Let me set the scene for you in terms of yarn: (while I spin you all a yarn): I'm sitting in our old internet zala, which is all but abandoned on account of it is a BIG holiday called New Year's Day here, and wearing the following wool products:

 

1) wool Land's End tights

2) wool plain tights underneath

3) gray sweater (purchased with GG! Thank you GG! I love you!)

4) white fluffy huge yarn eternity scarf I MADE LAST NIGHT, thank you

5) huge blue and white and dark blue swooshy big hat I made a few weeks ago

6) remember in that one book when a southern grandma was trying to express the idea of "whirlpools" in the river near their house but says like "wool pooh," and then the grandkids imagine that there is a winnie-the-pooh demon made of wool in the river to kill them? What book was that???

 

Just setting the scene for you. As I mentioned previously, Sister Tate's going-home-soon-stress-reliever is crocheting, an old passion of mine given to me by GG/Eva. And I have fed right into its madness. Here are the mane events (haha, lions):

 

1) Christmas eve. Found us pretending to have p-day but not really, because we had to prepare to entertain members and entertain ourselves and try to do real missionary work at the same time. Also, wearing my new fur hat. Eventually we found ourselves at the house of a long-time investigator named Ina, who wants to get baptized but whose husband isn't into it, having Christmas eve dinner! Did I tell you about this already? Whatever. We also met her husband and it was actually really nice. He's cool. They want to move to Australia, like a lot of young mover and shaker Bulgarians. Also, guess what mom and dad: there are a million Bulgarians in Vancouver, B.C. So. Let's go there someday and buy cirene. Eventually we ended up at the church hosting a party that one member was excited to have (a lot of members here are kind of alone/have bad family situations) and we watched "Horton Hears A Who" (in Bulgarian! not as funny, I don't think)  and made gingerbread houses out of chocolate biscuits and Christmas candy sent in packages to us.

 

2) Christmas day! The longest and most stressful day ever! I think I understood the "adult" side of Christmas more than I ever had, where you kind of are just responsible for making sure everyone's happy and has a good time. But it was nice. I realized how happy and sweet it is when you get to a point where all the people in your care ARE happy and quiet and not fighting (like we kids used to). We visited our investigator Rumi and gave her a CD player with headphones and a MoTab CD (thank you GG and Papa!) which she LOVED, and looked at all the cool pictures of when she used to live in Libya and Tunisia and be a hipster. And then went to go see sister and brother Boyanka and Peter, who are some less-active members who randomly have a daughter/niece in Utah who is roommates with the daughter of Elder and Sister Eames, the senior couple working here with us. Pretty crazy. And I talked about John Lennon to Peter for a while, and played some Johnny Cash on my guitar for him that he wanted to hear. He was SO excited. Then we went home to make a pumpkin pie (I promised I would) and went back to the church for another party in which we made pizza and watched that awful movie about the green guy who is not in agreement with the institution of Christmas, and skyped you guys! It was so tender and sweet! I am scared of how grown up and different everyone is, but also peaceful about how happy you all seem. So keep being happy.

 

And last night, we had been given the direction to work only until 5PM because New Year's Eve is kind of nuts/dangerous here, what with all of the shooting guns and fireworks going off from every single house with no laws or regulations and also drunk folks all about. So we came in at 5 and had a nice old lady's evening in which we crocheted for like 3 hours and I completed a scarf, and ate pumpkin bread and pumpkin soup, and then went to bed at 10:00. And then were violently woken up all night by fireworks EVERYWHERE. Like, off the balconies below us and above us and across from us.

 

Anyway. A kind of crazy week and even crazier to realize my mission will end this year.  I love you all so much. Happy everything!

 

Love,

Sister Grundbag

Week of December 24, 2012: Fur Hat!

Merry? Christmas? It's Christmas Eve. It doesn't really feel like it. It hasn't felt like it, and it's kind of liberating. Just, like, a normal week. Except for tonight we somehow roped ourselves into a Christmas eve gathering (that turned into a party, with us facilitating the creation of residences of gingered bread) and a Christmas night gathering tomorrow, which I don't want to call a party because parties are more tiring, in which we will . . . watch a movie? There are mostly lonely people in our branch here, who don't really any of them seem to have things to do, even these next few days. So we'll spend some time with them and let them feel like they have a family or something.

 

Perhaps most importantly, and yet least importantly of all, I bought a fur hat. They are all the rage here, let me tell you. Kinda like those Russian puffhead ones you always see in the movies, but of various shapes and sizes. Sister Tate and I spend a lot of time walking on the main street (obviously, doing other things) but also looking at and comparing various fur hats of shapes and sizes. Since we're the northern-most city of Bulgaria, I think such furheads are more prominent here. And I have become kind of obsessed with them. So I bought one this morning! Merry Christmas. I have a big furry head.

 

Also, Sister Tate has revived my seventh-grade crocheting obsession. And this week I also made a hat. Lots of hats this week!

 

Okay, boring. More importantly: Christmas in Bulgaria! There was a group of guys in the little traditional vesty-reddy-embroidery (google image search that) Bulgarian villager clothes going around "koledaring," which means I guess serenading the women they find and beating each other up with sticks? I'm a little confused about that tradition. So look it up if you so care. Mostly people here have a thing on Christmas Eve where they eat nine fasting main course dishes (fasting meaning without meat, in the Orthodox/Catholic sense) and then break their fast on Christmas Day with meat. And fur hats!

 

It's been very tender to be here and remember you guys and see the lives of people in this country. It's something to think about every day - that there are people around the world, in places we don't even know about or think about, who are suffering different things than we will ever understand, and yet who have the exact same longings and loneliness that we all have. It's really tender to see people's loneliness and hopes and problems and know that even though I can't resolve them, I can do whatever I can to do what Jesus would do in that same circumstance. And even if you're not on a mission, that's something that's always true.

 

I love you guys so much. I pray for you every day, and the people I love really are the greatest gifts I've been given. Merry krudmas!

 

Sister Crundal

Elder Campbell, Week of December 17, 2012: Robot Voice

 . . . I don't really know what to describe specifically, but I'll try. Our
apartment is actually quite nice. It's not big, but it has all the
stuff we need, including a stove, which lots of people don't have.
Most days we have toast for breakfast, and other meals are usually
curry, ramen, jjigeh (really hot soup with tofu, etc.), and other
similar things. We walk around a lot, and also take the bus, which has
a robot voice that announces the stops. Also the presidential election
is soon, and there are trucks that drive around with video screens and
people who dance on the street for the candidates---it's a little
different from the US, but maybe a little less contentious, too.

This week we taught two brothers, Kim Margum and Kim Purum, who are getting baptized this
coming Sunday. Yesterday (Sunday) we went with them to church, and the
mission president and his wife were there. After church they had a
linger-longer type thing, but with curry, which was really good. In
general things are good. It's kind of hard to believe how much has
happened here already . . . I know that the gospel is true,
and that it's brought so many blessings to our lives that other people
want and need. I love you---keep it up.

-Elder Campbell

Week of December 17, 2012: Incorrect Scaffolding of Human Time

Oh hello everyone. We got transfer calls! I am staying here in Ruse and working with Sister Tate, whose last transfer it is! (How could that sentence have been worded more correctly?) Anyway. I'm excited to stay in Ruse, the "Windy Apple," or more correctly, "The Hottest and the Coldest," (weather-wise) and I haven't quite gotten ready to disattach from the people here, nor the . . . people. It's all about the people, really. I'm also really glad for Sister Walch and will miss her a lot. She's cool. If she's reading this in two years for some reason, hi

 

Okay. This week continued the trend of ridiculously accelerating fastness for no reason. Partly because we had a zone conference in Varna on Friday, and also a Christmas Super Party on Saturday that took A MILLION YEARS to prepare. I'm sorry to continue to say the same dumb missionary letter things ("This week just FLEW by!!" "I love THE people!" "What a GREAT week!") but sadly they are all necessary and true missionary things. And also, let me tell you something. Missions are AWESOME because they help you see through the blurry, incorrect scaffolding of human time. You start in the MTC and you feel like you are going to be there until you die, and that every minute is like a year of boring. Then you get through it and start liking it and building things with your mashed potatoes. Then you have your first transfer and it feels like three lifetimes full of slavery and joy and morbidity and magic. Then the next one goes faster and you find yourself actually feeling in control of things. I don't know. I guess I'm saying that on my mission I've learned some things about eternal priorities. Because a mission really is like a mini-life and teaches you a lesson about lifesize-life. (Remember the movie "Life Size"? Why didn't it win an Oscar????) One, that we're really on the earth for a ridiculously short amount of time. Two, that sometimes it will seem long - but that's because we're learning and growing the most. And three, the further along and more joyful it gets, the faster it goes. Time just becomes this filter through which you glimpse God. Okay, term paper over.

 

Here are some things I did this week:

 

1) Sneaked around in an icy night putting up posters for our English class, feeling like some kind of viligante or French Resistance dude. Even though it's LEGAL.

 

2) Did a photo shoot with Sister Walch in front of the broken green railway car that's in front of our church for some reason, wearing our magical thrifted Christmas sweaters and holding a tiny elha (Christmas tree!). I will send them posthaste.

 

3) Watched "Anastasia," argued about its merits as a documentation showcasing Eastern Europe. I'm on the "It Doesn't Have Any of Those Merits" side.

 

4) Contacted for our new English classes ("Excuse me, are you interested in learning English? I speak English!! Come back!!! Rihanna speaks English!!!! Don't you like her??" etc.) 

 

5) Met a cool new guy named Deyan who wants to learn! And then a snowstorm happened. 

 

6) Perfected the use of the "over the nose and mouth" baba face scarf thing for snowstorms.

 

7) Bought a Santa suit from a store full of Chinese knicknacks.

 

8) Went to a crazy store called "Jumbo" and bought tiny metal (not "mental," as I first typed) Christmas trees. For the setting of our Christmas dinner party tables.

 

9) Watched the First Prezidancy (dancy! like they like to dance! hee hee) Christmas Message about 30 times with various investigators. It's funny how all these things I never knew about as a normal, slightly-lazy member of the Church are suddenly so crucial to my life, like things like devotionals and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Conference!!!! Being translated into Bulgarian!! We went over to our investigator Rumi's house (have I talked about her? she's the adopted "aunt" of Sevda, can't really see or walk very well, but sharp as an icicle and speaks French and some English and lived in Libya for like 10 years) and watched it with her and her husband, Kolyo, who mostly is against the Church. It was very tender. If you haven't watched that Devotional, go ahead and do it sometime. It's pretty good. Rumi struggles to admit or voice her faith, or even to have any (she was an atheist during all of communism and made fun of people who believed in God), but when President Monson speaks she ALWAYS cries. It's cute and tender. The Spirit was very strong and helpful, like a good messenger from God should be. And her husband even softened up a little and we sang Christmax carols with the ol' guitar.

 

10) Zone confrince!! Fun! Christmas!!! Got two packages (from GG and Mom - thank you guys!!! so needed and grateful!!)!! And learned the True Meaning of Christmas. I can't tell you what it is, though.

 

11) CRAZY CHRISTMAS PARTY TIME. If you thought that chaos and Relief Society meltdowns and party disorganization was limited to your home ward, think again! The Church truly is everywhere, and it really felt just like being at home and trying to organize a party and everyone flipping out. But it turned out awesome. We had like 40 people, Dyado Koleda showed up and passed out oranges, we sang Christmas songs with my guitar and there were some meatballs. 

 

12) And then about 10 people at Church, because it rained and got ridiculously icy everywhere. But it was a great Sunday.

 

Anyway. I also have recommitted myself to leaving behind the World (and all that that implies) and giving myself up to the love and charity of the Savior. It's the happiest way I've ever lived, and I recommend it. It makes things like dieting and clothes and jealously and insecurities and stress and jaw clicking seem very momentary and not a big deal, even funny.

 

I love you guys. Read the Book of Mormon, every day, if you can. It will be the best thing you've ever done. I'll send pictures next week.

 

Love,

Sister Campbell

Sister Campbell: Week of 12/10/12--Music Is Cool

I'll open with the thing that is most important in terms of not-forget-a-bility. This week I heard a hilarious thing on the radio. Frequently radio DJs here (who have the same jargony/blabby voice and tone that American DJs do, which is encouraging/depressing) announce songs with English titles they have just played, often with hilarious results. Well. This week, a Tupac song was playing in our taxi that I didn't know the name of, but something about something something hard life something. And after it, the DJ said, that was "Letter To My Unborn Child," but he said it in this accent and it was HILARIOUS. When I get home I will describe more perfectly what it was like but MAN it was good. Also we heard a pop song, a few seconds later, which had lyrics that consisted entirely of "I have a camera! I have a camera! Paprazzi paparazzi paparazzi!!!" repeated over and over. So there you go. Pop music changes lives.

 

Now on a "real" "missionary" "work" note. We had an interesting week. It snowed! We have been waiting excitedly for snow for a long time now (why? I don't know. snow kind of makes missionary life painful and difficult, but what can two poor little snow-deprived-mild-west-coast-climate girls like Sister Walch and I do?) and last night it finally snowed and stuck a little!

 

Oh, I learned how to successfully play "Angels We Have Heard On High" ("Chuxme Peyat Angeli") on the pianee! Not even the easy one, but the green hymn book one! And played it for an opening hymn! So that was cool. 

 

One time Thomas asked me in a letter about music here at church and I never really answered. So I will now. Until about 2 years ago, all branches in Bulgaria had a little paper-cover spiral bound hymn thing with about 20 hymns in it, all translated with varying degrees of shoddiness (I know because I've used it and been shocked by the results and awkwardness). Now we have the actual exact same looking hymnbook as in English-speaking areas, with the green cover and marble inside pages and stuff, except it has Bulgarian "Himni" on the front. And people here LOVE singing and yet hate it. It's interesting. It's interesting to read about a place before you go to it and read "Bulgarians love singing! Choirs! Traditional music!" and then come here and compare it to that. But basically, hymns are one of the most important parts of church/worship/people's conversion. Every time. It really has amazed me and made me realize the importance of music in church in a way I took for granted before. I've also noticed this when I have taken the guitar to lessons and opened lessons with hymns, or just sung for older, inactive, sick ladies who can't come to church anymore. They love singing and hearing singing so much, and it's kind of awesome. Anyway. I wish I could play more real hymns on the piano, and now the "I told you so" of any parent who ever encouraged me to do so is made real.

 

And a final note: I looked at an English hymnal we have at the church, and got so confused and disoriented. Not like that dumb missionary "I'm so lost in the language!!!!" garbage, but I really can't remember a lot of important English hymn lyrics right away, or at least they're all packed away into a back part of my mind I don't use. Silent night, holy night, all is calm all is bright, round yonvirgin mother and child? Holy . . . infant? Ha ha. Just kidding. But really.

 

Okay. Music is cool. Everybody here also just KNOWS like 20 or so folk songs, like traditional Bulgarian songs, which is cool. So this Saturday, we'll be having a branch Christmas party, which may or may not be somewhat chaotic, and there will be a performance of traditional Bulgarian songs and apparently we're making 30 cabbage rolls for everybody? I'll let you know how it goes. Oh also, this Friday is zone confrince and after that we have transfer calls! So I will probably get a new company onion one of these days.

 

This week we also:

 

1) Made/decorated Christmas cookies with an investigator and her cute daughter.

2) Bathed homeless lady again.

3) Went on a ridiculous goose chase for a mattress pump for a member.

4) Had a really, really good lesson with Seifitin in which we made him teach us the first lesson as review, and it was so good! Stupid repetitive words. But I just felt the goodness and desire to learn emanating from him, I spose you could call it "The Spirit" or something. And then we went outside and it was all quiet and snowy. The Spirit is cool! Use it.

 

Anyway. Merry finals week or whatever. Merry Thomas-is-in-Korea. I love you guys. stay safe and happy.

 

Sister Can-bull

Elder Campbell, Week of 12/10/12: Galaxy On The Ground

Dear 가족,

It's hard to believe how much has happened this week. We left really
early last Monday morning, and spent about 20 hours on planes, which
was interesting. We went to the Tokyo airport---it didn't actually seem very big or busy, but when we
flew over Tokyo it looked like a big galaxy on the ground. It was
pretty cool.

We got to Busan on Wednesday. It's a pretty cool city. It's really
big, but when it was built they left a lot of the natural landscape
intact. There are big mountains just sitting in the middle of the
city. We stayed at the mission home for a bit, which was nice, and met
our mission president . . . on Friday we found out who our
companions are. Mine is Elder Kang Jae-sung (강제성). He grew up in Korea
and lived in America for a bit. He's really great---he's funny, but
also serious about helping people and learning and growing. We went to
our area on Friday---it's a place called Jinju, about two hours away
from Busan.  

Thomas in Korea~