when I whisper it sounds like parseltongue!

Apa Khabar, Keluarga Saya!!

I survived my first week in the MTC!! I can't believe it's only been a week. It feels like at least a month. I don't really know where to start ... this place is real awesome! My companion is Sister Jensen (St. George girl that I already met before coming here) and we are a pretty great team! We work well together and we're pretty determined to kick this language's butt. Malay: So the Chinese lady that told me "Malay much harder than Mandarin!" So wrong! Or maybe it's just the gift of tongues ... but for real, after a week here, I am speaking more Malay than I learned in six months living in China. To get a better idea of what this crazy awesome language sounds like, we are grouped with the missionaries going to Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Mongolia, Madagascar, and Indonesia. And that's a branch pretty much ... throw in some ESL districts and call it a game. Anyway, it sounds like a mixture of Arabic sounding stuff and Island sounding stuff, and I feel pretty sick when I speak it, not gonna lie. So far I can pray, bear testimony, and do some basic contacting. Our district is killer! We've got four sisters. That's it. It's unique and so great. Me, Sister Jensen, Sister Kubota, and Sister Ferguson. We make an awesome team. Daxy poo! Guess who is in my branch and the classroom right next to mine? One Elder Lefrandt, headed to Madasgascar. He happens to be the little brother of the former Elder Lefrandt who you might know. Cool huh?

I guess you want a little rundown of my schedule, eh mommy? Well, Sister J and I wake up at 6 every morning and go to the exercise class (pilates, kickboxing, yoga, aerobics, etc), then we get ready and have personal study at 7. Then breakfast, companion study, and then it's a 13 hour day from there, filled with language study, preach my gospel study, mdt (it's where you get to decide what you study and learn by yourself ... we usually end up studying bahasa.), gym time ... awesome devotionals, branch meetings, district meetings, large group meetings ... and by the time I lie down at 10:30, it is no wonder that I'm not struggling too much with insomnia anymore. It is hard and frustrating and mind-blowing and awesome and so exciting all at the same time. And I really am loving it so much!!

I may have injured my companion in our first day of gym ... we were playing a little bit of volleyball and one of my serves hit her wrist. Now Sister Kubota and I are the only sisters that play volleyball during gym. Oops! I felt so bad! She's a tough cookie though, so she's fine. I am brushing up on my game though. Most of the elders are polynesian, and Sister K is Hawaiian. Makes for some pretty intense games.

DAX. I CAN'T WRITE CHARACTERS ANYMORE. PLEASE WRITE ME A LETTER IN CHINESE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE SO I CAN KEEP IT UP. Pleeeeaaaase. Tolonglah!

I don't know what else to say to you all ... it's great! Life's great! Our Heavenly Father loves us! It's all pretty cool. Write me some dearelders if you want (the other sisters get like five a day. Sister Jensen and I console each other, it's all good).

Here's a little kasaksian for you (testimony) ~

Saya tahu bahawa Allah adalah Bapa kita di Syurgah. Saya tahu Yesus Kristus adalah jerusalamat dan penebus kita. Korban Tebusannya boleh membawa kedemaian kepada kita. Saya tahu Kitab Mormon firman Allah. Berbacalah itu! Saya tahu bahawa Allah mengasihi kita. Dalam nama Yesus Kristus, Amin.

I love you all and will write next week!

Dengan kashi,

Sister Norton

HFI