Letters from Anna Week #3

Hello mi familia y amigos :)

I hope everything is going well. I love hearing from you and I hope I keep being updated :) Like I’ve said mail time is the best time. So don't hold yourself back! Soo this week wasn't anything too different! It was a wonderful week but not much happened.

I keep forgetting to explain what I have learned so far so I’m sorry about that. So far I can pray, testify, teach a lesson (definitely a struggle, but we end up somehow expressing what we want to say), recite my purpose, a few scriptures and the baptismal invitation. I have looooots to learn. I often will learn something one day and then the next I’ll forget it and have to relearn it again. But it’s okay. I’m learning patience.

So this week we went to this thing called TRC, which is where you teach paid actors BUT some aren’t actors and they are real investigators. It started off really rough I’ll be honest. He said do you guys not know that much Spanish?? And I just said pico (which doesn't mean a little I meant to say poco) and then he just said well that answers my question. Any way we were trying so hard to understand what he was saying and then I just opened my mouth and said what I know. I started to get a little teary eyed and just realized I was not teaching the lesson alone. I’ll never forget that lesson even though it could be fake it still was an amazing moment for my companion and I.

So my companion has gotten a new nickname :) I don't know if I said this in my last email or not but we all call her HerMAMA Markle. She takes care of us all and we love her so so much. The 24th was pretty much just like any other day haha. The workers and teachers weren't supposed to talk about the holiday so we didn't get homesick but my companion and I still wore red white and blue just for kicks and giggles :) We told ourselves we would take a picture but we didn't.... oopsies :/

So on p-days we are allowed to go off campus to get lunch so today we tried it and it was sooo good. I miss food. I was like 200 feet away from Claire! I waved to her house anyway :)

We got to go off campus today! We went to a burger place, and Jamba!

 So this week we were writing goals up on the board and one of the elders asked me what a goal should be so I said to be nice and he wrote be nice or Hermana Fowler will drop kick you. I guess I told an Elder I would drop kick him the other day. oopsies. Everyone starts making fun me when I get hungry they ALWAYS say oh no Hermana Fowler is hungry. They are over exaggerating though. I’m an angel :) (Just kidding I just like food a lot :))

I think about my family all the time. Just a little shout out to Jake for emailing me :) and to Thomas for not… no worries I’m sure your phone broke or some other way good reason. :) Thank you for the mail! I love you all so incredibly much!! I love being a missionary. I don't want it to end :) Be safe and don’t forget me haha <3

Love always,

Hermana Fowler!!

P.S. I miss cheesecake

July 23, 2014

Mom,

Goodness I have so much to say to you. J Life as a missionary … so amazing. There have been some frustrating moments this week but over all just amazing.

The family reunion sounds so fun. While you are in Provo you should feel extra close J I miss the family & tell them. Mom your bowling is very unique but so cute! I love watching it. That makes me sad thinking I’ll miss fireworks. Eat extra ice cream for me. Mom I miss cheesecake soooo much. I seriously want it every day!

I think about our family so much. I am one lucky girl! That is so fun for Ben & Syd. I hope I get to hear about how it went J Haha I laughed so hard when I read the part about their huge foam pads. Your princess bed at camp … oh boy J Haha good times. Trek was such an incredible experience, I’ll never forget it.

I’m so glad coding is done for you. Now you can do more things for yourself. I’m so excited to see how school goes. You are going to do so well!

I can’t believe Jake taught Lilly how to do that. Bless his heart. I told my companion and other Hermana’s that and they laughed so hard.

Hahaha you and your podcasts J I love it! Seriously I love when you tell me about inspiring messages they help me more than you know. Keep it coming Mom.

Yes I’m finding more things I like to eat. I’ll take more pictures of my apartment and stuff. 

My bedroom. I'm on the top bunk!

My closet :) It's huge! We got the big room.

My daily schedule is- Wake up at 6:30 then get ready and go to breakfast at 7:15. Then class is at 8. Then I either have study cycle which is personal study for an hour, then companion study for an hour, then language study for an hour. Then we have gym at 11:25-12:25, then lunch & getting ready until 1:30. Then we get mail J (Best time!) Then we have one of our teachers teach us the language and give us lessons on the gospel. One of my teachers is better. Personally he helps me more. So what happened was my first investigator was this guy named Carlos and then when we were done teaching Carlos he turned into our teacher. He really helps me and Markle. It’s coming slowly. After that we have dinner at 5:25. Then we check the mail again J and then we have our other teacher. At 9 we plan for the next day and then go home, pick out our outfit for the next day J and go to bed. On Tuesday and Sundays we have devotionals so we go to the main campus.

My classroom

I’m so excited for you to go back to school!! You will do so well mom. I better hear all about it!! Some of the elders wrote you little notes! Elder Kirk said he wanted to and then his companion did too! Hermana Markle was soooooooo happy about her shower cap she kept talking about how nice it was of you do that!! She loves you but I love you more!!! I love you so much Mom! I love you I love you I love you!

-Your best friend & daughter

Dear Mama Fowler,

I know nothing about you but I’m sure that you’re a great mother! Anna is very nice when she’s not hungry, tired, or talking. Okay just kidding … aside from the threats of ripping my throat out she’s a wonderful missionary and very nice.

-Elder Ferrin

(Anna- Stupid Elder Ferrin lied, I talk about you all the time that’s why he said that. We fight about who has the best mom. I win every time :))

Hey Mrs. Fowler,

What’s goin on? Hope you’re doing well. Hermana Fowler is doing great in the MTC. Except she said she wanted to drop kick me. No worries. Anyways, I hope you know Hermana Fowler seems very happy! Hopefully that’s comforting.

Adios!

-Elder Kirk

7/23/14

Mama Fowler!

Thank you soo much!! You are so thoughtful! Thank you for the sweet note and shower cap! Of course I will take care of your Anna, she is too awesome not to! But no promises on the laughing. She starts it every time! She is too funny! J I will tell my mom, but will have to wait a few days. In the meantime, her number is …. Text her anytime! I am sure she would love to chat! Thanks for raising such an amazing companion for me! I love serving with her! You’re the best! J

Love,

Hermana Markle

Week #2

I love my companion!

I have big news everyone!! Hermana Fowler and Hermana Markle have been assigned as the FACILITIES COORDINATORS. I know I know biiiig deal :) We even got to stand up in sacrament meeting when they announced it! Starting from the bottom but it’s only uphill from here. So let’s see… Pretty much this week was absolutely incredible. Nothing big or exciting happened but just over all a solid week. I seriously love my companion so much. I thank heavenly father every night for putting us together. She is amazing. I want her to be my sister-in-law ;) 

On Sunday we had a devotional and we were sitting pretty far back and this worker came up to me and Markle and asked if we wanted to sit front row. So obviously we said yes and we went and sat right next to the speaker’s family. But the best part is that we got to know the family and we are way tight now so when they showed the family on the screen we got on the HUGE TV. So yep we are famous. Happy, happy missionaries. 

In class

So this week we made a language plan with our teacher. And somehow Markle and I got convinced into this plan where we are only allowed to say 250 English words every day. So it’s pretty silent here at the MTC. No but we tried and pretty much gave up at the end of the day buuuut we are trying again tomorrow. Our teacher said, “How do you expect your investigators to keep their commitments if we don’t keep ours.” So that hit deep and now we are really going to try our best to do it. The Spanish is coming slowly. Everyone else is definitely 100 steps ahead of me but the good thing is I've only had a few discouraging moments. Heavenly Father is good :)

At our apartment I'm on the top bunk (so I won’t sleep walk) but the bad thing is I hit my head on the ceiling every morning since it’s like three feet away from the ceiling. So the other night the fire alarm went off in our apartment so I stood up way fast and got a pretty bad bruise on my head but it’s almost gone now :) The food has gotten a little better. Today we wanted to see if we have lost weight and I have but I’m sure it’ll come right back the first week I’m in Costa Rica. One of my teachers served in Costa Rica so he tells us stories all the time. I honestly can even explain how excited I am. But then at the same time I only have 4 weeks left. Ahhh it’s going by so fast. I’m already dreading saying goodbye to my companion.

This week we were playing a game in class where our teacher would write out a sentence in English and then we had to translate it into Spanish and if you mess up anything you get a strike. So obviously my companion and I struck out first. Our teacher said Los siento. (sorry) and my first reaction (typical me not thinking before I spoke) was to say, “no you’re not”.... hahaha luckily he just laughed. But this next week I’m going to work on having a filter :) Yesterday we had an incredible devotional and pretty much all I can say is I grew a huge desire to be better. I want to become the best I can be. I have sooo much to improve on but I truly want to be better. Heavenly Father has been so good to me (hence my amazing family and friends) and I feel like these 18 months are nothing. So every moment counts! :) Life is soooo good. I love every day and every second being a missionary. I have lots and lots and lots to learn but we all do. And we will always have room to improve. I love this gospel and I love teaching lessons even when it’s silent (because I don’t know Spanish) because the spirit is so strong. Thank you for all the emails and letters. Mail time is the best time. Send more if you have time. I’ll love anything.  Even like hi wassup.  I’m all about that :) THOMAS AND JAKE PLEASE EMAIL ME I MISS YOU. I love you all! You are in my prayers every night. Be happy :)

Love always,

Hermana Fowler <3

Week #2 to Mom

Mom,

I got your dear elder and it seriously made me so happy. I love you so much. You are the absolute best mom I could ask for. Thank you so much for sending me my shoes and all the other stuff. I didn’t see our family book until after I sent you my last letter. THANK YOU SO MUCH!  I love it so much. It’s perfect. You’re such a cute mom J My shoes are comfy and so are my clothes.

I haven’t spent any money here and I’m hoping I won’t have to. I don’t like spending my own money so I try to just use the 8 dollars I get each week. Okay so I’m going to try to think of things I left out of my letter. On Sundays everyone has to prepare a talk and then they pick from the stand who will speak. In Spanish. So scary. So every week I will prepare a talk. My branch president is so solid. They are pretty much like general authorities. I look up to them and want to learn more from them. Every day in the MTC is a good day. I don’t know why people don’t like it. It’s wonderful. I love my district and get along with all the sisters and elders. Even though the elders are younger I feel like they are my older brothers and protect me (when other elders are being too competitive in volleyball.)

My mom said to send pictures of us playing volleyball but camera's aren't allowed during gym time so we thought this would work :)

            Hermana Markle is from Pleasant Grove so right around here. She went to Dixie and is a certified nurse. But don’t worry, she isn’t too mature for me. We laugh soo much. The elders are very nice and so fun to be around. As a zone we have sacrament and we do service and other activities like walking to devotionals and playing volleyball. Haha ya Kenton is funny. He got to call home when he was in the ER. It probably scared his mom half to death. The Hermana’s were walking behind Kenton and I and they said we walk the same hahaha. So we must be related. Everyone was looking at us weird because we aren’t supposed to walk with an elder alone, but I just kept saying he’s my cousin- no worries.

            I’m so proud of you. You will do so well in your calling. You were always the best young women’s leader. Those 12 year olds are lucky. You will do a wonderful job! I think about you all the time and love everything about you. You are such a wonderful person and don’t even know it.

I’m just so lucky! So so lucky.           

I really look forward to language study and to devotionals. Devotionals are on Tuesday and Sunday. Yes the main campus has way good food and so does west, I just lost my appetite it’s so weird. But already this week I have been better and the fruit you sent me has helped a lot.

            Seriously Mom everyone I meet here is so incredible and I feel like I’ve met them before. I have been so blessed here. It’s almost not even fair. I love what you said about being free with compliments. It is exactly what I needed to hear. I’m going to try really hard to do that today. It’s so easy to be kind but we so often hold it back because of our own insecurities. I’m really going to work on that. I love my missionary badge and I love being a missionary. There is definitely a lot to improve on, but this is the place to do it. I am so extremely happy. Happy happy happy.

            Well I got to go but I love you sooo much! Be safe and don’t worry about me. I couldn’t be in a better place. I miss you and pray for your happiness every day! Thank you so much for  your dear elder it was such a blessing! I LOVE YOU! ALWAYS AND FOR ETERNITY

            Love,  

Your daughter and best friend J Hermana Fowler

P.S. So this week we did this stress relief exercise and so our teacher told us to go up and down this big staircase three times but you couldn’t say anything. Me without thinking thought oh ya that would be fun if I lead so I did. BAD idea. Everyone started running. So just imagine 10 people chasing me up the stairs. bad bad bad bad bad.

(Kendra- The reason this is so funny is because she’s always been afraid of being chased up the stairs since she was a little girl.)

P.P.S. MOMMMYYYYYYYY!!!! I LAUGHED YOUR WHOLE EMAIL. I want to go into more detail for you so I’m going to respond to your email in a hand letter if you don’t mind. But seriously mom I love you soooo much. I think about you majority of the time here. You seriously are my best friend. I miss you more than anything or anyone! But I’m so glad I’m here. And I’m even more glad I know about this gospel. It’s incredible Mom. Absolutely incredible.

July 16, 2014

FAMILY FAMILY FAMILY!! What a week!! Seriously the best week of my life I’m pretty sure!!! I love it here. It’s honestly like Spanish Happyville. Everyone speaks Spanish and then there is me and my companion :/ My companion is just like Keng (my mom). She is always laughing at me and she tells me not to because she will pee her pants. She is 22 and a shorty I love it. We definitely are both not very mature but we are working on it :) Every day is wonderful here at the MTC. My district is so fun. It’s my companion and I, another companionship of girls, and 3 companionship of boys. They are all 18.

My District

These are the girls in my district. All soooo nice and cute cute cute!

Everything is so good here except the food. No bueno. My appetite has gone bye bye. Pretty much I just have fruit for every meal. But it’s chill because I don’t think about being hungry that often so it hasn't really affected me.

When I first got to class my teacher wouldn't speak in English and I can honestly say I understood 10% of the things he says and everyone else understands 80%. It’s okay though because I know it will come eventually. I love Spanish and I don’t even know it yet. The other day our teacher had us write a question we had on how we can teach our investigator better, and Hermana Markle and I asked "how can we teach in Spanish when we don’t know what he is saying to us." Our lessons are rough and we pretty much read our note card the whole time but it’s coming slowly. It’s bad because my companion and I have the same humor so when we are teaching a lesson and it’s just not going well we start laughing and then it just gets worse. Yesterday I think we learned from our lesson, so tomorrows will be better :)

Hermana Markle and I

I’m in the choir. I told my companion that all my brothers have volunteered to pay for singing lessons and she didn't believe me until I tried to hit a way hard note and now she knows. I see people I know all the time I love it. I see a lot of people from the stake and it’s good to see a little piece of home.

I forgot my tennis shoes so I worked out in my crocs for three days and did service in them. Surprisingly no one commented and didn’t judge me. Every day for gym I play volleyball and it’s soooooo fun. Some days I am blessed with crazy talent and others it’s just embarrassing. I am so incredibly happy here. Last night I was trying to think of why my happiness has grown so much and I’ve come to realize it’s because missionary work is not about me.  Though I have much to improve on, I find myself the happiest when I’m not thinking about me. I think about home all the time. I think about how much I miss all my brothers and my mom every day. But I have not yet become homesick. I know that it will probably come I just love it here so much. Everyone I have met here has been exactly what I need. I can’t help but to think that I don’t deserve it and another sister should have these blessings. 

Yesterday we had a devotional and I felt like it was exactly what I needed to hear. Brother Brown told of a story where a man he knew had been diagnosed with cancer and asked him for a blessing. Before he went over to give the blessing he was praying for strength and asking not to let this man die because of his inadequacy. Then this question came to his mind. "Are you blessing him in your name or in mine?" This changed my whole perspective on saying in the name of Jesus Christ Amen. I feel that I need to trust that the language will come and that the amount of effort and commitment I put into it, I will get out.  So now before I pray I ask, “Am I really praying in the name of Christ? It has made a huge difference already! The MTC is wonderful it’s not a prison like we joked about. It’s the best place I could be. I know that I am exactly where I should be. I have sooo much to learn but I’m not alone. Don’t worry about me! I’m in very good hands. I love you all and am forever grateful for the family and friends that I have!!

Love always,

Hermana Fowler

PS. I have loved all the letters and packages. PLEASE send dear elders if you have time. I love them and they make my day. 

(Note from Kendra: Dear Elder is a free website where you can type in a letter to Anna and they print it off at the MTC and deliver it to her that day. You'll need the following information.

www.dearelder.com

Sister Anna Leigh Fowler

Aug 19 CRA-SJO

2023 N. 900 E. 

Unit 827

Provo, UT 84602)

July 16, 2014

(A quick couple emails from Anna seeing if I was online before she wrote her weekly email.)

MOMMY! IT'S ANNA YOUR DAUGHTER

I love you mom. It’s so wonderful here. I wish you could be here with me and be a fly on the wall like you said but truly don’t worry about me. I couldn’t be in better hands. I am sending you a hand written letter today. Will you make sure that everyone gets my email? Thank you! They have salad bars but it’s like lettuce and dressing. It’s okay though but I am definitely losing weight. It’s nothing to be worried about it’s just not incredible food like I thought.

I see Kenton sometimes. He has been such a blessing even though he didn’t know who I was. I give him a hard time about that all the time. We walked home from the Marriott Center together yesterday and everyone was looking at us weird but I just say he’s my cousin, don’t worry and then they would laugh. He got sick this week so I feel really bad for him. But yesterday he looked a lot better. 

Thank you so much for sending your package honestly it made my life. And those cherries ahhhhh soooo goood. I eat them all the time.

I AM SOOOOO GOOD. Mom, I absolutely love it here. It is heaven. I will be sending you a big email explaining everything don’t you worry.

Anna's first letter home

July 14, 2014

Mama,

I love you! I love you! I loooove you! And I love it here. It is absolutely incredible. I love it so much. There are a good amount of people I run into that I know such as Katie Hill, this girl from college and random other people. I just love it here so much. My companion is Hermana Markle. Like sparkle. I love her. She is already like my best friend. She is 22. Mom it’s bad because we get laughing way hard. Of course not as bad as you and I do, but, it’s no Bueno. 

My companion Hermana Markle

            Yes, I saw Rachel the first day a lot but the second day I didn’t see her and today I saw her twice. It’s been very nice to have her here. Kenton, I see all the time and I wave to him but he acts like he doesn’t know who I am, so today I confronted him on that and everything is clear.

Mom I’m so happy here because finally it’s not about me. It’s about the Lord and His children. I just am so incredibly happy. I slept very well my first night. Obviously I can sleep anywhere at any time. It’s a blessing! Yes we dove right in. My teacher doesn’t speak English and I have absolutely no idea what he is saying. I kid you not. Not one word. My companion is on the same page but she is a little bit better. Gosh I love her. I have the best district and zone. The branch president is so amazing. Unbelievable!

My P-day is Wednesday, not Monday so sorry. Thank you so much for sending my tennis shoes. I started writing you a fast note so you could know I needed them. I was very very happy to see them and your note. I love you Mom sooo much. I wish you were here to experience this with me. My companion and I taught our first lesson in Spanish yesterday and yikes! Sooo bad Mom! We wrote out every word and read the card then looked up and smiled. It’s not good. My district is wonderful. Well I’m going to finish this up so you can get this letter. Mom I love this gospel so much! PLEASE send letters and emails and packages. I love you and I’m so glad I get to spend eternity with you!

Love always,

Hermana Anna Leigh Fowler

P.S. Everyone here is so friendly. It’s the happiest place on earth.

I love you