Hello, family and friends!
I apologize in advance for all spelling/punctuation errors! I am at a crappy, slow, oft-freezing computer next to a loudly hum-screaming soda machine, so I take no responsibility for typing like a 8-year-old.
Also, use Dear Elder and write to me. Just do it.
Here is my second P-day. Here it is. Oh, also, Merry Christmas and Christmas break everone! Living it up out there, are you?? How NICE for YOU. Because we're still in here working hard every day, eating questionble spare ribs and studying the "scriptures" and learning "Bulgarian." And getting up at 6:30. Man, I was so mad when I realized that yes, getting up early IS in fact the secret to getting lots of stuff done in a day. Darn it!! I thought I could have that not be true. Probably only if you are a very profitable and busy nightclub singer/businesswoman with the stage name of Businessi McFunge could you get up late and somehow still get lots of things done.
Anyway, Christmas in here was quite the experience. Kind of like a cross between summer camp, (winter camp?? what a terrible idea), a boarding school, and the Celestial Kingdom. Everyone shouting Merrry Christmas!!! at each other obnoxiously in their respective languages, a thousand packages everywhere, intercom announcements every ten seconds asking the same elders to PLEASE come pick up things from the front desk. And so all Saturday, which was technically a normal class day (except all of our teachers abandoned us), we basically just did personal study, tried to practice verb conjugation, and then watched about 40 Mormon Messages with our mouths open in awe and comfort. Man, TV is awesome. That evening, we had a devotional scheduled, which was good n stuff, and then a Christmas paegent, which I had mentioned, and then we watched "A Christmas Carol" as they distributed 49582093481230948 individual bags of white-chocolate popcorn from garbage bags.
And then on Christmas morn, we woke up at 6:30 (I said all of this before, didn't I?), ate cold cereal, opened packages (you are all getting so much mail!) and ate candy. So much candy. There is "sharing shelf" on my floor's open area, and it was literally flooded with bags of gumdrops and a thousand baked goods and some Tabasco Pepper Jelly (which I was SO MAD disappeared before I could steal it, Taylor). For some reason, people think people in the MTC don't eat enough? I guess it makes sense. But anywhere you went for a while, elders and sisters would all be pleading with you to please, please, take some of this candy from them. As if it were children who they couldn't afford to support and wanted to hand off to a rich gentle(wo)man.
Uhhhhhhhhh I had a thousand things to say, but they all fall out of your brain when you read Preach My Gospel all day long and fill up your head with cool spirit-type things. We didn't end up going to L.A. last Tuesday because it was Christmas travel season (which we forgot about, and which would have really been horrible to travel during, I realized), so we'll probably go within the next week. :( The last group of Bulgarians is still in Chicago waiting for their visas, so that might be us, but I'm not too worried about it. I mostly worry about whether or not the wrap bar line in the cafeteria is too long and whether or not they have banana peppers that day.
I'm actually really glad Christmas is over. The rhythm of things is back to normal, and it's a lot less emotionally charged/fragile around here. I'm less afraid that the 19-year-old fetuses I hang out with are going to collapse into a pile of amniotic fluid/depression. It's just amazing how fast everyone grows around here. I can only think of metaphors from the artificial insemination/test tube world. Or that one episode of the X-Files where all of the pregnant women are on tables in that green room in some sort of weird coma, and then Scully and Mulder almost get shot!! Man, that was a good episode.
I'm sorry to sound kind of trite. It's just weird for me to be sincere and spiritual all day every day, and not have an outlet to be sarcastic, really. I mean, I still am. I still definitely just told off an elder waiting by my washer/dryer for saying he's afraid of going to med school because of how it will be after "Obamacare" starts (he didn't even know what 'Obamacare' meant, of course). But it's just a different world in here. Kimball said when you're set apart as a missinary, it's a literal "setting apart" from the world, from everything vulgar and cheap and fear-based to a higher plane of thought and activity. I say, it can be that, if you aren't busy making fart jokes with your creamed corn soup. But it really is different. I like it. I love it. I'm out of time.
Write to me! I love you all. Vsichko hubavo!
Cectpa Campbell
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
December 25, 2011--Christmas Day E-Mail!
Бесела коледа, семество!
Okay, that´s enough of that. I´m very concious that there are actual Bulgarian speakers who might read this, so I won´t go too crazy saying things I can´t back up with quote actual correct grammar quote. Also we only have 20 minutes of email time, and every single missionary is writing the exact same email home RIGHT NOW so the servers are overloaded and my keyboard is going really slowly and not making sense either. So I apologize for the errores.
It is Christmax! That was NOT a typo. There are no question marks or parenthesis on this Swedish keyboard though, so stay with me.
And a very nice quote Spirit quote is here about the empty sea. Everybody running around with packages saying Merry Christmas in their respective languages. Everyone to the right and left of me writing emails home to people with AOL, Yahoo and Hotmail accounts. Smirk. I smirk at those email carriers! Anyway.
The point is, Lara, Christian, Mom, Dad and Bam, I got your packages! And thank you for them! They were wonderful! I opened them this mornin with Sister Farnsworth (whose blog you could probably find somehwere on the interwebs, gossiping of me, but in a good way) after we ate a fresh hot bowl of Cinnamon Toasters. And last night we had a Christmas nativity guy performed by some young cute missionaries (of which I am one, I guess) and we sang ¨The 12 Days of Christmas¨missionary style (five golden contacts, four bowls of ice cream, three books of mormon, etc.) and then watched A Christmas Carol and then woke up at 6:30 and thought about how you´re all like, a fourth of a mile to my left, and then heard ELDER BEDNAR give us our sacrament meeting talk.
Anyway, he talked about the character of Christ. And I realized I had never seen an apostle talk in person before, and it was just so different. Like how it must feel to finally see Sting live in concert. Like, OH. There he is. He isn´t just a normal person. He´s a weirdo! By which I mean, he´s commissioned of God! Why did I use Sting as my example question mark. I guess because Bednar looks a little like Sting. Anyway.
My Bulgarian is progressing! But right now I´m focusing more on progressing the digestion of the turkey and cheesecake I just ate, if you know what I mean. And progressing my likelihood of of lying down and taking a nap later. Today is a chill day.
I loved Eva´s letter, and I loved Lula´s letter that exclusively about the manner in which you should deliver me Diet Coke (do it!!!) and Ingrid´s letter sealed with a kiss, and Moses´letters asking where I was, and Cecily´s letter about ice sledding, and Lara and Christian´s poetry books.
What are you guys doing until Tuesday, when the Grambles leave question mark. Can I come to it question mark. Also, Annie and Carolyn Haynie and Erin and Chioma, thank you all for writing so much. You knew how starved I was your for voices. And you will all get letters back! Because what else do I have to do! Nothing! Also I love to write to you! So I will!
Okay. My companion is done so I should probably go. I love you all so much, and I hope you´re safe and happy. Write to me! Dear Elder me! Dear Sister me!
Okay, that´s enough of that. I´m very concious that there are actual Bulgarian speakers who might read this, so I won´t go too crazy saying things I can´t back up with quote actual correct grammar quote. Also we only have 20 minutes of email time, and every single missionary is writing the exact same email home RIGHT NOW so the servers are overloaded and my keyboard is going really slowly and not making sense either. So I apologize for the errores.
It is Christmax! That was NOT a typo. There are no question marks or parenthesis on this Swedish keyboard though, so stay with me.
And a very nice quote Spirit quote is here about the empty sea. Everybody running around with packages saying Merry Christmas in their respective languages. Everyone to the right and left of me writing emails home to people with AOL, Yahoo and Hotmail accounts. Smirk. I smirk at those email carriers! Anyway.
The point is, Lara, Christian, Mom, Dad and Bam, I got your packages! And thank you for them! They were wonderful! I opened them this mornin with Sister Farnsworth (whose blog you could probably find somehwere on the interwebs, gossiping of me, but in a good way) after we ate a fresh hot bowl of Cinnamon Toasters. And last night we had a Christmas nativity guy performed by some young cute missionaries (of which I am one, I guess) and we sang ¨The 12 Days of Christmas¨missionary style (five golden contacts, four bowls of ice cream, three books of mormon, etc.) and then watched A Christmas Carol and then woke up at 6:30 and thought about how you´re all like, a fourth of a mile to my left, and then heard ELDER BEDNAR give us our sacrament meeting talk.
Anyway, he talked about the character of Christ. And I realized I had never seen an apostle talk in person before, and it was just so different. Like how it must feel to finally see Sting live in concert. Like, OH. There he is. He isn´t just a normal person. He´s a weirdo! By which I mean, he´s commissioned of God! Why did I use Sting as my example question mark. I guess because Bednar looks a little like Sting. Anyway.
My Bulgarian is progressing! But right now I´m focusing more on progressing the digestion of the turkey and cheesecake I just ate, if you know what I mean. And progressing my likelihood of of lying down and taking a nap later. Today is a chill day.
I loved Eva´s letter, and I loved Lula´s letter that exclusively about the manner in which you should deliver me Diet Coke (do it!!!) and Ingrid´s letter sealed with a kiss, and Moses´letters asking where I was, and Cecily´s letter about ice sledding, and Lara and Christian´s poetry books.
What are you guys doing until Tuesday, when the Grambles leave question mark. Can I come to it question mark. Also, Annie and Carolyn Haynie and Erin and Chioma, thank you all for writing so much. You knew how starved I was your for voices. And you will all get letters back! Because what else do I have to do! Nothing! Also I love to write to you! So I will!
Okay. My companion is done so I should probably go. I love you all so much, and I hope you´re safe and happy. Write to me! Dear Elder me! Dear Sister me!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
December 20, 2011-Sister Campbell's First Letter!!
Dear Family and Friends,
Okay, I think these are your right email addresses. Not having real communication is hard! If I didn't get it right, will whoever emails me back send me the REAL addresses? (Of my mom, dad, Thomas, Mimi, Bam, etc.)? Thankee.
Okay. Here I am in the MTC laundry room, doing my LAUNDRY. And all the sweaty little elders are all around me all confused about what soap is and how you use it, etc. I have never understood BYU as well as I do now, watching all these confused little guys eat 40 rolls for dinner, or sweat whenever a girl comes near them, or etc.
The point is, I am in the MTC somehow. PLEASE send me all of you addresses! So I can send you THINGS! And I can send you THINGS! Not to guilt or anything, but I have had the least mail of anyone in my district so far. Guess who's the only one who wrote me a letter so far? Chioma! Yeah, Chioma. ??? Love that girl. Grill.
Also, does everyone know about Dear Elder.com? Upon which you can dash off a quick typed note and have it delivered the same day to me with EASE? Do it. Do it, everyone.
So here are some Important Facts. My district is four people big. It's me, Sestra Farnsworth (my companion), Stareishna Evans and Stareishna Bryce, who are like the adorable odd couple of . . . Bulgaria. My companion is pretty awesome. She is from Vancouver, Washington (I've been there!) is good at every sport that ever existed, and likes barbecue sauce a lot. So that is good. I like her. We are a little team. We are also the only ones in our room, which is interesting. I also really love learning Bulgarski. We have taught three (3) lessons so far, in Bulgarian, somehow. Everyone was always telling me 'Oh, the MTC curriculum is so different now! Ha ha ha ha tell me about how it goes!' And now I want to tell them, SHUT UP. I don't speak BULGARIAN. This isn't FUNNY. But it is, really, because it's me and a girl from Vancouver who just got here a week ago struggling to read/pray our way along talking to a Bulgarian person whose interests incldue (according to his interview video) 'soccer and women.' And we just say things like, "Good! You pray now, please? Good. How is the works? Ah, good! Good works. Good morning! Excellent! Pray." Veeery funny.
Also, the MTC is the weirdest place in the world. It is kind of a nuthouse, and I mean that in the best, nuttiest, richest, peanutiest sense of the word. Like a big, sweaty box of delicious peanuts hidden from the sun and TV. If that makes sense. Everyone is nervous all the time, and excited all the time, and you have to slide your card five (5) different times to get into your bedroom. We went for our first temple walk on Sunday (at 2:45 ish...) and it was so bizarre. It was like I got all excited to be outside and in Provo, but I didn't feel like I was either of those things. I was like . . . enveloped in the Lord's robe, or something. The Lord's greenhouse. And in a different fourth dimension where the fake mashed potatoes are plentiful and a form of currency.
But also, importantly, since I fear that I am making no sense at all, I really like it here. It's really weird and nerve-racking to be not sure if I can communicate with people, and to not have a constant, easy form of communication or Facebook (I just now got the urge to open a new window to Facebook, as was my custom on the old Guhmail back in real life), but it's also really nice and liberating. Like my brain is actually freer and clearer than it has been since I was a young tot. Everybody read Job 37. There. That's my obligatory spirchal thought for the email.
How is everyone? Will you send me letters and tell me how things are? And go to DEARELDER.COM and send me things so that I know everyone is okay and that the real world still exists and that I am not on a freaky Twilight-Zone island and the rest of the world has been through a nuclear holocaust? That would be nice. :) :)
Also, guess how you say "The Holy Spirit" in Bulgarian? 'Svetiyadooh.' Which sounds like it has the word "sweaty" in it. hahahaha, the Holy Sweaty. Can you see that I am kind of starved for my brand of frightening, clown-like sarcastohumor? Yeah, there isn't a whole lot of that in here. Send me JOKES. From POPSICLE STICKS or your BRAINS.
Also, we got to watch the Music and the Choked Bird (Spoken World) the other day, and it was the Christmas broadcast and, oh man. It was the craziest. Like, cool, but also...just go watch it. It had ballet dancers and people prancing around in fake "medieval" clothes like leggings and shiny cloth. And then there was an organ solo, and it literally made me burst into tears in the middle of the gym/conference center, and I was embarrassed and didn't understand why, but then I realized that I had missed music so much (we're not really allowed to listen to it in here, by which I mean 'not at all'), and especially performed music, that it was overwhelming. So that was a "good" moment. In the sense that it was "enlightening."
I hate to be repetitive, but I don't really. PLEASE SEND ADDRESSES. And MAIL. I know I will eventually get used to not being able to send things due to the weird European postal whatever, but as for now, I'm pretty starved for attention from my loving family (and friend) circle. And really sad I don't get to have Christmas with you three minutes away, like we did last year. :( Send me pictures of how it went? Send me your hugs? Hugs are also scarce around here.
One last thing. Guess what I'm doing today at 10:30? Flying to Las Angeles, I think. We got summoned there last week, and what the teachers and previous groups told us is that we're flying out this morning to go sign some visa papers at the Bulgarian consulate in California, and then flying back the same day. So I guess I'll do . . . that. And the faster you send me that cord, Mom, the faster I can show you pictures of me! That show my new pin-holes from my tag and my Missionary Pimple (it's going away, but it's still meaningful)!
Okay. If there's anything I would have you take away from this letter, it's this: sweaty. And also, send me letters. You know my address! It's on my Facebook! Duh. But also, here it is just in case:
Sister Eliza Campbell
MTC Mailbox # 97
BUL-SOF 0215
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604
I think that's it. I just guessed that, so go check my Facecool too. But also Dearelder.com! Is a wonderful site for boys and girls. And also, email me back and tell me if any of you got this! And whoever gets it, forward to whoever else you know on the list, please!
Okay, I'm pretty much out of time. I love you guys!! Send me things and words! I miss you so much! THE CHORCH IS TRUUUHHHHH!
Cecpa Campbell
Okay, I think these are your right email addresses. Not having real communication is hard! If I didn't get it right, will whoever emails me back send me the REAL addresses? (Of my mom, dad, Thomas, Mimi, Bam, etc.)? Thankee.
Okay. Here I am in the MTC laundry room, doing my LAUNDRY. And all the sweaty little elders are all around me all confused about what soap is and how you use it, etc. I have never understood BYU as well as I do now, watching all these confused little guys eat 40 rolls for dinner, or sweat whenever a girl comes near them, or etc.
The point is, I am in the MTC somehow. PLEASE send me all of you addresses! So I can send you THINGS! And I can send you THINGS! Not to guilt or anything, but I have had the least mail of anyone in my district so far. Guess who's the only one who wrote me a letter so far? Chioma! Yeah, Chioma. ??? Love that girl. Grill.
Also, does everyone know about Dear Elder.com? Upon which you can dash off a quick typed note and have it delivered the same day to me with EASE? Do it. Do it, everyone.
So here are some Important Facts. My district is four people big. It's me, Sestra Farnsworth (my companion), Stareishna Evans and Stareishna Bryce, who are like the adorable odd couple of . . . Bulgaria. My companion is pretty awesome. She is from Vancouver, Washington (I've been there!) is good at every sport that ever existed, and likes barbecue sauce a lot. So that is good. I like her. We are a little team. We are also the only ones in our room, which is interesting. I also really love learning Bulgarski. We have taught three (3) lessons so far, in Bulgarian, somehow. Everyone was always telling me 'Oh, the MTC curriculum is so different now! Ha ha ha ha tell me about how it goes!' And now I want to tell them, SHUT UP. I don't speak BULGARIAN. This isn't FUNNY. But it is, really, because it's me and a girl from Vancouver who just got here a week ago struggling to read/pray our way along talking to a Bulgarian person whose interests incldue (according to his interview video) 'soccer and women.' And we just say things like, "Good! You pray now, please? Good. How is the works? Ah, good! Good works. Good morning! Excellent! Pray." Veeery funny.
Also, the MTC is the weirdest place in the world. It is kind of a nuthouse, and I mean that in the best, nuttiest, richest, peanutiest sense of the word. Like a big, sweaty box of delicious peanuts hidden from the sun and TV. If that makes sense. Everyone is nervous all the time, and excited all the time, and you have to slide your card five (5) different times to get into your bedroom. We went for our first temple walk on Sunday (at 2:45 ish...) and it was so bizarre. It was like I got all excited to be outside and in Provo, but I didn't feel like I was either of those things. I was like . . . enveloped in the Lord's robe, or something. The Lord's greenhouse. And in a different fourth dimension where the fake mashed potatoes are plentiful and a form of currency.
But also, importantly, since I fear that I am making no sense at all, I really like it here. It's really weird and nerve-racking to be not sure if I can communicate with people, and to not have a constant, easy form of communication or Facebook (I just now got the urge to open a new window to Facebook, as was my custom on the old Guhmail back in real life), but it's also really nice and liberating. Like my brain is actually freer and clearer than it has been since I was a young tot. Everybody read Job 37. There. That's my obligatory spirchal thought for the email.
How is everyone? Will you send me letters and tell me how things are? And go to DEARELDER.COM and send me things so that I know everyone is okay and that the real world still exists and that I am not on a freaky Twilight-Zone island and the rest of the world has been through a nuclear holocaust? That would be nice. :) :)
Also, guess how you say "The Holy Spirit" in Bulgarian? 'Svetiyadooh.' Which sounds like it has the word "sweaty" in it. hahahaha, the Holy Sweaty. Can you see that I am kind of starved for my brand of frightening, clown-like sarcastohumor? Yeah, there isn't a whole lot of that in here. Send me JOKES. From POPSICLE STICKS or your BRAINS.
Also, we got to watch the Music and the Choked Bird (Spoken World) the other day, and it was the Christmas broadcast and, oh man. It was the craziest. Like, cool, but also...just go watch it. It had ballet dancers and people prancing around in fake "medieval" clothes like leggings and shiny cloth. And then there was an organ solo, and it literally made me burst into tears in the middle of the gym/conference center, and I was embarrassed and didn't understand why, but then I realized that I had missed music so much (we're not really allowed to listen to it in here, by which I mean 'not at all'), and especially performed music, that it was overwhelming. So that was a "good" moment. In the sense that it was "enlightening."
I hate to be repetitive, but I don't really. PLEASE SEND ADDRESSES. And MAIL. I know I will eventually get used to not being able to send things due to the weird European postal whatever, but as for now, I'm pretty starved for attention from my loving family (and friend) circle. And really sad I don't get to have Christmas with you three minutes away, like we did last year. :( Send me pictures of how it went? Send me your hugs? Hugs are also scarce around here.
One last thing. Guess what I'm doing today at 10:30? Flying to Las Angeles, I think. We got summoned there last week, and what the teachers and previous groups told us is that we're flying out this morning to go sign some visa papers at the Bulgarian consulate in California, and then flying back the same day. So I guess I'll do . . . that. And the faster you send me that cord, Mom, the faster I can show you pictures of me! That show my new pin-holes from my tag and my Missionary Pimple (it's going away, but it's still meaningful)!
Okay. If there's anything I would have you take away from this letter, it's this: sweaty. And also, send me letters. You know my address! It's on my Facebook! Duh. But also, here it is just in case:
Sister Eliza Campbell
MTC Mailbox # 97
BUL-SOF 0215
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604
I think that's it. I just guessed that, so go check my Facecool too. But also Dearelder.com! Is a wonderful site for boys and girls. And also, email me back and tell me if any of you got this! And whoever gets it, forward to whoever else you know on the list, please!
Okay, I'm pretty much out of time. I love you guys!! Send me things and words! I miss you so much! THE CHORCH IS TRUUUHHHHH!
Cecpa Campbell
Monday, December 19, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
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