Katie's new address

For those of you who want to send Katie a physical letter, her new address at the MTC is:

Sister Kate Raynor

Oct 21 PHI-OLO

2025 N 900 E Unit 921

Provo UT 84602

Magandang hapon! Week 3

Hey family!  

I am so glad this week is almost over!  My pday got moved up because I am singing at the Relief Society Conference on Saturday.  The Tagalog is still hard but it keeps me busy.  Conjugation is way harder than spanish was.  We got three new districts on Wednesday.  Sister Udall and I were called to be the Zone Online Coordinators--so we have to explain all the rules and sites to them.  We moved to West Campus--Raintree.  It is a lot nicer here, but there are some definite cons: 12 girls in 3 rooms with two showers, having to bus up to main campus extra early, and one of my new roommates wakes up at 5:30.  But overall it is great.

I'm running out of computer time but Mahal Kita!

Tagalog Word of the Day:

Gato: dangerous, structurally unsound

Love, Sister Raynor

Katie: MTC Week 2

Family!  This week went by so fast.  It was really hard but its over for the next 8 hours and then I'm back to class.  We finished teaching our first training investigator this week-we got him to commit to baptism.  Very cool.  On Monday we meet with two new investigators.  

The language is coming-slowly- but its coming.  Its starting to get to the point where its harder to pray in English than Tagalog.  We are supposed to SYL (speak your language) constantly throughout the day but after 6 hours of Tagalog klase and 2 additional study hours a day, I think we are all tired of Tagalog.  We met our second Guro(teacher) on Thursday- he was our "investigator" Jonar.  We has no idea that our investigator would be our teacher. So I guess I can thank all my wonderful siblings for not giving me a heads up. 

I have some super exciting news!  They had auditions/a selection process for sister missionaries to sing in the General Relief Society Meeting next weekend.  So look for me-I'll be with the Second Sopranos (scary and a little bit higher than I'm used to but thats where they put me).  

On Tuesday we move to West Campus- Wyview and Raintree- We're all super excited because apparently it is all way nicer.

I also ran into a few people that Ash will know: Hannon Young and the Medicinal Plants TA Emily.  

Well, I guess this is it for the whole family.  I'll try to send some pictures as well.

Mahal Kita.

Sister Raynor

PS One of the Sisters in my district and I have become super close--she reminds me a lot of Rachel (only she does not push my buttons as much...).  

Katie's first letter

Hey family!

So my P day is Saturday.  It feels like I have been here forever.  The MTC is incredible.  Everyone is so friendly and you are hardly ever speaking the same language.  One of the Elders in my district said that the MTC is like the tower of Babel because no on can understand what anyone else is saying.  I love my district and I love my companion.  Kumusta ko si Sister Udall taga-Arizona.  She is awesome.  The language is coming, slowly but surely.  Yesterday on day 3 in the MTC we taught out first lesson in Tagalog to an RM pretending to be a Filipino named Jonar.  Super difficult but hilarious.  We started off by repeating our memorized script but then we realized that the Espiritu Santo wasn't there so the lesson turned into us making hand motions and saying that Aklat ni Mormon would make Jonar masaya (happy).  It was kind of like playing that Guestures game with Grandpa Tom.  We were all cracking up.  We ended up just saying paschensha (sorry) over and over and then we couldn't remember how to say "Sa pangalan ni JesuCristo Amen" so I just said Sige po (okay, see ya)--kind of an awkward way to end a lesson.  We have another appointment with Jonar tonight.  I know its strange but I feel so close to him.  I just want to share everything with this pretend person and he wants to know so much but I just don;t know how to express it in Tagalog.  I feel like Sister Udall and I learned a lot from it though- we are definitely going to be practicing Tagalog a lot more.  

Sister Udall and I actually have our own room for the next two weeks- so we each have to closets!  In two weeks we are moving into the West MTC (what used to be Raintree and the they made part of Wyview into classrooms).  It is supposed to be better than the regular MTC.  I guess we have some access to BYU too- but we'll see.  I'm learning a lot about how to share ebanghelyo (the gospel) in effective ways.  There are a lot of aggressive and energetic missionaries who are constantly trying to get a commitment for baptism on the first lesson-pretty intense.  

There are five companionships in my district.  Sister Udall, 3 elders, 1 othere sister and myself are all going to Olongapo.  We all get along really well.  Study time in our classroom never goes well because we always joke around in Taglish(english with a few tagalog words/phrases) more than actually study.  There is one Elder who is going to the temple to receive his endowments today.  He is incredible.  He is from the Marshall Islands, speaks almost no english and is learning Tagalog.  He was baptized last year (2012) and neither of his parents are members.  They don't understand why he is going on a mission but they are happy for him.  His companion is from Grant's Pass (where we picked up Maggie) and is so patient it amazes me.  

Tagalog.  What a crazy language.  Our District Leader, Elder Christiansen explained it to some English speaking sisters as a cross between Mandarin, Spanish, and Cambodian.  It is fun to see Mr. Martinez's class is starting to pay off (even though we didn't learn much...).  Our  guru (teacher)  is Brother Spreng.  Everyday he speaks nothing but Tagalog.  At one point someone asked him to repeat something in English and he did!  We got super excited- it was a big deal.  The language is super hard because every other word is po, and, nd, ng, sa, ko, ka, or si.  Its confusing but the nouns and verbs are getting easier.  It will come.  I thing the koloob na mga wika (the gift of tongues) is starting to kick in.

Overall, I am loving it here.  Its hard and I'm always tired but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I'm so excited to go to the temple today.  I feel like it will be really neat.  

Mahal kita pamilya ko!

Sister Raynor

And she's off...

Sorry for the 8 day delay but ive finally gathered all of the pictures and unpacked my computer and found the time to make a post or two, but here they are.

The mood we tried to feel

The actual mood

So sad...

We were actually quite sad she left, but super happy for her

Katie's Last

Well, tonight is the night that Katie gets set apart as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Katie's final act:  playing cards and drinking soda with Ashley before heading up to the Provo MTC.

 Katie begging for Ashley's attention.  I think you can tell from Ashley's annoyed expression that she is excited for some only child time/Katie-free time.

Called to Serve

Katie has been called to serve in the Philippines Olongapo Mission.  She reports to the Provo Missionary Training Center on September 11, 2013.  She will be sharing the gospel in Tagalog.

Ashley has been called to serve in the Arizona Tempe Mission.  She reports to the Provo Missionary Training Center on November 20, 2013.  She will be sharing the gospel in English.