invited the missionaries over. He wouldn't read what we asked him to and he doesn’t see the importance of "knowing" God. Funny story about the language. We kept using the verb tudni which is what we use in our testimonies and and it is to know things. One night after dinner all the Huns were gather and joking and everyone kept saying Tudom teged or nem tudom teged as in I know you and I don't know you. Our teachers were laughing because when you use that to know in terms of people it means you know them sexually in Hungary so good thing they taught us that before we went over to Hungary and used it incorrectly!

Also super funny, there was a bat in the residence on night! no worries I was the one who remained calm and level headed and called security while 20 sisters were shrieking. It was pretty funny. I wish I could have sent the pic of it.

So the 2 Albanians left that lived with us. So did the older Fins. On Monday our usik leave for Hungary. It isn't as sad because odds are I'll end up being companions with a few of the sister missionaries. Our Zone will be so empty. It will just be me and Maxfield Nover, the 14 Fins left (only 2 sisters there, the other two girls we live with). Thats it! Sacrament meeting will be so empty. I think they said there are 7 Estonians coming in in the next week or two and then April 17th is when all the new Fins, Hungarians, and Albanians come. Wild. Nover and I will still be here when the new Huns get here. When the older Hungarians leave on Monday there will be 5 teachers for 2 of us. Right now we only use 3 teachers. Wild. My Hungarian will be rockin. They keep emphasizing the importance of how it isn't us but the spirit that is converting and teaching. Very true. And they don't want us to get prideful about the language.

Ally, yes I didn't say the pictures last week. No pictures this week. Long story. So one was of just me. One was me and my comp I believe. There was on of me and Sister Gosser who was also wearing a jerusalem shirt. There was one of me and all of the girls who lived in our room. And I can't remember the others. Sorry!

Love you all!

Grigg Nover

P.S. Send me pictures in the mail if you can. I am the only lame sister missionary who didn't bring pictures of her family and everyone asks.

First Week

Wednesday, March 13th, 2013

Hello my lovely family!

So sorry no one has heard from me! I was told several times that we can only email and write letters on P Day but then I just found out today that we were supposed to send a letter home to our Moms (per MTC President instruction) but I didn't know we could do it on not our P Day. I'm also supposed to encourage you to used Dearelder.com because then I get a hard copy of it and it is same MTC day delivery and FREE for all you thrifty college kids. Mom figured it out this week. It was so funny and so very her to get a 2 line note.

It was so great to get letters and emails from a lot of you this week! Jenny you were very close to having the first letter but because Doctor and Sister Petersen (from the Jerusalem Center) used Dearelder.com they were first and imagine my surprise when I had a letter the first night I was in the MTC! Jenny I got yours on Thursday. I LOVED the princess sticker and no that totally doesn't make you a bad Mom. I was so blessed I got at least one letter a day this week from friends and family (one day 3!) Although, Mom, I am having trouble falling asleep at night, which you know isn't me. Suggestions?

So I have limited time to email so my grammar will probably be atrocious and my spelling (sorry English majors). Also, Dad, I heard a rumor that the First presidency released a statement saying that missionaries could now email friends too. True or False? dear elder me.

The MTC thus far has been good. Everyone just kept saying make it til Sunday and then you will be set. Just make it til Sunday. I didn't really understand what that meant, but now I totally do. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were like a roller coaster for me. One minute I was on cloud nine, like when I sad my first prayer out loud in Hungarian from memory on day 2. Then the next minute I would think I can't do this I need to go home. I broke down Saturday night in front of one of our teachers because she was teaching us how to do weekly planner and I am senior companion so I was in charge and because there is only 2 of us in the class I was putting all these pressure on myself. But once Sunday hit life was great! and it still is! I really fond comfort in the scripture in John can't remember what chapter and verse 26 when Christ says peace I leave unto you and la lalala about peace and it was great. I pray every night and morning for the gift of tongues and to not be stressed.

Ok so Mom and Dad dropped me off (I was very happy with your drop off etiquite I hope some of the pictures you took came out good mom:)) then I went inside to get my name tag and I almost cried when they handed me my tag. It said Grigg Nover (with double accent over the o and a single one over the e). And I just l looked at the second name and they asked if that was my name and I was like uh no. The sister helping out then said ohhh ya thats a weird name oh how bout the first one. And I saw Grigg and it was all good. All day people would say oh that's the Hungarian sister and I was sooo confused. I went to class and Levfever Tasver only spoke Hungarian to me. Needless to say there was lots of awkward laughs from me because I had no idea what he was saying. I was the first one there then I found out that there was only 2 of us! ONLY 2 OF US IN A WHOLE CLASSROOM! we would talk to other sisters and elders during those first days at new missionary meetings and every other classroom had at least 8 and some up to 16. wild. Then I found out I was supposed to be ALONE! It would have just been me by myself as a solo sister. Not even with elders in my class. one on one with all the teachers. wild. I guess the other sister that was supposed to come in decided not to go on a mission and so 2 weeks ago they called one of the sisters who was supposed to come in in April and asked if she would come in now so that I wouldn't be alone. Wild. I am so thankful for Maxfield Nover (sounds like new with a v instead of the w and air at the end). I could not imagine being alone. So the usi (“old” in Hungarian that is what we call the hungarian missionaries who have been here longest) told me that they have been praying for me for 3 weeks when they found out so that I would have a companion. We are in a district with Finnish going missionaries and our zone is Finnish, Estonian, Albanian, and Hungarian bound missionaries. All the random ones. Sacrament meeting is great though because we only have to prepare our talks in English rather than our language. Thank Heavens! We live with 2 Fins (the Sisar) and 2 Albanians (the Motra) so it is like I am learning all 3 languages because we got here and the Motra were in the concecration week, meaning that they could only speak Albanian. It is way fun though and a great group of sisters.

So be impressed. I have already taught 4 lessons in complete Hungarian with my comp. We are teaching Edina (pretend investigator who isn't really Edina but is one of my teachers wife who also teaches Hungarian at the MTC). We got her to pray and read the Book of Mormon and come to church and tomorrow we are going to committ her to Baptism. I cannot believe how much Hungarian I already know in a week. Everyone tells us that since there is only 2 of us we are progressing much faster than they usi who are 2 classes of 8. They leave for Hungary in less than 2 weeks!

I'm going to try and send pictures!

Jenny: Cool about the mummies!

HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY ALLY.

Love,
Grigg Nover (with accents on letters)

Entering the MTC

With Dad